Wine Mixed With Water

Before I left for Greece, there were at least five different people who warned me about the Greek men. Their good looks, charm, appeal, etc. And boy, they are nice. We've run into quite a few guys who are quite attractive and seem super nice. I have a very nice boyfriend at home, so I haven't been really looking at any of them closely though.

Today, though, has been quite an experience. We went to the archaeological museum in Athens as a big class. When I was looking at the jewelry from 500 B.C.E., these two guys came up and started talking to me. They were students in Athens who grew up in northern Greece, so they decided to spend the day doing touristy things in the city that they haven't gotten to yet. They spoke really good English, I guess they had both studied it extensively in school and gone to the US one of their summers in college. They walked out with me from the museum and we walked back to the area close to where I'm staying.

When we got back close to the apartments, they asked me to go with them to coffee, so we stopped by the local coffee place and grabbed some hot chocolate with shots of espresso. When I told them that was what our group was ordering everywhere, they looked at me funny, but decided to try it. Needless to say, they loved it. We ended up talking and hanging out for a couple hours. After that, they asked if I wanted to go see the city at night. I had nowhere to be, so I decided to go for it. Little did I know what that really entailed.

We walked outside, and I was fully expecting to get into one of the stereotypical Athenian cars, like a mini cooper or a smart car. Nope. They both went out and started putting on helmets for their mopeds. I had seen how fast and scary the traffic is in Athens, and moped drivers tend to be the worst. They promised to be safe, so I finally agreed.

We went out and drove around. I saw more of the city tonight than over the entire trip. We went down by the touristy area near the Acropolis, and then headed by the parliament buildings, and then to the shopping district, and then some of the local hot spots for the college kids in Athens. At first I was really scared about driving around with them, but it turned out to be great fun. We spent about an hour touring the city, and then they dropped me off at my apartment and said goodnight. We're planning on getting together again sometime later this week before my group leaves for Rhodes.

"If it is well told and to the point, that is what I myself desired; if it is poorly done and mediocre, that was the best I could do. For just as it is harmful to drink wine alone, or, again, to drink water alone, while wine mixed with water is sweet and delicious and enhances one's enjoyment, so also the style of the story delights the ears of those who read the work. And here will be the end." 2 Maccabees 15: 38-39.