5/7/98: Walked around Athens. Lunch at Goody’s! Came across a music shop selling instruments.
5/7/23: I don’t know if this is still the case in 2023, but when we travelled through Athens in 1998 there were stray dogs and cats everywhere. I remember that, a few years later in their preparation for the 2004 Olympics in their city, Athens got a considerable amount of flack, both for having such a problem with strays, as well as their consideration of euthanizing them all so that visitors to the Olympic Games would not be annoyed. What was more surprising than seeing so many strays around, was realizing how efficiently they had adapted! I am not exaggerating when I say we frequently saw stray dogs avoid getting run over in traffic by observing the traffic lights! They would trot up to a crosswalk, sit down (like a good dog…) patiently while the bustling traffic streamed by, and then stand back up just a few seconds early in anticipation of the light change, and then walk safely across the street to the park or next neighborhood. It was amazing to behold.
Main post image above: Rahim Sofri on Unsplash.