3/8/2002 Athens, Greece (Phill)
I just thought since I was back in the internet cafe (dead cheap here) that I'd post my thoughts. So Athens is supposed to hold the Olympics in 2004. I'll bet it doesn't happen. The city is nowhere near prepared. There's no infrastructure for transporting that many people around plus I've yet to see a completed stadium.
When Kelly and I toured Sydney's site the guide actually mentioned that it was suggested that Sydney may be asked to rehost if Athens fails. Luckily Sydney is more than prepared, it's stadiums are almost all still in use and the trains/subway etc... is still built.
Athens is a big city, but it's defiantely not rich. I really doubt they have the money to throw this project in the overdrive it needs. I read that when they were building the lake for the rowing course (very important to me!) they uncovered an old burial ground and had to start again!
The Parthenon and Acropolis aren't definately impressive. Simon and I wandered around all today and were in awe the whole time. Cetainly they're all overwhelmed by tourists but each site is big enough to accomodate them all.
I'm going to hop on the boat tomorrow afternoon to Italy. I thought about visiting a Greek island or two, but it sounds like it's just one big drunken fest of english and americans (okay, the might be a scot or two drunk also), so I'll give it a miss. Plus there's so much more of Europe to see.
Don't work too hard!
Posted by Admin at August 3, 2002 04:13 AM