Through a lucky accident in scheduling I realized I had an open day in Athens - something that happens all too rarely on business trips. I decided to play tourist and signed up for a city sightseeing tour that included two hours on the Acropolis. The Parthenon you see behind me took nine years to build, and they did it all without computers!

This cyber-cafe was on one Andrea Syngrou, one of the main streets in Athens; I passed it while walking into the center of the city from my hotel. It was about 4 pm when I walked by and most of the available PCs were in use. Since I didn't have my laptop with me on this trip I was tempted to go in to check my email - but decided I'd rather go sightseeing.

Further along on my walk, I saw this very obvious juxtaposition of old and new. Here you see Hadrian's Arch surrounded by all the signs of modernity - and crumbling because that modernity and the associated pollution is eating away at the stonework.

Right in the middle of Syntagma Plaza, in the heart of downtown Athens, is that most famous American export - McDonalds. It is separated from the ancient Acropolis by a distance of about 1/2 mile and about 3000 years.