Rainy Day in Athens

So this morning we were forced to wake up before the sun – and it was a cloudy morning so the sun was already hiding – and get ready to meet to go to the hospital.  I was excited, obviously, because I really want to study Greek medicine while I am here.  We went to the wrong hospital first and it literally looked like every hospital in old movies – the Pepto pink walls, looked completely unsterile, you expect the nurses to come around in those little caps (they didn’t though).  Picture "The Notebook" when she is treated Lon. Cool in movies; kind of scary to think we were going to be treated there.  But it was the wrong one so we walked down the street and got into the right one.  A little nicer.  At the hospital we got a TB test – just like the States – and a chest x-ray.  The chest x-ray was a interested experience.  We had to be topless (alone in the room with the nurse – but still) which didn’t really make sense to me because it is an x-ray but nonetheless, I did it.  After that they just told us to get home.  We were told to take the 10 cable car and it would take us to the stadium.  Three of us finished up pretty early so we got a ticket (1 euro and is good for 1.5 hours after you validate it the first time) and went to the bus stop.  We waited and waited and waited.  505, 13, 7, 14, 95, 95X all passed by continuously but 10 never came.  One girl in the group went to ask the kiosk guy about it.  Even though the sign says that the 10 comes he said “14, 7, 505 – no 10”.  We found out later that the buses are going on strike tomorrow (public transportation takes turns going on strike here so we have to keep an ear out for when that happens) so we are thinking maybe the 10 just started early.  Anyway the rest of the group caught up and we took a different bus to the stadium and then took a walk to Syntagma square in downtown Athens where a LOT of shopping is located.  Here are some photos of the adventure:

A couple girls needed to go to the Bank; I wanted to get stamps.  We succeeded in that and then headed back to the apartment to get ready for class.  We had our Greek City State class again today and our Modern Greek.  During class our first Athens rain came through – it was nice though because the air had been humid all morning.  After class – and a quick trip for Gyros – we all ‘watched’ Zorba the Greek… I multi-tasked and finished up some homework but I’m trying to just participate in everything here… even the not so great stuff.  It is all part of the experience and so far it is amazing :-) We are going shopping tomorrow so hopefully I can find some boots to wear over the weekend!!!