He seemed such a nice young man. A little on the short side, but I can hardly hold that against him. In his twenties with the start of what he was hoping would become a beard, round spectacles, shaggy hair and a pleasing face. He was a sales person in Pop Air, a trendy clothing store in Athens. He approached me as I was browsing through the racks of clothing. He had dollar signs in his eyes and an appealing smile.

“I think you should be looking for a size large” he said helpfully, in perfect English

” I rather think I need an extra large or even a 2XL” I replied. “Your sizes seem to run quite small”

“They do, but I think a size large would work perfectly for you” a little flattery producing more dollar signs in those hazel eyes. He really was quite charming.

I smiled back and patted my stomach (which I hasten to add is really not that large) and said “I think not”

He looked at what I was patting, his eyes widening in horror and said “Oh my! I didn’t see that”

“Definitely a 2XL” he continued.

He really was too short. And that attempt at a beard was never going to work. And didn’t he know the Harry Potter look is sooooooooo passé

As for Athens, it really is quite charming. Or at least the area around the base of the Acropolis is. Full of narrow streets paved with marble, overhanging trees, charming boutiques, arty stores, cafes and restaurants with tables tumbling over the sidewalk and into the treelined squares. And from everywhere you can just look up and see the Acropolis

Our hotel is in the thick of it all. We can walk everywhere, even to the Acropolis. But who needs to, when you can just step out on to your balcony and look up

The Fabulosity Meter is happy!

You just have to manage the searing heat and avoid the endless tacky tourist shops selling bottle openers in the shape of a penis (they are everywhere) and cheap replicas of the Acroplis treasures.

We have been to Athens before and climbed the hill to the Acropolis. I have even written a blog about it. So, as the temperature is in the high nineties we have decided there is no need to do it again.
Instead we visit the museum, a strikingly modern building with walls of glass so that you can marvel at the exhibits with the Acropolis as the perfect background

It is experiences like this that the Fabulosity Meter was created for.

The Greeks built the museum in an effort to persuade the British to return the Elgin Marbles to their rightful home.
The U.K. has always argued that the British Museum offers the best place for the preservation and viewing of the wonderful sculptures dating back 2,500 years, which Lord Elgin took from the Acropolis over a period of 11 years in the early 1800’s. This new Acropolis Museum which opened 13 years ago couldn’t make a more eloquent argument for their return.

The UK Government still declines to return them, despite a growing public opinion that they should be repatriated.

Knowing that the museum would be crowded, we got there early and had a truly wonderful experience

But by mid day the experience was a little different.

It was time to leave.

So we did.