Homer'sWorld

Yorgos, Matt, Mark, and Homer. 

We went to an interesting art exhibit that night and then had a late meal at the beautiful home of Vasilios and Elias.

The next day, October 9, Mark and Yorgos left for Egypt.

We went to the National Archaeological Museum. There are many famous statues and other artifacts there. After a while, very overwhelming. In many ways it is an art museum, you don't get much idea about how people lived in ancient Greece. Most of the large bronze statues have been fished out of the ocean.

Bronze statue, perhaps of Paris holding an apple, and Matt.

They still have some of the frescoes from Santorini, I was surprised since the museum on that island opened a while ago. I wanted to become an archaeologist because of a 1972 National Geographic article about Santorini.

Boxing boys and African antelopes.

Athens is covered in ugly graffiti. But occasionally there are large, beautiful murals.

Murals.

On October 10 we went to the Acropolis and saw the Parthenon and the Erechtheion. They have just finished repairing the western pediment and are still working on replacing broken parts elsewhere, finding them among 70,000 catalogued fragments.

We also went to the Acropolis Museum, which houses the pediment statues and other decorative elements that were not stolen by Elgin. I was surprised and delighted to see a Lego Acropolis.

Lego Acropolis.

On Sunday October 11 we went to the antique market. Lots of interesting things. My favorite was this painting (too big to bring home).

Mustache man.

Next we went to see the American School of Classical Studies, which has many artifacts on display from the digs they have done over the years and saw the well-preserved Temple of Hephaestus.

Three bearded men.

The temple had been turned into a church, which helped with its preservation.

Temple of Hephaestus.

On October 12 we took the ferry to Aegina. We saw a beautiful temple and lots of rural scenery.

Ferry boat to Aegina.

Temple of Aphaia.

On October 13, we took a van tour to Delphi. Our driver was a young archaeology student- it was interesting to talk to him. It threatened to rain so Matt bought umbrellas (a good idea). 

Athens treasury.

The museum had many interesting sculptures. The famous Charioteer bronze statue was buried in an earthquake, so it survived.

Charioteer.

October 14 was a rain day where we stayed indoors. I was also having a cold, no fun.

We did a lot of walking during the trip and sometimes I dragged Matt into the ornate Greek Orthodox churches just to stop for a moment or two. Icons, statues, incense burners, chandeliers, mostly covered in soot. Very beautiful.

Church interior.

There are well-fed stray cats everywhere. Some of them were very friendly.

Matt and cat.

On October 15 we purchased tickets and got in a bus to go see the Corinth canal, the Treasury of Atreus, Mycenae, and Nafplion.

Tholos tomb, Treasury of Atreus.

Lion Gate at Mycenae.

We then went to Epidaurus and saw the massive theater and the Asclepius hospital complex.

Matt at the Epidaurus Theater.

October 16 was spent wandering around Athens. The next day Mark and Yorgos got back and we went to another art opening, the theme was black things so I wore my cowboy shirt.

Homer and Elias.

We met an interesting trans woman who is a well known artist.

Yorgos, Matt, and Constantina.

October 18 was spent wandering around Athens with Mark.

On October 19, Mark, Matt, and I took the ferry to Hydra (pronounded He-dra). Lots of walking and beautiful scenery. This is a no-vessel island (except garbage trucks).

Mark at the pizza restaurant on Hydra.

After the ferry ride home we stopped in JUMBO, a Greek department store.

Inside Jumbo.

After dinner, we stopped at a top floor bar for a view of the Parthenon at night.

Parthenon all lit up.

The next day, October 20, was souvenir hunting.

On October 21 we flew back and there was no one in the middle seat on the Athens flight. SO NICE. It took us 30 hours to get home.

Catching up. Damien came to town from Australia and Matt and I took him out to dinner twice. It was nice to catch up with him. 

My grandfather, Harold Philip Feiger, was born on 9 September 1904. He would be 122 years old today. These are my memories of him.

The year I was five I did not go to kindergarten. I think my mother thought I was too small and maybe she wanted to have me around. She would later say it was the funnest year. Anyways, one day Grandpa and I went to the Hostess Day Old store and bought an entire bag of raspberry twinkies, which were then placed in the huge chest freezer in the basement. Everyday I would run next door, past the grape vines and the purple martin house, and go to Grandpa and Grandma's house. I was sent downstairs to get a package of Twinkies and Grandpa would eat one and I would eat one. He had given me and my brother leather wallet kits for Christmas and I would watch Grandpa as he assembled them.

One time he took me fishing at their cabin on Lake Ann. I do not remember if any fish were caught. I well remember seeing my grandpa chop the head off a chicken and the hen run away headless. I screamed. I also screamed when I went over to their house and in the kitchen sink was a bunch of frog legs, minus the rest of their bodies. They were wiggling.

Grandpa had a bee hive and I helped spin the honey off of the combs in a metal spinning device in his basement. He also made homemade wine, which was illegal in Michigan at that time. I watched as Grandma sucked on the hose to siphon the wine out of the glass jar into bottles. I still have a bottle from the last year he made wine (1971).

Grandpa was a Renaissance man and could do anything. He got a moose hide from somewhere and I would watch as he pulled it out of a soaking barrel and removed the hair and tissue. He tanned the hide, cut into strips, and wove in on the frames to made snowshoes, bending wood to make the frame, bolting the end with a copper bolt and rivet. He also made a little pony wagon for Babe.

When I was five my older brother Lee taught me to play with matches and I did so inside my sister's playhouse. A match fell on an old fabric-covered piano stool and it burst into the flames. The fire spread instantly and the whole interior was burning. I ran inside the house and told my mother that robbers had set the playhouse on fire. She put it out with a garden hose and then sent me next door for a spanking, which Grandpa forgot to do.

Grandpa and Grandma had two dogs. Daisy was a black and white collie who lived in the house. Dee-dee was a beagle who lived in a doghouse down by the black walnut trees. Apparently I named her because I could not pronounce Daisy and thought both dogs should have the same name.

Grandpa and Uncle Ray made a toy barn for me and my brother, we probably got that in either 1970 or 1971. My brother still has it.

Mrs Overman gave my brother some rabbits and we were told we had to separate the males from the females to prevent babies. We asked Grandpa and he told us that male rabbits had longer ears. So we put the long-eared rabbit in a separate cage and in a few weeks little baby bunnies appeared.

Grandpa had a large teepee that he put up near the upper garden. We used to look playing in it.

Grandpa was a chain smoker. He tried to quit, but couldn't. He had meat at every meal, that was what Grandma learned was healthy when she went to high school in the late 1920s. In April 1972 he had a heart attack and an ambulance came and took him away. He had already had a heart attack but didn't tell anyone, he was apparently afraid of doctors. He was at the hospital for a few days and one night as we were eating hotdogs Uncle Fred came to the door and said to my mother, "Carolyn, he's gone." I can still hear that. My brother Lee and I were not allowed to go to the funeral. We went next door where Aunt Judy was, and cleaned Grandma's house. 

My brother Lee, Grandpa, and me (Homer), circa 1965 or 1966.

I have often wondered what would have happened if he had lived longer, would all of the horrible things that happened been prevented?

Harold Philip Feiger, 1904-1972.