Ah Athens, once the glorious capital of the Known World, now the graffiti-scared capital of the Bankrupt World. Where did it all go wrong? Perhaps the day you forsook the wise Athena and began worshiping the cheap credit of Europa?
The town hall is about the only thing not foreclosed on. Although it will be soon if Frau Merkel gets her way.
No, it's not just another posing Asian tourist. It turns out the New Acropolis Museum has some cool glass floors that allow one to walk right over the ruins preserved below.
Fortunately it takes more than a credit crisis to knock down the mighty Acropolis. After all, if things get too tight we can just set sail with our invincible navy and plunder some treasure from those pesky Persians. Hang on, what do you mean that's so B.C.?
Cappuccino or cappuccino freddo? An impossible choice. Just like whether to stay in the Euro or not stay in the Euro.
The latest additions to the New Acropolis Museum's statue collection seem to have a little too much clothing on. What a waste of good marble.
Anyone up for the mezzanine tranche of a CDO backed by a first lien mortgage over this fine property? Sure it needs a little work, but the potential is there and you can't beat the location. It's a sure thing, just sign on the dotted line and watch the money roll in faster than you can say "Goldman Sachs".
This looks like the perfect location for a nine level shopping mall, food court, and Hello Kitty theme park. We just need to knock down a few of these decrepit old buildings and we're on our way. In hindsight, maybe taking those bailout Yuan wasn't such a great idea after all.
Hard currency has never looked this cool.
They certainly are making their mark, so to speak.
Careful, last time a hot babe stood on this wall, it started the Trojan War. Not to mention eventually created an excuse for Brad Pitt to jump around in an armored miniskirt.
Treatise on the Nature of Reason, by Rochimedes.
A good place for the German taxpayers to survey their new lands.
Half a column? Looks like even back then they had a budget problem.
The birthplace of democracy. Back then the only difference was gridlock came wrapped in a toga instead of an Armani suit.
How convenient, I do believe it's nearly time for the annual sacrifice to Athena.
Still flying proudly; heck for a country where 500 men stood shoulder to shoulder and withstood a mighty army, the European Central Bank is just a trifle.
Which way to the toga party?
Back then a women's job was to stand all day and hold up the ceiling with her head.
Athens is a city born of the sea, and the bustling port of Piraeus is where the action is.
Or rather where the lack of action is. On a hot day like this, nothing beats an ice cold Mythos by the sea. On that note, is Mythos the coolest name for a beer or what?
Back in the city, the main square is a hive of activity as the sun sets over the Acropolis.
Time to find some grub, and more specifically some grilled octopus. The best way to do that is to wander the narrow alleyways looking for a taverna where the day's catch is out drying in the fierce Mediterranean sun.
Greek yogurt is taking the world by storm. Why not go straight to the source?
Outdoor dining is the only way to eat on the Mediterranean. As the sun sets the lanes and alleys spring to life as the sidewalk restaurants flip today's catch onto the grills and cheery diners spill out into the night.
Civilizations come and go, balance sheets rise and fall, but for the imperious Pantheon these are but the blink of Time's eye.
Unwinding beneath the Acropolis on a balmy summer night. Can you really blame the Greeks for not wanting to work?
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