New Athens and New to Paris

Today in the morning, we visited the National Library of Greece, the National University of Athens, and the Athens Academy (Facts: Athens University is in the US). Because there was a conference, we weren’t allowed to enter any of these, but it was still really pretty outside. They were like a more modern version of the Acropolis, and they also function like the modern Acropolis in Greece—keeping, discovering, and spreading knowledge.

We also visited the Cathedral of Saint Dionysius. It was right next to these buildings, and it was an astoundingly beautiful Catholic cathedral. All five churches I visited on the first day were Orthodox churches, and to be fair, Catholic cathedrals are equally amazing and incredible. Again, my dad is the photographer because I just visited the church and learned about the church. The cathedral is dedicated to Saint Dionysius, a 1st-century Athenian judge converted by St. Paul. He was the first Bishop of Athens and is the patron saint of the city and judges. It is a three-aisled basilica designed in the Neo-Renaissance style; it was inaugurated in 1865. I have also attached the official tour doc, and they also offered a virtual 3D tour, but if possible, come and check it out yourself.

And then my dad and I had a cup of coffee together in a café, and below are only my dad’s opinions. Don't cyberbully me; if you disagree, you are totally right.

• I think Athenian girls are prettier than American girls, and they are healthier.

• I think the (Catholic) church looks much better than all other (Orthodox) churches. (He doesn’t even know these denominations, but he just said "which church.")

Anyhow, it’s not serious, and don’t blame me for starting a new round of polarization, future scholars, when you are researching the root of polarization in the 21st century.

And then we flew to Paris. It’s my second time landing in Paris already, and Paris immediately gives you a modern city vibe. But at the same time, the buildings actually looked more ancient (like the buildings on the sides of the streets) than Athens, so you get both the modern and ancient taste.

When we taxied to our hotel, I had a really interesting conversation with the taxi driver as he tried hard to talk to us, but his English is not so good. Here’s an excerpt:

“Paris, good?!”

“Yes, Paris is a great city,” I replied.

“One?”

I figured he couldn’t be asking for the number of passengers, because he can easily see with his eyes before we got in the car. What else can be related with “one?”

“Yes, first time here.”

“Ah, good, first time.” Both of us were satisfied.

“No business?”

“No, just traveling.”

“Ah, good, traveling.”

“Four (For)?”

I didn’t know if he was asking "four" or "for," but I really couldn’t understand why he would ask "four" here, so I answered:

“Yes, for five days.”

“Ah, good, five days.”

We had more conversation like this, and neither of us knows if the other side understands us or not, but the conversation continues in this weird way, at least for some minutes. It was fun though, and people who spoke French would miss the joy because you took the shortcut.