It has taken a long time to get back into making an entry on this blog. Since we returned to Threshold there have just been too many projects to accomplish and too many evenings with friends to have the time to sit down and write. And, the iPad gets in the way because it makes e-mails so easy and therefore frequent. So, a number of these entries will have been in the past but I will endeavor to catch up.
May 1st Karyn and I departed Fort Lauderdale for DFW to catch an overnight flight to CDG (Paris) where we officially entered the EU on May 2nd. This is an important date for future concerns. We connected to an Air France flight to ATH (Athens) and conveniently caught the clean, quiet Metro/train/Tube/subway to within one block of our hotel in downtown Athens avoiding the 45+euro taxi. On the Metro, still dressed in our travel clothes and hauling two 50lb. rolling duffels, a rolling backpack with my computer backpack on top, and each with another shoulder bag, we must have looked like some combination of the Clampets and the Out-of-Towners.
As the train departed the airport station it was nearly empty and we were very organized and aware. We had a year of training riding the Barcelona Metro, remember? By the time we were approaching the center of the city it was rush hour. The train was packed! We had to make a connection to another train for a short ride and we had our difficulties maneuvering the luggage out of the train car and through the station. This was the perfect set up for getting ripped off. I could feel it in my bones. I knew we were being watched and staked out. Just like Barcelona, I could see the suspects all around us.
Our train arrived, there was a rush of people out, then the crush to get in through the doors. I had the feeling and shouted to Karyn for us to wait for the next train but she was swept into the car. Suddenly, there was a large space open inside the doors, room enough for me and the two large bags, and a friendly face holding the door saying “come on, come on”. Karyn was in. I could barely see her as I pushed the bags into the car infront of me. But, I could see a forearm and hand in her shoulder bag. They were on us. As I grabbed and pulled the arm out of her bag I was being pushed from behind over the top of our bags. I was going down, my feet couldn’t move but I held onto the arm of a quite small, no longer young woman using her to stop my fall. It was too crowded in the car to really fall to the floor and I am not sure how I got to my feet. As I felt for my wallet in my front pants pocket she moved away with first an angry look and then a frightened look in her eyes as I stared at her. My wallet was dislodged and close to the pocket opening but still in the bottom of the pocket and safe. I looked up and the woman was gone. The friendly man who held the door was nowhere in sight. My thought was “ who else in this crowd is part of this”? Moments later the doors opened, we were out of the train, and circled our wagons against the wall.
Nothing was lost. Neither of us was harmed. The “no longer young woman” had a bruised forearm I am sure. No security in sight. No harm, no foul. On the streets near our hotel we saw a large number of dispirit young men. Within about 50 feet of the hotel door we abandoned a search for a Vodafone store. Athens has changed. Last fall we could not get a seat in the hotel penthouse restaurant but this night we ate alone with a perfect view of the Parthenon. The proprietor/bar tender/waiter/ and I believe cook commented, “this will be a very bad year”.
We will find that everything will be better back onboard Threshold in more remote locals