We hit Athens on the same day the riots, er, demonstrations started on Syntagma Square, across from the Greek Parliament. We could stand on our balcony and look out on the gathering crowds, everyone protesting the government's new austerity measures and the general collapse of the Greek economy (Hey, Greece! Take a number. It's a lonnnnng line.)
The police hadn't yet broken out the tear gas, but the guards were high-stepping it outside the President's palace, which ain't so much a palace as it is a really ornate bunker.
But the dogs could have cared less. There are hundreds, maybe thousands, of dogs roaming the streets of Athens. They all wear collars, appear well fed and are among the mellowest dogs I've ever seen. They hang out on street corners, on doorsteps, in front of shops. A couple of folks told me that the government takes care of the dogs. Might explain why the Greek economy has gone to hell. But here's hoping that after all the dust settles over there, the dogs are still fat and happy.
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