PLEEP insisted on some last minute shopping. He thought he'd pick up some Greek style souvenirs.
Yes, a nice Greek blanket is a must have Pleep.
Mom thought a new travel bag might be fun for the summer. So not happening thought Pleep. She wants me to put my gear in here? I think not.
Pleep asked Bubba, what is up with all that Athens Graffiti??? Upon digging a little further he learns...
ATHENS IS A PARADISE FOR GRAFFITI ARTISTS
The Greek economy might be tanking, but at least one group is thriving in Athens: graffiti artists. It has been suggested that Athens might be the best place in the world to be a graffiti artist right now. Or, as one of the practitioners puts it, “a little paradise for the graffiti artists.”
The city is in the middle of a graffiti epidemic. It’s a combination of high youth unemployment and underemployment, a general sense of unrest, and authorities being stretched too thin to do much about it. Frankly, the police have bigger problems. The result is an artistic free-for-all on the city’s streets.
Whether you want to call them vandals or street artists, they’ve been busy. Not all of it is new, of course, but there’s an awful lot of fresh paint adorning the walls downtown in the past five years or so. Shops, homes, bus stops, and pretty much any other wall—except, notably, places that have high security like banks and government buildings (mostly)—are covered in paint. Relatively few walls are spared.
There’s the usual scratchy hit-and-run tagging, but there’s also quite a lot that has taken real thought and effort to pull off. Some of it is youthful rebellion, some of it is political expression, and some of it is art in its purest form. And, of course, it’s constantly morphing, with new paint going over old.
Check out this website for some stunning samples
https://havecamerawilltravel.com/photos/athens-greece-grafitti/
Does spraying your political beliefs and cuss words count as art work? Especially when not invited to spray? Then why wear a mask?
Or not let your face be photo'd?
Per the NYX and iNO, a local graffiti artist:
Fundamentally, though, it was a raw message of protest, the latest in a wave of socially and politically conscious artwork spreading over the walls of Athens.
“People in Greece are under increasing pressure,” said iNO, a soft-spoken man who aims to draw attention to the social situation in this crisis-hit country, where even the youngest in society are grappling with the perception of a bleak future. As a result, he said, “they feel the need to act, resist and express themselves.”
Denounced as thuggish vandalism by some observers, but hailed by others as artistic and innovative, tags, bubble letters and stylized paint work long have blanketed this city’s walls, trains, cars, banks, kiosks, crumbling buildings — and even some ruins of the Acropolis. But in the past several years, the anguish of the times has increasingly crept into the elaborate stencil work and multitude of large, colorful murals found all over the city, as Greece’s throngs of unemployed and underemployed young people have ample time to express their malaise.
“If you want to learn about a city, look at its walls,” said iNO, who used to spray graffiti on trains but recently started using buildings as a canvas for murals with a social message. “Take a walk in the center of Athens, and you will get it.”
The Athens police rarely arrest graffiti artists, unless they are suspected of belonging to anarchist groups or the extreme-right Golden Dawn party. The two-faced baby was painted by iNO on a recent morning without interference. Still, many artists work discreetly at night, donning masks and declining to give their names for fear of running afoul of the authorities. Their messages are often rebellious, verging on revolutionary.
Recently, under cover of darkness, a Greek dentist whose business has been all but wiped out by the crisis reached into a tote bag and grabbed a can of spray paint and a stencil he had cut in his spare time using a cavity drill. Stopping at a crumbling wall, he quickly painted an image not typically associated with his profession: a masked man hurling a firebomb.
“The middle class and the working class in Greece have been ruined,” said the dentist, who goes by the street handle Mapet, declining to give his real name. “My goal is to deliver social and political counterpropaganda, and make people think.”
A dentist??
SO WHAT IS THE DIFF BETWEEN GRAFFITI AND MURAL ART?
Murals – painting, spray art or mixed media that has been arranged between the property owner and the artist. In most cases the art is owned by the property owner, the license by the artist, maintenance is either arranged by a local mural arts organization or the property owner, and it is the owner’s duty to contact the artist in case touch-ups are needed. If the artist cannot be contacted or gives permission for the owner to hire another artist they may do so. Any representations of the art (like postcards) sold by a third party without the artists’ permission or compensation is illegal. Mural artists make a career of doing mural art because most of their work is commissioned.
Graffiti, or graff – spray art done with as broad an array of motivations as murals, but most often not done with the permission or agreement of the property owner. In some cases there are areas that have been somehow designated for graffiti. Most works of graff have some measure of artistic merit. Vandalism and tagging are different from graff, where someone just scribbles their alias or scratches a bus window. Obviously not all tagging, vandalism and graffiti can be neatly categorized, but generalizations about it have led to misconceptions. Graffiti artists range greatly with their motivation and expectation in terms of making a living – they can be anonymous, humble, or ego-maniacally leaning. Careers can stem from their graphic abilities, but outdoor commissions aren’t the norm.
THE NO PERMISSION is the big difference. How about respect of a property owners rights? So while Boca loves good mural work the graffiti "artist" is not playing nice with others. How would you like if Bubs took a can of spray paint and camo'd your car?
SO WHAT IS YOUR OPINION OF THIS STREET ART?? I AM SURE WE WILL SEE MORE AS THE TRIP PROGRESSES. STAY TUNED. And by the way who pays for all of this spray paint???
TIME TO HEAD OUT TO THE SHIP PLEEPThis will be our first cruise on the Seabourn lines. Looking forward to experiencing their new ship, the Encore. With the promise of a "world dedicated to your pleasure, where a skilled staff anticipates your wishes, and fulfills them almost before they are spoke, where you engage with fascinating fellow travelers in a club like atmosphere of relaxed, understated elegance". No expectations here.
BUBBA SEES THIS:
BOCA SEES THAT
BUBBA SEES THIS
BOCCA SEES THAT
BUBBA SEES THIS
WHILE BOCA SEES THAT
and this
and this
and some more of that
Seabourn is the high end fleet in the Holland America Group. Holland America Line is an American/British owned cruise line: a subsidiary of Carnival Corporation. Originating in the Netherlands, the company is now based in Seattle.
YEP, pretty soon all the ships will be owned by one company! Several friends have enjoyed the Seabourn line over the years so we have high expectations for the service, food, itineraries and soon to be new friends. And yes we remembered to bring the right passports this trip. Although Bubs just remembered he left his super duper Swarowski binoculars at home. The 1x a year he uses them and he forgot'em. Geeeesh. And no we don't need a 3rd set of binocs. Try to remember them next year Bubs.
Checking in-Bubs is all smiles as he so enjoys floating on the sea.
What do you mean someone else is in my cabin?? Have a seat Mr. Collins, we will get to the bottom of it. Double booked? Huh?
Better have a nice strong cup of Joe to chill Mr. Collins, but let me get the Pleepster a Frappacino while they find you your room, a room, any room...I heard the Captains cabin is lovely.
After getting the room situation squared up (after all we signed up for this cruise last September!) Bub sets up his very own CVS pharmacia.
Time for the sail away...Bubs meets a new pal- a South Chicago guy who knows some of the same south siders Boca knows- cousins. Bubs is hoping they didn't owe him money.
Bub enjoyed the typical South Side humor (so very NON PC) or was that just a good excuse to keep their eyes a fellow travelers sun worshipping?
Sushi??? I said I wanted some fish but not in mini raw bite size morsels.
But our oh so cherrie Japanese waitress won him over...hey who's that lady photo bombing the picture Bubs???
"Nothing a cold Kirin won't fix Mr. Bubba. And where is that cute monkey I've heard about? Isn't he joining you for some sushi? " I believe he is still up on deck making friends at the pool bar. We made it clear-no Makers Mark on the rocks- Shirley Temples only!
Some nigiri for you Bubs?
Come on honey, there's nothing like a lecture on Ancient Olympia to put a guy to sleep...good point Bubs. If your snoring gets too loud we'll leave. For the record, he lasted a good 5 mins. 
