ARROW - 164. Chapter 164

Arriving at our hotel, the boys headed directly to their rooms. “I think the boys are tired.”

“Yes, but I’ll bet they will be awake in time to catch that show at the museum.”

“Then I suggest we all take a nap. Coming, Colin?” I no sooner said that when I wished I hadn’t. The smile that Arnaud made was very suggestive.

On the way to our room, “What is this program at the museum the boys are interested in?”

“It is a guided tour that shows the technology of the past. I think you will enjoy it as well, I know I will. Don’t be surprised if you see something that was developed hundreds of years earlier that you think has only been developed in the last hundred years.”

“I’ll be surprised if they have a crude telephone.” Laughing we took a nap.

There was a knock on our door, Colin answered it was the boys. “Pop, we thought we could have supper in the city on our way to the Museum.”

Colin looked at me, I nodded yes. “Okay, we will meet you in the lobby. Call Uncle Arnaud and tell him or whoever answers the phone. So they know about dinner in town.”

It didn’t take us long to shower and dress for the evening. The boys were anxious to get started walking to the museum. As we approached the National Archeological Museum we passed a small restaurant and the boys decided they would like to have a gyro. “To take the edge off” was their comment. We had time so we all had a gyro. The boys had a soda, we had a Greek coffee. I never use sugar or milk in my coffee, but Greek coffee is very strong and sweet. To be properly prepared, there should be foam on the top of the coffee. When you are finished drinking it, the bottom of the cup will contain the finely ground coffee. You will be wide awake.

When we had finished with our gyro, we casually walked to the museum, we had time before the tour.

The building which housed the museum was once owned by Queen Aspasi the wife of Alexander the first. It in itself is an example of early architecture. The boys wanted to take the tour. Evidently, when they mentioned to the bellboy where they were going, the bellboy told them to take the tour. We lined up and the last man paid for the tickets. When we were first formed our line, Colin was last, but when it was my turn, I found out I was last. There was some ribbing but it didn’t matter if I paid or if Colin paid. The boys got a big kick out of it.

There were some exhibits I was very interested in and I know Colin will be as well. As we walked around I noticed several stone statues. Some I recognized as statues from the various temples, thanks to the cards attached to the base of the statue. They even had one showing a young woman being lured by a satyr. She was modestly covering her breast with this satyr leering over her shoulder. The boys looked but didn’t ask any questions. I knew if they did the older boys would handle those questions.

The exhibition that I found most interesting was the exhibition that illustrates the intelligence of the early Greeks. There was a copy of Plato’s alarm clock. It was invented in 427 BC and is unique in that it was a water alarm clock. The working mechanism was essentially several vessels on a string. Water drips from one vessel into another through a precisely drilled hole. A Greek engineer made a modification that made the water clock programmable. He added a dial and pointer which were designed to indicate a certain time. When the time approached the time set on the dial, stone pebbles fell onto a gong. The boys took pictures and I wonder which one would try and duplicate this device when we got home.

“Dad, this man was very clever.”

“Yes, he was. I think there are books that you can buy. That tells you more about him. We can check in the museum shop when we leave.” I was wondering if we had enough room for all of the books the boys were buying.

As we walked through these exhibits we came to the first computer. “Colin, I bet you thought the computer was a modern invention. Look at this.” They had a copy of a device to calculate the astronomical positions. It was hand held. The unit was found on a sunken ship and was slightly corroded.

Scholars were very interested in this device which that replicated the motions of the heavens. A sailor holding it in his hand could accurately track the paths of the sun, moon, and planets.

That unit was encased but they had one that was a copy of the original that showed all of the markings clearly. it was on top of the case.

In addition to the water clock by Plato they had a replica of the sundial clock by Parmenion. Parmenion was a Macedonian general in the service of Philip II and Alexander the Great. Now the boys had heard of Alexander the Great and this information piqued their interest. I thought of more books.

The boys were interested in the models of the ancient ships with copies of their logs. I heard the word fishing. We spent a long time there discussing the ship models. I knew what was coming. “Dad, we can buy models of these ships. Can we do that?”

“Yes, when we leave.”

The next exhibit was musical instruments. I wondered if any of the boys would be interested in music. They had several types of Lyres, harps, cithara, bouzouki, Our, lute, Pan flute, aulos, flute, water organ, trumpet, qanun, pandora, zurna, sistrum, tambourine, psaltery, barbiton, Cretan lyre, tamboura, phorminx, and bagpipes.

I was surprised at some of these instruments but the one that surprised me the most was the bag pipes. There was one instrument that was called a tsabouna which was listed as a Greek folk wind instrument that would be of the bagpipe family. What surprised me in this section was the variety of instruments available in Ancient Greece. I was sure that the Greek plays contained music at least for dancing.

Leaving the museum, we had more books, a copy of the Antikythera mechanism, and a sundial clock. They had a kit to make Plato’s clock. Walking home, “Now we need to find a way to get all of these books and souvenirs home.”

“Let’s check in at the hotel. There might be a way to have someone pack everything and ship it home for us. What do you want to do tomorrow?”

“Let’s talk with Arnaud. I’d like to go north and check out Alexander’s Macedonia. I’d bet the boys would like to go fishing “

Laughing, “We’ll see. Maybe we can see if there is a way for them to have a day of fishing.”

I know if there was a way Colin would find it.

Before turning it in I mentioned to Arnaud about a day trip to the north. “I think we can get a day trip to Macedonia. I’ll check the bus line tomorrow morning.

In the morning at breakfast, Arnaud told us the desk clerk said there are bus trips to Macedonia but we will be limited on what we can see. He said normally people go there for two or three days. What do you think Armand?”

“Let’s shoot for one day. Find out the best city to go to visit. Just make sure it has an archeological museum.”

“And a bookstore.”

“You weren’t supposed to be listening Toby.”

After finishing breakfast, we headed to the city of Dion, at the base of Mount Olympus, the home of the Greek Gods.