I’m up and out early this morning, energized by last evening’s painting. Today is Monday, and the archeological sites are always closed on Mondays, but I’m sure there are plenty of other drawing spots all over Athens. As I stroll around the city, I notice the angles of the rooftops zigzaging against the sky. Any of these eclectic buildings would be interesting to draw. But not far from the hotel, I see an arch that will be a good place to start. It’s called the Arch of Hadrian, a 2nd century AD Roman structure that served as a boundary stone between the old Athens of Theseus, a Greek, and the new Athens of Hadrian, a Roman. and I begin to sketch in my Moleskine sketchbook. I study the arch for a moment and notice that most of its white stones have been blackened considerably over the years. Cars zip past as I draw. My mind starts slowing down and falls into rhythm with the city. What a great feeling to be in Greece.