Όχι "Ohi" Day or "No" Day

Tomorrow, October 28th is Όχι "Ohi" Day or "No" Day, a national holiday. In 1940 Mussolini issued an ultimatum to Prime Minister Metaxas demanding free Italian passage through Greece. Metaxas' response was "Ohi" which led to the subsequent battle and eventual defeat of the invading Italian army in 1940. Today, Ohi Day is celebrated with remembrance services, military parades, folk dancing, and feasting.

Already there are flags flying everywhere. We're told there will be a student parade at Syntagma, but that the big military parade is in Thessaloniki.

Last weekend we took a nice long walk in the First Cemetery of Athens, where all the importan modern people are buried.

People such as the archaeologists Heinrich Schliemann and Adolf Furtwangler.

Of course we found the Egyptianizing mausoleum of the Kleopatras family. As soon as I remember to bring in the camera, I'll post a photo of that one.