Greece

Greece is a mix of West and Near-East, with an wonderful sense of history. I felt almost like I was in the Middle East: but not quite, of course. The taxi drivers all tried to cheat. And standing on the Acropolis, where our civilisation was shaped over 2500 years ago, is something else.

"These are the researches of Herodotus of Halicarnassus, which he publishes, in the hope of thereby preserving from decay the remembrance of what men have done, and of preventing the great and wonderful actions of the Greeks and the Barbarians from losing their due meed of glory; and withal to put on record what were their grounds of feuds." - Herodotus started his work thus, in 440 BC, and achieved the most any man can hope to achieve: to put off entropy for a while. Through his history, the Old Greeks survived thousands of years.

Odd that we talk of Old Greeks, but Young Turks.