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Article: Greek capital's big moment is finally here _ again.
- Article from:
- Knight Ridder/Tribune News Service
- Article date:
- August 10, 2004
- Author:
CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 2004 Knight-Ridder/Tribune News Service. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
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Byline: Allen Holder
ATHENS, Greece _ I stood outside the closed gates of Panathinaiko Stadium, trying to listen for the ghosts of athletes who have been competing at the site since antiquity. But all I could hear were cars and buses buzzing behind me and construction workers racing to prepare the marble stadium for this year's Olympics.
Funny thing about Athens. You're never too far from reminders of the storied ancient civilization here, where the names of heroes like Hercules and Perseus and Achilles are still bandied about. But you can never forget that this is a thoroughly modern city, whose population has mushroomed from perhaps 4,000 people in the ...