Clare Amsel's souvenir shop

I have rediscovered Athens because of Clare Amsel, a British lady who has been living in Athens for more than 15 years. She's director of conferences for Megaron Athens (International Conference Centre) and said to me: 'take the new underground train (metro) and you will see how much Athens has changed. The Athens Olympic Games 2004 have changed the whole of Greece and have certainly given Athens a new look.' Clare was very closely involved in the opening ceremony and she became fascinated by the effect a large event has on a country or city, and not least on the people that live there. Unfortunately enough, Athens is not included in the Anholt-GMI City Brands Index but I will do my utmost to convince Mister Anholt not to forget about Athens the next time.
Megaron Athens has become a city icon. They say it's the most expensive congress palace in Europe; not to rent it, but the price it has cost to build it. When you organise a convention there, the prestige is included in the package. It's a really nice and prestigious building, but it also has its small and fun sides. For example, Clare showed me the souvenir shop of the palace where I saw two frames with all the lost objects that were left behind by visitors. I believe there was some expensive jewellery in it. I would also like to mention that Claire can tell about the city's change of image in a fascinating way. She has truly shown me the light!