Bob Gardner, a retired engineer who lives in Hampton, Illinois, with his wife Nancy enjoys Greek food, a glass of ouzo and listening to tsamika folk music. A fan of all things Greek, for many years he yearned to visit the Parthenon again, but there was just one hitch – he was blind.

The first time he had been unable to touch the stones and see the marble. He wanted to visit again, but to truly fathom the ancient site like he had been unable to do before. He wrote to Ioanna Houndoumadi, a special consular assistant at the U.S. Embassy in Greece. Moved by his request to see the Parthenon with the “eyes of his soul”.

When he finally found out that he would touch the ancient stones, he was thrilled. He touched the marble, he tried to wrap his arm around one of the millers.  From one person to another, Blind Bob was given more Greek hospitality than he had bargained for.

“It’s very easy for a blind person to be put in a box. Society defines what the box is,” says Bob. “You know after that experience there in Greece that you don’t have to just take the standard dish. You can tailor it if you really want to take the time and the initiative to make it happen. It shows that it can be done.”

His story was made a small film by Stella Kyriakopoulou and won the Best Film at the International Documentary Festival of Chalkida.

As for Bob, he is just looking forward to just coming back and enjoying Greek hospitality yet again…