The Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra will launch its European tour with a performance in the amphitheater-like Odeion.

PATRAS, Greece -- This is a land with two beaten paths.

One is the well-worn route of the tourists, marching daily to the Athenian Acropolis, Delphi and other sites of ancient Greek civilization. The other is that of the citizens, the hustle and bustle of everyday business and personal life here.

		Listen in The PG's Andrew Druckenbrod interviews musicians on the PSO tour: PSO tuba player Craig Knox on the bus to Patras Percussionist George Willis on the train from Athens to Athens airport Retired percussionist Gerald Unger at Athens Airport PSO horn player Joseph Rounds on the street in Patras PSO horn player Joseph Rounds in a Patras restaurant/cafe PSO horn player Stephen Kostyniak at a castle above Patras Interactive map See the PSO's 2006 European Tour | View the tour in a popup window Previous coverage PSO on Tour: European tour connects PSO to new audiences (8/20/06) Symphony conductor to miss Europe tour due to bypass surgery (8/12/06)

No city embodies that more than Patras, the third-largest Greek city and a major industrial and commercial center. About 130 miles west of Athens, Patras is the modern capital of Peloponnese and a nationally significant port.

Of course, contemporary prominence won't get you much notice in a country with the long history of Greece. In most guide books, you are lucky to find two full pages devoted to Patras. That's why the European Union named the city its European Capital of Culture for 2006. It's a program that predates the EU, but that has continued in order to "contribute to bringing the peoples of Europe together." It also serves to make the world more aware of some of the lesser-known, yet appealing cities of Europe (Cork, Ireland; Graz, Austria; and Bruges, Belgium, are some of the earlier capitals).

If you want the world to notice you, you have to bring it to your doorstep. And that's what Patras is doing this year. It booked the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra for this reason -- in particular to help celebrate the city's musical life. The PSO arrived Wednesday and performs a concert tonight, kicking off its 2006 European Tour.

It is not as if Patras has no history. Its role in antiquity also was as the main city of the region, and ruins of a Roman amphitheater remain. It also has a rich religious history, both pre-Christian and as the alleged site of the crucifixion of St. Andrew.

And then there is the curious Roman Odeion, an outdoor amphitheater-like structure in which the PSO will perform. Built by the Romans in the second century and rediscovered in 1889, it looks little different than it did centuries ago.

Many symphony musicians visited these sites, but the pull of that other path proved too strong, with several traveling a few days earlier to Athens for sightseeing before a rendezvous with the orchestra.

The Acropolis and destinations in downtown Athens were a prime target, as were the nearby picturesque islands. Among the musicians arriving in advance of the main group were trumpeter Neal Berntsen, oboists Scott Bell and James Gorton, harp player Gretchen van Hoesen and English horn player Harold Smoliar and his daughter Rachel.

In fact, many of these early arrivals brought family to take advantage of the opportunity to see Greece. Among them: flutist Damian Bursill-Hall and his wife, Anne Ditmanson, and violist Paul Silver and his son, David (who first swung through Rome before taking on Athens). But none were more fearless than piccolo player Rhian Kenny and her three young daughters, Lyndis, Carys and Glenys Kenny-Howell.

The bulk of the PSO musicians arrived later on Wednesday, however, and were bused to Patras. Other than some luggage that was delayed, it was an unremarkable flight -- a very good thing these days. The evening was spent acclimating to the time change and with a little R&R on the beach.

The PSO is split between two hotels, one in the city and one on the beach. Those in the latter, who dipped in what is technically the Gulf of Patras but is really the Ionian Sea, were greeted by wonderfully warm and calm water. Its saltiness -- it is part of the Mediterranean Sea -- kept one afloat with ease, allowing a swimmer to drink in the sites of the mountain terrain of the coast.

Speaking of the view, musicians watched a spectacular sunset, remarkable not for a surfeit of colors but its simplicity. With no clouds in the sky, the tangerine sun remained relatively integral, seeming to extinguish as a whole in the water.

The next morning found musicians dispersing all across Greece. Some were headed to Mount Olympos, others to Delphi, some to the islands. Many of those who stayed in Patras to practice and relax took in the city. A typical sightseeing journey was one taken by bassoonist Philip Pandolfi, horn players Zach Smith and Joseph Rounds, and me. We saw St. Andrew's Church, which for a new structure (built in 1979) is impressive in the richness of its materials. Marble, mosaics and an intricate, huge wooden chandelier paid homage to the relics of the saint: his skull and remains of his "X" shaped crucifixion cross.

Later it was a stroll through town and a hike up to the Patras Acropolis, where a succession of invaders fought and captured the town, including Franks, Venetians and Turks. The result is an intriguing range of architecture, highlighted by a medieval castle.

Below was the Ancient Odeion, where the orchestra will play a concert tonight. By that time, the musicians will be rested and more than ready to get on stage.