18.9.08

Around Aegina Island


This past weekend the group went to the Island of Aegina. It was amazing beyond words. We arrived on a small boat called The Flying Dolphin so the first sight of the island was the buildings around the pier and the water. The water was so clear I could see fish swimming around.
The best part of being on the island was visiting the ancient ruins. The entire group went to see the Temple of Aphaia. Aphaia was a goddess that was similar to Artemis and she was only worshiped on the island of Aegina. This was the first temple that I have visited since I have been in Greece and I was impressed by it. The temple was on top of a mountain and the drive up was terrifying because the driver liked to go around the narrow hairpin turns as fast as he could, but once we were at the top and off the bus the view was breathtaking. The temple over looks the island on one side and looked out to sea on the other. The only thing that was disappointing about the Temple of Aphaia was that you could not get very close to it. This was not the same with the Agora of Aegina.
The Agora of Aegina and the archaeological museum that was next to it was just as amazing, if not better than the Temple of Aphaia. While the Temple of Aphaia was a clearly defined structure that is still standing, the Agora of Aegina was more like a maze of buildings that used to be there but now are stone walls and stairs. Every so often there would be something that looked like old windows or doors. The best part of the Agora was being able to walk up to the only remaining pillar of the Temple of Apollo and being able to touch it and look at what is left of the carvings (and some of the ones that people have added over time) was really impressive. Seeing the single pillar and how old it is and thinking about all the history it has survived is beyond comprehension. I can not wait for this up coming week when we go visit other islands and see the ruins and other sites that await us there.

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