Grecian Urn'ings

The Past Month: Italy, Vacation, Goodbyes, and Fire & Ice

2008-12-15T18:45:00.004+02:00

15/12/08

The Past Month: Italy, Vacation, Goodbyes, and Fire & Ice
It has been a while since I have been able to blog and a lot of things have happened. I could probably write a book on all the things that happened in Greece but I will keep it as a lengthy blog entry instead. I guess I will start with where I left off: around the time of the trip to Italy. Italy is another one of those places that I have always wanted to go to. It is where a lot of my family is from and it makes up half of my ethnicity. We started off in Rome and saw most of the major sites such as the Coliseum and the Vatican. The Coliseum was everything I thought it would be, huge and fascinating. The whole construction of it amazes me, from its three different types of columns to its hidden underground that the floor would cover. Even though it was raining it was still an awesome place to visit. The next day we went to the Vatican. A country of its own, this enormous palace is home to one of the most culturally significant museums in the world. Just walking through and seeing all of the art and artifacts can be overwhelming. To stop and look at each piece for a minute would take years. The best part about the Vatican was the Sistenth Chapel. Here is where Michael Angelo was forced to do a form of art work that he did not consider himself good at, fresco painting. It was beautiful and awestruck many people. Also while in Rome I visited the Trevi Fountain and the Spanish steps. Trevi Fountain was the most impressive fountain I have ever seen in my life. It is a must see for anyone visiting Rome. It is said that if you throw a coin over your shoulder into the fountain with your back facing the fountain then you would return to Rome one day. I threw in about eight. The Spanish steps were massive steps that tourists love to visit. We hung out there at the top for a while as some other American was playing guitar and singing at the bottom. Hopefully the eight coins that I threw into Trevi fountain will bring me back to Rome someday.

Also while in Italy we stayed in Napoli and went to Pompeii. Napoli is where the Italian side of my family is from so it was exciting to stay in that part of Italy. Pompeii was incredible. This ancient city was preserved after Mount Vesuvius erupted and covered it with lava and ash. The city is very large and I was not able to see the whole thing which is sad but I plan on returning someday to see the rest of it. Throughout the city you see preserved writing on the walls and dug down streets with big rocks every here and there that help you cross from side to side without stepping down into the ditch. One of my favorite things I saw was the casts of the bodies of people that lived in Pompeii at the time of its destruction. The casts are made from the air pockets left by the peoples’ bodies after the lava had covered them. It was a little morbid but it was interesting all the same.

For Thanksgiving we got a week off to do what ever we wanted to do. So, Ry and I set out to do our vacation together. We started off in Berlin, Germany. Overall the city is very big and we did not get to see everything but we did get to see a lot of awesome things. We to the Pergamon museum, which is now my favorite museum that I have ever been to. First of all, it only costs 4 Euros to get in and you get a free headset tour which has basically all the things you need to know in it. This museum holds actual reconstructed structures of gates and other building from around the world. They use real pieces from the original and then they remake some of the other pieces to rebuild it so you can see what it looked like. The most impressive object thy have there is the Ishtar Gate. It is huge and colorful, made from bricks, some of which stick out and make it three dimensional, and all of it is glazed. It is beautiful and I put it up there as one of those things you need to see if you are in Berlin. We also went to the Berlin wall while we were there and it was amazing just to see it and think about all of its history.

After Berlin we flew to Budapest, Hungry. This was my favorite place that I have ever been to and is a place that I would live in. It is a beautiful city and is home to the oldest subway on mainland Europe. We did not stay in this country nearly as long as we should have but we saw some great architecture, including the parliament building, mansions, and the bridges that separate Buda from Pest. The greatest experience here was the thermal baths. We went to the Szechenyi Baths during a blizzard and just sat in the hot water and looked up at all the snow coming down on us. It was gorgeous. It was the highlight of the trip.

After sadly leaving Budapest we got on a plane to Paris. Here we stayed for a while. It was expensive and offered little options for vegetarians. However, we did see a lot of the city. The Eifel Tower at night was pretty with its blue lights and white stars representing the EU. We also went to the Picasso museum which was cool and I found my favorite piece of artwork by him which is called, Spanish still life: Sun and Shadow. We went to the Cathedral of Notre Dame and the Catacombs. The Catacombs were awesome but I would not recommend it to those people who do not like seeing a lot of human skulls and other miscellaneous bones. A highlight of Paris was going to the Louvre. I wish that we could have seen everything there but it was just so big that we did not have the time. We saw the Mona Lisa and the Venus de Milo which I have always wanted to see up close.

After Paris we went to Köln, Germany. Here we also were able to see some good architecture at a gothic cathedral. Around the gothic cathedral were little Christmas shops set up for the season. Köln makes its own beer known as Kolsch and it is delicious. We went to this bar where we did not even sit down, we just stood like everyone else and a waiter will keep bringing you over .2 liters of Kolsch until you tell him to stop. Also that night we went to see one of my favorite bands, Gogol Bordello. The show was amazing. There was so much energy and the crowd never stopped moving. It was a great time.

The next day we were on a plane to Prague for Thanksgiving. Prague was the only place that we did not have a hostel because we had a flight at 6am in the morning. So, we planned on just staying at the bars all night until we had to go to the airport. Before that we walked around the city and took in the scenery and the architecture. We saw Prague castle where it looked like someone was getting married outside of it. From the castle area we looked down at the city as the sun was setting. Then we went to a vegan restaurant and had our Thanksgiving feast. It left us full and tired, just as any Thanksgiving feast would. After that we hit the bars and tried to stay warm. The first bar we went to was filled with older people but we stayed anyway and had some good Czech beer called Primator. We had a few of those then we went to this punkish bar. Here we had a drink that lives up to its name. It was large and blue, and we still do not know why it was blue, it also had an insane amount of alcohol in it. They called it the “Adios Motherf*cker” and it was the last drink I had before jumping on a tram to the train to the airport.

The next day we were in Amsterdam. Here we rented bikes and road around the city and saw what there was to be seen. We went to the Van Gogh Museum, the Rijksmuseum, and the Anne Frank Huis. The museums were really remarkable but the Anne Frank Huis was my favorite of the three. It was very moving being inside and watching all the videos of her father and the woman who watched them there. And what trip to Amsterdam would be complete without a trip to the red-light district? So, we headed that way and we saw things that you cannot see in the United States. After Amsterdam we flew back to Athens for class.

Soon after being back in Athens we went to Delphi. The whole landscape around Delphi was beautiful. Delphi itself was amazing and I ran on the ancient track which was pretty awesome. While on the way back from Delphi we got word that a 15 year old was shot by a cop in Athens and riots had broken out and that the city was on fire. We had to be brought to a metro to go back to our apartment. Things really were on fire in some areas. It got really bad the next few days and school was cancelled and our flight got cancelled. Even with all the riots and fire and tear gas, a few of us still went to our favorite taverna down the street for our last meal and to see the owner and some of the other regulars that we became friends with before we left the country (because we found out that we had a flight on Thursday). It was a very sad time filled with delicious food and lots of tears and hugging. Being back in America for less than a week, I miss it already.

On Thursday we flew back to America. I live in Holden, Massachusetts and driving home was a mess. An ice storm had hit. But not just any ice storm. This ice storm made most of the trees snap and fall into the road and take down a lot of power lines. This made an obstacle course for the ride home. When we got home the power was out and we stood outside for a little bit and every second (literally) all you could hear was the trees snapping and falling to the ground. As of right now I still do not have power and am running this computer off of a generator. I went from the fire and destruction of riots to the ice and destruction of Mother Nature.

So, an Update

2008-12-09T17:02:00.002+02:00

We are stuck in Athens. Our flight, supposed to leave tomorrow, has been canceled, along with every other flight out of Athens December 10. There are riots, as I'm sure everyone knows by now, but everyone is safe no worries. There are lots of riots and protests around the city because a 15 year old kid was shot and killed Saturday night by police.
We are all hanging out in our Vasilios Konstantinou apartment right now. It's in the neighborhood of Pangrati, which is well south of the hot spots, and has a good police presence, and has been quite quiet this whole time.

If you want to keep up with the news, the bbc has some good coverage of what's going on, so does cnn international.

The good folks at FPU are working on getting us on a plane as soon as possible.

Oh and Ron and Jill are going to cook up some delicious eggplant parm tonight so we are making the most of what we are given here.

All is well. We are safe & witnessing history.

-Ry

Amsterdam-->Best Place in the World

2008-12-03T15:52:00.002+02:00

Friday November 28, 2008

It’s been a week since I have arrived in Amsterdam and everything that I thought this trip would be or even could be, definitely is. I have been able to sleep in until noon or even later, and take my time in getting ready for the day. (Something that hasn’t happened since we arrived in Greece in September) Jess and I had no problems finding each other in the airport, and finding our way to our 5 star hotel, the Marriott. Luckily Jess’ uncle didn’t want us to stay in a hostel so he booked us a room at the Marriott that we both got to stay at for free! I had my own queen bed in which when you laid down you literally sunk into the bed!

Jess and I went to the Rijks museum, which was incredible, and walked to all of the neighboring districts to get a feel for the area. Because we knew Dom and Leanne were coming in only four days, we decided to wait to go see the other museums together. Once they arrived they were able to stay in our room with us, which worked out nicely for everyone. We saw the Anne Frank house which was somewhat overwhelming to see knowing about the story behind this house, and being able to see it first hand was definitely something I never thought would happen. We also went to see the Van Gogh museum, which was a great experience, the only thing I was disappointed by was that I had heard that Starry Night was going to be there, and unfortunately it was not.

Thanksgiving was the most interesting Thanksgiving that I have ever had. The four of us decided to go to the Hard Rock Café since they told us they were having a Thanksgiving dinner there. Unfortunately we waited outside in the cold for over an hour waiting for seats, and finally when we got inside we realized the Thanksgiving meal was about 25 euro! I ended up getting a pulled-pork sandwich, which was not my favorite. After our dinner we walked around and ended up in the Red-Light District, which was a sight to be seen!! It was crazy just walking down the streets and looking into windows and seeing women standing there half naked.

What I wasn’t expecting was how beautiful the city actually was! The people were extremely nice, the city was absolutely breathtaking in the day and even more so at night. Just about every street had a canal going through it, and each and every single building had quaint characteristics to it. Amsterdam is a place that if the opportunity arose to go there, should definitely be taken. It was beautiful in every way possible, and there is so much to do there. It is by far the best place that I have been to, and plan to go back there if I ever get the chance to again!

Pre-Travel Excitement!

2008-12-03T15:50:00.000+02:00

Friday November 21, 2008

Dom, Leanne, and I all are sitting around under the large tent that they made in their room awaiting for our trip to come. All the other girls in the apartment have already left, and we were the last ones to go. With my flight at 5:15am and having to be at the airport by 3:15am, we all decided to pull an all-nighter. Amsterdam was the destination, and it was the trip I had been waiting for since I knew I was coming to Greece. Sleeping was something that could not happen with the amounts of excitement that I had.

Dom and Leanne’s destination was London for four days and then meeting up with me in Amsterdam on Tuesday. My plan was to meet up with my best friend Jess from home that I had grown up with since I was in 2nd grade. My thoughts were racing with what was ahead for me. How was the trip going to pan out? Was everything going to work out okay especially since I was traveling alone? I couldn’t even think about meeting up with Jess in Amsterdam, the thought was too good to be true. What are the chances that my best friend from home was able to meet up with me in Amsterdam for 10 days for Thanksgiving break? The fact that I was able to take a break from everyone in the entire group and just chill out with my friend from home for a few days before Leanne and Dom came was a feeling of relief, especially since our group here lives together, eats together, travels together, and goes out together 24/7, a break would be nice!

All I want to get out of this trip is to be able to relax and do things on my own time and to be able to enjoy the city of Amsterdam without having to cram seeing everything in just a couple of days. 10 days to do what I want when I want, and with no one better than my best friend!

2008-12-01T19:57:00.001+02:00

So, I had an epic Thanksgiving break.

We spent the first four days in London. I will let Leanne fill you in on our Beatles adventure, because I’m sure she will.

But, for London, I will recommend anybody traveling there, stay at the Globetrotter Hostel. Amazing. Wonderful beds, wonderful people, and cheep food.

Then, we went to Amsterdam.

I love Amsterdam.

The people are all really friendly.

Everyone jumped to help us find where we were on the maps.

That is because we got lost often on our massive hunt for as many coffee shops as possible.

GREAT FOOD.

Everyone bicycles there! Saving the environment!

Plus, lots of public transportation! A great break from the trillions of cars in Athens.

Also, Great MILKO. With a capital “G”.

All the cow items around, definitely takes the cake.

All of this is great, but obviously my favorite part of Amsterdam is the wonderful laws.

Coffee shops = heaven.

Great, great marijuana.

And it was legal!

*sigh*

The US could really learn from these concepts.

Get rid of internal possession (NH). Get a reasonable drinking age laws.

Fix our drug problems - drug addicts need doctors, not prisons.

Control the drugs, how people get it, and how old you have to be to get it.

Thanks for listening!

Everybody, visit Amsterdam!

From Final Exam to the Last Judgment

2008-11-18T15:37:00.002+02:00

Wednesday morning I woke up, guzzled some coffee, and walked to the University where I had one class and a final exam. I boogied through the final just in time to hop the metro to the airport for my flight into Rome. Three and a half hours of airplane and shuttle-bus and we were checked into our hotel and ready for an authentic Italian meal. We found this tiny pizzeria a short stroll from our hotel where we all had a quick pizza before we retired for the night after a long day of travel and test taking. At the pizzeria the waiter was very friendly and nice to us and they didn’t let us leave without having an Italian ice on the house.

Thursday our plan was to tour the Colleseum as well as Palatine Hill and the Roman Forum, but we were held back by rain (the worst we have seen since in Europe). We were only able to see the Colleseum and rescheduled our Palatine and Forum tour for the next day. We were sick of the rain getting in the way of our trips so a bunch of us split to enjoy the day in Rome anyways. We trudged through shoe covering puddles as we made an effort to see as much as we could. We knew that the next day was going to be busy because besides our visit to the Vatican City we were going to be visiting the Roman Forum and Palatine Hill as well.

We rose early on Friday so that we could get a jumpstart on our very busy day. Our first agenda item was to get to the Vatican for our scheduled tour. We were lucky and got to skip the line to get into the city and were blessed with a wonderful tour guide. As a group we have become generally skeptical of tour guides so this was a pleasant surprise. We moved through the museums and were impressed by the works of Salvador Dali, Raphael, and, of course, Michelangelo. We moved through in awe as we anticipated our last stop, the Sistine Chapel. With the exception of the works in the Sistine Chapel I was most attracted to Raphael’s “Scuola di Atene,” or “School of Athens.”

This very abbreviated tour of the Vatican which can take up to seven years to completely see (a fact from our tour guide) took a few hours as it led up to the Sistine Chapel. After finally arriving in the chapel I was awestruck. The grandeur and detail in the frescoes were breathtaking, even more so than I expected. Being inside seamed surreal as if it wasn’t actually happening. The pieces were so bright and brilliant radiating the beauty, which they are so famous for possessing. Being inside made me think about the numerous years of labor that Michelangelo dedicated to this work. Seeing this with my own eyes heightened my appreciation for this place to a level that is indescribable. My favorite part of the Sistine Chapel is undeniably the Last Judgment.

After the Sistine Chapel we walked around St. Peter’s Basilica before heading to the forum and Palatine Hill. At Palatine Hill we were not lucky enough to get a good tour guide, and though these were very cool attractions they weren’t as special as the other things that we had already seen, or were about to see (Pompeii). From Palatine Hill, though, I can say that I got a beautiful view of part of Rome and was ale to more fully understand the story of Romulus and Remus.

Saturday we were headed to Naples so that we could get to nearby Pompeii which I will leave for someone else to talk about.

Rome and the Coliseum!

2008-11-18T14:45:00.003+02:00

Never in my lifetime did I think I would get the chance to study abroad, and when planning for this trip there was only one place in my mind that I knew I had to see either on my own time or through our traveling with the class. The one place that I had been dreaming about for almost all of my life was Italy. Finally we were going and our first stop was Rome. We arrived late at night on Wednesday so adventures of Italy only went as far as finding the most Italian restaurant we could find and testing out the food, which by the way was incredible!

Thursday morning we woke up and headed straight for the Coliseum. The walking distance to the Coliseum from our hotel was not bad by any means and as we approached it. Getting closer and closer to the building it grew larger and more intimidating with each step I took. As we walked inside the excitement I was feeling was overwhelming and unsure of what to expect. We went up in the elevators to get to the higher part of the Coliseum and as you walked out onto the Coliseum to look down at the pits where thousands of gladiators fought, it felt incredible. As I looked around I could picture with my own eyes how it once looked, filled with thousands of people screaming and chanting as they gazed down on the gladiators fighting to the death. The part in which the gladiators would stand was no longer there, but instead you were able to see what was down below those grounds, where they kept the lions and tigers locked up. Our tour guide told us that they do not have a definite number on how many deaths actually took place in the Coliseum but she made an estimate of about a million or so people counting the amount of deaths for each day and for how many years this went on.

Rome was an incredible city, and despite what I had heard about it being a dangerous area I felt as comfortable there as I did in Athens. The city is filled with character from the modern day buildings to the Coliseum or Vatican City that has filled the area with history that dates back thousands of years. Of any place to travel to hands down it would be Rome not only for the historical aspect, but the food was great too!

MARCH!

2008-11-17T22:49:00.001+02:00

When you type “Greece November 17” into Wikipedia this is what comes up:

Formation –

The group's name, 17N, refers to the final day of the 1973 Athens Polytechnic uprising, in which a protest against the Greek Military Junta (1967 - 1974), also known as the Regime of the Colonels took place. The uprising ended after a series of events that started when a tank took down the main gate of the Polytechneion and security forces, including soldiers, stormed the campus. 17N self-identified as Marxist. In addition to assassinations, 17N was convicted for a number of bank robberies. Members of 17N claim they stole money to finance their activities.

Today, on the 17th of November we went to the Polytechnic University in Athens and saw representatives from every political party- complete with posters, newspapers, pamphlets, stickers, etc. We also saw on display extremely powerful pictures from 1973. Pictures of storms of people, tanks in Syntagma Square, and signs that wrote “USA = *swastika*”. Wow.

This alone convinced a few of us that we were definitely going to the march this afternoon. This march proved to be a life changing experience.

The different political parties had their own ways of doing things.

Although it was storming incredibly outside, that only fueled their fire.

The Communists were the largest of the groups, and the most peaceful. We marched with them for a while, and nobody gave us any trouble.

The Anarchists on the other hand were pretty extreme. Wearing all black, and blasting head-banging music these anarchists chanted loudly while marching down the street.

A few times the chants included “F*** Americans”. They had the courtesy to say it in our own language for us to understand!

These Anarchists were followed on both sides by extreme police brigades.

These police were decked out, helmets, shields, gas masks, and the whole uniforms.

Why were they wearing gas masks you ask? Tear gas is the way to deal with these anarchists that come out of order.

Many water bottles were thrown at these police, but it did not deter them.

Only when massive chunks of stone were thrown at them did the tear gas come out.

Don’t worry, we were a-ok. A wonderful distance away to view, but not to be involved.

What really struck me personally was the Green Anarchists. They wanted to live natural without all of this hubbub is what I got out of their campaign. Sounds pretty sweet to me!

What really got me was there were secret federal agent type dudes incognito. We had to be careful taking pictures, not zooming in on specific people in certain groups, because we didn’t want them to think we were one of these undercover rats.

I guess that these guys sometimes even start the major riots, like a 50/50 chance! Just to make the marchers look bad. Peaceful marchers makes the marchers look good. The government wants them to look bad. Whhhhat!!

Overall, this day was an eye-opening experience. Very exciting!

What a great day!

One Solution...Revolution

2008-11-17T21:15:00.003+02:00

Last night at 11:00pm, we got back to Athens from an amazing trip to Roma and Napoli. The last thing I wanted to do was to wake up at nine to traipse around Athens watching the Communist and Anarchist demonstrations. However, it ended up being a remarkable, eye opening experience that I never imagined I would ever be a part of.

On November 17, 1973 there was an anti-junta demonstration escalated into military tanks charging through the gates of Athens’ Polytechnic University. Very few deaths were recorded, but it was a massacre unlike no other, and hundreds were killed or wounded. The result of this uprising was the restoration of Parliamentary Democracy and the date becoming an acknowledged school holiday.

Today, on November 17, schools and universities close to commemorate the valiant efforts of their living ancestors and loved ones lost in the valiant effort against military dictatorship and tyranny. At the Polytechnic University, classrooms are filled with photos, videos, and presentations of the events that took place on that day 35 years ago. Flowers, banners, and photos are placed in front of the gate where the tanks entered the school. Hundreds of students gather to hand out flyers and talk about the significance of that day and how much change is still needed.

Dmitri, a professor for HAU, offered to go to the commencement march that starts at the Polytechnic University and ends at the United States Embassy. Dom, Ashley, and I were the only girls from Sina who decided to go. And we were sooo glad we did.
We walked for blocks and blocks with police officers on the left and right of us wearing gas masks, holding guns, and carrying shields. It is no understatement to say we were a bit uncomfortable. Dozens of political parties and political groups marched and chanted with drums, sticks, and megaphones. The demonstrators threw rocks at the police, and they retaliated by hurling tear gas at them.

Professor Marra, Ron, Ry, Kayla, and Leslie met up with us, and Dmitri began to translate what the demonstrators were chanting. “The sun will weep tears of happiness when we become free.” “Psomi pedia eleftheria (bread, education, freedom).” And of course the predicted Anti-American Slander (even though Dmitri informed us that most of their platforms and ideas come from pamphlets and thinkers from the US).

It was an amazing sight. Nothing like this would ever happen in the states. Major roads were blocked off, buses and trains were closed, and police were ready for the impending riots. However, in the midst of all this chaos, parents brought their children to witness the March protest march. Ioanna and Dmitri told us that parents brought their children there so that they would learn from a young age that in order to get what you want, you need to take it to the streets and be heard. “One Solution…Revolution.”

United in Napoli

2008-11-17T17:57:00.003+02:00

Last weekend, we went on a trip to Rome and Naples. This was especially exciting for me because I have family in Naples who I have never had the chance to meet. When we arrived in Naples, we immediately left for Pompei. I was anxious to get in touch with the relatives, but I was still interested in seeing the site of the city destroyed by Mount Vesuvius. It was incredible—the city was preserved by the molten lava—even bodies. It was so sad, seeing bodies almost a hundred years old, preserved with looks of terror on their faces as the lava overtook them. I left with a deeper appreciation for life.

We got back late so I wasn’t sure if I should call the relatives. I was getting really nervous about meeting them. I almost decided not to call. Then, I looked at my map—most of them lived on the same exact street as my hotel! I couldn’t believe it. It was a sign. I would regret it for the rest of my life if I didn’t try to meet them.

I called a couple of numbers—no answer. I called a third number, Assuntia’s, who is my great aunt, and got an answer: “Pronto?” I had clearly woken her up. “Uh..mi nuna Anna Marie Esposito. Mi madre Diane..” She cut me off, rapidly speaking in Italian, obviously very excited. “Uh..no comprendo..Only Ingles..” We struggled for 15 minutes on the phone, but I got across which hotel I was in. “I be there in 1, 2, 3, 4..minutos!” And then she hung up. Oh my God she’s going to be here in a couple minutes! I couldn’t believe it!

I waited in the lobby, nervously tapping my toe. Then, I was told that she was here, outside calling for me. I ran outside. We saw each other, and literally ran into each other’s arms and hugged for a few minutes. I couldn’t help but cry, it was was like I could feel that we were family, like we knew each other forever. It was definitely a Kodak moment. Eventually, she motioned for me to get into her car with her. Dom hopped in too—obviously eager to meet her too!

She drove around the corner and pointed out “Esposito’s Café.” I couldn’t believe it—my family's café was right around the corner from my hotel! We got out of the car and she began yelling her brother's name, signaling that he lived on the 4th floor. Unfortunately, he was asleep so we didn’t get to meet him.

She brought us to her house next. She gave me a tour, making sure to point out the guest room, which she was very offended I wasn’t staying in. Then, she showed me photographs of my Grammy and Grampy. I had never seen photos of them in which they were so young—it was beautiful. She also showed me photos of family members I had never met: adorable little boys (with my eyes, Dom pointed out!), and her sisters, brothers, etc.

She next drove us all around Naples, showing me everything she wanted me to see. Although we didn’t speak the same language, we got our points across enough, and we learned a lot about each other. We met up with her niece, who spoke English, and helped us out a lot. When Assuntia realized that I was leaving in the morning, she was so sad—her eyes welled up with tears. She thought we’d have so much more time together. It broke my heart. I promised I would come back someday, and she promised to come visit me, too.

We stopped at her favorite pastry shop. She bought me lots of delicious native pastries—my favorites were canolis and babas—and had them wrapped them up for Dom and I. She was too cute! We continued on our tour. She showed me the church that my Grammy and Grampy married in, the funeral home of her father, castles, famous hotels, museums, and my favorite stop: the port. She told me how she used to stroll along here with my Grammy. I knew how happy she would be to know we were there together. She teased me, saying that if I lived there—like I should—I could sit and paint the beautiful bay all day. We linked arms and strolled along the port, laughing and chatting (or trying to), both happy to be in each other’s presence.

She brought us back at about 1:30 and walked me in to have the receptionist act as a translator. She said to call her as soon as I was home so that she could visit! I hope she does! It also became clear that she was not happy that I was leaving in the morning and that I didn’t call her sooner. I felt so bad! She hugged me for what seemed like forever, then pinched and kissed my cheeks. It was sad seeing her leave. We had such an experience meeting each other and I don’t know when we’ll see each other again. It was bitter-sweet; I try to focus on how happy we were to meet each other, not how sad it was that our time together was so short. I walked back up to my room with really sore cheeks with lipstick stains on them.

The next morning, we left bright and early for Rome. We had a couple of hours so I went back to the Picasso exhibit to do some thinking. I had such an experience this weekend I felt mentally drained. I’m back in Athens now and know for sure that life will never be the same.

I can't afford to walk a mile in those woman's shoes!

2008-11-17T01:51:00.001+02:00

Before my time in Greece, I have to admit that I was a little full of myself. I loved fashion and was sure that I was extremely well dressed. I took pride in my appearance and possessed a confidence that could not be shaken. However, after living in Athens for almost two months a new feeling has come over me. Every morning I wake up 30 minutes before class. I brush my teeth and wash my face. I look in my closet and grab a pair of sweatpants and a t-shirt. With a peek in the mirror before I leave the house, I realize that I look like any other American college students does when they go to morning classes.

However, Toto, we’re not in America anymore. As I leave the house I walk up the street to the Hellenic American University where we have class everyday. A strange sense of inadequacy immediately engulfs me. I am surrounded by women in 6 inch heels and men in tighter pants than I would be comfortable wearing. I think to myself that maybe they just want to look nice for a presentation or something. However, that is just wishful thinking on my part. There are two kinds of Greek people. Greeks who dress extremely well and Greeks who don’t. The ones that do dress well make up about 90 percent of the population. They are on the streets, at the grocery store and even at the Acropolis. I’m sweating my way up to the Parthenon being careful not to slip in my thickly soled sneakers when all of a sudden a woman in a beautiful dress and 6 inch leather boots passes me without a heavy breath. To me, that is ludicrous. Isn’t it dangerous to climb mountains in heels?

I might sound critical, but that is not how I mean to come off. I wish I possessed the grace and courage to “walk a mile in those womens’ shoes.” Sadly, I do not. I’ll just try to look my best and leave the real panache to the professionals.

It was all a Dream, I used to read Word-Up Magazine

2008-11-10T20:11:00.007+02:00

Anticipation was building on the long drive to Nafpoli. Though Lauren and I tried to kill time rapping to every Kanye and Biggie song that came on the iPod, we couldn’t wait to reach our destination. Yes, we heard about the castles, the ancient ruins, and even the shopping, but nothing could compare to the most exciting part of our excursion…Our last time swimming in the sea!

Before we arrive in Nafpoli, we stopped at the Corinth Canal. It connects the Gulf of Corinth with the Saronic Gulf in the Aegean Sea, and it separates the Peloponnesian Peninsula from mainland Greece. Ioanna, our Greek professor, told us that bungee jumping would be available for our entertainment, and I was ready. Unfortunately, there wasn’t enough time, and I wasn’t able to go. Although I was bummed, I was able to buy a traditional Greek hat. Yeah, it was wild. I wore it all day, even though Ioanna said that it was ugly and embarrassing. Haha

Epidaurus was the next place we hit on our weekend adventure. It was known in ancient times as a healing center. People from around the region would come to have their dreams read and their remedies assigned. The most celebrated point of interest at the site is the theater. It can seat over 15,000 people. Ioanna did a demonstration showing how great the acoustics were. When different coins were dropped at center of the theater, we could hear the difference in sound all the way from the very top of the theater. I was given the opportunity to sing in front of the entire audience. Ioanna also sang for us. It was a beautiful folk song from her village near Sparta.

We arrived at Hotel Victoria in the evening. It was a very nice Seaside Inn near many tavernas, shops, and clubs! It was the perfect location. After dinner at a wonderful little tavern (that just barely seated us all) we went to Ioanna’s favorite bar in town—The Wrong Bar. But I guess we hit it lucky and were there at the Right Time on the Right Night, because we all had a blast. We talked and laughed while Ry played guitar and sang for the bar. Even after living together for two months, every day I learn something new about these people. I was oblivious of Ry’s talent, and I was taken aback by how his talent really brought us all together as a group that night.

The next day we went to Mycenae. It was home to the legendary King Agamemnon and the site of the one of the largest findings of gold, second only to the excavation of the tomb of Tutankhamen. We walked through the legendary Lion’s Gate and the Tomb of Clytemnestra. Though it was an amazing civilization that left us with great ruins to view and learn from, our new found interest in the paranormal definitely added to it. Lauren, Leanne, Caitie, Dom, and I decided to find ghosts in this ancient city. We made videos and took pictures of the supernatural activity we witnessed (Look at the ghost behind the rock in the photo!). It was fun and fascinating!

When we reached the hotel we were able to have some free time. Lauren, Shane, and I decided to go swimming! Unfortunately we forgot our goggles, but we made the best of it! It was about a 20 minute walk alongside the rocky coast. On the left were Prickly Pears. Shane thought it would be a good idea to pick and eat them. So he climbed up, picked some, and tossed them down to me. I guess we forgot they are called PRICKLY pears, and we got hundreds of prickly fibers stuck in our hands. I hate Prickly Pears! Swimming was fun, but cold! But what did we expect? It is November! It was refreshing though.

My favorite part of the entire trip was on Sunday when we went to the Palamidi Castle that sits high above the city of Nafpoli. Ioanna gave us the option of taking the bus to the fortress or taking the 1,147 stairs to the top. To my surprise, and most likely to the surprise of the others, I chose to take the stairs with Professor Marra, Shane, Kayla, Leslie, and Ron. I am sooo glad I did! Though it was one of the most difficult hikes I have ever been on, it had one of the most scenic views I have seen the entire time I have been to Greece, and it was a great feeling standing at the top and looking down at the hike I accomplished. To my surprise we all made it to the top in about 15-20 minutes, actually beating the bus!

Finally at the Top!

Shane and I decided to break off from the group and do a bit of our own exploring. Several times we decided to take the paths less traveled. We went digging through ancient tunnels and caves. We came across one that is worth noting. We walked through a small hole that opened up into a large room. We walked down the stair case and saw the domed roof. In the center of the room was a large pile of rocks and dirt that had fallen through when a small part of the roof collapsed. A couple feet of standing water filled the grotto-like structure. It was by far the coolest site at the fortress.

This trip was great! One day I hope to come back again.

Napflio

2008-11-10T19:30:00.001+02:00

Over the weekend we went to Napflio. This city was absolutely beautiful; the ocean, cute little shops and restaurants, and amazing mountain views in every single direction. We were able to see many wonderful sites and ancient ruins.

On the way to Napflio we stopped and got to see the Corinth Canal. It was great! The amount of time, energy, and money this canal saves everyone! Someday I would like to ride down the canal! Or, better yet, bungee jump off of it!

My favorite was Palamidi Castle up on the massive hill. Some braved the 999 (or more) stairs. Due to my extreme laziness and dislike for stairs, I took the scenic 5 minute bus route. The stair climbers arrived quickly though, within 30 minutes! Sadly with my clumsiness, I sprained my ankle and did not get to explore as much as I wanted. Oh well, an excuse to go back someday!

I am SO excited for this upcoming schedule of events! We are SO lucky.

Wednesday 12 November – Leave for Rome and hopefully visit Naples

Sunday 16 November – Return to Athens

Friday 21 November – Leave for London for Thanksgiving break

Tuesday 25 November – Travel to AMSTERDAM

Sunday 30 November – Return to Sina Street!

Weekend 5-7 December – Hopefully travel to Delphi, the belly button of the world!!

10 December 2008 – HOME!

WOW! All with papers and finals, time is going to fly by!

Nafplio and Mycenae

2008-11-10T16:40:00.003+02:00

Friday we packed up and were on the bus to head to Nafplio by 11:30am. The bus ride itself took all day to get there, but we made a few pit stops along the way. The entire time on the bus I spent reading my book for my directed study which was actually one of the best books that I have read thus far.

The second we hopped off the bus it was already dark out so it was hard to truly get a feel for Nafplio right off the bat, but I knew I loved it even so. We took a scenic tour to the top of the hill to be able to look at the city from above. It was absolutely beautiful with all the streets lit up. The weather itself added to the feel for the place with its sweater weather, which is one of my favorite temperatures.

Ioanna, our professor for our class Athens Through the Ages joined us on our weekend excursion and showed us around the area. We all met up with her outside of the hotel and went to the “Wrong Bar” which was a quirky little hole in the wall that from the outside looked like a junk store, but on the inside was something so much more. It’s strange atmosphere gave it a lot of character and made it all that more enjoyable. Everywhere around you there were little antiques and old fans, miniature sewing machines and old school telephones. Everyone order a few drinks, and socialized with one another. The owner of the bar and a woman who was born in Santorini but now resided in Nafplio got together and sang in front of everyone. Afterwards one of our group members, Ry got up and played the owners guitar singing some songs himself. It was a great night and full of enjoyment for everyone in the group.

My favorite part of the trip was definitely the last day when we went to the top of the mountain of Nafplio and explored the prison and castle there. It was absolutely breath taking with tons of different nooks and crannies to find and search for. Leanne and I went on a great adventure searching through every part of the place. Two hours there was definitely not enough time to find everything and take it all in, but overall it was an incredible experience. Nafplio was my favorite place we have been to so far, the city was beautiful and the people were so nice. I would go back there in a heartbeat and I could see myself residing there one day in the future.

Yamas!! It's Halloween!!

2008-11-10T13:14:00.002+02:00

Every year on October 31st Americans, both young and old, partake in the fun filled festivities that are characteristic of Halloween. We dress up in creative costumes and enjoy traditional activities like bobbing for apples and, of course, trick-or-treating. For 19 years, I have enjoyed said holiday and knew nothing different. Before studying abroad, I tried to prepare myself for the differences that I would encounter while living in Greece. I knew I would be using different currency, I would be missing fall in New England and my favorite holiday, Thanksgiving. However, for some reason, the lack of Halloween just did not register in my mind.

As a group, I think we were all a little bummed that we would be missing out on Halloween. We would miss dressing up with our friends and going out and causing a little mayhem. So we decided that we should bring a little bit of Halloween to Greece. I have to say that I am extremely impressed with the creativity of our group. Using things we already had and a few extra supplies we were all able to fashion fun and imaginative costumes. Within our group we had a cat, a dog, a couple of witches, a Greek goddess, a pirate, a couple of aerobic instructors and I was a pumpkin. Well, to be more specific I was a jack-o-lantern. As we wandered through the city, we wished everyone on the street a happy Halloween. We saw many children walking through the streets with their parents like it was any other day. It made me a little sad that none of them were in costumes trying to collect candy, but even that could not put a damper on my mood.

We made our way to the local Irish pub. We thought that might be a place where we could find other people who were celebrating Halloween. We were right. There were a few other groups of young college students who were doing the exact same thing we were. I don’t mean to brag, however, our group had the best costumes by far. We spent the night indulging in Irish car bombs and chatting with other students into the wee hours of the morning. At home, Halloween is an event. Here it felt like any other Friday night out except for the fact that I had a face taped to my torso and a stem coming out of my headband.

Election week and more

2008-11-09T19:45:00.000+02:00

This past week has been very busy and exciting in many different ways. On Sunday we were invited to do a scavenger hunt of sorts with other HAU students. The scavenger hunt was fun because we were able to mingle with some of the Greek students but it was not truly a scavenger hunt because a good chunk of the things that we had to find was information that most of us went to the Hellenic Union Library to look up online. We did have to go around Athens and find something and takes pictures of different sites which was fun. I rode on a motorbike for the first time which was both fun and terrifying all at the same time. At least this motorbike did not hit a taxi. After the scavenger hunt everyone met up at a taverna in Plaka for lunch.
Monday afternoon for class Ioanna took us to the ancient agora which was really amazing. There was only one significant building that was left standing and much of the site is over grown with shrubs but it was still very fascinating because the details of how the agora was laid out was very clearly defined and there were still statues and pieces of structures left standing. There is a museum as well and everything in the museum was found on site. The most interesting things in the museum were the voting devices including a black balling machine and voting discs to ostracize someone. An other interesting thing about the ancient agora is that some legendary ancient figures met there and spoke there such as Sophocles, Pericles, and Socrates. It was really fascinating to walk in their footsteps and see the places where they spoke and changed the course of history.The highlight of the week here however has to have been the election. Everyone waited up to see Barack Obama elected as the 44th president of the United States. Unfortunately this meant waiting up until the polls on the west coast closed which did not happen until 6 am Athens time and then we waited up to hear the speeches by both McCain and Obama which did not end until 7:30 am. It was fun to stay up and watch the election though. Some of us stayed in the apartment and had pizza and coffee and basically had a party in the living room while we were waiting. The only downside to staying up was classes. Morning class was canceled thankfully, but we still had an afternoon class which no one was very focused for because everyone was so tired.

Halloween, Scavenger Hunt, Elections

2008-11-04T19:45:00.001+02:00

We had an exciting week!

First there was Halloween! We all decided to dress up, regardless of the fact the Greeks don’t celebrate this holiday. It was a challenge to our creative sides to come up with costume designs. We had Aphrodite, a Dalmatian, a pumpkin, two Jane Fonda ladies, a pirate, some witches, etc. I dressed up as my orange cat Norton.

A few of us decided to go out to the James Joyce Irish pub for some drinks. We decided our luck would be best with the Irish pub for understanding our Halloween celebrations.

The walk there was interesting, many stares. It was crazy to see little kids not knowing the fun they are missing out on, dressing up once a year as whatever you want.

There were a few cat ears, goddesses, and witches at the James Joyce. But no crowd was as classy as us in our Halloween getups.

Saturday we had a Scavenger Hunt with the students at HAU. This was a very fun experience. We all got to mingle with the Greeks, and put our skills of traveling around Athens to the test. I think quite a few of us students got to make some good friends in the process.

Tonight there is a little party at HAU from 12 am – 4 am celebrating the American Elections! It will definitely be another interesting experience to see the Greeks view of our big American event!

2008-11-04T16:37:00.001+02:00

The weekend before this past one we were in Turkey. We went to Izmir and Istanbul. This was the first Muslim country I have ever been to and I enjoyed it a lot. In Turkey there are prayers that get blasted over loud speakers at certain hours of the day and it is really interesting to hear. While in Turkey we visited the Ephesus site which was an amazing thing to see. There were a lot of still standing ruins and it was easier to tell how everything would have been set up just by looking around and one could almost get a feel for how life was living in this area, better than some of the other sites with little remains left.
Istanbul has become one of my favorite cities that I have been to. While there we went to the Blue Mosque which was enormous and impressive. This mosque was built with the intention of being bigger and better than that of Hagia Sophia which is right next door. Hagia Sophia used to be a Christian church before the Ottomans took it over. It was decided that the Hagia Sophia would not be demolished because of cultural relevance so it was turned into a museum. My favorite part of Istanbul was the spice bazaar and food market. It really made me wish that I lived there because the food and spices were so fresh and delicious. The other thing that sold me on Istanbul was the fresh juice stands on almost every corner which sold juices from apples, oranges, pomegranates, and carrots. A return visit to Istanbul is a definite must for me at some point in my life.
Now being back in Athens, it is the day of elections back in the United States. The plan is to go to our favorite taverna for dinner and then stay up until all the votes are in. At that point it will be close to 3 or 4am here in Athens. I cannot wait to see all this go down tonight.

Scavenger Hunt

2008-11-03T18:33:00.001+02:00

After much planning and preparation from the people at Hellenic American University we set out on Saturday morning for a scavenger hunt of sorts. We were split up into groups of about five or six, given a bag of tasks and clues, and set free to roam around the city in a swift frenzy of riddle solving and picture taking.

Many of the groups were organized in a way that mixed our Franklin Pierce Students with Greek, HAU students. My group consisted of five Greek students and myself. I was the only American in the group. I was very excited about this; I could meet new people, mingle with the Greeks, and all of that good, fun stuff. This excited notion wasn’t completely accurate because, though when around a majority of Americans the Greek students speak English, they speak very little when around only one. This made it difficult for me to be included at first. I was fumbling through their sentences trying to understand some of what they were saying. To my surprise I could understand more Greek than I could before our adventure began in September, but still not enough to feel comfortable understanding entire conversations.

About a half of an hour into the scavenger hunt some questions appeared that were catered toward common American knowledge and not Greek, and the Greek students turned to me for help with these ones. Now the English was coming out and the day began to get more fun.

After answering a bunch of trivia questions and taking pictures of landmarks around the university we set out into the greater city to complete our list. This was a storm of fast walking and chaotic picture taking, but we made it to our end point on time.

At the end we all met at a taverna in the Plaka area and had a late lunch. We talked about the scavenger hunt and determined the winners. Unfortunately my team got second place, losing by only two points. All in all the day was a blast for the participants and a success, I would say, for the individuals who put together and hosted the event.

Dream Weaver

2008-11-03T18:17:00.004+02:00

I have recently been experiencing a re-occurring nightmare that I would like to share with my avid readers. There are a plethora of museums in Athens of a myriad of different varieties. We have had the distinct privilege to visit many of them with our Athens through the Ages professor, Iaonna Kopsiafti, who seems to know the ins and outs of museum life like the back of her hand. My tragic dream occurred after a visit to one of these museums.

In my dream, The group is weaving it's way through one of these museums taking in the history and knowledge that places like these tend to provide. I am staring at an ancient statue of Zeus himself when my foot suddenly catches beneath me and I trip and tumble over myself. Clearly my sub conscious was reminding me of my recent decent into clumsiness.

As an aside, I was never the klutzy one. My sister Jennifer has been known to trip in the middle of an empty room. Apparently since coming to Greece, I have taken the clumsy crown as my own. Jennifer has nothing on me now. From tripping up the steps on Delos and falling on my bad carpals, to falling at the temple of Artemis in Turkey and tearing open my knee skin, I have experienced many a folly that have caused bodily harm to myself.

Back to the nightmare. As I trip and fall (in slow motion of course. This is a dream after all), I see the statue of Zeus in front of me and put my arms out to catch myself. In an effort to avoid injury, I knock over the statue and watch with horrified panic as the statue wobbles and tips precariously. I take a deep breath as it seems to settle and suddenly the entire sculpture crumbles into dust. The last imagine I remember before waking up in a cold sweat with an overall feeling of shame and guilt, is one of everyone from the museum workers, to Ioanna, to Professor Marra, to my dearest mother Patty, gawking at me with general looks of contempt and disbelief.

After such a terrifying look into my sub conscious, I am now far more aware at the museums than I would be otherwise. In addition to trying to take in the overwhelming feeling that tends to accompany seeing an actual Spartan shield from the Battle of Pylos, I also take into account how well said shield is protected, not from the elements, but from my own personal misfortunes. Museums where the artifacts are well protected, such as the new Acropolis Museum, are far easier for me to navigate when I don’t have to worry about the entire nation hating me when I knock over a restored sculpture of Athena.

So, readers, use this tale of woe as a cautionary word. Making friends and influencing people isn’t done by knocking important things over.

Jane Fonda and other everyday occurences

2008-11-03T01:01:00.004+02:00

Unfortunately Greece does not "do" Halloween which was very disappointing to me because it is one of my favorite holidays, however that didn't stop us from showing them how it is done and dressing up. Seeing that Catie did a good job describing every ones outfits I'll spare the details and will leave you with this....

The day after Halloween was the scavenger hunt put on by HAU so we could get a chance to meet more students from the university. I particularly enjoy scavenger hunts so I had a lot of fun and met some pretty interesting people.

while walking around the city during the scavenger hunt I was reminded of what someone told me earlier in the week. My friend told me that I should take pictures of everyday things around Athens because that's what I'll miss the most when I'm back in the states. This advice came back to me after (of course) coming across everyday sites, as i thought about this i realized how much they would be right. The thing is as much as I love Greece I'm not going to be here forever. I knew I would be homesick for the U.S. but I never thought I would be homesick for Athens, and now I know there is no possible way I couldn't miss being here. The truth is I could take dozens of pictures of the islands, and Turkey and everywhere else we go, but when it comes down to it I'm going to miss going to the kiosk at 2 in the morning for a coke and ruffles, my morning coffee at Gloria Jeans, and being able to try as many flavors of gelatto down the street without being judged by the manager.

Halloween and Scavenger Hunt in Greece!

2008-11-02T23:12:00.002+02:00

Unfortunately Halloween is not a holiday that is celebrated here in Greece but that of course did not stop us from celebrating it by any means! We set out on a task to get costumes that were cheap and creative. All of us bought a few pieces of fabric here and there, used some clothes that we already owned, and got to work! Slowly you could see the scraps of fabric coming together and soon we all had the perfect Halloween costume!

Lauren was a pumpkin with a shirt and leggings she already owned and some creative skills in making a pumpkin headband, and some black fabric to make a face.

Dom and Leanne put their creativity together and were Hadley (Leanne's Dalmatian dog) and Norton (Dom's orange cat.)

Ashley and I put our heads together and came up with the idea of being the best 80's Aerobics queen; none other than JANE FONDA! With a pair of leggings, bathing suit bottoms, leg warmers, a bunch of bright colored shirts and a thick purple head band, we were Jane Fonda in a matter of moments!

Misty bought a beautiful white dress and a few gold strands of beads and VOILA! She was transformed into the beautiful Greek Goddess Aphrodite!

All of us gathered together at Sina Street (including kids from the VK) and had ourselves a Halloween party together. Everyone hung out and socialized and as the night grew later a few went out to celebrate a little bit more!

Although Halloween is not celebrated here, people still knew what day it was and so it was somewhat accepted.

On Saturday we all gathered at HAU and met up with other HAU students where we had a scavenger hunt all over Athens. The idea was great and successful. We were able to intertwine with more of the students at HAU and it made for a good ice breaker to get to know people. The scavenger hunt also allowed us to see new places or things in Athens that we may not have seen or noticed before, but it also allowed us to prove that we did know the city pretty well, and that even just being here for 2 months, we knew our way around the area quite well. At the end we all wound up meeting at a great little Greek restaurant and celebrated together! Dom and I were in a group with three other girls who were already best friends with one another so at first it seemed like it would be difficult to try and get to know them, but by the end of the hunt we had all opened up to each other and were able to get to know one another on a different level than we would have been able to without the scavenger hunt. I had a ton of fun and hope this becomes a tradition at HAU for all of the Franklin Pierce students studying abroad to take part in!

On Tuesday HAU informed us that they will be holding a gathering for the election in the US that goes from 12am-4am I believe in order to find out who won the Presidential election together! I am looking forward to this and think it will be interesting to see how the elections in the US are depicted here in Europe and what the people here think of who is elected President.

All Around Turkey

2008-10-31T01:25:00.002+02:00

This past weekend we were in Turkey which was amazing! We sailed from the Greek island of Samos to the Turkish port of Kusadasi. While in Kusadasi we went to the ancient ruins of Ephesus. Ephesus was really amazing because the Library of Celsus is a well known ruin but I never knew what it was or where it was before we went there. The ancient city was huge and only a small fraction of it has been excavated which is disappointing because what has been excavated is really amazing. The ruins in Turkey were better to visit that the ruins in Greece because you could get so much closer to them. There was not nearly as much stuff roped off in the Ephesus sites as there was at the Acropolis and there was much, much more to see in Ephesus than there is at the Acropolis.

Aside from visiting the ruins we also took a break from the ruins and went to a pottery shop and watched Turkish pottery being made and panited entirely by hand. Turkish pottery is very colorful and very pretty. Most of it is decorated with tulips and carnations because tulips represent love and carnations respect. Ashley was able to make her own small vase and she was allowed to bring it back with her.
After we left Kusadasi we drove to Izmir and spent the day wandering around the city with our trusty tour guide. He took us to the world’s largest market and took around the corner from where we had entered the market. Just walking around the corner took a half hour and there was every kind of shop imaginable in the tiny corner of the market that we saw. Pet shops, bridal stores, spice stores and butcher shops were all side by side in the market which made it very impressive and overwhelming all at the same time.
After our day in Izmir we flew to Istanbul. I think I saw more Turkish flags in the few days we were in Istanbul than I have seen American flags in my whole life. And every place we went into there was a picture of Ataturk, and he is on all of the money. Istanbul was okay but would have been better if it had not been raining for pretty much the entire time. I liked watching the runners in the Istanbul marathon finishing the race. The finish line was right outside the Blue Mosque which we went to visit. I had never been inside a mosque before and it was gorgeous. It was extremely ornate and lavish, or at least the part for the men was. The women were given a tiny space along the back wall to worship which was separated from the part where men are allowed to worship.
After the Blue Mosque we crossed the street to visit the Hagia Sophia which was a church and a mosque but was converted into a museum. The Blue Mosque was built to rival the Hagia Sophia. The Hagia Sophia was being renovated so it was difficult to see some things. It was okay but not the best museum. It is hard to call it a museum because basically we went to look at the building itself rather than things that had been added to it. It was still a neat site however. After the Hagia Sophia some of us tried to visit the Topkapi Palace which is absolutely enormous. We weren’t really all that interested in the museum here however because there were some parts that you had to pay extra admission in order to see and no photographs were allowed. And on top of this we were all drenched and cold from the pouring rain. So we wandered around a small portion of the palace and then left.
The next day we went to the Grand Bazaar and spent several hours there. The Turkish Bazaar was really awesome because there was so much stuff that was being sold and all of the shop keepers were friendly to talk to and were easy to haggle with. Some of them were extremely pushy though and were basically yelling at you to go into their shop and buy from them. And everyone in Turkey is your friend. They were always calling someone “my friend” which is very different from the Greek shops. In Greece the shop keepers usually won’t talk to you.
Overall I liked Turkey more that I like Greece. I think it has something to do with the fact that Turkey has grass and actually looked like people could live there. Greece just looks like dirt and rocks which is not as nice as greenery.
Yesterday we went to the New Acropolis Museum with Ioanna which is so new that nothing was really opened in the museum yet except for an exhibit that had just arrived from Italy that was all returned cultural treasures that had been illegally excavated and removed from Italy and Greece. The collection, though small was nevertheless impressive because there were some really beautiful pieces that were on display. I did not like that the museum had glass floors that allowed you to look down on ancient Roman ruins that looked like they were from a bath house. It is a really unique feature and a great idea but it was disorientating and I was afraid of falling through the glass and landing on the jagged Roman ruins below. And it was difficult to try to look down and walk and look at all of the surrounding things even if there weren’t many surrounding things to look at.

The Acropolis at Last!

2008-10-31T00:56:00.000+02:00

This week we went to the National Archeological Museum and the Acropolis. The National Archeological Museum had a wide range of things, including weaponry, death masks, jewelry, and statues. The museum has the most famous death mask which was found by Heinrich Schliemann. Schliemann believed that the mask he found was the face of Agamemnon but this turns out was a false assumption. The museum also had several statues which were very familiar. I was surprised at how many statues there were in the museum that I recognized. Many of the familiar things I saw were smaller than I thought they would be but they were more impressive in real life that in pictures because pictures cannot capture the full depth of the different artifacts and the minute details. Two unique things that were in the museum were an ancient clock that had been found in pieces and then a model reconstructed based off of the ancient pieces, and a bronze statue that had been found in the sea which was new to the museum.
We went to the Acropolis on Wednesday. I think I was expecting there to be more buildings or something because there was not as much there as I thought there would be. There was scaffolding everywhere and much of the site is undergoing reconstruction so it was difficult to imagine the Acropolis as it was in ancient times because there was so much that was covered in scaffolding. And it was impossible to get very close to anything because all of the buildings were roped off. I think the best part of visiting the Acropolis was seeing the Erechtheion and seeing the Caryatids and hearing Ioanna tell us about the women that were the models for the statues. She said that the women came from her village which is near Sparta and the village had sided with the Spartans during the Peloponnesian War. Ioanna said there were two popular explanations as to why women were chosen as models from her village. The first one she explained was that the Athenians wanted these women to carry the burden of their shame for siding with the losing Spartans forever. The other explination, which is the one that the people in Ioanna’s village believe, is that the most beautiful women in the world lived in the village and that the Athenians wanted the most beautiful women to adorn their sacred buildings. Thursday we leave for Turkey for a long weekend.

A Seventh Island and Asia!

2008-10-30T17:26:00.002+02:00

On Thursday morning our group embarked on our most recent trip. From the airport in Athens we flew to the island of Samos, our seventh visited Greek island, where we spent the day as we waited for a fairy to Turkey. From the top deck of the fairy, at sunset, we made our way from the European island of Samos to Asian Turkey, a port city called Kusadasi. We spent two nights in Kusadasi, and used it as a base point for two of our major excursions: the ancient city of Ephesus and Smyrna, or modern day Izmir.

Our first night in Kusadasi we just got some dinner, did a bit of exploring, and hung out around the hotel, as we knew that our next day was going to be very busy. After a good nights sleep we got up early to set out on our trip to the ancient city of Ephesus. This is one of the largest sites of ancient ruins in the world, and most of it is still underground, waiting to be excavated. We spent a few hours in Ephesus, and still didn’t have enough time to fully see all of the excavated ruins. This ancient city was home to some of the most magnificent things that I have ever seen, and a very funny and informative tour guide made it all the more enjoyable. The highlight of the ruins, I would say was the remains of an ancient library, which, in its days was one of the largest in the world. This building was nothing short of incredible, with its colossal size and double storied columns. We saw that gates for separate, different classes of people divided the city into sections. On the sidewalks we saw carvings and etchings, which were evidence of early Christianity in the city. All together this tour was like gazing upon and learning from ancient masterpieces of mammoth stature. This was the most amazing site of ancient ruins that I have ever seen in my life.

After leaving Ephesus we headed back to Kusadasi to try our luck in the bustle and bartering of the outdoor marketplace. This type of marketplace, we have learned, is very common in Turkish cities. We are currently in the end of the tourist and port season so all of the shopkeepers are ready to pack up for the winter. In talking to one of them, their summer profits last them through the winter until the next season starts. Because the season is drawing to a close all of the merchants are in a craze trying to get rid of their merchandise, at any price. They try to pull you into their shops and show you things. They offer you good prices and compliment you. In short, they will do almost anything to get you to buy something. They want to make sales in a way that I have never seen before. This doesn’t sound like a very interesting observation, but trust me when I say that it is a fascinating condition to witness. I found myself feeling for the people that were trying to force things on me.

On our way out of the market we saw a sign for a karaoke bar. Knowing that this was a port city, and therefore a city that catered to the English language, we thought that they might have English music, so we decided to go back later in the evening. After a buffet of Turkish specialties (which, in my opinion, are the worst specialties I have ever eaten) we ventured out to check out the night scene in Kusadasi, and eventually made our way to the karaoke bar. Here we had a blast, and engaged in much conversation with the Turkish bar-owner and workers. They taught us a few Turkish phrases, and talked with us a bit about their customs and way of life. The night ended in a quick nap before the next day’s adventures in Izmir.

Our tour guide through Izmir was born and raised in the city, thus making our tour all-the-more special. He showed us old fortifications and some of the most beautiful mosques, along with a small portion of the worlds largest street market, but did it through a more intimate and personal perspective. This city was fascinating, especially since I had just finished reading about the Greek and Armenian genocide in Izmir in 1922, which was titled: Smyrna 1922, The Destruction of a City. From Smyrna we flew to Istanbul, Turkey, which we arrived in last night.

Today is our fist day here in Istanbul, but we are hotel ridden due to intense rain. Hopefully we will be able to get out today, as our goal is to see a few ancient mosques and a famous palace.

Istanbul (Not Constantinople)

2008-10-28T19:16:00.005+02:00

I was warned before arriving in turkey to dress very conservatively, to be careful of what I said, who I talked to, and where I went so much to the point where I started to feel a little nervous, but after being there I quickly realized that I was worrying too much. In fact I felt completely comfortable there. while yes there were some pretty pushy men, and shop keepers, and it was defiantly more than a good idea to have one of the boys with you if you went out at night, turkey was like any other place where there are always good things as well as bad.

We started off in Kusadesi where we stayed for two nights and while we were there went on a guided tour of the temple of Artemis and the ancient city of Ephasus. There wasn’t much left at the temple of Artemis but just being in the place where such a magnificent temple used to be was amazing. Ephasus was the exact opposite of the temple of Artemis. A good portion of the city is still being excavated but you would never be able to tell from the fact that it took us around two hours to get a brief tour of the place and explore what was left of the ancient library tunnels leading to secret brothels, and ancient toilets.

That night karaoke was the name of the game, “Fergalicious”, “Bohemian Rhapsody”, "Total Eclipse of the heart" and having “Friends in Low Places” provided a lot of fun for everyone before heading off to Istanbul where despite the torrential down pour of rain we were able to see the blue mosque, the Hagia Sofia, and Topkapi Palace. After the palace a group of us decided to get dinner at a traditional Turkish restaurant where they sat you down on pillows placed on the floor, played live music and a woman made the bread you ate right in front you. The food was delicious, the band taught me how to belly dance and even though no one else from our group would dance with me I seemed to be pretty good judging from the applause I got from the restaurant.

On our last day in turkey a group of us decided to go off on our own and see what it would be like to be bathed by someone. That is… we went to a Turkish bath, which was one of the most amazing experiences I have ever had.

So if you ever get the chance to be put into a cocoon of bubbles and soap then be scrubbed thoroughly by an old Turkish woman I recommend you be the fist in line.
1. I have never felt so clean in my life
2. There is no two I will never be that clean or relaxed again in my life.

One of the boys in the group once told me that he wanted to find the place that he loved most and go back there someday, I feel like Turkey might be that place for me. Like I said there are ups and downs to any place, and for me I enjoyed it way more than I can describe despite the pushy shop keepers, and men.

Adventures of Turkey

2008-10-28T17:38:00.002+02:00

We just arrived back in Athens from Turkey yesterday and it was one of the most memorable trips we have been on so far. We started our trip in Turkey where we traveled to see Ephesus on Friday. We spent the entire day going to both locations of Ephesus. (The first location was not as interesting as the second because pretty much everything there was ruined except for one pole in the middle of the field. The second location of Ephesus was filled with tons of ancient ruins to look at. They had the ancient bathrooms, the amphitheater, a money room where people would toss in offerings and on the outside of the building a carving of Medusa was over the doorway. We also saw a brothel building which had tunnels that led to the library so that the men could tell their wives they were going to the library, but really go to the brothel through the tunnels so their wives would never know! The library was the most breathtaking of all of the ruins we saw at Ephesus. It stood two stories high and was filled with incredible detail in the stone carvings of the entrance ways.

We also went to a potter place where we met the "master potter" and he showed us the older techniques of making pottery. Afterwords we went inside and saw how all of the artists made the designs on the pottery as well. All of their pieces were absolutely beautiful. The Turkish Indigo was my favorite of the colors they used on their pottery.

When we made it to Istanbul my favorite part of being there was the Turkish Baths. Once you get past the awkwardness of being naked in front of many women (and by naked I mean topless because you had the option of wearing bathing suit bottoms or not) it was quite relaxing. You lay down on a large heated marble slab while water from the ceiling drips down on you until you get hot. When you get hot you are able to get up and grab a bowl, fill it with water, and poor it over yourself to cool down a bit. Then the Turkish women call you over and make you lay at the end of the Marble slab on your stomach. They scrub you down with exfoliates and then flip you over and do the front side of your body. Then they pour water over you to rinse off all of the dead skin. After that you lay back down and the women take a pillow case drenched in water and soap, fill it up with air, and as they squeeze the air out of the pillow case tons of bubbles and soap come out and cover your body. The women then rub in all of the soap, scrubbing you down on both sides, and then rinse you off. After all of that they then bring you over to the fountain where they wash your hair and rinse you off for the last time. Then they bring you back to the hot marble slab where you can lay down for as long as you would like. It was the most relaxing thing I have ever done and beats a trip to a spa in America any day!

Turkey has been my favorite place I have been to yet and I would go back there in a heart beat!

Turkeeyy gobble gobble

2008-10-28T11:39:00.000+02:00

Turkey was amazing! I definitely will go back sometime!

We were warned before going, and told to be fully dressed. Many girls have had problems with store owners trying to trick them in their back room, etc. The guys are definitely creepy, always trying to convince you to buy something, or using cheezy pickup lines. But, if you just pretend you're deaf and mute, it is an easy thing to get used to.

We had a grand old time.

We took a plane to our 7th Greek Island Samos, and then took a ferry into the Asian part of Turkey. We spent 2 nights there, in a hotel with a view overlooking the ocean. Swweeet!

They use the lira there, which is worth 1/2 the euro. So if something costs 30 lira, its only 15 euro! Cool right! They even accept half euro cash and half lira! Except we have been noticing on our online banks that they charge more to withdraw money, those darn Turks!

There were markets there and we thought that everything would be cheaper once we get outside of the tourist port, so we should have bought more than what we did. I did get a cool skirt with 10 euro's off, bargain! We looked at quite a few ruins crazy there too that I’m sure everyone else will blog extensively about.

From there we took a bus to Izmir, which used to be called Smyrna. We read a book about it for class, and in 1922 the Turks took over and massacred all of the Greeks and Armenians living there. The Turks refer to it as the Conquering of Smyrna! CRAZY!

There is the biggest market in the world there! But the tour guide brought us through a corner of it, twisting and turning, and it took around 35 minutes! To get through a corner!

Then we went to Istanbul. Massive beautiful mosques, sweet grand bazaar, and…

WONDERFUL TURKISH BATHS!
I am soooo clean!

Definitely recommended to all… although prepare for the workers to be pretty naked. Big breasts, bouncing everywhere, eeek!

Perfect

2008-10-23T01:15:00.003+03:00

Today we went to the Acropolis for the first time since we have lived here in Greece in our Athens Around the Ages class. I thought I was mentally prepared for what I was about to see once I climbed to the top since I had gazed upon it from the streets in passing, or from the rooftop of our apartment. I have seen thousands upon thousands of pictures of the Parthenon either online or in my textbooks throughout my high school and college career. How wrong I was. When we finally got to the top I was looking down for most of the time to be sure I didn't trip over any protruding rocks from the ground or slip and fall on the smoother rocks we were walking on. I heard our Professor start to go into the explanation of the Parthenon and then I looked up. It was absolutely incredible, intimidating, and breath-taking. I stood there staring for a good ten minutes not once taking my eyes off of it and suddenly I realized that my eyes were beginning to tear up a bit. I couldn't believe I was staring at this masterpiece that has been standing over all of Athens for thousands of years. I had flashbacks to when I was in my World Civilizations class in my sophomore year of high school where I looked at tiny pictures with captions underneath it and I thought that was enough. The pictures will never do the Parthenon justice. It towers over you in a way that you want to enter it and see whats inside but you are almost to nervous. The history that took place there just boggles my mind. Not once in my wildest dreams did I ever think I would be standing in front of the Parthenon and there I was. Tears welled up and I was nothing but thankful that I was here, and that I was able to experience something so incredible.

Our professor asked us in her lecture what it was that we first thought of when we looked at the Parthenon. So many words came into my mind but none would give it justice. Suddenly a girl next to me blurted out "perfect." It seemed so simple of a word to use for such a complex architectural masterpiece, and yet it described every aspect of the Parthenon to a 't.' Our professor agreed with what she had said describing how the architects knew exactly what they were doing and knew exactly what tools to use and mathematical equations to give the Parthenon the illusion of perfection.

Although we didn't go to see the Acropolis until a month and a half into our stay here, it made the experience that much better because the anticipation mixed with all that we had learned about it in our classes made it much more fascinating and easier to truly understand and respect the significance of the ancient ruins and the culture of Greece today.For any person given the opportunity to travel or study abroad I strongly suggest coming to Greece and seeing the Parthenon because it will change your life.

Rain!

2008-10-21T15:34:00.000+03:00

Today we had our 20th Century final! Two finals down! Yay! Last night was a rather entertaining night, full of facebook creeping, gossiping about boys, and of course studying, at the Sina Street Apartment. Hopefully all of our hard work will pay off when Professor Marra grades our tests (hint, hint).

Tomorrow is Wednesday. Wednesdays in Greece have a very special meaning to us. I will forever remember the only time in my life that my teacher pays me when I arrive in class. Payday is wonderful! Afterwards there’s usually a trip to the market, and at night we all feast on our hearts delight.

The most interesting thing that happened to me this week was the rain on Sunday. Leanne and I were out for a stroll, and decided to try a delicious baked potato mixture with cheese sauce and tomatoes at a random restaurant. We had just completed our meal when it began to sprinkle. Then it began to rain hard. Then it went to a full out down pour. It was absolutely hilarious. The Greeks do not know what to do in the rain. They all huddled under the massive tarp/canopy covering the tables. Slowly the tarp began to fill up with massive pools of water, which began to drip! It was a great sight watching the waiters stand on chairs with broomsticks trying to push the water off the tarps. After about 45 minutes of watching this spectacle we decided that we were just going to pay and leave. So we paid, rolled up our pants, took of our flip flops, and to the amazement of all of the restaurant’s guests, ran into the rain! The looks on their faces, it was as though they were expecting for us to drown. We ran through the streets, laughing at all of the people huddled under any cover available. The streets in the markets were flooded, rivers of water were flowing down the streets; it was extremely entertaining. As we got closer to our apartment we were soaked entirely. Then, random street salesmen tried to convince us to buy umbrellas, we were already soaked! Why would we want an umbrella now?!? Those crazy Greeks! hahaha

20/10/08

2008-10-20T20:16:00.000+03:00

This is close to the half way point of the trip. We still have a lot of places to go before we leave though. The weekend coming up we are going to Turkey to visit Izmir (Smyrna) and Istanbul (Constantinople) which I am excited for because we have been learning about Turkey and Greece’s histories together and it will be interesting to see the places that are still argued about as “should have been part of Greece.” There is also a lot more of Greece to see before we leave which I am excited for because it will take us out of the city.
Ry and I have finished up our own plans for Thanksgiving break in which we will be visiting seven different cities. We start of flying to Berlin a few hours after class gets out on Thursday the 20th and stay there until the 22nd. Then we fly to Budapest and stay there until the 23rd. After Budapest we fly to Paris and stay there until the 26th. We fly into Cologne, Germany on the 26th for a show by one of my favorite bands, Gogol Bordello, which should be an awesome time. Then on the 27th we fly to Prague for a night. On the 28th we fly out to Amsterdam for the rest of our trip into December 1st. It all sounds like a lot and I know we will probably be wiped out after it but I think it will be worth it. We also do not plan on sleeping that much, except on the planes, and having a lot of caffeine. We plan on seeing as many sites as we can. I even got a nice new 75 liter backpack that I can use as a carry on for the planes so that I do not have to check my any bags. Everything that we have left to do on this trip is exciting and I cannot wait for any of it.

2008-10-20T17:04:00.001+03:00

Hello. My name is Myste and I have an addiction (step one...admitting you have a problem). Only after recent comments received from my comrades in the Study Abroad Army, however, have I acknowledged the full scope of my issue.

Now, before Patty and Dennis - aka Mom and Papa- pick up the phone to schedule me for an episode of Intervention in which I can be seen throwing Ramen noodles at my sister while she attempts to convince me that crack is indeed “wack”, please allow me to explain myself.

Most mornings as I mosey my way to our 10:30 am class a couple of blocks away at HAU, I am in possession of several things that have morphed into additional appendages on my body. First, in an attempt to shield my bleary, tired eyes from the taunting and sickeningly cheery rays of morning sunshine, I place my bright green Kanye-esque sunglasses on my face. These are accompanied by my headphones which I use to universally block out the world and escape to a place full of melodic and soothing musical bliss. A morning cigarette is a must, of course. Which leads us to the drug in my life more potent than nicotine or Stavros’ house wine. Caffeine. The morning stop to Kono-man for a double espresso aside, most days I clutch onto a can of Diet Coke as though I opened a Wonka Bar to peek at that shiny gold wrapper that will lead me to my sweet candy dreams come true.

Let me intercede here to correct myself. Diet Coke does not exist in Greece. Instead those glimmering delightful silver cans are labeled as Coca-Cola Light. The taste remains as quenching and refreshing as ever, yet the name now resonates a comforting and some what more sophisticated edge.

All this being said, it has now become my mission to find the cheapest can of Cola Light in Athens. The introduction of the kiosk into my life has propelled this mission into the “shock and awe” stages. Kiosks here in Athens are similar to Dunkin Donuts in New England. You honestly cannot finish your delicious Cola Light that was purchased at one kiosk before you run into another. Now every time a kiosk is passed, I glance into the cooler with the familiar red advertising to check prices even if my Cola fix has just been satisfied.

Different neighborhoods boast better prices than others. Forget about finding anything under 80 Euro cents in Monistraki or Kolanaki. Omonia not only is home to some of the most interesting derelicts in Athens but also to some of the cheapest Cola Light. It was not until last week, however that I hit the big time in the Cola Light department, and this religious realization did not even occur at a kiosk. I saw the bright lights of a 53 Euro cent can of Cola-light at our local grocery store. My hands immediately thrust into the cooler and grabbed as many as could be crammed into my purse. I joyfully skipped back to Sina St., feeling a completion in my life that was represented by several 330 ml cans of cold, dark, bubbly happiness. Life is good.

Ok. So maybe Patty should call Intervention…..

Guns, Dogs, and Beggars: A Stroll through Athens

2008-10-20T02:54:00.002+03:00

Lately we have been in the city and haven’t ventured on any excursions. This has allowed me to once again get settled into a routine here in Athens bustle through the city a lot more. I am again noticing many of the things that astounded me during my first few days in the city, and am noticing that I have a completely different perspective on them now.

My first day in Athens, as we all lugged our luggage to our apartment, I embarked upon my first venture through the city’s streets. I found myself, on this first walk, very frightened of the large, uniformed, Greek men with automatic weapons slung carelessly over their shoulders. This is very common, and it is virtually impossible to walk from one place to another in Athens without spotting a man with a gun. Though this was a very shocking thing for me to take in, it is much to my surprise that I don’t even really think about it anymore. I have walked around enough and adjusted well enough that I simply smile and walk by the large armed men.

As if the sight of these guns wasn’t enough this walk was host to another frightening Greek normality. With the exception of the taxi driver from the airport my first Greek welcome to the city came from a pack of stray dogs, that I have now learned are the “sort of “ pets of the city. As we all walked don the street with our bags a pack of dogs began to run at us barking. If this happens in the U.S. one would get the feeling that they were about to be bitten, so it is apparent why I found this so frightening. The dogs just barked at us as we continued walking and none of the other pedestrians even seemed to notice what was happening. That is because this is a very normal occurrence in Athens, which is home to thousands of stray dogs and cats.

At first I was turned off by the idea of strays everywhere, but a rainy day (only the second we’ve had since we’ve been in Athens) today made me realize how much Athens’ pets have actually grown on me. I sat and stared out the window wondering where the dogs were going to stay warm and dry. This made me realize how the Athenians are ok with the large stray population. The dogs find a warm spot inside of people and become a pleasure to pat on the street corned or feed at an outdoor taverna.

Beggars, I did not run into until a few days into our abroad adventure. They are one of the few things in the city that I still haven’t been able to get used to. Every time I stumble onto a beggar sitting with his/her cup out, and often times empty, I think back to a question that arose in class early in the semester: What makes these people get up every morning and go back to their spot on the sidewalk? It seems almost useless to the passerby who, when looking in the cup, sees a minimal amount of change at best. I simply can’t shake the ill feeling I get when I think about a day in the shoes of one of these beggars.

Reflecting on all of this, I am realizing that this city is becoming comfortable to me. I don’t feel quite so foreign anymore, and the clarity of what was originally very scary and new to me has allowed me to get at a deeper level of my submersion into the semester abroad.

A pretty quiet week

2008-10-17T14:42:00.000+03:00

This week has been kind of slow and not much has been happening. Ioanna is travelling around Greece with students from Italy so we have not gone to any new museums. We had our final for Mythology so studying for that has taken up a chunk of time. Last weekend I went shopping in Monastiraki with Jill which was fun. I was especially happy that I was able to finish all of my Christmas shopping for my family when I went.
I think the biggest thing that happened this week was when Kaitlyn told us that she was flying home because she needed to be with her family. I miss her a lot because she was my roommate so my room feels really empty and quiet without her here. I have a really big bed now though which is nice. We have had several house meetings since she left to make sure that there is no break down of law and order in the house now that there is no enforcer to make sure that things get done.
Absentee ballots are starting to come in which is a really good thing. Everyone seems really excited when they get theirs in the mail. The people here in Greece really love Barack Obama and have strong words of criticism for President Bush. It is great to talk to the Greeks about American politics because most of them know more about American politics than most Americans do.

REM and the Cyclades Museum

2008-10-16T23:10:00.000+03:00

Normally I do not like MTV but this past weekend they out did themselves with a free concert in the old Olympic stadium so they could launch MTV Gr which is the new MTV for Greece. The shows were all really awesome. There were four acts from around the world: the first act was Greek, the second was Australian, the was British, the last was REM, who are Americans. The beset act by far was probably the third one which was the Kaiser Chiefs and they were really intense. I watched the concert from the front row and he was climbing the stage scaffolding right in front of me.
REM was really great too. They did not play for as long as I expected that they would but it was still a good show. The worst part of the show was the vjays from the different European MTV stations be cause they were terrible at doing interviews so they were just kind of there. It was really cool to think that we were on live television in something like five countries all over Europe though.
The week was pretty dead after the excitement of the weekend. The most interesting thing that we did was go to the Cyclades Museum with Ioanna. We went to see an exhibit called “A Day in the Life of Athens” and it had a collection that was different from the other collections that we had seen before. It was really interesting and the movies that the museum had the reenacted scenes from daily life were interesting to because it was like watching history come to life in front of you.

The Plumber and the PM

2008-10-15T23:23:00.004+03:00

Our apartment didn’t get functioning internet until late last week. Our text books, while shipped in the last week of August, and made it to Greece in the first week of September, did not arrive in our hands until September the 17th. And this after having paid hundreds of euros to get them out of customs.

What may come off as a litany of complaints is intended to be anecdotal evidence: it is hard to get things done in Greece. For nearly a half a millennia, the country was under the rule of the Ottoman Turks, a government whose concept of civic culture revolved around patronage, nepotism, and bribery. When we think of the aftereffects of imperialism Greece does not quickly come to mind. Africa and India are some of the most obvious cases; in Africa, borders drawn with caprice have produced unsettled tribal rivalries, while the British civil service system in India left institutions and attitudes which bred and maintained the world’s largest democracy.

The ghost of the Ottomans lingers in Greece, as the ideas of dutiful civil service and bureaucratic oversight have still refused to take hold. The other day I met a Greek named George, who, to my surprise and delight, felt like talking Greek and American politics to a foreign stranger (or strange foreigner?) for twenty minutes on the sidewalk. “You have probably already figured out how it is here,” he said, telling me that to get anything done in Greece, you either have to have personal connections or acute knowledge of tactful bribery. “If your package is stuck in customs, you can probably get it” if you hand the right person a twenty euro note.

In America, bribery is far less widely accepted, but our corruption is of a different sort. Business interests dominate government, and lobbyists ghostwrite legislation; “rigged elections” (his words--n.b. George is an Obama supporter, who worries that the Republicans will try to rig the upcoming election in desperation, a scenario which he believes would prompt revolution--your author is more optimistic/naïve). “In Greece,” ruminates George, “everyone is corrupt, from the plumber to the prime minister.”

That explains the leak in the floor.

Music, Anarchists, and lots of "Cuddle Puddles"..I love Athens!

2008-10-13T21:56:00.004+03:00

Time just keeps flying by in Athens! The past week has been fairly productive, yet remained full of adventures. The highlight, as you’ve seen by my classmates’ posts, was certainly last Sunday: REM and Kaiser Chiefs, live, free, in the Olympic Stadium. I don’t think that experience will be forgotten by any of the 50,000 fans present, especially not by our group.

As for the weekend preceding this event, I won’t go into much detail, but we had two birthdays to celebrate in such little time! We made it count, though, and I then needed nearly a week of recuperation.

Classes began Monday and we were a hot mess. I spent my afternoons meandering, working on The 420 Project. This project has turned out to be a fun idea; by having a purpose to walk around, we accomplish a goal, while exploring new areas and finding interesting places. This is how Dom found her beloved vegan store!

I also stumbled across the metro protest on Wednesday. Protestors carried a huge Greek flag, which was followed by a parade of hundreds of supporters, yelling through megaphones. I wish I knew what they were saying; I need to learn more Greek.

One afternoon, Fancy guided a few of us to a square that Ionna had showed her. Apparently, Anarchists congregate in this area. When we arrived, we found the square was currently displaying an artistic installation. Hanging from hemp rope were arrangements of photos of trash and destruction in Athens. Unfortunately, I couldn’t read the captions, but the purpose was clear: to raise awareness of the environmental and social problems present in this city. Hanging from the trees within the square were black trash bags. The photo that moved me the most was a shot of a box of dirty syringes. Another photo depicted the box dumped out on the red carpet. This exhibit gave me a new perspective on Athens.

Next, we noticed a beautiful shop, with dozens of fairies adorning the inside of the window. The bright colors and name, Strawberry, quickly drew us in. Before we got much of a chance to look around, the owner popped out of the back room. She instantly began talking to us as if we were old friends. Intrigued, we stayed and chatted with her. She told us a little of the country’s history, as well as her history, and then she shared some wisdom; “you can tell by someone’s eyes and lips if they have a kind soul.” Her eyes twinkled as she spoke and I felt suddenly connected to her. She said she knew were good people and hoped to see us soon. We left, promising to come back and pondering the humor and wisdom of this woman, Maria.

The following day, a brilliant vision came to Dom and I. To utilize the space in our room and our plethora of tapestries and craft supplies, we built a tent. More like a cave, though, where we now sleep, along with Fancy. It’s beautiful! It not only allows privacy and creates a chill ambience, it allowed us to build a connecting beauty station and changing area. We are quite the architects.

Why Are We All Here?

2008-10-13T21:16:00.001+03:00

13/10/08

Why Are We All Here? (Meaning of life stuff)

Possibly a question only answerable with a myth. However, everyone on this trip probably had different reasons for wanting to come to Greece. My personal reasons were to experience the Greek culture and try to learn as much of the language as I can. In trying to learn the language I listened to lessons on CD then during that I made myself learn the Greek alphabet, which is quite different from the English one. I got a Greek dictionary before I left to help me out as well. All these things helped but actually being here where Greek is sometimes the only language people can speak to you makes things different and can be intimidating and made me realize that I wish I knew more. Myself and Misty were big on trying to learn the language so we asked our Greek teacher of Athens though the Ages to help us out with the language. So far we have only had one time where we have met but we plan on keeping it up as soon as she gets back from her trip. She is very helpful and able to teach us things that CDS and dictionaries cannot help us with.
The other thing that I had mentioned was experiencing the culture. This is big for me because my personal area of study is anthropology. This culture has much to offer in many ways. One of the ways is the food. Greece is big on their food from, gyros, spanakopita, saganaki (fried feta), baked feta, cheese pies, to tons of other delicious things, some of which I still have yet to try. Their dairy products here are a lot richer than they are in America. A lot of their culture is around food and people gather around tavernas or other types of restaurants for conversation and good food. Something else that I noticed that has nothing to do with food is the way they make their buildings. In America they are made mainly out of wood but here, as I look around at things being built, they are made of a concrete looking material. Recently, I have been making more Greek friends who help me to experience the culture even more which I am very happy about.

Blabbering

2008-10-13T19:33:00.000+03:00

This past week I have finally found myself calming down. I believe my body needed a good healthy rest. I didn’t think that it was possible for everyone to get a cold without it actually being cold outside. It is just becoming sweatshirt weather, although it is still possible to be content outside in a t-shirt or even tank-top if the suns out. But, from what I hear about the colds going around at home – us in Greece were suffering from the same symptoms! Weird!

For the past week we have all been utilizing the toilet paper, and filling up those trash barrels with these darn runny noses. But slowly, I think the general consensus is that we are all recovering. During our collective sickness period we found some ways to entertain ourselves. Moves have been shared, watched, and re-watched. The website surfthechannel.com has also been appreciated to its fullest. Except when we watch too many hours of it and we get kicked off for a while. Or when it stops just before the epic end of a movie, for example, the Prince of Egypt.

On a more personal note: Leanne and I rearranged our rooms, again. We have decided to sacrifice our collective tapestries as well as extra sheets, for a good cause. We made a massive tent! Our supplies included many, many safety pins, close pins, and hemp. Throughout the days we have also edited and fixed certain sections to make the tent the best ever! We even have three mattresses to pad our behinds/for sleeping arrangements. I will rely on Leanne’s blogging skills to post pictures of our wonderful room contraption.

Meandering with a New Greek Friend

2008-10-13T17:52:00.000+03:00

Ashley and I decided on Saturday to hop on the metro and then the team bus with the HAU soccer team, and ride with the players to watch their match in the suburbs of Athens. The game was exciting though it didn’t end in the most desired fashion. (Also, Ashley and I were subjected to the coolest weather that we have felt yet in Greece).

Over the course of the ride home, then dinner, and finally the after-party we were able to socialize with some of the players and actually make friends with a couple of them. Costas and Tony are there names.

On Sunday morning Tony got a hold of Ron and I and we got together to hang out. We went out for coffee, which takes about three hours at a Greek coffee shop. Then we walked around chatting and moving in and out of the market. Once we got hungry we stopped for souvlaki and a soda. We continued on our walk talking about Tony’s history class and the different perspectives that he gets learning about things from Greece’s perspective until we stumbled into the student district in the city, Psiri. Here we went to a little bar and ordered up the best cough remedy I have ever had. I have been sick and so was Tony so he introduced me to this Greek remedy called rakomena. This is a heated mixture of Cretan raki and honey. Raki is like Cretan moonshine, and the warm mixture of it with honey did wonders for my cold.

From here we continued walking outside listening to the array of Greek musicians inside of restaurants and on the streets until it was late and we were all tired.

Six hours from the time I walked out the door I began the walk back to my apartment wondering, “what did I do with my day?” After a few moments of thought I came to the realization that I was simply meandering all day. I was walking around, like so many Greek students do, aimlessly looking for conversation and a good time. I realized at this moment that I was one step closer to achieving one of my ultimate goals in Greece, which is to embrace myself in the culture of a Greek student and not simply be an American student who happens to be doing his studies in Greece.

On this trip I have come to realize that I am not a tourist, but rather a temporary resident of Athens. Because of this I feel that meeting other Greeks my age and learning about them and their culture is essential when acquiring a well-rounded set of knowledge and experiences on this semester abroad.

Grecian Revelations

2008-10-13T02:27:00.001+03:00

I can’t lie we are a group of thirteen young adults and don’t like to be cooped up in an apartment all day. So it shouldn’t be a surprise that we like to go out explore, have dinner and go dancing. During these adventures we’ve had the opportunity to meet lots of people around Athens, unfortunately we havent met very many people our age. However this past weekend we had the opportunity to mingle with a few students who attend HAU with us. Saturday morning Shane and I took the metro, met up with the HAU soccer team and rode with them to their sixth game of the season. The team put out a lot of effort and ended the game with a tie but we had a lot of fun cheering and getting to know them. Afterwards we had the opportunity to meet more of the students from HAU at a kick off party that the school had arranged at a night club. I loved meeting new people but there is something that was said to me that is still lingering in my head. While on the bus to the game Shane and I were talking to the student activities coordinator and he asked us what our favorite and least favorite parts of being in Greece were…both of us just looked at him and were quite speechless, that is until i had this thought....

There are many things in Greece that I can honestly say I love, and I am continuing to fall in love with Athens every day…but to point out one particular thing, that seems almost inconceivable. I love that there is always a kiosk with everything I could ever need within walking distance of everywhere I go, being able to pop into a museum whenever I want, and of course there is all the shopping I could ever dream of in monastiraki... of the few things I hate… well I don’t hate. I strongly dislike almost being hit by motorcycles on sidewalks, and I miss real peanut butter, I also agree with Myste’s last post about the whole fitted sheets fiasco…

In all I think that we had such a hard time thinking about our favorite parts of Greece because to me, this trip isn’t about any particular moment, it’s really an experience that will affect the way I look at everything. I am starting to appreciate things a little more each day and I’m also finding things out about myself that I never knew I could handle. There are a lot of things I’ll miss when I come back to the U.S. and I’ll have a lot of individual memories but I don’t think there will be any favorites.

2008-10-10T15:48:00.002+03:00

We've been in Athens a little over a month now. Despite the amazing experiences we've been having, with the awesome food, and the touching of celebrities, and volcano climbing, I have begun to feel some of the first pangs of homesickness. I have put together a comparative list of things that I especially miss from the good ol' US of A.

1. Dunkin Donuts. With the appeal of Gloria Jean's long gone for some of us, even a Kono-man double espresso complete with a free pastry cannot always quell the need for a medium iced regular, at a price that never breaks the bank.
2. Fitted Sheets. This has been an issue for me for sometime now. Waking up with my sheets wrapped around my body like a cotton cocoon and the scratchy mattress under me has been infinitely frustrating. Until yesterday I was under the impression that fitted sheets were simply a commodity that was completely unavailable here in Greece. Little did I know we were just being held out on. The boy's apartment is furnished with lovely sheeting of the fitted variety. Big fight.
3. Toilets that flush. Every time. No matter what is thrown in there. Having finally gotten used to reading signs at every public water closet saying Please no paper in toilet, when arriving back to the US, it's going to be lovely to not be concerned if I want to throw an entire newspaper in there if I feel the need to.
4. Not paying for bread and water at a restaurant. Although the bread here in Greece tastes as though the dough was rolled by Zeus himself, it will be a nice change of pace to eat as much bread as my little heart desires without worrying about what the damage to the final bill will be.
5. My dog. Despite the fact that Athens is home to plenty of stray pups, Reagan is one of a kind. Let me know when you find a dog here in Greece that does as beautiful a rendition of the Batman theme song as my Reagan does and I will give you a Euro.

Ok, I guess five little things that I miss about home isn't awful. In fact, if you ship me some Dunkins, fitted sheets, and my dog, I'll somehow manage with the toilets and bread and maybe I won't ever have to go home. They certainly know how to make an espresso here in Athens anyway.

A Home Away From Home

2008-10-10T13:24:00.004+03:00

As I sit in my room trying to think about what I should write about for my blog I hear sirens going off outside my window and people laying on their horns every so often. It is then when I realized that these noises are something I have grown so used to in the past couple of weeks that it just boggles my mind. I am from a small town in Connecticut where my back yard consists of cows, alpacas, and chickens. The only sounds that I have grown accustomed to are the ones that come from those animals as well as the calming sound of crickets in the evening.

With this thought, I am surprised that I have gotten so used to everything so quickly, and that's when I realize that this place feels a little bit like a home away from home. The things that used to scare me when I came to this city are now things I barely even notice. The street bike flying past me as I walk on the sidewalk, the cars going through streets that are one way streets only, and the people cursing and screaming at each other in Greek if one driver did something the other driver did not approve of. Even the riots, people shouting on the loud speakers in a language I only know so much of, and the occasional army groups walking just outside our apartment with machine guns dangling from their arms.

I find it incredible that I have lived here for only a few weeks and that inner feeling of being a tourist has been replaced with being a resident here in Athens. I know I am not Greek nor do I speak the language, but being out of my comfort zone I have found ways in order to survive here. How to handle myself as I am finding it difficult to communicate with the girl who makes my coffee--stay calm, don't get flustered or angry, and take it one step at a time. I have grown confident enough to be able to go up to a stranger and ask him or her for help if needed or to walk around this intimidating city by myself. My sense of direction has gotten better, I now know how to make it home on my own if I ever got lost. As for someone like myself who is a picky eater, I have found myself enjoying the new dishes that the Greeks have perfected and forcing myself to experience new and different things.

I have accepted the culture that is different from my own and have found myself growing more fond of it each and every day. When starting on this trip there were so many things I had mentally prepared myself for; jet lag, culture shock, getting used to the new people that are on the trip with me, being open-minded to new things. The one thing I did not prepare myself for was feeling like I was home. That comfort feeling you get when you have been away for a few days and when you walk into the door of your home you feel calm and relaxed. The apartment on Sina Street and the people in it have made me feel that way. I could not have asked for a better situation or for better people to experience this with me.

Heaven!

2008-10-07T21:17:00.000+03:00

Hello from Greece!

We spent our first weekend, in what seems like a long time, here in Athens! We celebrated the 20th Birthday of Caitie and the 22nd Birthday of Ron! I think its safe to say that we all enjoyed ourselves thoroughly.

On Sunday we were lucky enough to go to a FREE concert in the Olympic Stadium. Thousands of people showed up, to watch Kaiser Chiefs and R.E.M. It was absolutely amazing. A few of us were even lucky enough to squeeze out front for a perfect view!

Time is definitely flying by here. I feel like I have known all of the people in the group forever. We are definitely all comfortable with each other. I am sure that slowly we are all becoming aware of each others flaws. Besides that, I am surprised that such a weird group of people get along so well! We are all so different!! Amazing!!

Today Leanne and I discovered something exciting. Leanne had a brilliant idea of taking pictures of the million “420” graffiti everywhere, and then turning it into an art project. So, we have been wandering aimlessly again, yet this time with some sort of a purpose! To find, and take pictures of all of the 420’s in sight! We have some motivation to explore again!

And, today on our explorations we were rewarded greatly! Because, we found a Natural Foods store. Complete with VEGGY BURGERS AND OTHER TOFU PRODUCTS!

A vegetarian in Greece’s heaven! Hallelujah!!!

2008-10-07T00:01:00.000+03:00

I have been in Athens for a little over a month now, and I still haven't touched Michael Stipe. Aside from coming into physical contact with major celebrities, I have at least one other goal. I'm trying to learn as much Greek as possible. My major linguistic learning centers have been eateries: bakeries and, of course, Stavros'. Almost everyone here speaks a little English, enough to order a Greek salad or an Amstel, but that does not make for a good learning environment. Typically my cover is blown: I am American. Maybe it's the unkempt hair or the lackadaisical manner of dress or the pink sunglasses, but I usually end up with a "yes?" or a "hello." The absolute worst is when I still try to throw some Greek at them and get English back, but this phenomenon seems restricted to major tourist centers, where it is simply quicker and easier not to bother.

If I can't get my point across, or if I'm asked an unfamiliar question, a catalavenate aglika (do you understand English?) is met with a "yes," and the matter is resolved. A couple of days ago, at a new-found bakery in the back of our neighborhood, Pangrati, my abilities were put to the test as my catalavenate... was met with a then catalaveno---I do not understand English. This was the first such response I had gotten: you don't understand English? Excellent! (This is generally a good sign) But how am I supposed to figure out what is inside that delicious looking pastry? So I mumble and point and shrug my shoulders.

"Patata." (Educated guess: potato)

Okay, but in any food order there is one crucial question about which Ron and Dom are both familiar:

Ohi kreas? I ask. (No meat?)

Ohi, I hear, followed by words too fast to catch and some smiles. I think this woman is wondering why I wanted to try English to begin with. I hear cala which means good or well. I'll just pretend she said I speak Greek well. I pay, proudly, and walk off with my delicious (thavmasio) potato (patata) pie (pita).

Oh, and the most important Greek phrase I have learned so far: ena duplio espresso sketo, parakalo (one double espresso no sugar, please).

2008-10-06T21:30:00.005+03:00

I still can’t believe I’m in Greece. I can’t believe I’m in Greece at a free R.E.M concert. I can’t believe I’m in Greece, at an R.E.M concert, and in the front row. These thoughts repeatedly crossed my mind after I had made my way through the sea of people, dodged many elbows, and been pushed and pulled through the crowd until I was as far forward as I was going to get without being on the other side of the barricade myself. This prime location didn’t come without making some sacrifices, which meant I would subject myself to being squashed against other humans for the next hour and a half while we all joined together to sing and groove along with Michal Stipe.

Although this concert was the highlight of my weekend, two other kids from our group had reasons for this being a great weekend in Athens. On Thursday we celebrated Caitie’s 20th birthday, and the very next day we celebrated Ron’s 22nd. We took Caitie out for a night of fun and dancing at some local bars and clubs and the next night Ron’s birthday was celebrated at one of Athens’s classiest establishments. I have to admit I’m surprised we all made it to class this morning considering the toll this weekend must have taken on everyone’s liver and ability to function off of very little sleep. However, these are small prices to pay when the memories and fun to be had far exceeded this.

As R.E.M took their final bows and I made my way back through the crowd which I had hours earlier fought my way through, I felt reluctant to leave but immensely satisfied with the show that they performed. I never would have guessed that I would see one of my favorite groups up close in a foreign country. The night came to a close as a group of us made our way to our favorite taverna in order to rest our feet and satiate our hunger. Although it was a Sunday night and well after midnight, we knew we could count on Stavros to be open and greet us with the usual smiles and whatever delicious food was still left. As I looked around the table I noticed everyone’s tired faces and unusual lack of energy, and I knew this was the result of a great weekend.

Oh, and did I mention I got to touch Michael Stipe?

Birthday Festivities!

2008-10-06T21:16:00.004+03:00

Birthday Gellato!!

This was one of the most entertaining weekends I have had here in Athens since we first moved in on Sina Street. Without any effort on my part to make sure that I had a great birthday weekend, everyone came together and made it absolutely incredible. The girls on Sina Street surprised me at exactly midnight of when my birthday began on October 2nd, with a gelato and a candle, singing me happy birthday! From that moment onward I knew this weekend was going to be great!

A group of us went searching for a tattoo place just to get estimates on certain ideas we had for what we wanted. When we got to the House of Tattoos a man greeted us with a thick Greek accent, eager to see what we had for ideas. The man was so excited and told me that he had only given one other American a tattoo. The picture I showed him was of the Greek Key meaning eternal life. The man began to say that he was so happy to see that I had wanted a tattoo of that because the key is a symbol of the Greek culture and what they live by and the fact that I, who am not Greek, come into their culture and accept what they stand by enough to get that symbol on my body forever.

Meanwhile at home the girls were scurrying around the house decorating the place with balloons and happy birthday signs all over the place. I walk into the apartment and everyone starts to yell surprise and put on the classic “It’s your birthday” by 50 cent. Then we all got ready for the evening to come.

Around 7pm everyone from the other apartment came over where we all enjoyed a chocolate covered vanilla cake with little chocolate pieces mixed into the vanilla. After cake was done we went out to one of my favorite pubs called James Joyce which is an Irish pub filled with loud music and a comfortable atmosphere. After James Joyce we all went dancing for a few hours and then finally came home where I unfortunately popped my knee and ended the night in tears. Despite the knee popping, which everyone in the house knew exactly what to do in order to help me out..props to the Sina girls, I had one of the funnest birthdays so far.

The weekend consisted or birthday celebrations for myself and Ron, and ended with an amazing night in the Olympic Stadium where MTV held its premier of MTV Greece by having a concert with R.E.M. for free. The concert was filled with thousands of people jumping, pushing, yelling, and singing all throughout the night. Thanks to everyone for making this weekend something I will never forget!!

1896 Stadium Gone 2007

2008-10-06T21:04:00.002+03:00

If you were to walk out of the front door of our apartment building and take a left, walk about three blocks down and then look to your left you would see the Panathenaic Stadium. This stadium is incredible for a number of reasons. It was home to the 1896 summer Olympic games, and before that Panathenaic Games which were ancient games that were held in Athens. Over the course of its existence the stadium has undergone numerous renovations, and is currently one of the only stadiums on the globe composed entirely of white marble.

Walking by this stadium every day while taking in its beauty and meaning should be enough, but last night it became even more incredible. R.E.M., The Kaiser Chiefs, and two other Greek bands but on a free show inside. I have never been inside of it so having the first time be for an R.E.M. show was really awesome. This event was the conclusion of R.E.M.’s Athens, Georgia. To Athens, Greece tour and celebrated the opening day of MTV, GR (MTV Greece).

The show was incredible as all four bands rocked out in front of a full stadium. R.E.M. was the anchor band playing a set-list that lasted for over an hour and a half. This was an incredible ending to a spectacular weekend back in Athens.

What a weekend!

2008-10-06T16:46:00.000+03:00

10/05/08
Birthday Parties and Excellent Music
This past weekend was probably one of the best and craziest weekends I have ever had. First off, it was both my birthday and Caitie’s. Hers was on Thursday and mine was on Friday, so Thursday night we went the Irish Pub, The James Joyce. It was great time and we met a bunch of cool people there and had a few pints. The next day it was my turn and the party just did not stop until about 5am when we got back. I just want to thank everyone for making it a fun time on my birthday. It was fun to see everyone getting all dressed up for both of the birthdays.
Saturday was more of a relaxing day until about 8pm when it was decided to have a small get together at my apartment for some cards and music. Even with all the people around and cards and music it was still a relaxing night compared to the two nights prior. That night ended around 3am and we went to bed with the anticipation for the next day.
The morning came and Shane, Ry, and I planned to make a big breakfast for those who were interested. Ry made the eggs to order with the help of Myste. Shane made southern gravy that went with some bread. And I made a load of home fries. It was the best breakfast I have had while in Greece, mainly because they are not that big on breakfast here. After we ate all the food, a few of us just passed out for a good hour or so.
When we woke up we got ready for the grand finale of such an amazing weekend. REM and the Kaiser Chiefs were putting on a free show at the Olympic Stadium, which is a quarter of a mile down the road from my apartment. It was an amazing show and let me just say, you have not seen anything until you see the Kaiser Chiefs play “I predict a riot” live while the singer climbs up the poll of the stage. Also, REM is amazing and rocking out to them in the Olympic Stadium in Athens, Greece is a hard thing to match. Fabulous weekend, and thanks to all that made it that way.

Buses, Trains, Boats, and Taxis: More Than Just Transportation

2008-10-06T12:32:00.000+03:00

We have just returned from our amazing trip through some of the Greek Islands. We visited five islands in 10 days: Paros, Delos, Mykanos, Santorini, and Crete. These are all outrageously beautiful places that were impossible to completely take in only 10 days time. Because of this many of us altered our normal daily schedules and used the nights as extra time to explore and absorb the places that surrounded us. This is where public transportation comes in. The sleep that was nonexistent at night was made up for on the buses, trains, boats, and taxis that transported us from one fabulous place to the next. I-pods became noise reducers and each other’s shoulders became pillows as we traveled through our island adventure. The rock of a fairy or the squeal of the breaks on our bus as it looped around cliffside, hairpin corners acted as our lullabies as our sleep-deprived bodies drifted into their much needed sleep sessions.

When we were caught up on sleep, though, our public transports left us, at the very least, entertained. The fairies were filled with people of seemingly every different language, backgammon players, and annoying barking dogs. The buses felt like roller coasters as they swayed and teetered over cliffs and narrow roads. On trams, you get very close to the local Greeks as they are pushed and shoved into you in an effort to fit everyone onboard. Taxis are frightening; they run red lights and go the wrong way up one-way streets as the drivers holler into their cell phones as they rocket you to your destination.

A good description of public transportation from the perspective of a foreign student in Greece would be that it is a very convenient and necessary adventure.

Island hopping part II

2008-10-02T21:22:00.002+03:00

Well we are back at Sina now, but before we came home from our extended island hopping adventure we went to Crete. Crete was something of a let down, especially after reading Zorba the Greek. I was expecting it to be much different, more rural or something I guess. Crete was fun none the less. We spent two nights on the island, and I have no idea what either city was called but they were two of the biggest ones on the island. We went to the Palace of Knossos which was really cool and really disappointing all at the same time. It was very cool because many of the building had frescoes in them and were in fairly good condition so you could walk through chambers and hall ways and things like that but at the same time it was disappointing because a good portion of what we were seeing had been rebuilt or were replicas of the real thing.
After we went to the Palace we went back to the city we were staying in and went to the Heraklion Archaeological Museum and saw some of the artifacts that they found at the Palace of Knossos. Some of the things that were at the museum were things that I had seen on postcards so it was cool to see them up close. Many of the artifacts are much smaller than I thought they would be.
After the museum we took a bus to another city where we spent the night in a youth hostel. I spent the night wandering around with Leslie, Kayla, Myste and Ry. We went shopping and that was about it. I had a gyro for the first time and I really liked it. I did not think that I would so I was glad that I did. I was disappointed that we did not get more time to spend on Crete because it was an interesting island.
Now we are back in Athens and the only big thing that has gone on here is we started classes with our Greek professor Ioanna. She took us to the Benaki Museum for our first class which had alot of amazing exhibits. My favorite ones were the different Greek clothing from different periods and places. The clothes were very bright and colorful and ornate. The Benaki Museum was different from the other museums that we have visited thus far because it held more artifacts and a greater variety of artifacts. We saw Bouboulina's telescope and a santuri and if you do not know what these things are you will have to look them up because they are from Zorba and Zorba does not fully explain what they are either so it was a good thing we went to the museum.
P.S. Happy Birthday Catie and Ron

"It is better to destroy, than to create something that is meaningless."

2008-10-02T18:10:00.005+03:00

During the past month here in Greece, I have had the opportunity to complete several pieces of art. This has become a crucial part of my stay here. As a fine arts major, it’s always important to continue practicing sketching, but here I have an advantage that I have never before have. Here, surrounded by new sights and a different culture, I am able to be inspired in ways unique from my artistic experiences at home. Also, I find significance in documenting the sights that I see from my own perspective. Drawing these sights allows me to observe, analyze, and study each angle, curve, and mood of a sight. I am able to make my observations concrete by solidifying them on a piece of paper, while improving my skills through practice.

The first piece I completed while here was done in the National Gardens. The Gardens have provided me which much inspiration, as I feel a sense of peace and serenity amongst the trees. Sitting by a pond, under the shade of the wide leaves of a giant tree, I sketched a nearby tree, which overlooked the same pond:

National Gardens, 9x11”, pastel

I enjoy this piece because I was able to capture a sense of realism, even though I allowed expressionism to dominate. This was created during our second week here. Now, when I look upon it, I can still feel how I did as I sat beneath its neighboring tree: calm, showered in the sunlight that sparkled through the leaves, soothed by the nearby water.

Next, I decided to sketch another tree in the National Gardens. Although I began this one almost a week later, I feel that I captured a similar mood and used the same stylized, exaggerated techniques. For this piece, I realized that larger paper was necessary, as I found it difficult to include details on the smaller paper that I used on the previous piece, especially when dealing with pastels. Therefore, I took an adventure to an art store. This piece, I sketched lightly at the Gardens, but finished in the apartment a week later, which contributed to the dominance of the expressionism:

The Phantom Tree, pastel

I began my next piece during our visit to Aegina Island. I found it difficult to travel with my supplies, and had to leave behind my large paper, but I soon found it worthwhile to deal with the inconvenience. Almost immediately upon our arrival, I sat on the wharf at the resort and sketched a mountainous island that was visible in the distance. I regret not having my large paper, for I feel that the piece would have been more successful had I had a larger surface to work with. I also see this piece as unsuccessful because I don’t feel that the island captures the sight I was viewing or the emotions that the site powered inside me. My landscape does not do the scene justice; I’m unsure if this should be blamed on my lack of time (I decided to hit the bar soon after I began this one), the wear and smudging the piece suffered during my travels, or simply my lack of motivation. I do, however, feel that I depicted the Aegean Sea fairly well. I can almost feel the waves approaching my feet, as they did while I sat on that dwarf. I plan to work with this one a lot more before calling it complete:

Aegean Sea, 9x11”, pastel

While sitting on the ferry to Santorini, I became inspired to sketch a new type of work: a portrait. My friend Dom was sitting next to me, reading. As I looked at her, I became captivated by her calm and deeply-concentrated demeanor. I then began studying her. I was able to complete the majority of this piece during our last hour on the ferry, and then finished it later on the island. Learning from my troubles that I had transporting a pastel piece on Aegina Island, I decided to use graphite. I find this one successful because it’s fairly anatomically correct and I again return to the serene mood while viewing it; I feel as if I’m sitting next to her again, observing her, the wind on my back, the water splashing beside the boat:

Portrait of Dom, 9x11”, graphite

Finally, I sketched my favorite piece. This was completed in the village of Oia on Santorini. The dome in the background is the most photographed site in Greece. I was sitting on a balcony overlooking it, eating dinner and chatting with a friend. Although it is incomplete is this picture, this is my favorite sketch because I get a strong sense of my placement and relationship to the dome. It is, however, still a work in progress. I enjoyed relaxing on the balcony, and because of this sketch, I can always return my mind to that spot:

Oia, 9x11”, graphite

I hope that some of the readers enjoy viewing these pieces as much I enjoyed creating them. I have a long way to go, but by practicing in these foreign lands, I can see myself being inspired in new ways, which improves not only my skills, but my creativity and perceptions. Each day, I try to sketch something, whether it’s a landscape or portrait such as these, or simply a tattoo design or doodle. By the time I return home, I hope to have many pieces to add to my portfolio. I am confident that I will continue to see an improvement with each sketch that I complete. As you can see, this trip has been not only valuable through our courses and excursions, but for my major and my personal growth.

The Sina Scene

2008-10-01T22:01:00.002+03:00

It's a typical Wednesday night on Sina St. I sit in the living room working vivaciously on my various reading assignments for various classes. Well, actually I'm coloring in my Batman coloring book while watching 300 on my laptop and convincing myself that it could possibly hold some educational value...maybe...a little bit. Frustrated with my lack of motivation and remembering that tonight is my assigned evening to blog, I roam the house searching for inspiration. I mosey in on Dom, Leannie, and Misty cuddled in bed working on their Greek lessons and sipping on wine. Kaitlyn and Jessi are reading and being productive, or doing a great job of pretending to be. Caitie tells me a tragic story about her knee ALMOST popping out of place today (it was a phase one for those interested) and is yelling at her computer for not cooperating with her wishes to download movies illegally. Lauren can be found in the kitchen chatting with friends from home, her filling laughter heard throughout the apartment. Lastly, I come across Ashley snuggled in bed, listening to music and pretending to be immersed in something outrageously important on her computer when I know for a fact she is playing the Sims and wondering how much longer she can get away with it before anyone finds out.

It's then I realize how comfortable and happy I am with all of these girls. If you had told me a month ago that I would get along with everyone that would be living here in Athens I would have called the men in white coats. We have been forced into this sometimes stressful, a little crazy, always exciting social experiment of sorts and have somehow flourished. Relationships have developed that were never thought possible. Coming into this, the only person I knew was Ashley. Having been attached at the hip for approximately six years, I was going to count on her to deal with me when I'm moofy and no sane and rational person would want to be near me. She was going to count on me to feed her. I couldn’t have guessed that we would have to set up a date last night to get caught up on each others lives.

But, in my opinion, that’s a good thing. In no other environment would I ever be able to have a calm conversation with a boy who was wearing a shirt depicting Ronald Reagan suffering from what appears to be a rather gruesome gunshot wound. Or ever think that I could have anything in common with a Yankees fan, or a girl that drops Euro after Euro on fancy dresses and shoes, or someone who keeps a scruffy teddy bear named Spammy on her bed. It astounds me that behind all these obvious traits, I have more in common with these people than I could have ever realized. I found someone who shares my love for Nutella and isn’t disgusted when I just want a little straight from the jar, someone who can sit on the roof with me and not feel pressured to hold pointless conversation, someone with whom I can sip on Raki on a random grassy knoll and discuss our completely opposing political views, or be able to appreciate the endless stream of various Beatles albums that drift from across the hall all day, and night.

It’s been amazing to see the temples, and sanctuaries, and lounge on the island of Santorini in a blanket of black sand, watching three grown men build a sandcastle, racing against the impending tide. For me, however, it’s the relationships that have flourished and will continue to grow here that I hope last forever. Or at least until someone takes my laundry out when it’s still wet and I stop talking to them, which ever comes first.

Ouzeri Stavros

2008-09-30T23:15:00.004+03:00

Since Myste got into generalities about Greek food, I would like to go into specifics.

Our island "excursion" (as it is now being called) was a series of unfamiliar leaps across puddles to various rocks in a big puddle called the Aegean. I had not been in this puddle before, and the Ferrie Algorithm became a very reliable method of gauging the potential quality of cuisine.

There are times, however, when one needs to be less systematic in choosing a meal. Numbers and floor patterns can often muddle the more intuitive sense of a good meal in waiting.

In a city that has steadily shrunk since September 2, I am only mildly hesitant in saying that the best food in Athens is made by a man named Stavros who has gray hair and likes to bet.

His taverna nests on a V-intersection just two blocks from the Panathanaiko Stadium, one of the premier tourist attractions in Athens, and the topic of my first post. The street is lit the color of rotten peach and peppered with fish-eager cats. Ouzeri Stavros is initially very disconcerting, especially for an herbivore. The only edibles visible upon entrance are deceased marine life: kalamari, salmon, et. al. Ask about vegetables (hortas) and an offer persists for "beefsteak." A menu exists, but I don't think most people use it; they have been there before, know what can be had, what they are getting. There must be one copy for the entire restaurant. Sit down with a table of six, and you will leisurely pass around one two-page laminated menu which must be mulled over, eagerly, in shifts.

Bread is an assumption, and it damn well better be. We want it. Don't dare suppose otherwise. Smother it with oil and burn it on the edges.

Every night we get something special on the house, either as a thanks, or standard hospitality. The first night: watermelon and wine, then chocolate cake that competes with your finest dreams.

Upon every arrival, usually with a new segment of our group, we greet Stavros with a grin and a some broken Greek. He sets our table, and watches the futbol game as Dora takes our orders for bread, wine, and fried vegetables. A night at Stavros is never an early one. They are not in a hurry. If you are, why have you come?

The regulars at Stavros' are always willing to talk, because, despite their proximity to snapshot-town, we are some of the only foreigners who come. Nobody told Fodor's about Stavros. I hope they don't.

STUPID DONKEYS!

2008-09-30T20:59:00.005+03:00

(me and my new best friend)

MY FAVORITE DAY SO FAR…

I woke up at 9:00 am on September 25th in a beautiful hotel in Santorini. I put on my bathing suit, my sundress, and my floppy hat and was out the door. We took a short walk through little side streets to get to the cable cars that take you down to the port. The streets are everything I ever pictured Greece to be. Everywhere you look there are tiny shops and tavernas. The buildings are all white with bright blue roofs. Even on these side streets you can feel the scorching hot sun and the temperature has reached approximately 90 degrees. We arrive at the cable cars and take the short journey down the side of the mountain to the port. From the car we have a beautiful view of the caldera in the distance and boat making their way into the port. We arrive at the port and hop on a ferry that takes a 10 minute ride to the caldera. A caldera is a hole that a volcano explosion leaves after it erupts.

We dock and begin the long trek to the top of the caldera. When we reach the peak we can see steam and smoke coming from craters that are still active. From the top the view is even more beautiful than it was from the cable cars. We spend some time looking around and I slip a few lava rocks in my purse for secret souvenirs. We take the long trek back down the volcano and get back onto the ferry. The ferry then takes us on a 5 minute ride to a specific spot in the Aegean Sea. We all strip down into our bathing suits and my whole group jumps from the side of the boat into the water (of course I am wearing my lime green goggles for exploring). We swim and swim until we can feel the temperature of the water rising. We reach the little cove where the hot spring is and we can't see the bottom of the sea floor because it is covered with warm sulfur. As we look up the mountain we can see herds of mountain goats gracefully leaping down the side of the mountain. There is also a small abandoned church that has retained all of its beauty. We hear our boat sound a horn and we know its time for us to swim back. Regretfully we start to swim back. Finally, we reach the boat but are hesitant to get out of the water. Like little kids we make our way up the ladder and leap back in the water. We do this some three times until it is really time to go. Our boat makes it’s way back to the port with a wonderful day behind us.

Now, is where our journey takes an unpleasant twist. To get back up to the town from the port, there are three main forms of transportation. You can take a cable car, walk, or ride a donkey up. Why couldn’t I have stuck with the cable car? I don’t know why I torture myself. For some strange reason, I thought it was the best idea in the world to take a donkey up. Boy, was that a BIG MISTAKE. There are a little less than 600 steps from the bottom of the port to the top of the island but it felt more like a million. I have a strange fear of falling off mountains and this definitely put my fears to the test. The first five minutes were great fun but then my donkey off galloping. We got stuck in a donkey traffic jam, he rammed me into a wall and kept marching right up along the edge of the short wall between us and falling to our death. I screamed and bawled my eyes out the whole way. I have love almost everything I’ve encountered in Greece besides feta and donkeys. At least that is an experience I can say I’ve had. I don’t want to scare anyone into not riding donkeys but don’t look for me to recommend it either. The rest of the day was spent wandering through town buying beautiful handmade jewelry and cheap, cheap beer. Sadly our trip came to an end but I was extremely glad to make it back to my home in Athens.

Islands Galore!

2008-09-30T20:48:00.003+03:00

Unsure of what I was about to see on the 10 day excursion to the islands on Friday September 19, 2008, I quickly packed and headed for the metro station. Foolishly I had packed an extremely large suitcase with my roommate Lauren, where we figured we would share and save on bringing more luggage. Needless to say the entire time we regretted packing that way and dreaded any time we would have to travel anywhere because neither one of us wanted to lug the suitcase around.

First Stop: Paros Paros was absolutely beautiful in every way possible. It was a lot less touristy than most islands which made the experience that much more relaxing. Thanks to Shane we stayed at a great hotel that his family friends had owned which was right across the street from the Aegean Sea. Each day I had jumped into the water and just enjoyed floating around in the crystal clear water. For those of you (myself included) who do not enjoy swimming in water that you can't see what is swimming around you, this water was the place to be! The restaurants on the beach across the street from us were traditional Greek restaurants where they played loud music and people in the restaurant would sing along to the songs. I strongly suggest getting the Mousaka at these restaurants accompanied by the house wine. (red or white)

Second Stop: Delos and Mykonos Delos is the most different island I have ever been to due to the fact that it is uninhabbitted with humans but filled with ancient Greek ruins. Everywhere you turn their is something to see whether it was the sacred lake (which to our disappointment was dried out), stone lions guarding the area, the museam of artifacts of ancient statues, pottery and mosaics, or the highest point of Delos in which you can climb. The climb up to the highest point on Delos is not a stroll in the park by any means. Constantly you have to look down to watch where you are stepping so you do not lose your balance on a loose stone on the steep incline to the top. After the struggle to the top you can see every island that surrounds Delos perfectly and all of the ruins that stretch out across the entire island.

Mykonos is not an island you would go to for any type of historical reference but more of a place to go, eat, and shop around. The stores on Mykonos are incredible except for the fact that the prices are much higher than most other places I have been to. The food is probably the best part of Mykonos but still the prices are a bit high.

Third Stop: Santorini Santorini was by far my favorite place to go and at this point I feel as thought it will be extremely hard to beat the memories that have been created for me on that island. We hopped on lifts that took us all the way down the side of the cliff to the port where we approached our pirate-like type ship to get to the volcano. After about a 15-20 minute boat ride we reached the Volcano and hiked to the top. This was not as difficult as the hike to the highest point in Delos by any means. Once we got to the top we were able to see smoke coming from the side of the volcano and put our hands on little wholes we found in the ground letting out the heat from below. We then hiked down the volcano, got back on our boat and went off to the hot springs.

Once the boats were docked everyone stripped down to their bathing suits, stood on the side of the boat and jumped into the water. As I swam towards the hot springs I saw the yellow water getting closer and soon the temperature turned from cold to warm almost immediately. We all floated around in the water for a bit and then swam back to our boat. Once our boat docked we had a few options on how to get to the top of the cliff where the towns in Santorini were. 1. Walk up the steep cliff. 2. Get a taxi. 3. Take the lifts again. or 4. Ride a donkey up the cliff. I obviously opted for the donkey, not knowing what I was getting into. The people that you get the donkey from give you absolutely no instructions on how to control the donkey. They grab your arm bring you to the donkey, make you hop on, and then off you go. I was given the wonderful donkey that enjoyed stopping for long periods of time while the rest of the group was half way up the cliff. Then in order to catch up with the group the donkey would start running up the steep cobblestone path without a care in the world of people nearby or how close he was to the side of the cliff. Then the donkey stopped to pee which was quite the experience as well. The worst part of the ride up to the top of the cliff was when my donkey slipped and almost fell on the cobble stone. Although I was nervous the entire ride up, I was so glad I did it and when I wasn't occupied with worrying about what the donkey was doing, the view was incredible to see.

The next day we all spent the day at the black sanded beaches which was incredible. Eagerly I waited for the perfect wave to swim with and bring me all the way to shore for the entire time I was at that beach.

Last Stop: Crete When we arrived at Crete the first place on our list was the Minoan Archaeological site which so far was my favorite place to go because you were alowed to touch the buildings or walk inside of them as well. The best part of this site was the throne room which was richly painted in a deep red with a single throne in the middle of the room. After the archaeological site we went to the museum in which we were able to see all of the artifacts that went along with the Minoan civilization which made the "Minoan experience" all that more rich.

Overall the entire trip was a success and absolutely amazing and each island is memorable in their own different ways!! If you have the chance to go to any of the islands, the place I feel is most important to see is Santorini!

I'd Like to Be..in the Aegean Sea..in the Sun..

2008-09-30T16:51:00.006+03:00

On Friday, September 19^th, I embarked upon a journey to five of the Cyclade Islands. It would have been impossible to predict the knowledge gained and beauty I witnessed during my travels.

First stop: Paros. This ended up being my most valuable experience on the islands. We stayed at Carmel Resort, which is owned by Shane’s family friends. Rather than being in the middle of a bustling city, we were in an area called Lagaros, a more remote, less-touristy part of the island. It was refreshing and cleansing to be removed from the chaos, soaking up the sun on the beach located directly across the resort and enjoying the views from our gorgeous balconies. Here, I learned a lot about myself and had a lot of time to think, read, and draw. It was a valuable experience for me. Additionally, we spent a lot of time in the nearby taverns, making friends with the owners and waiters. We dined on delicious, authentic, and cheap Greek food, surrounded by traditional live music and free liters of wine. No complaints here; I was very pleased that this was the longest stay of our journey.

^View from Carmel Resort^

On Tuesday of our stay on Paros, we took an adventure to Delos and Mykonos. Upon arriving in Delos, I was very surprised. There were no tourist shops surrounding the port. . . or anywhere in site! Unfortunately, the island was still full of tourists. This trip, too, was eye-opening, even breath-taking. I soon discovered that it’s one of the most significant mythological and historical islands of the Cyclades. My only regret is that we did not have enough time here; to soak in all of Delos, I feel as if you need at least half a day.

This island is an ancient site, uninhibited except for a handful of archeologists living on site. As its lands are sacred, no one is be born or die here. Beginning in 6^th century BC, all graves located on the island were dug up and moved to nearby islands. Probably most sacred about this site is the fact that it is birthplace to Apollo and Artemis. However, the entire island is packed with magnificent temples dedicated to many of the gods. Although I sensed its reverence, I was irked by the amount of tourists tramping on its sacred grounds, seemingly unaware of its importance to so many people before them.

When we arrived, we immediately climbed Mount Kythnos, which is the highest point on the island, topped with a sanctuary to Dionysus. From the top, we could see the island in its entirety. It was amazing to see how well-planned and complicated the layout of the site was. Here, we also built small tributes to Apollo, which is customary, by constructing small columns of rocks.

^Views from Mount Kythnos^

After this, we explored on our own. Walking around, I felt as if I had stepped back in time, and felt a sort of centrality in my soul to be stepping on such sacred lands, where much hard work, disciple, and worship has taken place for thousands of years. Then, my last stop was the museum, which was the only modern building. Here, I was impressed by all the original stones, sculptures, and works of art found on Delos. However, I was a little disappointed that the island was filled primarily with replicas. . .

Next stop: Mykonos. I’m not going to waste much time talking about Mykonos. It was similar to Paros in its beauty and landscape, but it was very high-class, touristy, and busy. Rumor has it that Mykonos is a popular vacation spot for celebrities, such as Angelina Joli and Jay-Z. The worst part was when a huge, beautiful pelican landed on the beach. She was the most gorgeous bird I had ever seen. I then watched tourists crowd her, snapping photographs and poking at her soft feathers.

^Mykonos Port^

^Poor Pelican^

One thing I enjoyed about Mykonos was the Church of One Hundred Doors. In exquisite, awe-inspiring church, we had perfect timing and we able to witness a baptism going on.

We were back in Paros at around 7pm, and I immediately caught a bite at another tavern and then hit the sack. I was pretty wiped out from the long day, but my mind was certainly filled with new thoughts and perspectives. I was itching to draw. We left bright and early the next morning. I was beginning to hate ferries.

Santorini! We arrived here on Wednesday, early afternoon. What an island! From the ferry, the island was magnificent: huge, jagged cliffs, topped with a plethora of sugar-cube houses. The port was chaos. I almost got hit by several trucks and busses and I can’t tell you how many times the group was split apart. I was seriously frightened for my life. But that’s nothing compared to the donkey ride, which you will hear about soon.

This island was also very touristy, but I can see why. It wasn’t just filled with shops and restaurants. We got to experience several life-changing adventures during our short 2 days here. First, we took a pirate ship to a volcano and hiked to the top, where steam and heat rushed to the surface and sulfur crystals glistened in the sunlight. Wow! Then, the ship took us for another exciting trip to the next island. Here, by the coast, we jumped off the edge of the boat and swam over to hot springs. The water was serene, refreshing, and the most beautiful blue I have ever seen. The hot springs, however, were a bit disappointing. They were actually not much warmer than the ocean water, but it was interesting to see the distinct line between the blue, salty water and the orange, sulfur hot springs.

Now the donkey adventure. Some of us had the brilliant idea of riding donkeys up the cliffs. We thought it would be fun. Maybe it was for some of the explorers, but my donkey hated me. He kept charging up the paths, and then ramming me into the short walls, as if he was trying to throw me off the edge—the very high, steep edge. I’m not going to lie, I almost cried and was certain death was near. I made it to the top, however, but I don’t plan on riding a donkey in a long time.

Another great aspect of Santorini was the night life. Best clubs I’ve ever been to! If you like clubbing, this is where it’s at. And no cover fee! They start partying around midnight there, and stay out all night long. We were all very tired in the morning.

On the last day, we spent the morning on the Black Beach, which is filled with black sand. We played and laughed in the enormous waves for hours, as the salt-water cleansed our skin.

The final island we explored (kind of) was Crete. I wish we had more time here as well. We did see the Knossos Palace, which was the ceremonial and political center for the brilliant Minoan civilization. A people thriving in 9^th century BC, I was amazed by their technologies, such as clay plumbing. Their developments in the arts were impressive as well. After exploring the palace, we also checked out the archeological museum. I enjoyed this very much too, but was again disappointed to see the original works of art, confirming that what I saw at the palace were all replicas.

My favorite part of Crete was our last night, when we stayed in a hostel. This was my first hostel experienced and I loved the scene. We bonded with the other travelers and backpackers here, who were all of our age, and then they took a few of us out to a Reggae festival!!!!! I had the time of my life! We danced the night away, listening to one of my favorite genres of music, making new friends with people of many different nationalities.

By the end of the trip, I was ready to go home. Home? I mean Athens. It’s strange, but I feel as if Athens really is my home. When I walked into our room, I felt the sense of relief and joy one feels when coming home to rest after a long journey. This is my room, and my bed, and the apartment is filled with my sisters. It has only been one month and it blows my mind that I already have that sense of belonging in this city. I do miss my real home once in a while, but I think of it fondly, knowing that I will be returning there before I know it, leaving behind all that I’ve explored and discovered about my surroundings here. I know, however, that I will be taking back with me all I have learned and seen, about this country and myself. I dreamt in Greek for the first time last night, and when I close my eyes to drift away, I always see the breath-taking waves of the Aegean Sea, a site I will never forget, which fills my soul with peace and sweet dreams.

Things to Know

2008-09-30T10:09:00.000+03:00

Because of our time in the Islands, I was unable to blog. Sense yesterday I just caught up, I was at a loss at what my topic this week should be. I decided that I will discuss some of the things that I have learned about Athens/Greek culture. Some of these things maybe will help others prepare for their journeys here themselves!

In the food department,

*I would like to announce to those peanut butter lovers, that it is rather expensive, and rather rare to find. Nutella seems to be the preferred sandwich material.

*Most food usually consists of olives and feta cheese, this is a common conception of Greek food, and it stands true. Many things I have also found to be completely drowned in olive oil (delicious).

*The people of Greece seem to love pork, and they throw it in everything, including pastries, etc. Watch out you vegetarians!

*But, a lovely vegetarian delight is the spinach pies, found at bakeries everywhere. Mmm mmmm good.

*For ketchup, I have only seen it a couple of times, and it tastes like BBQ sauce?

*In the drink department, wine, beer, and ouzo are the cheapest ways to go. Hard liquors are available, but they are extremely expensive. If you go out to eat, try getting a 1/2 liter or a liter of house wine. They are good, and range in price from 4-8 Euros, wonderful!

*At almost every restaurant they usually give you bread and bottled water. These are added to the bill, while they are not expensive, they should be taken into account when splitting up checks.

*Speaking of checks, most places tips are not necessary. If you have a waiter that is exceptional, it is nice to leave a tip, otherwise, save your money. If you are in a hurry, ask for your check as soon as possible. The culture in Greece is very slow. Sometimes you sit at the table for long periods of time, just waiting to pay them!

In other random departments,

*W.C. = the bathroom (this is common in other European places).

*If you can at least attempt to speak in Greek, they automatically appreciate you (they don’t think of you as much as a stupid American).

*The first floor doesn’t count, you walk up one flight of stairs and that is floor 1

*Watch out for motorcycles

*Just because the light says walk, doesn’t mean the cars are going to stop for you

*They really don’t know how to dance; when they do it can be described as a “drunken swagger”

*If you see something you like, keep looking around, it’s probably cheaper elsewhere

*There are no sheets with the rubber bands to fit around the mattress, as far as I have seen!

*Sunglasses are very important

*Converters are hard to find, buy them at home, there is no Wal-Mart here

*No open hand waves for Taxi drivers; that is an insult I learned. Hold your hand out flat with the palm down.

*The streets get REALLY slippery.

*Books are VERY expensive

*Buy your products at home, here you can buy them at the Hondo Centers, but they are very expensive.

*Finally, they don’t use tampons with applicators, beware!

I hope that this information helps everyone out in some way. These are just things that I have noticed, and may not be completely factual, I am sure others may have contradictions!

Home at last

2008-09-29T21:07:00.005+03:00

We are finally back from our ten day excursion around the Cycladic islands! during my last blog I briefly wrote about the island of Paros and some of the things we saw there, while we were in Paros we took day trips to the island of Delos, which is a completely uninhabited sacred island filled with ancient ruins and temples to the gods as well as home to the Delian games. The most significant thing about the islands is that it is the birth place of Artemis and Apollo We climbed to the top of Mount Kynthos where we were able to see the entire island as well as Mykonos which was our next stop on our adventure.

Mykonos was very nice but very expensive, and even though it is more of a hot spot for the rich and famous I didn’t see any Beyonce’s or Jay-Z’s while we were there. I’m sure you’d be very disappointed too. After Mykonos we visited Santorini (or Thira in Greek) which was by far my favorite island. Why might it be my favorite island? Well lets just say its not everyday that you get the chance to climb and active volcano, jump off a pirate ship and swim to hot springs in the middle of the Aegean sea, then ride a donkey up a cliff side, ALL IN ONE DAY. (Remember how I said Greece keeps getting better and better? This is what I meant.)

(Ry and Ron on top of the volcano)

We “roughed” it in a hostel on Crete after Santorini, and no matter what anyone says it is not like the movie. In fact all of us were able to talk to the other people staying there and compare stories of our Euro-trips, plus in the morning the Rethymno Youth Hostel made me the best French toast I have had in a very long time before heading home.

Calling Athens home is another thing that just popped into my mind, if you asked me a month ago if I would ever feel like I do now about my roommates and Greece I don’t know if I would be able to have the same answer. I am in love with Greece more than words can express and it really feels like this is the way things have always been. We have always lived together, we’ve always traveled around the world, and we have always gone to Gloria’s for our morning coffee. When I left for Greece I was afraid of leaving home and my family, now even though we have a few months left I get the feeling that I’ll be leaving this home and family as well. But until that day comes I’m going to keep acting like that day isn’t going to come.

Thera and Crete

2008-09-29T17:23:00.000+03:00

29/09/08

Thera to Crete

The last time I blogged I was still on Paros. Since then I have been to both Thera and Crete. Thera is also more popularly known as Santorini, but Santorini is the name that the Phoenicians gave to the island and the locals there prefer to call it Thera. Thera is a neat place for its physical attributes. It once was a whole island but the volcano that once was connected to Thera is now an island and a lot of the land from that island to main land Thera sunk under water during what was thought to have been the largest volcanic eruption that the earth has seen. It is also thought by some people that this was the site of Atlantis, which I thought was pretty cool. We visited the volcano which is still active and it was the first volcano I have ever been to. I was expecting some lava but all I saw was smoke and sulfur, which is still cool but just not what I was expecting. We also went to the hot springs which is made from the volcanic activity. The last day on Thera we went to the black sand beach. This beach was beautiful and had waves which was a change from the quite waters that we have been swimming in up to this point on the trip. The weather has been getting cooler but it is still nice enough to go swimming!

After Thera we took a ferry to Crete. That ride was a trip let me tell you. We were on the top deck, enclosed, and either the ship tipped far enough to the right to hit the water where we were sitting or a huge wave came up to our deck. Some of us just looked at each other with faces that said “was that supposed to happen?!” Anyway, the next morning on Crete we went to Knossos which was the site of a Minoan palace. This was the best thing I have seen in my life never even mind the trip (I feel like I have said this a lot on this trip). The Minoan civilization has been one of my favorites since I was a younger, so seeing this was amazing. The next day before we left on a plane to get back to Athens myself and a few others went on a hunt for The Amber House which is a place where the owners make all the jewelry (mostly from amber). But that was not what I was most interested in finding at that store. I was looking for these things called worry beads, which is a cultural thing here that most of the guys have and play around with everywhere. It has been one of the best purchases that I have made since being here.

Island Adventures

2008-09-29T15:59:00.000+03:00

I will never forget my trip to a few of the Greek Islands. The only way that it could have possibly been any better would mean that the weather would have cooperated with our plans. But, because that isn’t possible, I had an amazing time anyway.

We were extremely pleased with our wonderful five day stay on the beautiful island of Paros. Thanks to Shane and his family friends we were able to stay at the most beautiful villas right across the street from the ocean. We were able to make friends with the workers of some of the restaurants and taverns, and even got some great deals. This was my favorite island; I think someday I will retire here!

From there we went and stayed in Santorini for three days. It was amazing to see how these people built their homes on such large cliffs. Here we go to take a cable car down the cliffs, then road a boat to a volcano, which we got to climb! Beautiful. After that we boated to some “hot springs”. This meant we got to jump off the boat and swim into a shallow area by an island which is warmed by a volcano. Sweet! Instead of taking the cable car back, some of us rode donkeys. Really fun, depending on the personality of your chosen donkey. I liked mine, others weren’t so nice. We also went to an amazing black sanded beach with awesome waves. And as a side note, the clubs in Santorini are GREAT.

We took a day trip to the uninhabited island of Delos. Noone is allowed to be born or die on this sacred land, and it has very cool structures. Its beauty was lost to me because of its mass of tourists. For future people traveling here, where sneakers, and bring water and food. The snack bar is expensive and limited. The other half of this day trip we went to Mikanos for a few hours of shopping and eating. It is very pretty.

We then went to Crete for three days. We saw an ancient castle/museum. We also go to spend the last night in a hostel. This was an awesome experience. Cheep stay, cheep wine, and cheep food. Also, we met a load of great people. A couple of us went with a massive group of people to a Reggae concert at the university. It was a great last night to a great trip.

It couldn’t have been any better, and believe me, I got some well needed rest when I finally returned home to Sina Street.

Grecian Cuisine; A College Student's Guide

2008-09-29T01:18:00.002+03:00

When traveling in Greece, or simply in Europe, one can expect to be assaulted with streets upon streets boasting tavernas, restaurants, bars, and even kiosks that hawk everything from wine in plastic bottles to an impressive array or photography. It is difficult, however, to be in this situation when one has a salary built on a summer of pushing slushies to small children at a convenience store at the beach, and enough student loans to sink a Navy Regulated Battleship. The following is meant to be an elementary guide to feeding one's self under these condictions while still enjoying what delightful tastes the Grecians have to offer the pallet.
Greek food is centered around one vital component. Olive Oil. A meal of bread and a 1 euro bag of pasta is suddenly transformed into a culinary revolution worthy of that high strung guy on Iron Chef America. So remember, when dining in, or out for that matter, olive oil is an essential that can make or break any meal.
Since traveling the Greek islands for the past ten days, I have had a plethora of experience in dining out on a budget. With the picturesque scenery, stunning beaches, and shopping to put any Wal-Mart (yes even the Rindge) to shame, it's no wonder that the Greek Isles are an incredibly popular destination for tourism. That being said, restaurants take all sorts of pleasure in jacking up the prices witht he clear and full knowledge that we Americans enjoy our food. Luckily for all my fellow European travelers, I, with the help of some of my peers on the trip, have developed a few sure fire methods for the appraisal of price at a Grecian Restaurant.
First, shy away from the "touristy" areas whenever possible. Although it may boast a sunset view and be conveniently located, said restaurant will also ask for a down payment of organs and precious stones before bringing out the first bottle of outrageously overpriced tap water. Stray away from the predictable and take a left at the first sketchy alley way you stumble upon. When a restaurant emerges from the collection of dumpsters and stray cats there are a few things to take into consideration. Can you hear the dulcet tones of the English language? If so, you may want to move on and find somewhere a little more authentic where a UN translator is necessary to find out if that is chicken or fish you're eating.
Next, check the menu to see if a second mortgage is necessary on the house before you commit to that big fish. Take a peek at the price of a Greek Salad. With a quick glance, you'll be able to gauge the entire price range of the menu by only one item. Personally, I like my Greek salad to be no more than 5 euro and have enjoyed some of the tastiest for 3. If the salad is around 8 you better believe you'll be leaving there with your change purse feeling rather lighter.
Another good indicator of general price is how expensive a liter of house wine is. Anywhere around 6 euro is perfect and becomes even more fiscally responsible when you share. 1/2 liter for 3 euro is a great deal and won't leave you praying for a quick death in the morning.
A final word concerning dining out in Greece. A fancy floor, and swanky music usually mean Big Money.
Hopefully this little blurb will help you save your euro for more important things whilst traveling in Greece, like a bar tab. And if worse comes to worse I know a good place to get a cheap gyro and a kiosk open late that sells beer for one euro. We are college students after all.

Island Hopping

2008-09-25T23:34:00.002+03:00

It has been a crazy week! I feel like I have been all around the world because we have gone to so many places. We started out on the island of Paros which was nice. The Carmel studios where we stayed were breath taking. Shane's family's friends were extremely nice and very helpful. Swimming in the sea on Paros was fun because it seemed that no matter how far away from the shore you swam the bottom was always visible. It was disorentating to see the bottom of the sea but not touch it. While on Paros we went to this church that is called the church of 100 doors even though there are only 99. It was a beautiful church and there was a baptism that was going on and the ceremony was very elaborate and pretty. After that we went to an archeological museum that was cool but it had nothing of the island of Delos.
Deos is supposedly the island where the sun god Apollo was born and because of this the island was purified which means that no one can be born on or die on the island. The island is full of ruins and lizards. The ruins were amazing beyond words. Unlike the other ruins that we went to there were still stautes and things to look at inside the buildings. We climbed up the mountain where Apollo was said to be born and the veiw was amazing. That is the common theme in the islands. When you look out to sea every thing is picturesque and perfect.
After Delos we went to Mykonos. Mykonos was not that much fun because it is the place for people with lots of money to throw away. The best part of Mykonos was the big pelicans.
Right now we are on Santorini. Santorini is really pretty. The cliffs are scary though because to get anyhere you have to find some way to get up or down them. Driving up them with the vans from the port was terrifing because the roads are narrow and there were a lot of vehilces trying to get up and down the cliff. The cable cars are just plain scary and some people were brave enough to take donkeys up the stairs. The best part of being here was the trip to the volcanic island in the middle of the caldera. After the volcano climb we went to swim in a natural hot spring which was very refreshing. There were pumice stones that were floating in the water and three mountian goats that were watching us as all the people were swimming in the hot springs. Next we go to Crete and I am really excited to see what will be there.

The past few days

2008-09-24T19:36:00.001+03:00

20/09/08
The Past Few Days: Aegina to Paros
Last weekend the group stayed at the island of Aegina. While we were there we saw the temple of Aphaia which is very well preserved and one of the coolest things I have seen since being here. What made it even more interesting is that Aegina is the only place where Aphaia was worshiped. The beaches there were nice and the hotel we stayed at had a salt-water pool which was also nice. Something of interest to me is the fact that there was no running fresh water on the island. This included showers and tap water. I unfortunately learned this very late in the night when everything around was closed and had no bottled water. So, I had to call people who were still in town to bring me back fresh water. I guess we live and learn, so if you are traveling to most islands in the sea in general then I suggest stocking up on some water for the night. It was nice to get out of Athens for a while and be on an island.
Classes were getting a little tiresome without any books back in Athens but they arrived on Tuesday and everyone was happy. Being in Athens for that week in classes was building up a lot of anticipation because everyone was excited about going island hoping starting on that Friday. Going to Paros, Santorini, and Crete was the only thing people cause talk about.
We took a larger ferry to get to Paros on Friday than we did when we went to Aegina. It was nice to move around on the ferry because the ride was about five hours long. We arrived to the island late at night and got to our hotel, Carmel, then proceeded to walk five meters to the sea and at dinner on the side, listening to the waves crash. I had eggplant salad and stuffed vine leaves which were delicious, food here is so good. We got back later and just relaxed. I passed out very soon after we got back from exhaustion.
On Saturday we explored the town a little bit and went food shopping. The people here observe siesta almost religiously, which is nice because you can just relax for two hours in the middle of the day. However, this does affect you walking around trying to get into stores during siesta. I suggest just relaxing or going to the beach during this time.
Today we went to a church called The Church of One Hundred Doors. It dated back to the Byzantine Empire. While we were there, there was a baptism going on and it was very interesting observing the ceremony. After the church we went to the Paros Archaeological Museum. It was awesome to see the artifacts and read about them. The only issue I had with the museum was that the description of the some of the objects had two paragraphs in Greek but only like a couple of sentences in English.

A Fascinating Man and his Magical Village

2008-09-24T18:37:00.003+03:00

I should begin by saying that we have begun our excursions to the Greek Islands, and so far these have been the most beautiful lands we have visited. We are currently on Paros, which is an island of the Cyclades. From Paros we plan to see Mykanos, Delos, Santorini, and Crete.

Today after a day trip to the port and capitol city, Parakia, we went on a little stroll with Vassillios and Janet, our hosts, to the village where Vassillios grew up. He said that this village was very similar now to how it was when he grew up (not very much had been added or built up). This village was one of the most unique and fascinating communities I have ever seen.

To get to the village we had to turn off of the paved, automobile friendly road and onto cobblestone paths that were lined with what seemed like a maze of white, sugar cubed houses with blue doors and shutters. These paths were narrow hilly causing impossibility for automobile travel. As we entered the village we got a friendly reminder from Janet to keep our voices down because it was siesta time, and people on Paros take their siesta time very seriously.

We continued forward through the village and it was nothing less than magical to hear Vassillios with shiny eyes and a permanent grin reminisce and tell us stories of the village and his childhood. He talked about his experiences when the Germans inhabited part of the village as well as some more obsolete tales of his childhood in the village. He explained to us that the windmills in the village that are now unable to function were once very important to the people on the island and in the village. He explained that in his times there was no electricity so he did his studies through an oil lamp. We learned about the shop of his father, who was a merchant in the village. The entire experience was so interesting because we didn’t know what story was going to come next from Vassillios.

As we continued along we passed by the church where Vassillios and Janet were married. By chance, a woman was unlocking it to do her daily maintenance. Vasillios asked her to let us in, and upon entry we were all speechless. In this tiny village was one of the most beautiful churches that I have ever seen. Vassillios did not have much to say to us inside the church, but he sang us a church song for all of us, which was absolutely breathtaking. Hearing this magical, Greek man sing in his church with his deep, passion-filled voice overwhelmed me with an indescribable feeling. After a few seconds of silence, as the echo of Vassillios’s voice faded from the church, we thanked him and walked back outside.

The church ended up being a sort of conclusion to our “tour,” and what a conclusion it was! We walked back to our rooms and got ready for diner with a gained knowledge and experience that will stick permanently.

Island of Paros

2008-09-23T23:45:00.001+03:00

It feels so surreal being on the island of Paros; Our apartments look right over the beach and we are surrounded by picturesque buildings with white walls and deep blue shutters and doors. Although our first day on the island was met with a drizzling rain that turned into a downpour by late evening, we were all so content to be here that even the chilly weather didn’t stop people from swimming in the clear water.

One of the best parts about staying on Paros is that the apartment owners are a very gracious and hospitable couple that are helping to make our time on the island a great experience. We have been offered delicious treats such as freshly cleaned pomegranate seeds and dried figs, and we are told of the best places to swim or get a bite to eat. Vasilios, who grew up on this island, took a small group of us on a short walk through his childhood village. As soon as you turn off the dirt road to enter the village you step onto a narrow grey and white cobblestone road and into another world. White, blue, and pink are the dominating colors that come from all of the houses and flowers that creep up the walls and over terraces. Many little churches were scattered throughout the village and we went into one that was especially beautiful. Every inch of the walls were covered in bright frescoes and gold chandeliers hung down from the ceilings. Vasilios shared with us a Greek hymn and we were all moved as the sounds echoed and filled the church. It was great having him as a tour guide because he was able to share with us stories and bits of history that made the whole experience more meaningful.

Even though there is so much more to the island that I will not be able to explore, I am very happy to be sitting here listening to the waves crash into the rocks, while a tiny kitten is asleep in my lap. This really must be one of the most peaceful places I have ever been to.

More Island Adventures

2008-09-21T21:01:00.002+03:00

One of the most perplexing questions that I keep asking myself is "can this get any better" and every time I am met with an answer of "YES". It has been a week since we were on the island of Aegina, where I thought I had seen some of the most beautiful beaches and villages that I have ever come across, that is until I arrived here on the island of Paros. we have only been here two days but as I sit here writing all I can think about is how I get to wake up to the sun shining and the sound of the ocean waves outside my room, I am growing quite content with island life even if it has been a little chilly.

We arrived Friday night around 10pm after a 4 hour ferry ride from the port of Piraeus and were met by the owners of the Carmel Studio Apartments. Following a short 40 minute bus ride we found ourselves at Logaros beach and entering our hotel rooms complete with all the comforts of home. Around 11pm we took a stroll down the beach and stumbled across some restaurants where I decided to gorge myself with grilled eggplant that seemed to be stuffed with every kind of vegetable known to man…it was delicious. Sunday was met with a midmorning swim in the sea and I had planned on staying there all day until it started raining. It defiantly put a damper on the rest of the day.

However, Today seemed to be the complete opposite of yesterday when I woke up there wasn’t a cloud in the sky and the sun was shining brighter than ever. We started off the day with a bus ride filled with amazing views towards the town of Paroikia where we went to see the church of 100 gates (or doors) then looked at the archeological museum. once we were back at the hotel all exhausted and ready for a nap, the owner of the hotel offered to take us the village that her husband grew up in, seeing that most of us were worn out only a small group of us decided to go and even though I was a bit reluctant because I was so tired, I knew I would have regretted not going.

The village looked like something out of a fairy tale all the houses were painted white with blue shutters and had an amazing view of the ocean. Pink and purple flowers grew on all the walls and there was a church at every corner. The one church that we were able to go inside of nearly took my breath away. The walls and ceilings were covered in murals and I was so overcome by how beautiful it was that I could barley think of anything to say while we were inside of it.

afterwards our lovely tour guide told us about the history of his town and what it was like for him to grow up during the Nazi occupation (one particular story that involved him taunting a German soldier when he was just four years old was especially entertaining). It was late by then but they had one more thing to show us, the oldest church on the island just around the corner from our hotel which was met with a beautiful sun set between two mountains. All in all the first full day of exploring feels like this cant get any better, but who knows every time I say that things always do.

Aegina Island

2008-09-19T13:34:00.004+03:00

(Me in front of the Temple of Apheia)

Hello readers! Last weekend our entire group went to Aegina Island for a weekend get-away trip and it was absolutely breath taking there. When we first arrived on the Flying Dolphin (the ferry that took us over) I immediately snapped pictures of the beautiful marina surrounding us. Although it was a bit of a task to figure out where it was we needed to go to get to our hotel since none of us had ever been there before, we were able to figure it out and everything went smoothly from then on. We arrived at our destination, Moondy Bay Resort, and I was filled with excitement. Our rooms, although a bit on the smaller side, were the right size for a weekend trip with three people to a room. Immediately Misty, Lauren, and I put on our bathing suits and headed down to the salt water pool that over looked the beach. We spent just about the entire day at the beach just relaxing and taking it all in.

Later around 9 or 10pm the group as a whole decided that we all had wanted to go out to eat. Instead of taking a taxi we had walked all the way to the other side of the island it felt like, but in reality it was only about a 2 mile walk. At the time I was not in the mood to take such a long walk, but once we were doing it I was so happy to be able to see the whole coast to my right. The feel of the scenery was much different when walking past it slowly rather than flying by at about 80 mph. (That's about how fast people go on that island!) Once we arrived at the town, we split up into smaller groups and picked a restaurant that we had wanted to go to. Lauren, Misty, Jessi, and I ate at this cute little restaurant in which the view from our table outside was the water. A little hesitant, I had ordered the Mousaka, and let me just say that was the most amazing meal I have ever had in my life. At about 5.50E you cannot go wrong. There was eggplant, zuccini, mashed potatoes, and ground beef in what is now my favorite dish. Not all of us enjoyed our meals, Misty was a little put off by the mashed potatoes that she had ordered. The Greeks do not use butter in anything, but use oil instead. I believe the waitor told us that "We don't use butter, you see, butter, no good, butter makes people fat!" We then trecked our way back to our hotel after staying out a little bit longer after we had finnished dinner, and just crashed.

The next morning we had gotten up at about 9:45am and waited for a bus to take us to the temple of Apheia. Anxious for what I was waiting to do, nothing could have prepared me for what I was about to see. When we finally arrived to the temple after an extremely nerve racking ride up of a huge bus flying around narrow corners that were on the side of a cliff at about 80mph, I saw the temple standing overlooking the entire island. The view alone is enough reason to go up there, but there the Temple of Apheia stood in the most beautiful but somewhat intimidating way. I have never been up close to something so spectacular as well as ancient. It still boggles my mind that these great temples are still intact today. I went into the museum part of the temple and was able to see the pieces that came from the temple such as a statue of a man standing sternly as if he were the protector of the temple. Another man crouched down on one knee pointing his bow and arrow, ready for anything. I will forever have those memories embedded into my brain. Pictures will never do it justice for the feeling that you get when you are staring up at these beautiful structures.

As we were waiting to return to Athens, I went to a Kiosk to get some water and I saw some ice cream there as well. I impulsively picked it up to purchase it because it was so hot out, but then realized I had eaten way too much junk food already and that eating ice cream in the scorching heat is always too difficult because it melts before you are done. So I quickly put back the ice cream, and the woman running the Kiosk starting yelling at me in Greek. I did not understand what she was saying so I just raised the bottle of water and told her I only wanted the water. She yelled again and told me to come and pay. As I waited in line for the person in front of me to finnish their transaction I looked at the woman again and noticed that she was staring me down as if she loathed me. It was quite the interesting experience and a little scary.

Today we are going to go on a trip to Paros, Santorini, and Crete for ten days. I am unsure of what to expect but again the butterflies are stirring because of the unknown. Each time we go somewhere it has been better than the last and I have heard nothing but great things about all three of those islands. I think the best part of this entire trip is that we are learning about everything we are seeing, but how many people can say that they went there and saw it with their own eyes? It makes the learning experience so much more meaningful.

Soakin Up the Aeginan Sun!

2008-09-18T19:41:00.003+03:00

Aegina Island was the first Greek island I have traveled to. As I stepped off the ferry, the first thing I noticed was the clear, blue water. The port was filled with ships of all sizes, and children ran around with fishing nets, scrambling after the plethora of species. I couldn’t wait to explore what appeared to be a quaint yet bustling village.

First, we took a bus to our hotel. The bus was similar to busses in the U.S. cities I’ve spent time in, such as New York, and Boston; people were packed in, mostly standing, except for those lucky enough to grab a piece of the limited seating. It was the hottest bus I’ve ever been on. Once we were moving, I realized it was very different from my past experiences on busses. The driver seemed to drive much too fast for the rickety vehicle and took corners carelessly and rapidly. On several occasions I was certain we were to go plummeting over a cliff. This is when I realized that the driving on the islands is the only thing consistent with Athens. I paid attention to the scenery as we flew to our destination, taking my mind off of my worries.

The island’s landscape was extremely hilly as we ventured out of the village, and was filled with lemon trees, pistachio trees, and little other greenery. Most buildings were of similar construction; boxy, white, and topped with red roofs. The roads were narrow and winded up and down hills, through small residential areas as well as vast fields, which appeared to be filled with crops of various nuts and fruits. Before I knew it, we arrived at our resort.

After a bit of effort and wandering, we found Moondy Resort. The rooms were clean and comfortable and larger than expected: one double bed, one single, a shower room, a toilet room, an enormous closet and a nice balcony overlooking the pool and beach. I didn’t waste any more sweaty time—I immediately stripped down to my bathing suit and headed to the pool.

The pool was just as clear and blue as the sea. When I jumped in, I realized why: it was seawater, which I might add, is very salty in the Sardonic Gulf. I spent the beginning of the afternoon sitting at the edge of the resort, sketching another island in the distance. Then, I took advantage of the cheap drinks at the bar until dinner time, when we walked 10 minutes out of the resort to a tavern. Moondy Bay was filled with good food, drink, people, and created an overall relaxing and laid-back atmosphere.

When we arrived at the tavern, we sat right next to the sea, where I enjoyed the best shrimp meal I’ve tasted. I also discovered that “garlic souse” is mashed potatoes, mixed with olive oil and garlic. That was also very tasty!

At this tavern, I discovered true Greek dining. The service was slow. When we asked for wine, we received it 20 minutes later, while we watched all the waiters smoke cigarettes and chat. We experienced this problem throughout dinner, and made it back to the hotel hours later. I have realized since that this is part of authentic Greek dining. The Greeks seem to take their time with everything, which is not always a bad thing.

I spent the rest of the night reading in the bar, which was small and next to the sea and had no English-speaking waiters. I don’t think this is usual here, because everyone looked at Dom and I as if we were crazy. I suppose reading in a bar isn’t typical anywhere though. . .

Anyways, we called it an early night and spent the next day checking out the Temple of Aphaia, wondering about town, and swimming in the sea again. I don’t think words can express how refreshing and clean it feels to swim in the water on the islands. I could feel the salt cleansing my body and mind. The temple was breath-taking, but we had no water and they only sold sodas across the street. I was very surprised at how many columns remained intact since the construction of the temple. I also discovered that if you’re in Greece and don’t make a purchase, don’t bother trying to take a seat anywhere near the shop, because you will be rudely and promptly asked to leave. We experienced this when Dom and I bought a soda and Lauren tried to sit with us in the shady area outside the shop. The woman did not speak English, but she made it very clear that Lauren better get out of her sight!

When exploring the town, it was apparent that most of the shops on the main strip were extremely touristy. The best part was surely the fresh pistachios sold everywhere. We eventually walked to the close beach and spent the rest of the day enjoying the water.

Clearly, we had a full weekend of traveling and exploring Aegina. I was pleased by the efforts Greeks make to communicate, despite the language barrier. Here, many less people spoke Greek than they do in Athens, but it wasn’t as much as a problem as it was exciting. Although the majority of the busy areas in the village were touristy, it was not hard to wander off and find authentic dining and markets. My best recommendation is to stay away from main streets and seek out back roads; it has become apparent that happening areas aren’t where you want to be if you want to emerge yourself in their true culture. Speak to Greeks, try to learn Greek. Like I said, even those who don’t speak much English take great efforts to teach and explain new words to you. It can be a challenge, but it’s worth it, and the best way to learn. Also, food and trinkets are much cheaper and unique off the beaten track, so it’s important to stay away from the comfort zone of the tourists and try your best to blend in with the locals.

Around Aegina Island

2008-09-18T19:34:00.004+03:00

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.

A sprained toe won't ruin my trip!

2008-09-17T19:34:00.005+03:00

(Caitie and I at the Temple of Apheia. Behind us you can see most of Aegina.)

Before our journey oversees, I had a distinct picture in my mind of what Greece would be like. I thought I would leave the airport and come face to face with little Greek yayas living in quaint houses on a backdrop of clear blue water, sand for miles, and a never ending sky. When I found out Athens was a giant metropolis filled with angry drivers, English speaking adolescents, smog filled skies, slippery streets and many other pieces of the modern world I was a little surprised. Although I love my new home in Athens, it was nice to visit the small island of Aegina to match my preconceived notions with reality.

On Saturday morning, our journey to Aegina began. I was fully equipped with only a backpack of necessities and my sunglasses on my face. Being someone who has been known to overpack, this made me a little anxious. We rode on the metro until we arrived at the port of Piraeus, which was only about a 20 minute ride. Aegina was only a short 40 minutes away on the "Flying Dolphin". I enjoyed the ride which is not something i can say for some of my other companions. Poor Myste! Arriving at Aegina, we were met with a beautiful sight. The port was filled with boats and the streets were filled with pistachio vendors, which, by the way, is Aegina's main export. This first glance only made us more excited to see what the rest of the weekend would bring.

One thing that seems to be a constant in my life in Greece is crazy driving. Whether I'm scared for my life because I am a vulnerable pedestrian or because I am a passenger in one of these accidents waiting to happen, I am always terrified. I am trying to become accustomed to this situation, but for now I am having no such luck. We took a frightenging but short bus ride to our beautiful hotel, Moondy Bay Resort. Located right on the Saronic Gulf, these accomodations are more than I had anticipated. We spent the day lounging by the ocean and soaking up the warm sun. Surrounded by good people, good food and good drinks, this was a lovely way to spend the afternoon. However, there was one incident that occured that I am less than happy about. While trying to get into the water, I found someone sititng on the ladder putting on snorkel gear. Being the water lover that I am, I could not wait and decided to climb down the rocks. Bad Idea. I slipped and fell and sprained my little pinky toe. Lesson learned: If there are stairs, wait your turn and take them.

On Saturday night, we decided to venture into town. At just about 2 miles, it sounds longer than it really is. With the beautiful view that you are faced with the whole way, the time goes by quickly. Once in town, we had a variety of restaurants to choose from. Some of the others in our group went to one restaurant where they had feasted on delicous fresh fish. I should know because I had to snag a bite! Caitie, Jess, Misty and myself decided to try another restaurant on the strip. We indulged in fried zuchini, mousaka, and souvlaki. All of these proved to be good choices. We enjoyed our surroundings into the wee hours and slept well in our beautiful suites.

The next day we awoke early and took another frightening bus ride on the long winding road leading to the Temple of Aphaia. On the way, we passed the second largest Greek Orthodox in the world. It was a stunning sight. This could not compare, however, to the Temple. I was surprised at how much was left of the ruins. The beautiful limestone which had been painted with beautiful colors before was now a sandy white. Despite the loss of color, much of this temple has held strong. We took a glance at some of the pieces that have fallen apart in the temple's nearby museum which was truly fascinating. Afterwards we had an opportunity to take some pictures with a spectacular view of the island in our backdrop. This was definitely a worth whiel excursion.

Afterwards, some of the others in our group took in opportunity to visit another museum on the island. However with the condition of my foot, I did not feel up to it. So i rested under a tree and took in the local beauty of Aegina. At the end of the day, we traveled the short journey back to Sina street. Although our trip was short, it was a good opportunity to get out of Athens and experience another side of Greece. I look forward to seeing all that Greece has to offer. This upcoming week, we will venture to Paros, Santorini, Crete and some other Greek islands. I'm anxious and excited for what will surely prove to be another adventure.

The Aegina Adventure

2008-09-17T12:44:00.003+03:00

Cast: A set of 13 students from the picturesque state of New Hampshire, a few adorably irresistible stray cats, outrageously expensive fish, various men pushing an array of knock-off sunglasses on the street.

Setting: The Island of Aegina, off the coast of Athens. A place full of temples and nature, the perfect location for an educational trek through the finer points of Grecian history with a view to die for.

Synopsis: A short metro ride to the Port of Piraeus carried this group of wide-eyed American students to their prime mode of transportation that would eventually deliver them to the original capital of mother Greece herself. For some, however, this ferry ride was a turbulent disaster that concluded in becoming rather friendly with the bathroom accommodations of the boat (I’m certainly not mentioning any names here mostly to save myself the embarrassment of describing said accommodations).

Arriving at the port the students were assaulted with the sight of dozens of pistachio kiosks, a beautiful view of the harbor, and the lovely fresh fish air to quell those sea-sick feelings. The general consensus was that the students needed a quiet afternoon taking in the lovely view from the Moondy Bay Resort. A short, albeit terrifying bus ride later, through the narrow and hilly “streets” of Aegina, and a confusing walk through said streets that ultimately felt like a run through the most difficult level of Frogger, and the group had arrived at their home away from home away from home.

Running like small children from the boogey man, the group splashed into the Saronic Gulf, eyes stinging from the salt. To their ultimate pleasure, the resort also had a swimming pool (full of salt water, however) and a fairly well stocked bar which you know they took full advantage of.

The day of fun in the sun, coming to a close and only one broken toe for the worse the group decided that some local food and drink was a perfect way to end a perfect day. After the short 3 mile hike to the other side of the island, the group was rewarded with dozens of restaurants all boasting the freshest of fish and the slimiest of squid.

A small group of them sat at an idyllic restaurant with a copious amount of fresh seafood boasted on the menu. Upon picking the fish straight from their chilly bed of ice, the group enjoyed wine and bread at their leisure whilst patiently waiting their fresh fish feast. The arrival of the two whole fish was met with oohhs and ahhs and immediate consumption ensued. Feeling stuffed and content with good company and better food, the group collected their check. The arrival of the bill was met with vicious expletives murmured from Professors and students alike. Alas, as they say on Sina street, “Biiig Fish BIG money”. Moral of the story, don’t ask for the best fish available, ever.

Bellies full and wallets lighter, the group returned to the lovely Moondy Bay and rested their weary heads fully looking forward to the adventure of tomorrow. The morning sun was met with bleary eyes and a delightful bite at the continental breakfast. A twisting bus ride or two later, the group ended up at the Sanctuary of Aphaia. Standing in the shadow of ancient stones, the students took in the view of the world around them, fully appreciating, some for the first time, the history that surrounded them.

Aegina Island Adventure

2008-09-16T13:03:00.001+03:00

It was a great idea to take a weekend vacation to Aegina Island.

After riding the train on two different rails, a relatively short distance, we arrived at the port. In class we learned that Aegina Island is the largest island in the Soronic Gulf.

The port that we arrived at is called Piras Port, and is the major port that Greece has used for centuries. If it weren’t for the language barrier confusion, I am sure the history of this port would have left us feeling enchanted. Instead we were hustled from here to there trying to find our ferry, “The Flying Dolphin”. Turns out there are more than one flying dolphin, but we landed at the right place after some trial and error, as well as some help from a very nice man.

After a short ferry ride we were all overcome with amazement at the beautiful coastline.

The first thing we all wanted to do was go swimming. But, we had to ride the bus. That was an adventure on its own - sharp curves on small roads. Also lots of honking, anything in the way of the bus got honked at, and it better move quickly. Whether its cars, bikes, or people. Watch out!

The pool and the ocean were amazing. But all was salt water! Including the pool, the showers, and the faucet water! Weird! There were beautiful views of the mountains everywhere and things around the island were relatively cheep, drinks included. Definitely a great first-vacation spot.

In the morning we took a crazy bus ride to The Sanctuary of Aphaia. Beautiful sights! Very, very hot. For future references on people going on these types of excursions, keep water on you at all times. It will make you very, very happy. Especially when you are surrounded by salt water in such heat!

We had a beautiful weekend, but it was definitely nice to be back on Sina Street in the end!

Magical

2008-09-15T21:29:00.003+03:00

If you have read many of the posts on this web log, or "blog," you have noticed at least two common themes: heat and traffic. We apparently all felt them salient enough for a first mention. Though, I am surprised no one mentioned the neutered and spayed third-class citizens of Greece, the strays. Everywhere in Athens and Aegina and Piraeus there are dogs and cats who lack apparent homes or owners. Some of the dogs are friendly, some bark selectively at moving vehicles/surprised tourists. The cats, however, are, well, they are cats. They aren't likely to cotton to diplomatic attempts and petting unless bribed with seafood.

It is impossible (unless you are Shane or Lauren, who are rather untouched by objectively adorable feline creatures) to glance at a stray unmoved. Often it's a sad sight: a scrawny specimen with ratty fur eyeing your plate of fried fish.

Well, at Aegina Town yesterday, this happened while a few of us were eating near the fish market and I swear to you it was the most darling thing on the planet. First one kitten who appeared to be blind and quite young and quite skinny. We were struck with collective sadness. Then a mother (hope!), and then TWO MORE KITTENS. And--this actually happened--the mom laid down near our table and started nursing and grooming her young. It was my first time not feeling sorry for strays and was a sight photographed more than the Temple of Apollo. AND there is a video. You can just hear the adoration in the voice of Kayla, the narrator, who did not know I was taking a video.

2008-09-13T01:05:00.000+03:00

After being in Athens for three weeks now, I can confidently say that there are many things I already love about this city. To begin with, the food is wonderfully delicious and I don’t think I’ll ever grow tired of eating fresh tomatoes and feta. There are also many cafes and tavernas within walking distance and I hope to be able to try many new dishes while I’m here. Being able to walk everywhere in this city is a great way to explore the area and see the sites along the way. It is possible to pass a handful of historic temples and monuments while aimlessly wandering throughout the city. Even if you get lost, it won’t be long until you come across a familiar landmark, and it’s more than likely you’ll discover something really interesting along the way.

My family and I have already seen a few of these sites, such as the Acropolis, Agora, and Temple of Olympian Zeus. Each place amazes me and I often wonder if the locals could ever take for granted the incredible piece of history that’s in their own backyard. I’m really glad that I will be able to see these sites multiple times over the course of the next few months.

Although my first impression of Athens was a mix of wonder and excitement, city life is very different from the smaller towns I’m used to living in. The city offers so much more to do and see, but I don’t think that I’ll permanently get used to the insane amount of traffic or the loud noises that continue through all hours of the night. I’m looking forward to exploring other parts of Greece and Europe, and our vacation to the islands is something that I’m very excited about!

Ditching the Pocket Map :)

2008-09-13T00:46:00.003+03:00

Fast forward: after about two weeks of being in Athens, (everyone else’s third night) we found ourselves sitting in the apartment, bored, tired, and ready for bed. When we were all ready to turn in, someone made the suggestion of getting a quick fix of late night gelato. As we grab the keys and head out I quickly said something to my mom about being back within the hour… sorry mom, we really didn’t know we wouldn’t get back until two in the morning! The delicious gelato seemed to wake us up a little bit, and we realized we were unable to return home to bed when we were surrounded by a city that never sleeps.
We pretty much ditched Ry’s pocket map and decided to head in the general direction of the “big hill,” which is actually called Lycavettus, and is the highest point in Athens! When we somehow reached the base we were so excited to find the “funicular” (train) was open until 3 a.m., and it only cost six euro. (Future reference: climbing it is so much better!) How could we resist?
When we finally got to the top, it was sooooooo worth it. Although I had already wandered the city for two weeks, this was my real “first impression.” It was absolutely breathtaking. And what’s more than the amazing view was the way it made you feel. To be able to look out over something so vast, to see the mountains and pick out our apartment building at the same time, and to realize you were standing above it ALL, was really an amazing once-in-a-lifetime experience.

2008-09-12T22:06:00.003+03:00

The girls and I crept up the stairs of our seven or eight story apartment, hoping to find the door leading to the roof to be ajar. Unfortunately, we saw padlock holding the door closed, but as we stealthily tiptoed closer we noticed the padlock had not been closed. Carefully we removed the padlock, as the door and lock creaked loudly. We thought it might be just a tad awful if we ended up homeless due to our landlady finding us in a place we shouldn't have been.

As we ascended the stairs we were amazed by the breathtaking view we stumbled upon. To the left we looked up at brightly lit Acroplis, and to the right we gazed upon a monastary that is located upon the highest point in Athens. As I intently stared at the view that I could call mine for the next three months, I couldn't believe I was actually here, here in Greece!

Though one would assume my first impression of Athens must have been a excellent, I was in fact quite disappointed and afraid the first few hours of this adventure I was about to plunge into. Caitie, Dom, and myself had the opportunity to drive around Athens for a bit with a man who smoked heavily, drove crazily, and told us that if we did anything bad while we were here we would risk spending our lives in a Grecian prision. And mind you, this was before we were dropped off on the side of the road, in the middle of Athens, at the wrong apartment, with no money, with no cellphones, and no understanding of the Greek language.

All ended well, and now I am completely in love with Athens, and I wonder how my family will ever rip me out of this stunning, vivacious city that I am able to call my home. I am able to walk down the street and look at pieces of history everyday. The men and women dress like movie stars as they parade by, and I don't have to walk farther than five minutes and I have dozens of shoe stores beckoning me. This is the life.

Now that I have been here one week, and have settled in I cannot wait to to travel, explore, and absorb all that this place has to offer. For anyone thinking about coming here to live or even to visit-- Learn Greek-- The locals appreciate it, and it is sometimes quite challenging to get around without it.

PS...If you think the Greek Gods are something of the past, think again. Just wait until you get to ride on the tram next to a man who is so good-looking you would swear he was Zeus himself!

Toto, We're Not In Rindge Anymore!

2008-09-12T22:02:00.005+03:00

Athens, Greece is not at all what I had expected it to be. I will have to admit that going into this trip I had not learned much about the area or the culture whatsoever. Yes, I had learned a few things about the Acropolis, Ancient Greece, and the greek mythology that has continued to be a large part of the Greecian culture, but I had no real idea of what to expect in coming here. I had thought in my mind that I was coming into an area that was "underdeveloped" compared to the good old USofA, and found myself to be completely wrong. I am currently residing in the center of Athens, Greece where about 4 million other people live, which makes Athens about three times bigger than New York City. Athens is spectacular to look at whether its during the day or at night where the city lights glisten all around you.

Now my complete first impression of Athens was one that I can reflect upon now and laugh at but at the time I was displeased with how things had turned out. September 2, 2008 was the day in which we landed in the airport in Greece, and I had proceeded to wait for about ten minutes to claim my luggage. When I finally saw my suit cases I quickly grabbed them, but since I packed 3 months of my life into them, when I had lifted them I unfortunately was unable to put them down gently and accidentally slammed one of the suit cases on my pinky toe which had already had a cut on it from a previous incident. The luggage had re-opened the cut, which surprisingly did not hurt all that much but when I had looked down, my toe was gushing blood. No one had any tissues or napkins on them so I figured it would stop bleeding soon enough. Once everyone grabbed their own luggage I looked down one last time at my foot before we proceeded to walk, and noticed a pool of blood on my flip flop underneath my foot. Every time I walked it splattered a little bit and I was trying my hardest to not have a trail behind me so I walked as slow as I could. Apparently I looked suspicious to the security people and I was questioned in Greek what my purpose of being here was and why I had so much luggage, but I could barely communicate with them which made me feel extremely uncomfortable. I tried to handle the situation of the foot that was bleeding profusely for absolutely no reason as best as I could because I did not want to make anyone wait around even longer in the airport for me to fix it.

As I finally got outside a taxi driver named Jimmy ripped my luggage away from me and started walking fast towards his car yelling for me to follow behind. I was shoved into the small taxi car with Dom in the front seat, luggage in the backseat and Misty and I squished into one seat. Our driver was extremely nice, and was talking to us about places we should go and places we would be better off staying away from. He drove us around the city for a little bit before he dropped us off, unloaded our bags, and parted ways. As we stood on the street we were looking around for familiar faces of those who were joining us on this excursion, but to our surprise no one was around. We sat on the street for about 30 minutes with no cell phones or money and proceeded to ask people who were passing us where we were and if we were at all on or near Sina Street. Everyone shook their heads no and told us we were not on the right street, but they did not know what street we were on, or how to get over to Sina Street. Fortunately because I had looked so many times on where the two apartments were, I was able to figure out that our taxi driver had dropped us off at the apartment where our professor and his family lives, and I remembered that they were on the first floor. Dom and Misty went into the apartment complex on the first floor and picked a random door to knock on. Luckily the first door they chose was the correct one, and Jill had greeted us, grabbed our belongings and let us into their apartment to figure out what to do next. We then sat there and decided we were going to get a taxi and make our way over to Sina Street, but to add to my stream of bad luck, none of the taxi drivers would pull over because they saw all our luggage and didn't want to have to deal with it. Angry, exhausted, and hot, we decided we just wanted to get to our new home and could no longer wait. We hauled our way all the way to Sina Street which by foot is about a 20-25 minute walk but with all our luggage it was a bit more of a struggle. Finally I arrived to Sina at about 7-7:30pm panting, with a bloody foot and about 140 lbs. of luggage.

The next few days we found ourselves just exploring places to go and trying to submerse ourselves in the area, meet new people and figure out our way around Athens. The views are absolutely spectacular, the buildings are beautiful, and the weather is fantastic. The people I have met here so far have been nothing but gracious, helping us understand the culture a bit more, and teaching us how to say certain things in Greek, all of which have told us to call them if we ever wanted them to show us around.

Although I started the trip off a bit rough, I have grown to love being here. It still is a lot to take being that I am from a small town in Connecticut and my experience with cities has consisted of random day trips here and there throughout my life. The driving here makes me extremely nervous because its the type of driving where it is every man for himself and no one really follows the rules. Pedestrians don't have a right of way unless there are just no cars around (which never happens). The sidewalks consist mainly of a slippery tile-like texture where I always feel as though I am going to fall, and my roommate Lauren has already done so.

History is all around me here in Athens. I go to my rooftop and to my left the Acropolis stands lit up at night overlooking the rest of Athens, and then to my right I can see the highest point in Athens lit up shining down over me. I still have to tell myself where I am because right now it feels as though I am just going with the motions but still haven't registered where I am and how lucky I actually am to be here.

I have one more unfortunate event that happened to me here so far which I feel is important to mention because if anyone was planning to come to Greece it would be beneficial to them to learn from my mistakes. On our trip to the beach last Saturday I was standing on the sidewalk waiting for the Tram to come and get us. I was standing there tired of holding the Coach wallet that my roommate Lauren had lent to me to hold my money and ID in so I took my backpack off and put it in there. I got on the Tram, put my bag down as I took a seat and noticed that the backpack had been unzipped and the wallet was no longer in it. Frantically I got up and thought that I had forgotten to zip my backpack and that it had fallen out, but then realized that I wasn't home anymore and that people pickpocket anyone they see as an easy target. I sat there and almost cried but tried to keep my composure and not make a scene. Someone had watched me put the wallet in my backpack and exactly where I had placed it and without me realizing stole it. It sickened me because the person was probably sitting on the tram with all of us watching me sit there searching for it. Be extremely careful with where you place your important personal belongings. Luckily I had not kept any of my credit cards or Passport in there, so it could have been worse, but just be careful.

All in all with a few bumps along the road in figuring out how to adjust to being somewhere new, I absolutely love it here and recommend anyone thinking about studying abroad to go ahead and do it. Athens, Greece is a place of rich history all around you and it is truly an unforgettable experience. I cannot wait to see what else is going to happen and will keep everyone posted!

What Happens When A Small Town Girl Hits The Big City

2008-09-12T21:28:00.003+03:00

I have always lived a small town. I was raised in a small town, I decided to go to college in a small town, so you can only imagine what my first thoughts were when I stepped out of the airport and into Athens for the first time…it was actually something along the lines of how the heat consumed my body the minute we stepped outside. And yet, even with that I was still amazed that I actually did it. I thought “ I’m here in Greece, in a city incomparable to everything I have ever been exposed to.” and it was terrifying. What was more amazing than the realization that I just threw myself into a irreversible situation was the fact that from the minute I walked into the barley bearable heat I couldn’t wait to jump into everything at once.

I have been living on Sina street for a little more than a week and it is already starting to feel like home. City life can be pretty overwhelming to someone like me who has never lived in one, let alone another country. The streets are noisy, the cars are fast, and everyone seems to know where they are going except for me. However there are pros to living in here, Everywhere I look there is something that takes my breath away. I am constantly amazed at how many ancient buildings and historic cites I come across but I can’t forget to mention some of the other things I have seen. For example, one day while trying to find my way home my roommate and I stumbled across a demonstration taking place involving hundreds of people waving their country’s flag and yelling out of mega phones to the bystanders on the sidewalks. There was never a time where I wished I could speak fluent Greek than that day.

It is truly amazing to have class in the city we are learning about, especially when they involve taking weekend trips to see ancient temples on local islands like Aegina,(which is what we are doing this weekend). And after all is said and done nothing compares to being able to come home to a glowing monastery perched on top of the highest point in Athens as well as the Acropolis which can be seen from our rooftop before going to bed and starting all over again in the morning.

WOAHHH! It's a motorcycle...on the sidewalk!

2008-09-12T20:35:00.007+03:00

Hello Everyone!

So although I come from a city just outside Boston, nothing could prepare me for the experiences I would encounter in the HUMONGOUS city of Athens. I have to be honest and say that I was not prepared for this trip. I had little knowledge of the Greek language and of the history of Greece. I would reccomend that anyone coming here not be like me and make yourself aware of your future surroundings. My first week has had its ups and down but it's only made me more excited about the rest of my time in Greece. After getting off the plane, which I must say I greatly enjoyed (I would reccomend Swiss Air to anyone), we were picked up by seemingly harmless taxis. If I only knew ahead of time what I was getting into.

Drivers in Greece show little if any regard for pedestrians. Many times I have been walking on the sidewalk only to find myself come face to face with someone on a motorcylce or moped. The sounds of motorcycle will forever make me glance over my shoulder. Speaking of sidewalks, they can be very dangerous as well because of the high content of marble in them. I am sad to say I have already suffered one embarrassing fall. I have noticed that people in Greece always take their time and are more laid back than Americans. This must be why they are always in such a rush when they are driving, they have to make up for lost time. So they breeze through red lights, hop on the sidewalks and let the fact that there are people there slip their mind.

Back to the taxi ride. We crammed into our very fancy yellow Mercedes Benz taxi. While stopped at a light, I heard a little thud on the right side. A young man on a motorcycle had hit our taxi while trying to swerve through traffic. I watched our driver throw his shift into park and sprint out of the car after him using words that I was told never to repeat. Now this made me very nervous because at any moment the light was going to turn green and we would have to move but then again we had no driver. He jogged back and after turned the light he pulled over to where the young man was waiting and they had a few words. I thought I was about to witness a fight before the young man sped off and our driver came back to the car mumbling under his breath. Interesting experience, indeed. However, my taxi actually dropped us off at out apartment unlike some of my fellow students so I consider myself lucky.

I have never really been away from home so this has been a unique experience for me. Although our apartment is small, it is quite homey and my experience in it so far has been more than pleasant. It doesn't hurt that the view from our rooftop is spectacular with the Acropolis on my left and Lykavittos Hill on my right. Everyday I wake up and am anxious to find out what I can discover today. I start my morning with a large Gloria Jean's coffee (which after working at Dunkin Donuts for 3 years is the absolute best I have ever tasted) and any kind of pastry from Beneth Bakery just on the corner. No matter what I encounter through the day I know it will surely be an adventure.

If I had to sum up my first week in Athens, there would be a few things I would say. One, I won't say Greek people are bad drivers but I can't lie and say they are good either. Two, Greek people are extremely friendly, are willing to help you with the language barrier, and appreciate any attempts you make to speak Greek. Three, I would reccomend that everyone try to eat "Greek" and not be asking for directions to the nearest McDonald's! Greek food is yummy! Four, the Greek people are extremely well dressed. I thought I possessed a bit of style until I came to Greece and found out i was mistaken. Lastly, Athens is a beautiful city enrichced with history but at the same time is extremely modern. There is a ton of things to do here and I hope that I will get the chance to experience it all. Oh, and one last note. My favorite thing we did in the past week is visit a beach on the Ionian Sea! Life is Amazing.

(Ron checking out my model pose at the beach!)

First Impressions

2008-09-12T15:13:00.005+03:00

Let me start by saying that Athens has done nothing but amaze me from the second I stepped out of the airport and into the first taxi (which was an adventure in and of itself). The city is so fascinating for so many different reasons, and the initial shock and excitement of being here hasn’t worn off yet in the first week. There are so many people, and so many things to see and do; the lifestyle and culture is very different here in Athens. I think the thing that I have found impossible to get used to is the inability of one to get away from remnants of the ancient city. Everywhere you walk you run into historical sites or gorgeous monasteries.

Athenian people have proven to me to be very entertaining and interesting. People here are very different from people in New Hampshire. One example of this is the nonchalant qualities that I have noticed Greeks to possess. For instance, if you are at the bank in an average size line at home you may stand for a maximum of ten minutes, but in Athens it is not surprising to wait for 45 (something that we found out while waiting for Ron to exchange his money). People simply seem to take their time here.

Another difference between home in and Athens is the style and person appearance of everyday people. Here in Athens people are very stylish and dress to impress constantly. A typical U.S. wardrobe seems a bit under the scale of Athenian fashions.

Finally, one of my favorite parts about the people here is that they seem to never sleep. People are always out and about, even in the wee hours of the night and into the next morning. It is incredible, like the city never sleeps. People fill the streets and the constant flow of traffic does not deaden even at the most inactive time of night.

Traffic in this city is something that can’t be overlooked. It is crazy, and not just on the street. People here ride motorcycles on the sidewalks and down pathways. Walking seems a little risky no matter where you go. This may seem scary enough, but actually being in a vehicle on the roads is an even more daring adventure. Going back to my first taxi ride in the city, I can tell you that traffic laws are simply suggestions that most drivers aren’t willing to listen to. Red lights, for our cab driver, didn’t seem to exist, and he had us on the edge of our seats the whole way to what we thought was the apartment. It turns out, though, that he didn’t actually know where he was going and dropped off on a different street than we needed to be on. This was scary for us because we were separate from the group and in a foreign city, but we figured out how to get to where we needed as this became the first of what I think will be many more adventures here in Athens.

As far as my first impressions go, I have to say that this city is wonderfully crazy, seemingly endless, frustratingly confusing, mind-blowingly historic, and flat out incredible.

"Athentic" Impressions

2008-09-12T14:32:00.003+03:00

Coming to Greece has been, for me, a dream come true. From the second the plane descended last week over the hills of Athens, I knew that I wasn’t exactly in Rindge anymore. City life is something that I have experienced, although I was not exactly used to it. Even beginning with the taxi ride to the apartment from the airport, I knew things were different here. First, most of the cabs are Mercedes and ALL the vehicles here seem to have a blatant disregard for general road safety (just ask the group whose taxi was hit by a moped). Everything from the lines in the road, to the traffic lights seem to be mere suggestion. And let me tell you, pedestrians do NOT have the right of way here like in the states. Smart Cars seem to have no qualms about running you off the road while you’re minding your own business on the way to buy some olives.

Despite all this, Athens really is a fantastic city. There has always been something for me to do whether it be mosey around the national gardens, or sip on a Voltage cappuccino at Gloria Jean's Authentic Coffee (highly recommended next time you find yourself needing a caffeine fix while you’re in Athens).

The moment I realized that I was truly happy here occurred a few days ago. Me and some of my house-mates (I use the term house loosely I remind you), were on the balcony looking over the city and I wondered out loud if our roof had a terrace. Being the curious young academics that we are, we investigated to find out that indeed, it does. Being up there looking over the city lit up in its nightly glory was overwhelming. I looked to my left and saw the Acropolis, and to my right Lykavittos Hill both lit up and seemingly watching over the city. First impressions say a lot.

My first impression of Athens

2008-09-11T16:59:00.004+03:00

View from our balcony

When I first arrived in Athens, it was both overwhelming and exciting. As I viewed the city from the height of the airplane, I was captivated by its beauty. The first thing I noticed was the lack of green—everything appeared either brown and sandy or concrete. The water, however, was a shocking light blue, which I knew I’d like to explore right way.

I got off the airplane and had issues immediately trying to communicate with the employees at the airport and the taxi drivers. However, it was exciting, not frightening, and I have yet to feel unsafe. I was eager to begin to understand their language.

Riding to our new apartment, I was shocked by the wreckless, fast driving of our driver and the other vehicles. I was also surprised by the large number of motorcycles. Being from a small town, I knew I would have to adjust to city life, but I felt eager to try.

The first night here, we went out to dinner together, and it was apparent that the food here s very different—but very delicious! I felt tired afterwards, but went out to explore the city anyways. There seemed to be so much to do and see, I couldn’t wait until morning. I discovered that the people here are very friendly, especially to foreigners, and patient with our lack of knowledge of their language.

Since I’ve been here, I’ve been doing a lot of exploring, walking around, and wandering. I feel like I already know the areas around our apartment well, and have been impressed by the overall cleanliness of Athens and again by the friendliness of the people here. Most are willing, and often even enthusiastic, about sharing their knowledge of the Greek culture and showing us around the city. The biggest adjustment for me has been the weather; it’s extremely hot here, and I find I tire easier in the humid air. My favorite place to relax has become the National Gardens, where the air is much cooler and fresher than the rest of the city and it’s easy to find a shady tree to sit under.

In general, the first week of the trip has been a very positive and learning experience for me. I enjoy the food, and it’s very inexpensive at the market, which is only a few blocks away from our apartment. One negative aspect is the coffee: it’s delicious, but too expensive. The weather is beautiful, the people are beautiful, and the sites are beautiful. I hope to continue exploring new areas and learning more Greek during my stay here. I can’t see a semester in Athens being anything but fun, educational, and eye-opening!

2008-09-10T22:01:00.003+03:00

Athens has been a big adjustment for me. Its a big place and I am not used to big places. Never having lived in a city before the sheer size of Athens is simply overwhelming. The next thing that has been an adjustment is just how old the city is. One of the first days after we got here a group of us were walking around and saw ancient ruins. Ancient ruins impressive but what resonated with me the most was that one of the ones that we saw was basically the basement of a modern five story building. It is really fascinating to see things like that because they just do not exist in the states. Going around to sites like Hadrian's Arch and the Temple of Olympian Zeus was really awesome too because everyone has seen the pictures of these sites but until you see them in person you can not grasp just how impressive these structures are. They are so much bigger than they seem in pictures.
Probably the best advice I can give at this point about surviving Athens is that the people here are not very skilled at driving. The lines on the roads are more or less suggestions if people feel like following them. Motorbikes have the right of way everywhere, at all times including at stoplights and on the sidewalks just because they are there and do not care if anyone else is. It is strange having to share the sidewalks of all places with motor vehicles since that is not where they should be but they are.

Impressions

2008-09-10T19:29:00.000+03:00

Today, on a walk fueled by freddo (frozen) espresso, while stopped at a crosswalk, I saw a familiar sight: a bus built to resemble an old-timey train. The bus was filled with a species of mammal called tourists, known for their fanny packs, Michelin Guides, and a sharp ability to recognize the recognizable. While the bus took a swift turn, in what could only be called the "caboose,” a woman aimed her point-and-shoot at the Panathinaiko Stadium, the location of the 1896 Olympics, as if it were a skeet target.
The tourtrainbus is antithetical to what I hope to gain from our stay. Of course, the diatribe against the tourist culture is an easy one for the self-important student abroad, and I do not intend to go into that direction this afternoon. I realize how lucky I am to be able to read a book in the shadow of the Stadium rather than photograph it from a moving vehicle. Given the longer-term nature of my stay, my “first impression” of Athens has been most notable in the particulars. There is no sense of urgency in my experiences.
The city is orange, hazy, and loud. We live next to a six-lane road with a more-than-adequate number of motorcyclists with modified mufflers. It has been endlessly hot while we’ve been here. The heat doesn’t seem to come from the sun, but from the pavement itself, scorching first your shoes as the wave ascends and permeates your body; shade is made irrelevant by mid-morning.
The traffic marches with the force of the armies of Patton and Napoleon, stopping only to eat, and leaving the wounded to fend for themselves. One must cross the streets with caution, but also with confidence. Hesitation may be mistaken for weakness, and Darwin did not forget about Athens.
This is my snapshot.
Having not done the standard monument tour as a group yet, it has, I think, forced us to view our surroundings in a less-touristy manner, which has made it much easier to feel like a resident after only a week.
To the woman in the trainbus: skeet shooting did not become an Olympic sport until 1968.

Athens! Woooo!

2008-09-10T19:25:00.002+03:00

My first impression of Athens was - "wow!"

Athens is a very, very busy city. Over the past week I have become a city person (this would surprise all of my friends and family back home). I have gotten used to the traffic, the people,a nd the mass of motorcycles who drive everywhere (including the sidewalks).

It is wonderful to be able to walk to anything you need. Groceries and other shopping are very short distances from the apartment. There are restaurants and bars everywhere (yay for such an excellent drinking age!)

Yet, even in such a bustling city, we have found our sanctuary. The National Gardens, a short walk from both the apartments, is absolutely wonderful. We have spent hours wandering and still feel as though we haven't explored it all.

The "Eye Witness Guide Books", available at the bookstore are amazing. We have taken to roaming aimlessly, wherever we feel like, and have found some amazing locations. Then, when we feel as if we strayed to far, we pull out our book, check the streets on the map, and route our way home. Perfect. If we see a location that is interesting the book often has descriptions of it for us.

It is very hot here, but the people find a way to bare the heat and dress very nice. Almost everyone here somehow wears jeans. The woman dress very nice, always in fancy sandals or heels. There are also so many beautiful dresses.

My overall favorite part of Athens is the beautiful beaches. The tram only costs .80 Euro and after a 30th minute ride, it takes you to the ocean. Don't forget the breathtaking views surrounding the ocean.

It is wonderful, this has been and will continue to be the time of my life.