A sprained toe won't ruin my trip!

(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

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

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

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.

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 :)

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.

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!

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

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!

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!)