The Countdown Begins...

Today, we realized that this is everyone's last Thursday night in Rhodes. Even though I have two months left, half of us are leaving for spring break in a week (so excited!!!), Kate and Linnea leave Rhodes the fifth of May, and everyone else leaves the seventh. Only Macayla and I are staying the extra three weeks so we'll have to see what happens! It is pretty remarkable how fast this semester has already flown, though.

When in Rome...

Or not. So, the way hostels work, for those of you who are unaware (since nobody really reads this, I'm not sure who that includes, but whatever), is interesting. The cheapest option is generally pretty simple: they have large rooms with 6-10 beds and you book a single bed. The other beds can be filled by whoever else books a bed, so you are generally rooming with random people. It makes for a social experience! Anyway, since we booked so late, we were completely split up and two of us had to be in a room alone. Since I was open to a new social scene, I jumped at the opportunity. After all, that's part of the fun of traveling! 

When I went into the room and met my new roommates, I got pretty excited. It was an all girls room and there was one girl from California studying abroad in Cannes and traveling alone for her spring break (Lindsey) and two 24 year old women from Argentina just traveling (Lede and Katalina). They were cool and the Argentinians spoke very good English. Long story short, they invited me out and, since I had a single night in Rome and wanted to explore more, I accepted! We looked at a map and Lindsey consulted her Traveler's Guide to Italy to find some good spots and headed out!

Our first stop: An Irish pub in Rome called The Fiddler's Elbow:

We wound up staying there for quite some time, bantering and hanging out. There was a definite language barrier; another three Argentinians who did not speak English had come with us, so that definitely made things more interesting. We had French, English, and Spanish flying around. One of the greatest challenges was when one of the girls asked me about Obama! Discussing politics was difficult but definitely a welcome challenge. After a couple hours, we decided to head to the next bar.

Or at least, that was the plan. We couldn't actually find the next bar, but we did find the Colosseum! It's all lit up at night and so beautiful. Lindsey suggested sneaking in - according to her book, it's really easy - but one of the other girls pointed out that security had increased exponentially over the last couple of years and it was no longer feasible. Shame. We still had a great time and got gelato, which means I achieved my goal of Italian gelato each night in Italy. Success! 


We headed back around 3 and I crashed for an hour before getting up to catch our flight. My night out was definitely worth not sleeping. I met some fascinating people and felt like I experienced Rome more than the girls who slept. It is a night I am unlikely to forget and a wonderful way to end my Italy trip. So, here's to hoping for similar nights on spring break and later in life! 

The Pantheon, Trevi Fountain, and the Spanish Steps

The Pantheon
Our first stop was the Pantheon. Once upon a time, the Pantheon was one of the largest Roman temples dedicated to the Roman gods. However, the original Pantheon burnt down and it is now, like so many other temples, is now a Christian temple. It also houses the tomb of Raphael, and has the largest unsupported concrete dome in the world! I definitely enjoyed seeing the exterior more than the interior - though the Pantheon is decorated beautifully - and definitely glad I made it there.

The Trevi Fountain
We finally made it to the Trevi Fountain, which was the spot most of the girls wanted to hit the most. Aside from being beautiful, it was definitely a relaxing break after a fairly stressful day. We threw coins in (of course) and hung out taking pictures for a while. I dipped my hands in the water; it was chilly! After a bit, we strolled over to our next and final destination: the Spanish Steps.

The Spanish Steps
At this point,  I am not embarrassed to admit that I had no desire to  climb the famed Spanish steps. In addition to being absolutely packed with people, as you can see, all the walking of the last few days in my boots had done a number on my feet. Seriously, it was pretty brutal. Instead, I sat near the bottom with a few of the other girls and people watched. There was a group giving out free hugs! We asked them why, but they wouldn't tell us. I didn't get a hug, though I strongly considered it! 


So, after a single day in Rome, we all headed out to our final Italian dinner and back to the hostel of a night of much needed sleep...

Colosseum

We made it to the Colosseum! And we only had to take a bus to the end of the line and wait for it to turn around (we had some difficulties...). The Colosseum was mostly what was expected: a giant stadium in remarkably good condition near the Roman Forum and the historical center of the city. Unfortunately, due to the painfully expensive Vatican tour and the general lack of interest in ancient Roman history, nobody else wanted to go inside. As I didn't want to make everyone wait (and was reluctant to spend an additional €12), I didn't to go in, which was a pretty big disappointment. We hung out for a bit, walked around, and headed on. The next desired stop was the Trevi Fountain, but I mentioned that I wanted to go to the Pantheon. Since I couldn't go by myself, of course, (don't forget how unsafe Rome is!), we all headed over to see it. 

Country #3: The Holy See

Interesting Fact: I can, in fact, cross the threshold of the center of the Catholic Church. Who knew?

So after a late start, we finally headed to the Vatican. I admit to feeling slightly anxious as I stared at St. Peter's Cathdral; most centers of worship make me very uncomfortable. However, I was quickly distracted by a persistent tour guide offering us a tour. While accepting this type of tour is generally not advisable, since we had gotten a late start, we were anxious to skip the lines. So we accepted the overpriced tour and were on our way (after a mere 30 minute wait...). My anxiety quickly evaporated once we were inside; far from seeming like the imposing, terrifying, center of one of the most influential and, arguably, oppressive institutions in the world, the Vatican - or at least what we saw of it - is more like an elaborate art museum. We toured the most important galleries and it was clear that the tour guide had been a good idea; otherwise, we likely would have had no idea what we were looking at (or at least less of an idea)! What really surprised me was how many works from Greco-Roman times there were. I mean, I understand the implications of having works from everywhere and everyone in terms of power and status and such, but there was so much pagan art. It seemed ironic to be walking through the room of the Muses and seeing statues of Apollo everywhere. Ah, well. 

Laocoon and the Serpents, based on the scene in the Iliad

Of course, the main attraction of the Vatican is the Sistine Chapel. The fact that a single man, even a man as brilliant as Michelangelo, could have painted the entire ceiling in addition to The Last Judgement was mind boggling. The room was beautiful, of course, but no pictures allowed! Before you start thinking "well, that's reasonable, pictures can negatively affect the priceless works of art," that is not the reason no pictures are allowed. The Vatican owns the reproduction rights to the artwork in the Sistine Chapel so...no other photography is allowed. Thanks, Catholic Church.

The full tour took almost four hours so once we got out (slight delay due to an unfortunate separation and miscommunication), we hopped on a bus immediately and went to our next stop: the Colosseum! 

Minor Setbacks in Rome

The good news: we made it on our 5:50 am train and arrived at Termini just after 8:00, giving us the entire day to see Rome.

The bad news: when we got to Termini, we were told that the airport is not, in fact, open all night. [I will now take this opportunity to point out that, yesterday, I had said this may be an issue and was condescendingly and completely shut down. I was, understandably, a little peeved.] 

The result of this issue was that we had to spend over an hour making a new plan. I floated the idea of going out and staying out all night until our bus from Termini to the airport left, but was, again, shut down. Rome has a bit of a reputation for not being the safest city, you see, and apparently the idea of nine girls sitting in a pub was too risky. So, instead, we found and booked a €25 hostel for the night. With that finally taken care of, we headed out! First stop: the Vatican!

Firenze!

We woke up the next morning pretty early; the plan was to be ready to go by 9 am. And we were! Except for Linnea, of course. By the time we were all ready, she hadn't even gotten in the shower yet. But we finally got out and headed to the Galleria dell'Accademia to see Michelangelo's David. The statue is, as expected, beautiful. A surprise highlight, though, was the Museum of Music, a small gallery attached to the Gallery, where a variety of instruments and the world's oldest upright piano! Pretty awesome. We took our time in the Gallery, as some of the girls weren't feeling well and there was a lot to see, but we headed out and towards the Cathedral de Santa Maria and the Florence Duomo. The Cathedral is massive and incredibly ornate  (not to mention a few stops from the hostel!):


                           

While walking around the square, we looked around and noticed Linnea was missing. Surprise, surprise. Our phones didn't work in Italy and the square was packed so we didn't see the point in searching for her; we could look for hours and never find her. As a result, we decided that, since she is a 23 year old woman, she would be fine and either eventually find us or meet us later. And, so, we headed up! 463 stairs up narrow hallways and curving stairwells and we finally reached the top! The views were beautiful and completely worth the claustrophobia of the climb:

When we exited the Cathedral, we saw Linnea sitting at the bottom waiting. After some unnecessary yelling and tears which we mostly ignored (does the girl ever stop crying?), we moved on.

After the Duomo, we headed over to the Piazza del Michelangelo, a large plateau that overlooks the city. The walk was equally strenuous and it was outdoors so the sun made it even more difficult. However, eventually we made it! I actually liked this view better; you can see the river (ignore the unpleasant color) and the Cathedral. 

After a long day of walking, we spent the rest of the afternoon shopping. The most exciting moment? Laurel got wedding shoes! (by the way, Laurel is my friend on the trip who is engaged!) They're "dusty rose" with a slight heel. Very cute, very Laurel. We also explored the open-air markets and practiced our bargaining skills. We finished the night with another delicious Italian meal, though this time I got the most incredible gnocci for dinner. We headed back early for bed because we had to be up at 4:30 am to catch our train to Roma!

First Night in Florence

After landing at Ciampino, we hopped on a bus to Termini, Rome's largest train station, so we could catch our train to Florence! Termini is huge and we had a bit of difficulty finding the right platform, but we got on with time to spare (though the others were panicking a bit!). The train was great- only a few hours and beautiful countryside the whole way. Italy is very, very green. 


We arrived in Florence that evening and checked into our hostel, B&B Maison. It was definitely nice; I was in a room of six and the other three girls were also in a room of six with three others. One of the first things we did was cancel our hostel in Rome. Our flight was an 8 am flight and it made more sense to simply either stay out all night or head to the airport super early and wait it out there. After the cancellation, we dropped off our stuff and headed out to eat. Our first night of Italian food was delicious. Mmmmm, pizza. The waiter was very friendly and they even cooked my pizza in the shape of a heart: 

After dinner, we headed out! We met up with Elana, Anne Marie's friend studying abroad in Florence, and a few of her friends. After a bit of wandering, we found a bar and hung out for a while. Interesting fact about Florence? It's one of the top study abroad spots in the world. As a result, it's full of Americans and the bar we went to reflected that; there wasn't a single non-American to be seen. Jen got a little crazy and the night got a little late so Ricki, Laurel, and I headed out early and got our first cup of Italian gelato! Chocolate and strawberry was such a good call.

First Ryanair Flight

  

Ryanair is one of the cheapest carriers in Europe which makes it perfect for students looking to travel! Our entire round trip flight cost a mere €28. Flying Ryanair is actually a pretty cool experience, although there were ads everywhere and they charged for everything - even a bottle of water - on the flight. To begin with, there is no assigned seating so, when the gate opens, everyone just sort of bolts to the plane. The best part was that I got a window seat on both flights. The views from the plane were spectacular, although I unfortunately slept through most of it. I did, however, wake up in time to see the Italian Alps. So beautiful:

32 Feet of Freefall

Ever since getting to Rhodes, I have wanted to jump of the 10 m diving board into the Mediterranean. The other day, it finally happened. It was terrifying, exhilarating, and a bit painful (lesson learned: blow out of your nose so water doesn't shoot up it!). I jumped another two times and am looking forward to months of repeated jumps! 

Hiking Up to Mussolini's Summer Home

Each semester, Eleni takes her Greek Environment class on a field trip. Since the classes are so small, she invited the Global EcoPolitics to tag along. The trip was an hour/hour and a half hike up the Profitis Ilias, a large mountain on the island. The hike was brutal, especially since I'm not exactly known for either my athleticism or my water drinking abilities, but the view was spectacular:

Plus, we got to see goats! Near the top, we came to a clearing with a tiny monastery. The only way to reach it is to climb up (or down), so the monastery isn't particularly active, but it's definitely a great picnic spot.

The monastery was a mere 10 minute walk from the top of the mountain, where we came to the house built for the staff of what was going to be Mussolini's summer home after he won World War II. It was my second time being here and the building was equally beautiful. No free yogurt and walnuts this time, though! The downside of not traveling with Elias...

The main difference between this trip up the Prof. Ilias and the last (aside from mode of transportation: hike v. car) was that this time, we actually made it to Mussolini's actual summer house. It was a short walk from the staff house and pretty incredible...or at least it would have been if it had been maintained better. Instead, the house has been allowed to fall into ruin. All the windows are shattered, the walls are covered in graffiti, and the ceilings look like they are about to cave in. Walking around the abandoned building is definitely a safety hazard (never be allowed in the States!), and a spooky one at that. Still very cool, though.

A Greek St. Patrick's Day

This is what the Greeks know about St. Patrick's Day: absolutely nothing. What we thought (assumed?) was an international holiday is, in fact, pretty much just an America phenomena. I've never been big on St. Patty's; last year, I had a Arabic project due the next day so that was how I celebrated. However, the rest of the group was gung-ho: we had to party. We managed to find the single Irish bar on the island. It was called Kelly's and it was a 20 minute drive, so we piled into Kostas' car. I learned a few things that night...

1. 9 girls and a driver can, in fact, fit in a car meant to seat 5 (the trick is two in the front seat and two in the trunk)
2. Karaoke never gets old (even if you're not the one singing. Especially if you're not the one singing)
3. If you're an American on a Greek island, you will run into other Americans at an Irish pub on St. Patty's even if it's the middle of nowhere (we ran into other study abroad students who were on vacation!)

An unusual, but pretty great night. Plus, I got to have Strongbow for the first time since being in Brighton. 

Mmmmmm <3:

I Almost Forgot!

While walking around the hills, Spiros also took us to this incredible church carved right out of the rock. Inside, it was a single room covered in gold-work and other pieces of art. There was a gnarled tree outside that resembled a dragon (with some imagination!). It was a beautiful, peaceful place.

Mythology at the Temple of Apollo

Today, Spiros decided to hold our mythology class at the Acropolis in Rhodes Town. The acropolis is situated (as expected) on top of a hill and overlooks the whole town. We walked around the entire complex and the accompanying museum. Spiros talked about the mythology associated with Rhodes (strong association with both Apollo and Helios). It was definitely cool to discuss Apollo while sitting near his actual temple; far better than learning in a classroom. After, we walked around the hilltops and were able to get great views of the Town from above:

This is where I live. So ridiculous. Also, can you find my hotel? (I'll give you a hint: it's the one with the pink circle around it). Oh, side note? I recently discovered that the northwestern side of the island borders the Aegean Sea and the Southeastern part of the island borders the Mediterranean Sea. How cool is that?! Overall, it was a great walk and a pretty awesome class!

Bye Hair!

So, I finally got a haircut, many months overdue. Linnea cut it for me. It doesn't quite show in the picture how short it is, but suffice to say there are between 4 and 5 inches gone. It's the shortest my hair has been since sophomore year of high school. It's going to take some getting used to.


Update [4/4/2011]: I am now used to it! I like it and think I will keep it shorter. 

Class? Homework? What?!

Greece is laid-back. That's a given. However, our academics take "laid-back" to such a new level that I find myself craving more work. At least most of the time. This week was a bit different. We had a Greek quiz right after Elias left, so studying was required (it was easy, but still). And I have a mid-term in Global EcoPolitics tomorrow. And a decent amount of homework. What? It's all very confusing. 


Of course, ceramics was cancelled today, so that provided at least a semblance of normality.


P.S. Yes, classes being cancelled is what constitutes "normal" in my current schedule.

Seeing Santorini

Ahh, Santorini. Considered one of the most beautiful places in the world by many, and with good reason. Pictured above are two of the more well-known cities on the island of Thira, part of the group of islands that make up Santorini. The first and the third are Oia and the other two are Fira. Oia is best known, at least to this particular group, as the setting of Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants. Of course, I couldn't care less about that movie, but I appreciated the scenery nonetheless. 

Day One

We went to Santorini without a plan, though we had pre-booked a hostel. The hostel was fairly nice, albeit a 25 minute walk into town. The first day, we walked around Thira and eventually made our way to the top of a mountain from where we were able to see the entire city. We found out that, because it was off-season, almost nothing was open which was unfortunate. However, Linnea and I decided to wander into a travel agency and ask if they were running anything. They were not, but one of the agents agreed to try and set something up since we were a group. The result? A specially booked boat tour of the nearby volcano and hot springs for Sunday.

Having been told that Santorini is known for some of the best wine in Greece, we naturally wanted to go to the wine museum. We were able to catch a quick bus that took us to the museum in Kamari. It was pretty cool and the accompanying tasting was excellent; I fell in love with a bottle of dessert wine, though our love was doomed to end in failure (it was seriously expensive!). Some of the girls got bottles, though, and we (they) drank them in the parking lot while we waited for the bus. Classy as always.

After the wine museum, we headed up to Oia. It was beautiful and we were all excited to watch the sunset. Apparently, it's a can't miss. Unfortunately, miss it we did. The last bus left at 6:20 and, afraid of missing it and being stranded, we skipped the sunset to get to the stop. The irony? We could have stayed, the bus was just late enough that we could have seen the entire thing. However, we did see a fragment between a few buildings and it was, indeed, beautiful.

We headed back to Thira and grabbed dinner at Mama's Place, a small Italian joint which was delicious. Drinks after, and the walk back to the hostel completed a pretty spectacular day.

Day Two

We woke up early again and headed out. We headed back up to the top of Thira after grabbing a great breakfast from a Cretan bakery we passed. Delicious and cheap! Thira was still beautiful and we shopped for souvenirs and hung out taking pictures until it was time for our cable car ride down to the port for the boat trip!

The cable car was quick! It took mere minutes to get all the way down to sea-level. We were trying to find our boatman when we were approached by a man with donkeys! Donkey riding is big in Santorini, you see, and something we had really wanted to do. However, previous inquiries had proven disappointing: almost everything was closed for the season and the only open rides were 20 Euro, an enormous rip-off. However, this man offered to meet us after the boat and let us ride donkeys back up the mountain for the standard 5 Euro. Good stuff.

We got on the boat and headed to the volcano. The volcano was strange, beautiful, and completely unlike any landscape I had ever seen. Black rock covered the land, but so did newly growing flowers which made for a gorgeous contrast.

We didn't quite make it to the crater, for a variety of reasons, but just seeing the land was definitely a treat.

After we were done with the volcano, we got back onto the boat and sailed around the volcano to the smaller island where the hot springs are. Now, "hot springs" are a bit of a misnomer. Because it's off-season (this affects EVERYTHING!), they were really more like luke-warm springs. And they're rather muddy. But getting to jump in the Aegean and swim to them and just play in the water was fantastic, albeit cold. We later stopped at a clearer spot for more swimming, but I was the only one who went in! Everyone else was too cold, I think. They missed out; I had a blast. Word of warning though? Flipping in the water with sunglasses is not a good idea. Whoops.

The boat finally took us back to Thira and we chilled by the water for a while, drinking beer. I still don't like beer, but it just felt like that kind of moment. Plus, Mythos (one of Greece's most famous beers) really isn't that bad! After a bit, our donkey man found us and we got to ride donkeys up the hill! It was a blast and a new experience. However, the donkeys were a bit sweaty and tired after a long day, so pity tainted the experience a bit. 

After the donkey ride, we stayed on top of Fira watching the sun set. It wasn't quite Oia, but it was still spectacular. A delicious dinner followed at a restaurant that is "rated #1 on tripadvisory.com" according to the owner. He loved us, though! We got free wine, dessert, and a limoncello shot accompanying our already delicious meal. A total success. 

After dinner, we headed back to the hostel, where they drove us down to the ferry. We had to wait in a freezing (3-pairs-of-pants-freezing) waiting lounge for about 5 hours until the ferry actually got there, but get there it did. And thus ended our weekend in Santorini: a success by anyone's standards!

A Vacation from a vacation

If you ever feel inclined to travel between the Greek islands, there is something you need to know about the ferries: they are incredible. Couches, chairs, restaurants, shops, and cabins are only a few of the amenities on board. Think one small step below a cruise ship. Anyway, we took one of these ferries to get to Santorini! The ride is 7 hours (5 pm - midnight) and altogether fairly comfy. I didn't get seasick for once, which was awesome. Another thing to note about the ferries though? They don't let you sleep. Probably for business reasons (you should buy a cabin!), but it was still rude. On the way back, we left Santorini at 1:40 am so we all passed out pretty quickly. The boat staff came around and woke us up. I was lucky though...I slept under a table so they didn't see me. Sneaky, sneaky!

Greek Class

I have learned the worst way to learn a language. Ingredients:

1. A notoriously difficult language with an entirely new alphabet
2. A teacher who is across the ocean for all except one week of the semester
3. An incompetent TA who waits for the teacher to return and does not do any teaching

Mix together and blend well. The result? Trying to cram Greek 101 into the single week that Elias was here. We covered 9 chapters in 4 days, similar to when we covered the first 4 before he left us in Rhodes. Meanwhile, we have learned almost nothing in our other sessions and, because we moved so fast with Elias, I was unable to retain any of the information. Mildly frustrating.

The Return of Elias

With the return of Elias, the study tour was back on! For two days, we toured the island. We took a couple of cars (students drove, another example of excellent organization) and went all over the place.


We started in Lindos, a town near the water where the buildings are all white. We walked up to the acropolis which was actually closed, but we got to get up to the base. The acropolis (dedicated to Athena) was actually really cool; it was an old fortress and still very well preserved. Plus, there were great views of the beach from the top. Because it was still Carnivale, after the acropolis we stayed in town for a bit to watch the celebration. The highlight? Seeing a performance parodying the Greek gods. The premise was that the gods were broke and needed an IMF loan. I laughed (eventually. I had to find somebody to translate first).


The celebration continued in Soroni. We saw a parade, which everyone thought was really cool (I didn't, but after Mardi Gras, no parade will ever be as impressive...) and hung out for a while. Good times and a pretty sweet day.


Other places we hit: Kristina, where we saw an ancient fortress and incredible views (what's new?); Kamiros, the ruins of the most ancient city on Rhodes and one of the most powerful cities in the ancient world; a winery in Ebona where we got to do a wine tasting which was a lot of fun (I learned that I like dry whites and sweet reds!); Kalithea, the gorgeous tourist hot-spot known for its SCUBA diving; the 7 Springs, which was a lot of fun to play around in and really gorgeous...peacocks roamed freely!; and Mussolini's summer home, which is now a hotel. Ironic.


We were able to squeeze all this into two days, and it was wonderful to be able to see more of the island. Oh! I forgot about the Honey Museum, which showcases how honey is made and gathered and comes complete with a hive to visit and an extensive giftshop. Rhodes is actually known for its honey, and for good reason. We were able to sample a bunch of different kinds of honey... I liked orange the best. Yum.

Roxanni's Birthday

Yesterday was Roxy's 21st birthday. Truly a momentous occasion...although the rest of the country didn't seem to agree. We went out for tapas, all 22 of us, the first time we had done anything as an entire group  since Elias left. It was delicious, for the most part. Even the octopus was okay! Yes, I tried octopus. No, I did not particularly like it, but I definitely think I deserve points for trying.

First Swim of the Season!

Today I went swimming in...either the Aegean or the Mediterranean. I learned the other day that Rhodes straddles the barrier between the Aegean and the Mediterranean and I'm not 100% sure where the line is. But it was pretty great. I went around noon and it was a little windy, but still lovely. I originally just tried to go wading, but the waves were really high! They splashed up so much that I got soaked, so I gave up and just went all the way in. It was pretty spectacular; I forgot how much I love the water. Definitely going to start going more!

Also, can't wait to make use of the 30 ft diving board in the water!

Carnivale: Greek Village Style

It's the season for Carnivale! It's hard not to think of Mardi Gras and what I am missing at home this time of year. However, I still maintain that missing New Orleans Mardi Gras is worth it a thousand times over to be in Greece. Anyway, Carnivale season here is a bit different. Think...fewer beads, more cook-outs. Fewer drunks, more kids. We went to a celebration in a small village near Soroni. Despite less than ideal weather (what's new?), it was a lot of fun. Everyone was dressed up and the entire village (tiny!) was gathered in the center of...well, the villlage. The childern in costumes were adorable. And the dancing! So much dancing. I did not join in, but most of the other girls did. It was refreshingly traditional and a great way to spend the day.






Plus, I got a free lollipop AND got to wear a mask!:

Soroni!

It's hard to talk about needing or wanting a weekend away when your entire life seems like a vacation. Be that as it may, getting away was what we all needed. And, so, we went to Soroni, a small village 40 minutes away from Rhodes Town. We stayed in apartments owned by Elias and his family for the night. Saturday was passed with...well, hours of flip-cup and ruit, really. Good times were had by all. 


In the spirit of Carnivale, we grilled for dinner. Burgers, souvlaki, and pork things that I don't eat (shocking!). Yum. 

Walking Over the Moat

No, that's not just an expression. Most of the bars and nightlife in pre-tourist season Rhodes are in the Old Town of the city. To get to Old Town, you literally must cross over the medieval moat. Very cool. 


The bars themselves are beautiful. The buildings in Old Town (the facades, at least) are all either original or restored stonework from 1309, before the Turkish invasion, so it's a far cry from the Boot. However, the bar culture is interesting. Loud music, open spaces, drinks, but no dancing. The point in the music being so loud you cannot think if there is no dancing? Not quite sure. Going out is a blast, though...partially because we've given up on not being the tacky Americans and dance anyway. Worth it? Yes.

Home aka the Semiramis

Living in a hotel is interesting, for sure.
Pros:
  ~ My bed gets made every day
  ~ Always somebody around to ask directions
  ~ Delicious hotel food
Cons:
  ~ Lack of fridge space!
  ~ ...yeah, that's all I got.


It's hard not to love living in a hotel and, as much as other people complain (yes, there are complaints!), I love the Semiramis. 

The Dragon and the Cat

To say the classes are stressful would be…well, honestly, it would be a blatant lie. The most stressful class by far is probably ceramics. Twice a week for anywhere from 3-4 hours at a time? Ouch. But, I made a dragon oil-lamp and a cat so far (it's cooler in person, I swear!). Getting to be 20 years old and play with clay is pretty excellent. Oh, and it will eventually breathe fire out of its nose, post-glazing. 

And, in all honesty, while the other classes certainly are not difficult, they are definitely interesting. Which is good.

Rodos!

WELCOME TO RODOS, RHODES!

First impressions: beachBeachBEACH! We are staying in the Semiramis Hotel, which is a whopping 70 meters from said beach. The Hotel is lovely, as is my roommate, Anne Marie. The weather isn’t nearly as warm as expected, but there is sun and no snow! So all is well.

Second impressions: Rhodes is confusing. The first full day there, Anne Marie and I got lost for almost two hours. The streets don’t make sense, there are no street signs, and the locals seem to all point in different directions (though they all speak English). The irony? Turns out we were about 6 minutes from the hotel the entire time, just walking in circles. Oops.

The Study Tour

To say the study tour was exhausting would be the understatement of the still-new millennium. We covered roughly 16 cities in less than 7 days; museums, ruins, and archaeological sites became the norm. Also the norm? Hours-long bus rides, not knowing where we were going, not eating for hours, a different hotel every night, and living on “Greek time” (read: flexible). Though it was sometimes frustrating, it was an incredible experience. Also, I used the words “incredible” and “unbelievable” so frequently that people started making fun of me. Whoops! Anyway, here’s a list of places and significance. 

• Nemea: Site of one of the Pan-Hellenic games which were held every four years (alternating with the Pythian games at Delphi, the Olympic Games at Olympia, and the Iphistos games). We saw a Temple to Zeus Meliachios and the stadium. 
• Mycenae: The ruins of Mycenae, one of the capital sites of Classical Greece renowned for its incredible wealth, were spectacular. In addition to stunning views, the ruins were one of the few sites where very little was blocked off. In other words, we got to walk through the Palace of Agamemnon, see the walls, and, in my case, play in the ancient ruins. Epic.
• Epidauros: Though we didn’t see the Temple of Asklepios, god of Healing, we did get to sit in the most well-preserved theater in Greece. Sitting on the top row, you could literally hear a penny drop; seriously, we tried. Also tried? Singing the national anthem. Always embarrassing when a group of Americans doesn’t know the words to their own anthem…
• Nafplion: We didn’t stop in this seaside town for long, only long enough to grab a meal. However, the view was lovely and we could see a large fortress looming ominously above us. Great effect. 
• Olympia: It’s hard to express my awe at Olympia. The site is covered in ruins, by far the most extensive of what we had seen so far. The ruins of the Temple of Zeus are the intended high point, but what fascinated me more was the house where Phidias worked to create some of his masterpieces. Also high points: the ancient stadium and the statues of Kleobis and Biton (one of my favorite stories!) in the museum.
• Nafpaktos: Ahhh, Nafpaktos. We didn’t actually stop here, just drove through. The most notable part of this town was the story Elias told us while driving through about how he met and courted his wife. Very cute. He did pause long enough to point out the fisheries we were driving by, though!
• Delphi (town): Ohh, Delphi. My favorite stop by far. We stayed in a small hotel in the town for the night which was beautiful. The town is situated right on Mt. Parnassus and the views are spectacular. Delphi also marked the first night we went out! The town was dead, but there was a small bar. It was great to just hang out and decompress a bit. Plus, we all got free shots. 
• Delphi (site): The next day, we originally weren’t going to be able to climb up to the sanctuary itself because it was…well, it was snowing. Apparently, snow is almost unheard of. But, thankfully, it let up and we were able to go up! The site was incredible. Seeing where the oracle sat, where the Athenians kept their treasury as a demonstration of power, where the very spot the Greeks had believed the center of the universe was…no words. Well, clearly a lot of words, but none nearly eloquent enough to describe what being there was truly like. Delphi was not only my favorite place in Greece, but one of my favorite places in the world. I only wish I had better pictures.

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• Arahova: Back on the bus. We did not stop in Arahova, a small ski-resort town, but the drive through was great. The town was very cute and who wouldn’t want to ski down Mt. Parnassus? Definitely an eventual goal. 
• Chaironea: No longer even a real town, Chaironea is primarily famous for being the birthplace of Plutarch. A quick stop, complete with a quick video and a quick museum was all the stop was, but it’s always inspiring to walk the same grounds as one of the most famous/well-regarded/influential historians of all time.
• Thermopylae: The memorial built for the battle that most people know from the movie 300 is fairly awe-inspiring. That’s really all this site was, but we were treated to an in-depth telling of the history, once again, courtesy of Elias. 
• Aiani: Not much to tell. Small archaeological site, near Dion, where we spent the night and went to a small museum. 
• Meteora: The monasteries at Meteora are world-famous and, as I found out, for good reason. The monasteries themselves are incredible, beautiful works of architecture. But what is far more impressive is the natural beauty; the cliffs on which the monasteries are built are truly remarkable. 
• Kozani: The ancient heart of Macedonia, we stopped here briefly. Not too much to tell. The only event worth noting in Vergina was the museum dedicated to Alexander the Great. The museum itself isn’t even really worth noting, except that they opened it especially for us. They also gave us juiceboxes while we watched a movie on Alexander. Some people thought it was juvenile. I thought it was excellent (and delicious!). 
• Vergina: Vergina is home to arguably the coolest museum in the world. Completely underground, the museum displays the tombs of Phillip II and other members of the royal family along with all the treasures buried with them. 
• Thessaloníki: The final stop on the study tour. A true city, compared by some to NYC (though I don’t agree, it’s way too European) and a great way to end. We dropped off the kids who were staying there for the semester at their apartments and explored for a while. For the first time, we had hours of free time to decompress and did just that. As great as it was, it was hard to be too sad about leaving. After all, next stop: RODOS!

Welcome to Athens!

So, despite my best efforts, I caved to the idea of blogging my semester in Greece. Though I’m still not fond of the idea, it’s probably the best way to document my trip both for myself and for others (i.e. parents). So, here goes my first post!
Our flight landed in Athens around 10 am. Assuming we were going to get a few hours to nap and relax was a mistake. We immediately started site-seeing. Traveling in a pack of 32 was a bit of a challenge, especially when we started being followed by dogs. Seriously, they would wait outside stores for us to come out. Both adorable and annoying (one kept biting people who walked by! Oops).
Over the next two days, we saw several museums, the Agora, the Acropolis (and Parthenon, of course) and more. Not gonna lie, not a huge fan of Athens as it turns out. However, seeing the sites was incredible and the views from the Acropolis were beautiful. Next stop: the rest of Greece!