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!