A little stop in Athens

Sam and I watching the sunset at Santorini :)

We've had a full day of Athens today! This morning we had lecture from 9-12:30...it was brutal. We talked about the Mycenaeans because we're traveling to the Peloponnese next week. It was interesting but we were sitting there for so long, it got old quick.

We had a break after lunch until 3:30 until we went to the National Archeological Museum...again...everything we saw today we had already talked about in our last class. But we had fun taking candid shots of everyone in our class.

While we were in the museum it started raining and because it's Greece, the stairs are made of marble which makes a slippery combination. Sam had flipflops on and her feet slipped out from under her and she landed right on her tailbone. I didn't see her until she was already on the ground but I already knew something was wrong. She was just sitting there looking like she was in so much pain.

Some people crowded around trying to help her and I called the professor over. She was sitting there one second and the next her eyes closed and she just fell limp like a sack of potatoes, then she started shaking.She didn't have a seizure but she went into shock for a little bit. It only lasted about five seconds but it really freaked me out.

Poor thing. We helped her up very slowly and brought her inside and she propped herself up on the bench inside. She looked so unbelieveably pale even though we have been in Greece all summer. I've always heard in books and stuff "she looked as pale as a ghost", "all the blodd drained from her face" and I never knew what they meant. Today I did. All the blood was out of her lips and they were a whitish-green color. Her face was significantly paler than the rest of her body.

Our professor called us a cab and we took her back to CYA. They talked with her a bit and she was very adament she didn't want to go to the hospital. They felt she was well enough to go home so we just took her home, gave her an icepack and some advil and now she's just resting. I feel so terrible for her, I would be so scared and I know she's in so much pain. I just hope she feels better soon!

Anita, Katie and I had made plans to go see Eclipse, the new twilight movie, in the outdoor theatre tonight and we weren't going to go but Sam is insisting. Andrew is coming over later to keep Justine and Sam company. I'm really excited to see the movie but I just feel terrible for Sam!

Keep her in your thoughts and prayers!

Santorini Day 2

Back home in Athens after such a wonderful week of traveling! Feels good to be home.

Last night we went into Thira to watch the sunset. It was so beautiful. There were so many people there which sort of killed the mood but it was still incredible. We had a sunset photo shoot up at the top of the city and I don't think I've ever laughed so much. It was so fun. We made friends with a Danish couple and took turns taking pictures of each other. The view was fantastic, I'm pretty sure I've actually seen where they take postcard pictures!

We went to dinner after the sunset and it was so delicous. We split fried zucchini balls and spicy cheese dip and I got the meatballs which are so better here! We finished watching the sunset as we were eating and continued laughing through the night. When we got back to the hostel we did a little night swimming before turning in.

This morning we got up and ate breakfast overlooking the view again before heading into town to walk around and do some shopping. It was SO crowded. Two cruise ships made stops in Santorini today so unfortunately the crowds were brutal. It's so strange living the life of a tourist here even though I've been here almost 6 weeks. Slightly annoying but a fun experience.

We had gyros and then headed back to the hotel to lay by the pool until it was time to leave for the port. Stavros, the ownder of the hotel drove us to the port and even kissed us on the cheek before dropping us off! He is so sweet, he went out of his way to help us many times. We hung out at the port for an hour or so and then boarded the ferry. It was about five hours but I read the whole time so it flew by. We had to take a taxi from the port because the metro workers decided it was time for another strike. The museum we were supposed to see and write a paper on was closed because they were on strike. So that worked out great. These Greeks never want to work.

Class tomorrow!

Santorini Day!

Today we did everything I’ve ever wanted to do in Greece. It was seriously like living a dream, a dream shared with four girls who mean show much to me, it could not have been any better.
Yesterday the ferry ride was actually quite enjoyable. Of course it involved wine and talking, two of our favorite pastimes in Greece. I cannot believe that we can still find things to talk about after being together almost every minute for the past week. We just click so well, I really love them. The ride took about four hours but it just flew by because of the great conversation we were having and the laughs we shared. We get off the ferry and immediately find a van that says “Stavros Villas” on the side, our hostel! We run up to it and Stavros himself greets us and helps us with our bags. He is the typical Greek man: big, loud, and overly affectionate. We ask for music so we’re blasting it with the windows down driving along the Santorin coastline. After we get settled in our rooms, probably the nicest so far, he offers to drive us to a restaurant! We get food and hang out at the restaurant until close, and then walk back.
This morning we got an early start, had coffee (I had water) and checked our email and talked. Stavros drove us into town and we walked around a bit before finding a place for breakfast called “Mama’s Place”. We walk up and this old Italian woman comes down from the restaurant yelling “Say hello to Mama girls!”. She insisted we call her Mama and she was absolutely hilarious, we got a picture with her. I had blueberry pancakes and they were so delicious, it was nice to have a good cooked breakfast.
Then we began the decent down 588 steps to the boat that would take us on our 18 euro tour of the island. Not only were these steps far apart and cobble stones but the narrow path was COVERED in donkeys. There were probably 100 of them, all tied together, all trying to run over us and pooping everywhere. It was the most blissful yet insulting experiences of my trip so far. The coastline was unbelievably beautiful, the white buildings with blue roofs you see on postcards next to that water that always takes my breath away. Unfortunately it was coupled with the stench of donkey droppings. We were all laughing the whole way down, trying to dodge the droppings and moving donkeys.
We get on the boat and begin our ride to the Nea Kameni volcano. We had an hour and a half there and we walked all along the side of it, looked at the craters, and then walked to the highest point. It was beautiful but very rocky, black ash rocks, and hot. The sites were amazing though, you could see the whole island, large rocks with the stark white village nestled safely at the very top. After the volcano tour we got back on the boat and rode to the hot springs. We got to jump off the boat, one by one, and swim to the springs. It felt so good plunging into that icy water on such a hot day. We were all laughing hysterically and playing in the water like young kids, completely carefree. The springs were cool but a little muddy so we mostly stayed close to the boat. We got back to the boat to head back to the islands and to our donkey ride!
The donkey ride was so great! Typical tourist activity but we had to. We all traded cameras and took great action shots of everyone. My donkey, I named him Pongo, was a tad aggressive. He thought he could just keep trudging up the hill blissfully unaware of the other donkeys. Needless to say I got well aquainted with other tourists from all over the road as Pongo slammed me uncomfortably close to them. He also tried to cut the others off by slamming me into the stone wall, scratching up my leg. But, he was a good donkey and I felt bad that that was his job all day.
After the eventful ride we headed to a cheap gyros place for a much needed lunch. Sam, Justine, and I decided to head back to our hostel. In our state of exhaustion we were convinced we knew the way back on foot to our hostel…we did not. We ended up walking 20 minutes on this deserted road next to these huge cliffs and undeveloped land. Luckily we spotted a clothing store with this nice woman who called our hostel and Stavros came to pick us up! Then we took a little nap and got ready. We’re not drinking wine on the balcony getting ready to see the sunset at Oia, it’s supposed to be beautiful.

Last Day of Crete

In front of the Mirtos sunset: me, Sam, Anita, and Katie

Currently sitting in an internet café waiting for our ferry to Santorini from Crete. So excited to see Santorini, it’s supposed to be one of the most beautiful islands!
Last night was great too! We had dinner at this restaurant by the sea and we got to see the moonrise again. It was a full moon last night so it was just gorgeous watching it come up through the colors of the sunset over the water. While we ate dinner the US was playing in the World Cup so we watched a bit of that. Then we just hung around in our hotel room before going to bed.
This morning we went to two sites: Lato and Malia, and a little port town for lunch. The sites are all running together to me, at least on Crete. The majority of them are Minoan or very early Classical and honestly they just look like a bunch of rocks to me. But our professor is efficient and the scenery is beautiful so it’s not so bad. Plus we have mini bus rides between stops that I can close my eyes or listen to music to rest so I have more energy.
The town we had lunch in was very cute, right on the water. My roommates: Katie, Sam, Anita and Justine and the other group of girls we hang out with: Kate, Gillian, Ann Marie, and Nancy came with us. I like the dynamic of this class a lot more because I have my closest friends, my roommates, so we can hang out a lot. But we also come together as a big group pretty well, only one or two odd balls. So we can have a big group, us nine, or just us five.
We’re having a great time together, hopefully I’ll be able to write tomorrow!

New Girls in Mirtos!

These are my roommates and I at the top of one of the sites today: Anita, Justine, Sam, Katie and I.

The locals love us! Everyone stops us and asks us if we're staying at "the hotel" like there's only one, which I think there is haha. I'm sitting in this tiny internet cafe eating spanakopita in exchange for free internet haha. Last night was purely magical and what I think studying abroad is all about.

We ate dinner at this great pizza place right by the ocean, it was beautiful. We couldn't see the sunset but we saw the moonrise which was just as great. The whole time we were ate dinner these 5 little boys kept staring at us and playing in the sand right below us. All of the sudden we hear this adorably accented "What's your name?" and we look to see them all staring and laughing at us. We answer them and they say each of our names back to us in the most beautiful way, I wished everyone said my name like that. Then we got into a game of hide and seek and funny faces that 6 year old boys just love. One of the boys was named "Louis Louis" and was breakdancing for us in the sand!

Then we went into this cute shop to eat ice cream in the old fashion glass dishes and while we were there these Creten boys/men sent us raki shots! Then they asked us if we were going to the "rock and roll" concert later that night. Of course we had to go. It was at this pizza restaurant owned by this Italian women and the band was Italian. They looked like old hippes: tattoos, dreadlocks, dirty ripped clothes, but they were actually good! They played Skinner, Rolling Stones, lots of classic rock. The lead singer could actually sing while smoking a ciggarette, something I've never seen before.

While were sitting there this Dutch guy and his Creten friend by us wine and start talking to us, asking us where we're from and everything. They knew great English so that was fun to talk to them. Then one of the girls requested Sweet Home Alabama and they played it! We all started screaming, there were 9 of us, and ran up to dance in front of the stage on the promenade. This whole thing took place in an area of about 100 square feet. The crowd was LOVING it! Everyone in the village was there, old women and men, young babies, teenagers, everyone! We sit back down and we find out these 5 Creten boys send over a pitcher of margarittas for us! They come over and we talk to them about Crete and what they do here, etc.

Turns out one of them is cousins with the infamous "Louis Louis" so we kept playing with them the whole night. Then the Creten boys start dancing with us and whole town is just staring! All 9 of us girls, 5 Creten boys, and the younger boys laughing and dancing around, some even breaking glasses. It was incredible. I love the girls here, we're all pretty close and get along great. After we get tired my roommates and I: Katie, Anita, Justine, and Sam all pile into their room and talk for about an hour just about each other's lives, it was wonderful.

This morning we had breakfast and it was really good. The hotel owner kept bringing us stuff and if she asked how it was and we said good she would bring us three times as much! She got really confused when you would try and say no so we just kept accepting what she brought.

Then we left to go to two really challenging sites. We climbed up these mountains full of prickly bushes that oddly enough smelled like rosemarry. The views were fantastic! The ocean is just so gorgeous and is surrounded by this great atmosphere of landscape and plants. The Minoan civilizations we went to were Myrtos, Pyrgos, and Gournia.

We were back by noon today and ate lunch at the same place the band played at while being stared at by Louis Louis and his friends. We had delicious guacamole (I know, it's odd) and feta and salami sandwiches made with Foccacia. Then we headed down to the beach for a couple of hours to lay out and swim in the sea. It was a great afternoon! Now we're all catching up on our internet stuff and we'll go to dinner later. Tomorrow night we leave for Santorini!

Talk soon hopefully and will get my pictures up by the end of the weekend!

Mirtos Adventures

Greetings from Mirtos! It is unbelievably cool weather for Greece, I was actually chilly outside! It was a much needed break and we all feel refreshed.
Last night was a perfect night. We ate at the tavern next to the hotel and while we were eating the Creten dancers and musicians preformed while we ate. Right as we got our food they called us up on stage and we all formed this conga-line-esque movement and went right out the door through the bar and then back into the restaurant! We were all laughing hysterically at our attempt at dance moves from years ago. After dinner we were walking back from our rooms and saw kids playing hide and seek. One of the boys we had seen the whole time and he even served us our drinks at the bar, we’re assuming he’s the owner’s son. We played with him and his two friends for about 30 minutes before we were too tired. I felt so Greek!
This morning we had the same routine for breakfast and everything but we went to Archanes and Vathypetro. In Archanes we saw these tombs from the Minoan period and we climbed up this big mountain/hill where we saw a decomposing sheep on the way...very appetizing. We learned all about how the Minoans buried their dead (just threw them on top of each other in this stone tomb thing) and looked around.
Then we drove to Vathypetro to see a structure there. It was said to be a villa for wealthy Minoans who wanted to move out of the city but now they believe it’s an administration building of some kind. The view was beautiful! He gave us time to explore and take pictures which I really love because I feel like I’m discovering it on my own.
Then we went back into the town of Archanes, looked at the museum there and then had some free time for lunch. It was a very cute village without many tourists so that was nice. We had Greek salad at a café with horrible service (which is actually the trend) but the olive oil and bread were fantastic!
We had a long drive of about an hour and a half along the Isthmis and the coast to see an American Archeology center for a tour. The director was supposed to give us the tour but someone else had to fill in because he “made the discovery of a lifetime” and couldn’t leave. So cool. She was nice and showed us how they sift through the stuff they find and how they put pots and things back together. Everyone was very nice and our teachers were very impressed by the facilities.
Our drive to our new hotel was very beautiful. I mentioned before how I love the juxtaposition of Greece: the ancient ruins next to the modern city. I’ve found on Crete another example of this and that is the landscape. You are surrounded by beautifully blue and crystal clear water but then behind it you see rocky mountains and islands. The land behind the beach is dry and brown, everything looks prickly and even the trees look dry but they are standing next to this beautiful water. I love this feature of Greece and it never gets old to look at.
Our hotel is quaint but cute with mint green accent walls and all white balconies. There is no internet sadly but we’re hoping to find an internet café around somewhere. We’re only 5 minutes from the beach so we’ll go exploring and then hopefully find some great dinner. Love you all!

Day 2 Crete - Phaistos, Kommos, and Matala

Greetings once again from Zaros, Crete! The weather here is probably 20 degrees cooler than Athens and there’s a breeze! At night it’s actually chilly. It is a welcome change.

Yesterday afternoon some of us went on a walk and found this pond with a little café overlooking the water serving crepes. We sat by the pond at talked and then played on the mini playground there, that included a seesaw!

At night we had a CYA paid for dinner at this taverna next to our hotel, it was delicious! We had wine, raki (strong liquor), fried eggplant, tzatziki, fried cheese balls, greens, fava, pork, and octopus! The octopus wasn't like I had in Japan, it was cooked for one thing, like charbroiled and grilled. It wasn't bad tasting but I couldn't handle it after two bites because I kept staring at the little suction cup things on the tenticles and it really creeped me out. Our professor is really growing on me, he was so cool last night! He kept making us to raki shots with him and he posed for pictures with us. He has a great sense of humour. Of course Justine, Anita, Samantha and I were the last ones there and we even called over the bus driver and waiter over and they kept buying us wine.

This morning we had a great breakfast at the hotel of greek yogurt with honey and granola and fruit cocktail, fresh oranges from the trees, cheese, dessert bread, hardboiled eggs, and cereal. Our first site was Phaistos which I liked better than Knossos because we got to walk around and explore more and no one else was there. I really like Diamant because he gives us free time to explore and come up with our own ideas and then he'll call (whistle, actually) us all back together and explain things to us. We got a break and sat at a cafe overlooking the mountains and the Mesara Plain, the largest plain in Crete.

Our next site was Kommos which was overlooking a beautiful beach! There were coves and huge rocks and mountains and the water is just so beautifly clear and electric blue. We actually had our first nude beach sighting, it wasn't pleasant...The site was a little smaller and much harder to explore, you had to climb up steep cliffs and there was sand everywhere and even some streams. It was intense but the breeze off the ocean was incredible.

We then drove a little bit more to Matala which is this beach town that is famous for it's caves that were used by British soldiers in hiding during WWII. The beach was beautiful but we only had an our so my new roommates and I just sat at a cafe and ate caprese salad. We got ice cream and explored a little more and got back on the bus. The ride was an hour back to our hotel and we laid out by the pool for the rest of the afternoon.

After we showered we went back to the pond and the cafe we were at before and got crepes for a snack. Then we had a 30 minute lecture by the pool about the history of Crete. I really love Diamant because he makes everything interesting and laid back so you don't feel like you're doing work. We just have papers to write so you don't have to worry about missing answers or taking notes, you just soak up the knowledge. I work a lot better this way so I really like it. I'm really excited tonight because there is a German tour group coming through and they ordered traditional Creten dancers and music for tonight! We're heading to dinner soon and then back to the hotel to enjoy the show!

First Day in Crete!

Hello! My internet access will be spotty the next week so my blogs could come sporadically!
When we went to CYA to meet the bus we found out the other boy in our class arrived. And that he’s in his 50’s…it’s really awkward honestly. None of us know what to say to him and he always goes off on his own. We know he’s married but that’s about it. He asks the professor a lot of questions but won’t always be where we’re supposed to. It’s just so weird and I know our professor feel’s weird about being in charge of something his own age.
We left for the ferry from CYA at 7:00, got there at 7:15 and the ferry didn’t leave until 9:00…I’ve already noticed that our professor is very bad at estimating time. He has said things are two hours away and it’s only one hour and things like that. So we all decided to meet at the bar for a drink and we sat and talked before we took off. We watched a little of the World Cup game too, Greece was playing Argentina and lost.
We got an actual overnight room with four bunk beds; it was me, my roommate Justine, Nancy Thomas from UNC and Ann Marie Maly from University of Cincinnati. We had met them before and they’re really nice so it worked out well. The ferry ride wasn’t too bad except twice during the night we were all woken up by all the shaking, it had felt like we hit something! So naturally we didn’t sleep well and had to meet for breakfast at 6:30 am. These Greeks really know how to carbo load, we had two pieces of pound cake, two rolls, and one hardboiled egg. I ate it all because I knew I had to be cheap for lunch and I wasn’t hungry until 12 when we ate! This is going to be my strategy: eat as many carbs that the hotel offers for breakfast, grab one for lunch and just buy a cheap snack, and then eat a big dinner!
We went straight from the ferry to the bus for Knossos and got there a little bit before the opening time, 8:00. I’m glad we did because right at about 9:00 there were hundreds of people there! We were the first ones inside so got to see a lot of stuff without the crowds. It was cool but didn’t hold my attention too long. It was the first European city so a lot of the stuff is very archaic looking which I don’t find as pretty. But the frescoes they restored were very pretty.
There’s a big debate about the restoration at Knossos that apparently is very heated. The man who discovered Knossos, Arthur Evans, did tons of restoration in order to preserve some sense of what the city looked like. They’ve recently found out however that most of his ideas and explanations were wrong and things were restored incorrectly. I do think it’s important to have at least one city fully restored just as an example and for the rest of the sites you can use your imagination. On a sad note, Nancy fell and rolled her ankle while we were there. I feel really bad because it was our first real day of class!
After we were finished we went into Heraklion, the port on Crete and had lunch and walked around a bit. While we were sitting at lunch (I got Greek yogurt with honey and strawberries, bananas, and apples, yum!) we actually spotted a boy from our last class walking around so he joined us.Then we went into the museum to see some of the artifacts from the site we were at earlier. It was a small museum, luckily, we were all so tired.
We drove about an hour to our hotel in the small village of Zaros, it’s so cute! It actually is surrounded by mountains and has a bunch of great fresh water springs that a big bottling company uses. It ‘s a cute room and has a pool and there are so many pretty flowers everywhere! There are also orange trees scattered around outside. I’m rooming in a double with Lindsey from Princeton. She’s one of the first girls we met and she’s already been over to our apartment twice and she’s really nice.
Tonight we’re going to a tavern next to our hotel to have some authentic Creten food. I’m excited! I have a feeling there are going to be odd dishes like octopus involved…we’ll see.

First Day of New Class

Here's a picture of my whole class last session in Delphi. This is the picture we printed on the card we gave to Nicola, our teacher.

Well yesterday at orientation we met a bunch of the girls in our class and most of the ones we met I really like. Registration was the same as last time but we met our teacher this time. He's interesting I can't really get a read on him. I know that he lives in Greece at least part of the year, has a son name Alexi but is no longer married or never was, he's from Indiana, and I don't think he's fluent in Greek. He seems sort of hardcore.

Our schedule is much more packed than last session which I'm worried about but I don't think the start times are as early which is good. He's strict on being on time, has told us not to dress like "trashy tourists", yelled at people for eating bakery items in class, and we have to do three papers. One is due the last day and the other two are due 45 days after we return home. I don't really understand that concept at all. He's funny but our three hour lecture this morning was pretty boring.

After orientation we went home and cooked some pasta for dinner before one girl from our new class, Lindsey from Princeton came over. Andrew, the boy who's working here this summer also came. It was really fun! We just hung out at our apartment and got to know each other. We attempted to go to our favorite bar but it was closed for the first time since we've been here haha.

This morning we had a 2 and a half hour lecture with a 20 minute break just about historical background. I was pretty bored and tired so it wasn't pleasant. Then we had lunch and went to Syntagma sqaure to pick up our ferry tickets from Crete to Santornini. We leave tonight at 7pm for the ferry ride to Crete which is over night. We stay there until Sunday night and then we're in Santorini until Tuesday night. I'm bringing my computer so I will still be in contact! I'm very excited but a little nervous about sleeping on the ferry, I'm hoping I'll be real tired so I can fall asleep right away. More tomorrow!

New Home!

This is a picture of us Friday night: myself, Dora, Heather, and Bette.

Well it was very sad saying goodbye to everyone! I was the last to leave Lyssipou 4 yesterday and it was very lonely. I made the usual 5 minute walk to my new place alone with my two suitcases and two purses alone in the heat...it was terrible. It took at least 15 minutes and my forearms were numb by the time I was done. But the new place is cute, I'll try and take pictures tonight!

My new roommate Justine, her old roommate Kate, and their friend who has an internship here Andrew and I all just hung out and talked for a couple of hours before dinner. We waited for the two Sams to get back from Cyprus before we went out to eat. Where we ended up eating was so cute! The man was very nice and spoke good English and gave us the "College Special" for 10 euros. It was so delicious and there was so much food! We had tzatziki, spring rolls, saganaki, meatballs and french fries, lamb, fried zuchinni balls, and melon. We were so full!

Then we just hung out before going to bed. Two of the girls, Sam and Kate from my last class had to leave here at 5am to catch their ferry to Paros where their next class is. So now we're all settled in here! It is Justine, Samantha, and Katie who go to Michigan, Anita who goes to UPenn and myself. I'm sharing a room with Katie and my bed is better this time and doesn't squeak!

This morning we slept in and went over to CYA to do laundry and get our new packets. Tonight at 5:30 we have orientation and we already have lecture at 6:30...I'm worried about that. We leave for Crete tomorrow for 5 days and then Santorini for 2, I'm so excited, they're both supposed to be beautiful. Unfortunately we're taking the overnight ferry to Crete so that should be interesting.

Have to go get ready, talk later!

Beach and Night with the Rubins

Hello! I didn't get a chance to write yesterday, it was pretty busy and by the end
I was just too tired. This is a picture of us Friday night, Dora, Sarah, myself and Heather at a bar we go to, Mao.

Friday night we all hung out in our apartment for a bit, walked around, then headed to my new apartment to hang out with those girls. We stayed there a while and then walked around to find food. We ended up staying there until almost 2 am haha.

Yesterday morning we attempted to go to Lake Vouliagmeni about an hour away but we ended up just going to a beach in the same town. We had to take an hour bus ride there and it was horrible. It was a regular city bus PACKED with people. We were standing the whole time practicaly touching the other people, I couldn't believe they let that many people on the bus. It was hot and smelly and I could not feel any air. I hadn't had that much to eat that morning and I was facing the window so I could see everything whoshing by. I felt very faint and lightheaded and somehow like I was going to get sick. After we got to our stop we ate lunch in the shade outside and I drank about 1 liter of water. I felt much better after that.

The beach was beautiful! They had a snack bar too so it was very clean and everything. There were quite a few people there and a lot of them were playing what seemed to be a form of pickle ball. You have a paddle that looks like a ping pong paddle but bigger and wooden and you hit a tennis ball back and forth but there's no net. They were playing it everywhere and we almost got hit a couple of times. They even had a lifeguard there so that was nice. Again, the water was crystal clear and wasn't even that salty!

When we got back I was alone in the apartment for the first time! Heather and Kelly had already left and Dora and Heather were exploring. Bette was with her parents. It was so strange but actually nice since I've barely had any time alone since being here haha.

When Bette came back she invited me to her parents hotel, The Intercontinental. It was beautiful! It was so strange again seeing the American tourist side of Greece, I didn't even feel like I was in Athens while we were there. We went to the club lounge and had appetizers and looked at the great view of the Acropolis. Then we explored the hotel a little before we went for dinner.

We ate at this great little taverna in Plaka and the food was delicious! It was mostly outside but sat inside but there was no doors so it was like we were outside. We sat next to two Orthodox Priests which was really cool. I don't know how they can wear those long black robes and hats when it's this hot! Bette and I ordered the best Greek food for her parents to try: tsatsiki, saganaki, fried zuchinni balls, chicken slouvaki, meatballs, stuffed zuchinnis, mousakka, and greek yogurt with honey and walnuts for dessert. It was so great and I know they really enjoyed it.

Then we took a taxi and they dropped me off before heading back to the hotel. It was so strange saying goodbye to Bette because I've been with her every minute since May 22 at 5:00 pm...I'll miss her but we have facebook and stuff. She's staying in Athens until Monday morning and then they are going to Crete and Santorini before heading home. I will be in Crete when she is with my new class so we're hoping to meet up! After she gets home she is going to Massachucetts to intern on a whale-watching boat!

Heather's flight was at 4:00 yesterday so we wanted to spend some time together before she left. We sat at a cafe and ordered ice cream, then moved on to another one and got crepes. It was strange seeing her go, now it's just Dora and I! We're just going to walk around today and I'll move into my new apartment tonight!

Love and miss you all and happy father's day!

Last Day in Lyssipou 4 :(

I added a picture of me in front of our apartment, today is our last day in Lyssipou 4! So sad.

Last night we decided to go to McDonald's instead of cook haha and it was actually very good! The burger was sweeter but the fries were amazing, I think they are cooked in olive oil. Also their medium Diet Coke is our small...After dinner we walked around for a bit and on our way home we saw a demonstration in the streets! It was so cool. It was completely peaceful, but there were thousands of Greeks, young and old, marching with banners and singing. I totally understand why they do it, it truly is their greatest right and they hold it very dearly. I felt like I was part of it even though I was just standing on the streets. The passion was in the air, they are trying! Even though I don't see a solution...Also the metro has been on strike for 2 days and will probably still be on strike until Tuesday, we'll see how that goes.

This morning was our final and I think I did well! It only took me 40 minutes so then we went back and packed up. I packed one bag with everything I'll need until tomorrow afternoon when I move into my new apartment. Then we had a farewell lunch at CYA which they catered in and it was very special. Our teachers stood up and gave little speeches about how they felt about us, it was very touching! I'm feeling weird because I'm done in a way but I still have another class. It was sad saying goodbye to people today and two of my roommates leave tomorrow so that will be sad. But we could meet again!

Last Day of Class

Last day today! Weird feelings going on. A lot of people are going home Saturday or soon so I sort of feel like I'm going to as well. Then I remember I have another month! I'm so excited for this next class but am a little nervous about moving and meeting the other girls in our class (16 girls...ALL girls). I miss certain things about home like ice water, large public bathrooms, people not trying to run me over everytime I try and cross the street, diet coke, stray dogs, etc. And obviously all of you! But I absolutely LOVE athens. And all of Greece, really. And I'm very excited to see more of it like Crete and Santorini. So it's like bittersweet. I will miss my apartment and my roommates a lot but my next ones are great too! It's closer to CYA and has a better bathroom. And I already know the girls I will be living with. They are both Sams and Justine from Michigan and Kate from Indiana. I think we will have a lot of fun together!

Today we met at the Agora and I did my presentation on the Roman influence on the Agora, it went well. We talked more about that and then walked to Hadrian's library. It was huge! Hadrian was this Roman Emperor that had two great loves: 1) Athens and 2) Himself. He basically thought he was this huge deal and even declared himself an eponymous hero. He built some beautiful buildings like the library, the city gates, and my favorite monument here in Athens, Temple of the Olympian Zeus. That's what I'm standing in front of in the picture, it is absolutely beautiful! And huge.

We ate lunch, went to siesta for an hour and then we had a review session for our final exam. I know about everything and I don't think it will be too bad. I'm going to stay in and study tonight though. We're cooking our last Lyssipou 4 dinner tonight :( but it will be fun. Our final tomorrow is at 10-1130 and then we have a going away taverna lunch CYA is treating us to. Then I move into my new room! Saturday we're going to a lake about an hour away with beautiful beaches and springs that are supposedly healing.

Miss you all! It got up to 95 today and 100 yesterday...feels like Texas weather!

Living the Life

Hello!
Yesterday was a busy day, I didn't have much time to write! Yesterday we went into Piraeus, a port about 20 minutes away by metro. We did some walking around and stopped at the museum for a bit. We then went to the ruins of the Wall of Athens and sat under the shade of a highway. When we were through we did some shopping and sat at a cafe and our lunches. Kelly's parents still had their hotel so we took advantage of their pool again, it was so nice.

At 6, it was still 90 degrees, we went to the theatre of Dionysus on the south slope of the Acropolis and read through the ancient comedy, Lysistrata. It was so cool! It was pretty hot but it was so amazing reading this piece of art in the original place it was designed for. I'm not a huge theatre fan but it was very entertaining and fun to do, our class really bonded over it. I loved sitting there and imagining the people who sat where I was sitting. They lived so long ago in such a different world but they were really just like me. They had fears, hopes, dreams, they had people they loved and people they were hurt by. If I just closed my eyes and felt the sun on my skin and felt the hot breeze I felt like I could really see them...or it was heatstroke...

We took Nicola (our professor) out to dinner at a taverna as a thank you for her being such an amazing teacher. I can tell she really loves us! She ordered for us and everything was so delicious. Tsatsiki, feta cheese, Greek salad, fava spread, french fries with chicken and cheese filled beef, and watermelon for dessert. And of course, all the wine we wanted. We made her a card with a picture she took of all of us at Delphi and we all signed it with messages. She was so touched! I could tell she really loves teaching us and she said we were her best group :)

People started to leave little by little until it was myself, Bette, Anita, both Sams, Justine, and Nicola. We asked her more about her life (found out her Egyptian husband left her when she was a month pregnant with their second child, rude!)and we asked her some questions about the class and people at CYA. It was really great talking to your teacher like a friend, I could tell she really enjoyed herself. After she left us girls stuck around for another half hour before going back to their apartment and then going out.

This morning we went to the National Archeological Museum (the bane of my existance) and then to the Numismatic museum that is Henrich Schliemann's house (the guy who discovered Myceanae and the mask of Agamemmnon). It was so beautiful and huge! He had pretty gaudy taste if you ask me but I guess when you're a millionaire you get a little gaudy.

We did a little more walking around then went back to lunch and then had a siesta. I went to CYA to do laundry and somehow the detergent didn't release so I had to start it again. In the meantime I worked on my presentation for tomorrow on the Agora during the Roman period. I can't believe we're done Friday! It's so crazy. I'm going to miss so many people and my little Lyssipou 4 apartment :(

I decided not to go to Istanbul and Cairo. It was a tough decision but I prayed about it and I'm sure I made the right decision. It had a lot to do with money unfortunately, I just don't think it's responsible to spend over a thousand dollars in a week. But I'm ok with it. Thanks for your support!

Just to give you an idea of my life here, it is currently 6:02 pm and 91 degrees...

Heatwave on the Acropolis

Well now it's getting hot! It got up to 95 today and is supposed to stay that way the whole week...

Yesterday my roommate Kelly's parents got into Athens, they're staying here and then traveling around, and we got invited to swim at their hotel pool! It was so beautiful! The pool was on the roof and had a perfect view of the Acropolis, very cool. It was so different getting a "tourist" perspective of Athens. Since I've been living here about a month and never seen the inside of a hotel it was weird to me. it really felt like Athens was my home. Very odd feeling...

This morning we headed to the Acropolis and our teacher told us we would be letting out early today because of the heat. It was so hot already by 9:30 especially in the sun. She said we're having a heat wave and this weather shouldn't be happening for another month, great. She said that and the two days of rain we had could be because of the volcano, interesting! We were supposed to be reading the Lysistrata in the Theatre of Dionysus which is going to be so so cool! But she said we would probably all get heat stroke. So we're doing it tomorrow at 6:00 pm and then all heading to dinner to thank her for everything! It should be a great day.

We were out by 11, did some walking around, had lunch and were home by 130. It was so hot we just stayed inside today and hung out. We did some grocery shopping and talked to two of our roommates who just got back from Cyprus visiting Dora's family.

I'm in the process of deciding whether or not to go to Istanbul and Cairo after my program. I'd be in each city three days, flying home on the 24th. I am having trouble deciding. I'm considering money, safety, if I'd want to be away from home so long. I would love to see those places but money is probably my biggest worry. I don't plan on getting a job until my Executive Board position is over for Pi Phi in the Spring so money will be tight. Prayers would be great. Also if you have any advice or thoughts those are welcome!

Corinth and Nafplion

Yasis!
I have had a great weekend so far! We started off Friday on a day trip to Corinth that was really interesting. Unfortunately we couldn't swim because there is something in the water that gets you sick. Our professors know the Director of the site there so we got a behind the scenes tour of the site! It was so cool seeing real excavators in action! We got to walk along the paths they were using and they showed us what they were working on.

After our tour we went around the ruins to explore. They still have bathhouses there, which are actually quite gross, they weren't very germ-conscious back then. My favorite part was the Behma, where Paul stood and was persecuted for his teachings. It's also said that is where he recited his letters 1 Corinthians and 2 Corinthians. It was so cool actually walking where he walked!

I think I loved this bus ride the best because we got far away from Athens and got to see rural Greece. The houses are beautiful and look more Italian to me than anything. They are spaced out relatively far and all have beautiful plants, probably because they can't actually grow anything. There are a lot of venders selling fresh fruit and vegetables and old men sitting out drinking their frappes and smoking cigarettes. I really think I see more men around here than women which doesn't really make sense. Maybe the women are working or staying home but everytime we go out for dinner or something there will be probably 10 old men playing with their worry beads, smoking, and drinking frappes. They also stare haha.

Sarah, Chancey, Sam, Bette, myself, and five people from the other class were dropped off at the bus station so we could go to Nafplion. Our bus pulled up just as the one to Nafplion was pulling out so we had to wait an hour and 45 minutes until the next one. So we just got a bottle of wine and played cards while the entire bus station stared at us.

The hotel we stayed in we got from our Professor, Nicola. She couldn't use it Friday night so she let us use her reservation and then she came in for Saturday night. It was very beautiful although I'm pretty sure I woke up with a tick in my bed. I freaked out and had everyone check me for ticks haha.

After we checked in and got cleaned up we went walking along the beach where I took this beautiful picture! As we were looking for a place to eat a restaurant owner stopped us and offered free drinks and dessert if we ate there! So of course we did. I got rigatone with cream sauce and ham and we all split saganaki, it was delicious. Unfortunately the dessert was flan and I can't deal with that texture haha. During dinner the workers brought out this huge plasma tv and proped it up on the table, turns out Greece was playing in the World Cup Playoffs. So many people came to watch the game and they were so loud! Needless to say, we were there almost three hours because they could not be bothered to bring our food or check.

We decided to go to this famous gellato placed owned by and Italian brother and sister, it's in all the guidebooks and our professor even mentioned it. It was delicious! They let you sample all of these flavors and the owners are very loud Italians. I ended up getting tiramisu...then white chocolate mixed with berry for lunch...then nutella and ferrero rocher after dinner. Yes we had gellato three times within 18 hours and by the third time we were the owners favorites. It was 95 degrees and thats the only thing we could stand to eat!

The next morning we decided to climb 1,000 steps to the top of the Palamidi Fortress that looks over the whole town and the ocean. It was already 90 degrees when we started so we were pretty tired but the view was beautiful! They charge you 4 euros to get the best view which I think is just ridiculous. I just climbed 1000 steps and now you want me to pay! Oh, no. What we could see was just as beautiful though. I still can't get over the blueness and clarity of the water here.

Then we went to the beach! It was a pebble beach, which I prefer because there's no sand so it's not all over you! It is still hot and sort of hurts your feet at first but it's worth it to me. We met some Greek boys there who were trying desperately to show off for us. They thought splashing us was hilarious and thought it was cool to play American music. They didn't speak much English so it was interesting.

We did some shopping around and exploring and then boarded our bus. We got back to Athens around 8:00 and then jumped in the shower and got ready to go out! We went over to the Michigan girls appartment and then this awesome club with flowers on the ceilings and paid dancers on the tables, very European.

Today it's supposed to be 92 so we'll see how our day goes.

New pictures: http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=175668&id=590541644&l=1ed4e409bc

Acropolis Museum - Parthenon Frieze

Yasis! (hello in Greek)

I didn't take any pictures today so I thought I'd put up one of my roommates and I from the other night! We're holding up a four because we live at Lyssipou 4. From the left is Dora, Bette, me, Heather, Kelly, and Marissa.

Last night we decided to go to Monostriaki Square and do some shopping. That part of the city could be my favorite. They have the most beautiful shops full of everything you can think of: clothes, hats, purses, knick knacks, shoes, sunglasses, everything! It's so cute because every shop here is small and specific, different from the US. The city gets really busy around 7-9pm, Greeks start later and go later (my kind of people). There are street preformers all around and they're not homeless people or trashy, they play beautiful music that just adds to the atmosphere.

This morning we went to the Acropolis Museum again to focus on the Parthenon Frieze. This is what a lot of the debate is about because of Ambassodor Elgin who took so many of them back to Britain. It is very sad to me to see the huge voids where other parts of the frieze should be. We also looked at the caryatids which I love! They are the women who act as columns to hold up the Temple of Athena Nike on the Acropolis. I love them because they are so beautiful and unique. They are all individual and beautifullly detailied.

After that we did some more shopping around Plaka square and went into a lot of cool little shops. We went into this one Greek antique store that was stuffed full of beautiful things, Grandma would love it!

This afternoon we had our conferences with our Professor about our papers and mine went really well! She just had me make a few changes and it's due Tuesday so I have a while to make them. My presentation also got changed to a week from Today and it's now on the Roman changes to the Agora, I sort of hate the Agora so we'll see how that goes...

Tomorrow we are going to Corinth and then on to Napflion so I won't be back until Saturday night!

The Propylaea and Erectheion

I finally got a picture of me in front of the Marble Stadium! It's actually next door to CYA, can you believe that? We see it probably 10 times a day haha. It's always crawling with tourists.

Today was our third day on the Acropolis, the walk up there is getting a bit old. When we got there this morning we got to see the Greek Army finishing their flag raising ceremony. They raise it on the Acropolis every morning, what a job! The Acropolis/Parthenon is a symbol of great pride for Athenians, in a way I guess all Greeks. Nicola told us today that when the Nazis invaded Greece they did it at night and all of Athens awoke to see a huge Nazi flag flying on top of the Acropolis...what a terrifying thought...

Something I've noticed around Athens is unlike America, their policemen are all young and extremely attractive. One reason I can think of is Greece has a conscription law that requires all men between the ages of 18 and 45 to do nine months of active military service and are eligible for recall after that. I'm wondering if being a policemen counts toward that? It's so different because at home it seems like they're all fat and old.

We only did one hour at the Acropolis and then Nicola surprised us and took us all to a cafe for a frappe, and she paid for all 22 of us! She is so sweet and great, we all love her. She's also letting us start at 9:30 next Monday! So to thank her, we're all taking her out for a nice taverna dinner next Tuesday. She was so pleased when we told her. She really is quite understandable and notices when we're tired and need a break.

She's also giving Bette, Peggy, Chancey, and this girl Sarah her hotel room for Friday night in Nafplion! We have a day trip in Corinth Friday and she was going to bring her kids and two friends for a long weekend but something came up and she can't go now so we're getting the room for just 22 euros each! Not bad for a pricey town like Nafplion. It's supposed to be gorgeous so I'm really excited.

We ate lunch, took a small siesta, and then went to the National Archeology Museum (again...) for just an hour. Bette and I did some grocery shopping and we're making dinner tonight. We're also thinking of going to see a movie at an open-air cinema in the National Gardens tonight. Problem is we don't know what's playing or what time...these Greeks aren't as up to date as us and don't really believe in posting hours much less putting it online. Oh well, when in Athens!

Isn't this water beautiful?! We went to Eleusis today, it was fun! In the morning we spent an hour or so at Eleusis looking at a temple to Demeter that housed the Eleusian mysteries, which were this weird secret club that no one knows much about because you coulnd't talk about anything. It's kind of cool, kind of like a fraternity/sorority too haha. We looked around the museum and then we went to hike up this mountainside to eat at this Gypsy castle...I'm not too sure what the point of that was but the view was nice!

Then we got to go to the beach and swim in the Gulf of Corinth and the water was so so amazing! The beach was sort of small and it was only us 20 CYAers, I can't believe how uncrowded they are! It was near this mountain range and behind it were all these cute outdoor restaurants and shops. The water was literally as clear as bathwater! It was so cool and refreshing, we spent so much time in the ocean. It was unbelieveably blue but a bit salty. The beach was rocky but I like that a lot better than sand. It was a bit rough and hot but nice. We laid out for about two hours, still no sunburn!

My roommates and I have really bonded recently. I'm going to miss them so much! Dora even said one night last week: "I already feel closer to you guys than I do my roommate of one year back home" I thought that was so sweet! She's a little shy but so sweet when you get to know her. We also talked to some guys in the other class today, they were very nice.

We have a long day tomorrow :(

New Pictures: http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=174641&id=590541644&l=e75f3cb7a1

Parthenon and Pnyx

I didn't post yesterday because I did nothing of importance really. I slept 11 hours Saturday night and enjoyed every second. I got up Sunday, went out to do some shopping and discovered that everything shuts down on Sundays. Which is nice actually. I went to the bakery and got a loaf of bread for the week and a donut thing that I've been wanting to try and it was so good! I worked on my paper for a couple of hours, took a nap, went to CYA with Bette to finish my paper. Then we went to dinner, the same group of us that went to Aegina to this great taverna in our neighborhood. I got shrimp saganaki and it was delicious.

This morning we headed to the Acropolis again but this time we focused on the Parthenon. We saw somewhat in the shade on the walls surrounding the Acropolis and it was really early and warm and we were listening to presentations and I literally like fell asleep about 15 times. And luckily I wasn't sitting on the very outside ledge because I could have quite easily have fallen off! Like I said earlier, they don't really do safety here.

We then met one of our teachers collegues at the Pnyx because it's his specialty. Bette and I believe she has a crush on him. When we first encountered him it was at the Agora museum and he was standing off to the side while she was lecturing. When she noticed him she immediately stopped what she was saying and completely gazed at him! She got all giggly and "Oh, fancy seeing you here" on us. She called him over and sang his praises and I believe I detected a blush somewhere. It was so cute! He is this tall thin British man that just looks like an archeologist, khaki and all. She even got him a bottle of his favorite vodka to thank him for helping us, I hope something happens!

So the pnyx was cool but I got over it real quick. It was where the Assembly met about once a week to discuss matters of state. The concept is really cool because it is essentially the very birthplace of democracy we were walking on. It's a shame there's not much left of it. So it's basically bits of rock and a flat plane where they would sit all day (sunrise to sunset) and just decide everything. It's actually very cool. It seems sort of like jury duty because they were excused from work and they were compensated at the end of the day.

Tonight we're eating at home and going clubbing for Cary's (this girl in our class) birthday! Tomorrow we're day-tripping to Eleusis!

Aegina Adventures

Well this picture pretty sums up our trip to Aegina. From far left to right there is Marissa, Kelly, Dora, Heather, myself, and our friend Chancey who is in Bette and I's class. We were trying to take a photo of us on the beach in self-timer mode on the camera and we were all running around trying to get into position and Heather and I just collided and our heads banged into each other. It was pretty funny.

This we woke up at 630 (I can't believe that happened) and found it was pouring rain. We were pretty bummed but we just had to suck it up and go. I'm so glad I brought my rain jacket! It does have my letters on it so I got a few weird looks but I was warm and dry! We went to the metro station and rode about 20 minutes to the Port in Pireaus. We then caught our ferry to Aegina. Our ferry was called "The Flying Dolphin" because it's shaped like one and it goes fast. We got there in only 40 minutes! It was sort of shaky like turbulence in the airplane but I liked it, I felt like it was rocking me to sleep. It got a bit awkward when we were boarding because we figured out about 1 minute before we were about to leave that we had assigned seats. And there were three teenage Greeks in ours and they were laughing hysterically (probably at us because we looked like wet miserable dogs) and couldn't understand what we were trying to tell them.

It rained the whole ride there but when we got out the town was so pretty! We decided to go in a cafe and get breakfast and try to wait it out. Sidenote: Greeks, like most Europeans, sit at restaurants FOREVER. This makes getting the check awkward. One of two things will happen: 1) the waiter brings the check out right away in a little shot glass immediately after they take your order and will bring out multiples if you choose to add more to your order or 2) you sit at the table staring at them and flagging them down but they wait until they want you to leave before bringing it to you. I feel like it's so easy just to walk out without paying! Also, apparently the Greek government requires all restaurants/bars/cafes to include a 13% gratuity charge to all of their menu items! So you do not tip! This makes so much sense as to why I feel everything is over priced.

After breakfast we decided to do some shopping and try and wait out the rain. We probably went in to 50 shops today, they were everywhere! The jewelery in Greece is so beautiful! The colors are so bright and the shapes are so unique. I got a very pretty necklace today that is the shape of a C and has clear and blue beads around it all made out of a bronzy material. I'm still looking for my dream piece that involves mother of pearl but I haven't found it yet! I'm holding out for it though, I know it's out there! It was really fun to look at all their style of clothes also.

Aegina is also the postachio capital of the world! They had them EVERYWHERE. There were postachio necklaces, bracelets, ice cream, gellato, candies, postcards, they were in honey, with cream, seasme covered, paste, all over the place! They were very delicious and I bought a small bag to bring home with me.

After that we had a lite lunch and then the sun came out! We hung out at the beach, swam in the crystal clear waters, and laid out on the beach. It was a bit windy but the water was warm and we dried up fast. We then headed to dinner at this cute little cafe but it was only 5:30 so we had a limited menu. No one eats here until at least 730. I chose the Omelette and was really excited but was very disappointed. It was completely covered in grease and I didn't even recognize the egg parts. The filling reminded me of chilli, it was not fresh and just gross. And it came with french fries, which is weird, and they were thick (I don't like potatoes so I only like thin and crispy) and literally soaked in greece. Luckily we had lots of bread and I got a little taste of everyones meal. And I got this really yummy vanilla carmel brownie ice cream cone for dessert.

We walked around a little more and then we headed to the waterfront to wait for the ferry. It was actually a really fun day. It started out rough but we laughed about it and made the best out of it. Then it got pretty so it was great! Our friends from our class, Chancey from North Carolina (She goes to UNC Leann and Glenn!) and Peggy from Conneticuit (She goes to Columbia) were on both the same ferries so we hung out with them all day. They are very sweet and we all got a long really well. I'm so happy meeting all of these great people!

Oh,I almost forgot. Am sure you have noticed my comments on Greek's lack of social tact when it comes to the scripts of American society. Today we noticed a HUGE cultural difference...these people have no sense whatsoever of...lines. It is a foreign concept to them! Not only do they think they have the right of way everywhere whether walking, driving, or mopeding, but they will completely ignore you if you are standing in front of them! This happend to us twice boarding the ferry and waiting to pick up our tickets. We were the first everytime and then someone would just push right past us! So rude. But we made it a running joke and laughed about it.

One more observation: they have no concept of public safety! Just today I noticed a man sitting on a bench next to a moped with this giant white pitbull waiting for someone to get off the ferry. He greeted this woman and then proceeded to put the pitbull ON THE MOPED. Literally, it looked like it was driving. Paws on the handles, feet on the floorboard, sitting in the mans lap. Then the girlfriend sat on the back! Also, something I will never forget, I saw a child who was maybe 18 months old sandwiched BETWEEN his two parents on a moped! I literally screamed out loud I was so horrified. It is a wonder these people live so long. It just shocks me. Maybe I'm just an uptight American. Maybe our society has it all wrong. Maybe we should just throw caution to the wind more often. But, maybe that's why our even failing economy is in loads better shape than theres...maybe.

Delphi

Greetings!
Last night we had a wonderful dinner at this beautiful little restaurant overlooking our neighborhood. It has all this outside seating with these big red umbrellas. The menu was all in Greek but the owner was so sweet and read us everything on the menu in English! He also brought us free olives and dessert! Usually Greeks aren't this welcoming haha.

This morning, at 7 am :(, we headed to Delphi! It was a three hour bus ride but we stopped half way through so people could get breakfast and coffee. I have yet to buy coffee for myself and I'm so proud. It is so good though, I may have to break down at some point.

The drive was very beautiful. We passed through these sweet little villages full of terracotta roofed houses and large patches of rocky forest. Greece has the most variety in their landscape! We drove through these tall mountains that had these huge cyprus trees all around. It was still pretty dry but the gorges were so beautiful. We saw the Temples of Apollo and Athena and also the Athenian Treasury and the Theatre and Stadium. We also saw where the Oracle of Delphi made her predictions.

That stuff is messed up. These poor young girls would basically get drugged up, sit in a dark cave for three days, and then emerge to answer all these peoples questions about whether or not they should go to war, if they should marry so and so, or if they had the right to kill their neighbor for stealing their chickens. I'm really glad I'm not an oracle! There were also only seven days out of the year people could come with their questions so it got really busy!

We walked up this very tall mountain to look at the theatre and the stadium and I felt like I was in a text book! The theatre was beautiful and had great acoustics, we tried it out haha. It also was looking out onto this gorgeous view of the mountains. I wish we had outdoor entertainment like that! The stadium was very cool too, that's where they did most of the Pythian games every four years.

Tomorrow is Aegina!

New pictures from Delphi: http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=173592&id=590541644&l=397ea26c22

Agora Round 2

Today we went back to the Agora to look at some other monuments and ruins. We climbed up to the Temple of Euphestus and it is so beautiful! The pollution has discolored it a bit and it has sufferent some Earthquake damage but I think it may be one of my favorite things. I love that it looks old but it's actually pretty in tact. I think the darker marble and slightly toppled columns just add to it's appeal.

We headed down and looked at a jail cell which was interesting. It was only four by four feet, it would be horrible. We also looked at a water clock used in the courts and a marketplace. I honestly have no idea how these archeologists come up with these things. How can you look at eight rocks stuck in the ground is a jail cell? Part of me thinks it's amazing but the other part of me thinks it's just ridiculous. I'm not sure of what I think but my Professor and the rest of the world thinks it's totally correct! Maybe the rest of my two months will convince me otherwise.

I spent a lot of time at CYA today finishing the research on my paper and starting it. Unfortunately I'm pretty slow at writing papers but I'm not too worried about it. I just want to get it over with! About to go to dinner at a terrace taverna we saw earlier today, tomorrow we head to Delphi!

National Archeology Museum Part 2

Last night we stayed in and cooked dinner and ate in our newly rearranged room! Bette and I's rooms were two separate one that had a sliding door in the middle to separate them. We always just left it open but had two separate rooms. Then we thought we should just rearrange all the furniture so we could have a living room! The kitchen table is just for two in this apartment even though there's 6 of us so it's really nice now that we all get to hang out together!

This morning we went to the National Archeology Museum again and looked at sculpture. It was very interesting to see how it evolved through the Archaic into the Classical period.

After our siesta I went to CYA to work on my paper. I'm researching the different games held at Olympia (The Olypmics), Delphi, and Athens. What I thought would happen did, there's a lot of information on the Olympia games but almost nothing on the other two. I'm hoping to have it done before the weekend so I can relax though! We also had a guest lecture tonight at 6 that unfortunately was pretty boring...he was talking about Thucydides. It just isn't my thing because he was a writer. But it only lasted an hour and they had great refreshments afterward.

We went to dinner at the Greek version of fast food called Goody's, it was actually pretty good! Then we walked around, got ice cream and now we're getting ready to write our papers. Tomorrow we're headed back to the Agora to look at what we didn't see already!

The picture at the top is of my roommates and I during one of our first dinners together. From the bottom left it goes Marissa, Kelly, Dora, Heather, myself, and Bette. Thought you would like some faces to go with the names!

Acropolis

We ventured to the Acropolis today! It was everything I dreamed of, and more! The walk up there is a little steep and slippery but the views are spectacular. Actually seeing the Parthenon and the Temples up there is so much better than the pictures I took unfortunately. We are thankfully making two more trips up there, I felt like we didn't see everything. We got there around 9 am and it was already packed! Looking at it and the views from the top I completely understand why Greeks feel so much pride in their city and country. You can just feel the ancient thinkers presence there, you can imagine what it looked like over 2500 years ago. There were even archeologists there excavating as we were there, it felt like we were in an Indiana Jones movie! The views are just amazing, you can see the entire city! I just love looking at all the ruins that are surrounded by such modern inventions. Also, my roommates and I plan to go up later in the night to try and watch the sunset! It's open until 8pm and we get in free with our student ID. I feel like we'll be there a lot haha.

We also went to the new acropolis museum and looked at the Archaic section which includes a lot of the statues and freezes found on the Acropolis. It opened in summer of 2009 so it's brand new! It's very beautiful and has a lot of stuff. I liked it a lot because it was very open and spacious and there wasn't any flourescent lighting or anything like that. The shops, however, were poor. That's something that Americans know how to do, make a decent giftshop.

The museum was designed by French/Swiss architect Bernard Tschumi after three failed contests. There was much controversy over the plans of the museum because it is actually built on top of an archeological site, Makrygianni. The lowest floor is actually several feet off the ground and parts of the floor is glass so you can see the site underneath your feet, very cool! The other controversy is centered around the demolition of two buildings next to the museum. The museum wants to knock down these historical buildings because it blocks the view from the restaurant of the Acropolis...really? So many Greeks are against it it probably won't happen. But they're all upset about it because it's historical for one thing, and two, they're Greeks.

Another thing everyone over here is so upset about, that I didn't know even was going on is the controversy between Great Britain and Greece over the "Elgin Marbles". So basically during the years 1801-1812 Thomas Bruce, the 7th Earl of Elgin and the British ambassador to the Ottomon Empire, thought it would be ok to take all of these beautiful pieces from the Acropolis back to Britain. The debate is over whether or not Britain actually paid for these pieces and whether or not Britain should return them. So now they're all just in the British museum.

This is something from a website I found about how they're divided: "There were originally 115 panels in the frieze. Of these, ninety-four still exist, either intact or broken. Thirty six are in Athens, fifty-six are in the British Museum and one is in the Louvre. Of the original ninety-two metopes, thirty-nine are in Athens and fifteen are in London. Seventeen pedimental statues, including a caryatid and a column from the Erechtheion are also in the British Museum. So the Parthenon Marbles are almost equally divided -- half in London and half in Athens. "

The Acropolis museum wants these back! They want them in the brand new museum and to replace the replicas there now with the originals.
A lot of Greeks are clearly upset by this, as am I! I think it's absolutely ridiculous! Obviously these artifacts belong in Greece, this is where they were made, this is their home! You can just take whatever you find in another country, I believe it is the property of the civilization. Plus, Britain excavators did something stupid and removed "dirt" from some of the statues and it was really paint! They ruined so many of them because of that! Clearly, they don't know what they're doing.

I hope that gives you a little insight into the drama that is going on right here, so amazing that something that happened so long ago is still in the news today!

New pictures: http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?pid=4307118&l=8d33cc6289&id=590541644