Hiking to the Gods: Mount Olympus

Over the weekend I, along with several other students on my program, climbed Mount Olympus in Thessaly. After spending all of my weekends thus far exploring Grecian islands, the cold was a shock to the system. Even at the base of the mountain, we could see our breath. The hike itself was strenuous but manageable. Anyone who has hiked near the Loj would likely be able to handle it.

The first day, the hike was flatter but longer. We slowly made our way up to the cabin where we had dinner and spent the night. The fall foliage enhanced the views (if that is possible) but made me nostalgic for a New England fall. Nothing can compare.

The second day's climb had a much steeper incline as neared the summit. Eventually, we climbed above the tree line...then above the cloud line. The coolest sight was to look across the mountain ridge and see the clouds in a shelf below you, being mirrored back by the sea. Stunning.

The adrenaline really kicked in when we reached the top and felt the sense of accomplishment. Totally worth the effort, and completely attainable. As instructed by my Myth and Religion professor, we offered libations to the Greek Gods reported to live on the mountain.

We told riddles and stories on the long hike down, pausing occasionally to breath in the incredible fresh air (here in Athens you don't get much of that).

Island Hopping

In the month that I have been here, I have visited four islands: Mykonos, Andros, Crete, and Santorini. I have yet to stay in Athens (or leave Greece) for a weekend, but that seems fairly standard for this program. After spending over 50 collective hours aboard Blue Star Ferries, I'm beginning to feel at home on these boats.

Each island had its own distinct landscape, appeal, and personality. Personally, I had the best time visiting Andros as a part of CYA's optional trip. Prior to the trip, I had never even heard of Andros. It is a small island, with few tourists and beautiful, isolated beaches that we had to hike to reach. There was a medieval monastery built high up into the mountains. The monastery itself, as well as the view of the island/sea was incredible.

Yesterday, I returned from Santorini. Though it was more touristy than the others, there was an archeological site that was breathtaking. Akrotiri is an ancient city that was buried by a volcanic eruption. Like Pompeii, the site was perfectly preserved by the ash. Three story houses, pristine pottery, and impressive frescos were all discovered at Akrotiri.

Mykonos!

My very first weekend abroad I traveled to the Greek Island of Mykonos. With thirteen other friends, I took a five-hour ferry to this island paradise. Luckily, the ferry was more like a cruise ship, so I avoided any seasickness concerns.

Taking the trip so early on into the program was a perfect way to meet a lot of people in CYA and connect with the group.

As soon as we docked, hotel owners bombarded us with their offers and promotions. We chose an 8-euro hostel, which turned out to be shockingly nice. Though our individual accommodations reminded us all of old army barracks or tool sheds, the area was secure, safe, and had beautiful views. It even had its own infinity pool, restaurant, minimart, and beach with free chairs. Not too shabby for 8 euros.

We spent the weekend luxuriating in the end of summer sun and swimming in the Aegean Sea. So salty, So clear! Mykonos was the most fun introduction to the Greek Islands. I'm sure I will continue to love my weekend travels!

What really counts: Coffee and Naps

The Greek way of life is something I can really get on board with. Every day, there is a siesta period. I have no idea why they call it a siesta, as that is a Spanish word rather than a Greek word for rest time. I asked my professors, and they are equally perplexed.

The shops all shut down and you must remain quiet within your apartment. It is a little difficult to get used to the fact that I can't go down to the store to pick up some nail polish remover whenever I want, but the benefits of a nationally embraced nap time far outweigh the hassle.

The coffee: It is Strong. The national drink is called a frappe. It is literally instant coffee, whizzed up to create heavy foam on top. If you get it with milk, you are getting sweetened, condensed milk. The frappe was first invented by construction workers so that they could drink it on the job. The dust and dirt remained on top of the foam and never polluted their drinks. It gained in popularity, and is now Everywhere. I bought my own to go mug (a type specific to the drink) and the instant coffee grounds (mom, you would be so proud). Just add water and an ice cube, shake it like a martini shaker, and viola: a fully formed frappe.

To be perfectly honest, I prefer the espresso. It is bitter and strong, just the way it should be. When I order an espresso freddo (entirely in Greek, which is my latest accomplishment) it comes as three shots of espresso, ice, and, oddly, with foam on top as well. Yum.

So between the naps and the coffee I am feeling plenty energized and ready to explore Athens!

And so it begins!

Hello all! Welcome to my very first blog post, on my very first blog.

After the ten-hour flight from JFK to Athens (during which I was served at least ten in-flight meals) I made my way to customs. The Greek men in front of me in line began jubilantly singing what I can only imagine was a very patriotic song. Off to a very great start.

For a few minutes, I searched around for a CYA sign or a confident adult to shepherd me to my new home. Instead, I found a group of similarly jet lagged young adults congregated in a corner of the airport. Our leaders were late- an indicator of the differences in Greek culture that we will have to grow accustomed to. Eventually, we successfully made our way to the apartments in Pagrati, our neighborhood in Athens.

The apartments are huge, with four balconies and a spacious kitchen. The whole place is airy and big enough for my five wonderful roommates and me. The picture below is one my roommate, Marina took of one the two (!!) balconies in our bedroom. It overlooks a beautiful old, Greek Orthodox Church. I'm going to keep these short and sweet, in the hopes that it will make them less intimidating and encourage me to blog more often. More later!

Saying Goodbye (for now)

There’s just a little over twenty-four hours left before I leave Greece. Now that it’s coming to an end, this semester feels like it flew by. I spent the afternoon yesterday taking my last walk through central Athens and making my final climb up to the acropolis. Syntagma Square was all decorated for Christmas and they even had an ice skating rink! Two of my friends, Anna and Remy, and I stopped for some hot chocolate to warm up on a chilly day in Athens. Sitting in the café sipping my hot chocolate, it hit me just how comfortable I’ve become here and how much I’m going to miss it.

Ice Skating in Syntagma

Last trip to the Acropolis

I'm going to miss this view

CYA Farewell Party 

 I’ve learned so much during the past four months. I’ve learned to be patient with myself and with others, to be more flexible, and to let loose every once and a while. Adapting to a new environment, language and culture has really taught me that sometimes it’s okay not to be in control of everything.  Sometimes you just have to surrender to the unknown and enjoy the ride, and I have certainly enjoyed the past few months. I’m going to miss the great friends that I’ve made here, my professors, and the awesome CYA staff.  I’ll also miss gyros, tzatziki sauce and the amazing chocolate cake from the bakery down the street! And of course I’ll miss everything about the wonderful Greek culture: the dancing, the ancient ruins, the hospitality, the museums…and so much more. I’m especially going to miss seeing the acropolis from the academic center window everyday on may way to class. I’ve had such a great experience here in Athens and in the other places I’ve traveled to this semester. I am so grateful for my time abroad and I look forward to traveling many more times. Thank you all for reading my updates…I have really loved getting to share my pictures and stories with you. I’ll see everyone back in the States soon!

Sam

A Little Taste of Christmas

         I can’t believe there are only eleven days left until I go home, which means only fourteen days until Christmas! Since it is my absolute favorite holiday, I’ve been excited to experience some Christmas spirit here in Athens. Although Easter is celebrated more in Greece than Christmas is, I’ve still seen some balconies decorated with strings of lights and storefronts painted red and green. I especially feel like Christmas is close when I walk down Ermou Street in Syntagma (a very popular shopping destination). Since the stores there are more main-stream, most of them are filled with Christmas decorations. To really get into the Christmas spirit, my housemates and I decided to do a secret santa and have a Christmas party. I even bought a tiny Christmas tree (well, a bush)! We had a great time celebrating Christmas early in Greece and giving each other our secret santa presents! I’m also planning on taking a cooking lesson later this week where I’ll learn how to make some traditional Greek Christmas cookies!

Our mini Christmas tree/bush

Rose opening her gift!

                                               

            Since I now have less than two weeks left in Athens, I decided to check off a few last minute things on my list of places to visit. This past weekend, I finally had a chance to spend a few hours at the Byzantine and Christianity Museum. What I loved most about this museum was the huge amount of Byzantine Icons they have in their collection. Almost an entire floor of the museum is dedicated to these paintings! Below are some pictures of a few of my favorites. The museum also had a special exhibit on the origins of book making and book binding which was also very interesting.

                                       

Byzantine and Christianity Museum 

I'm going to miss those mountains 

            I’ll be writing one more blog post sometime next week before I leave Athens. My time here has flown by and it will be a bittersweet day when I have to make my last trip up to the Acropolis. I’ll make one final update next week with some last thoughts and pictures. Until then, enjoy the Christmas pics above!

        Sam 

My Ironic Thanksgiving in Turkey and London

  

  

         

        It’s been a very busy and exciting few weeks! After finishing up my midterm exams during the first week of November, my parents arrived in Athens on the 9^th to spend ten days experiencing my life in Greece with me! I loved showing them the Acropolis, the Agora and the many awesome museums in Athens. I hope they’d tell you I was a good tour guide! Since I still had classes during the week they visited, Mom and Dad decided to take some day-trips to Delphi, Epidauros and Mycenae. From what they told me they loved these sites as much I did and I’m so glad they got to see other parts of Greece outside of Athens. One of the highlights our week together was getting to sit in the Panathenaic Stadium and cheer on the winners of the Athens Classic Marathon. 

  After a great week with my parents, my friend Anna and I headed off on a trip to Istanbul and London! Both of these cities were amazing for very different reasons and I feel so lucky to have been able to travel during my fall break.  Having studied the Hagia Sophia in two art history classes at Tufts, I was so excited to see it for myself! One of my favorite aspects of the church-turned-mosque is its blend of Islamic and Christian attributes. Upon walking into the main building, I was immediately struck by the height of the central dome and the enormous size of the circular roundels with their beautiful Arabic calligraphy. Since we live in a world where religions are often seen only for their differences, I loved stepping into a space where Christian and Islamic aspects seem to meld together.  All of the mosques Anna and I visited, including the Blue Mosque, were amazing. We also visited Topkapi Palace (Ottoman), the Roman Basilica Cistern, the Spice Market, Grand Bazaar, and Istanbul’s Archaeological Museum. Although I loved everything about our visit to Istanbul, my favorite part about the city is the daily call to prayer (“adhan”). Five times a day a “muezzin” announces the call from each mosque in the city. The sound of the chanting radiates throughout Istanbul and creates a beautiful melodic chant. I was so mesmerized by it that I have at least five or six videos recorded on my phone! After a great couple of days in Istanbul, Anna and I left early on Thanksgiving (hence my ironic Thanksgiving in Turkey), and headed over to London.

                                                  Inside the Hagia Sophia

                                                           Hagia Sophia

                            

                                                                           

             The Blue Mosque at night                                   The Basilica Cistern

In addition to seeing Parliament, Big Ben, Buckingham Palace, and all of the other things London has to offer, I also got to visit with two of my best friends: Lucia and Brie! Both of them are studying in England this semester so my visit to London was made even more perfect because I got to spend it with them! On Friday, Lucia and I had a busy day touring all of the famous sites of London including the National Portrait Gallery, Harrod’s, and the “Eye.” London struck me as a very clean and classy city with lots of beautiful architecture. Even their taxis were classy looking! I also really enjoyed getting a taste of winter weather and seeing the amazing Christmas decorations. On Saturday, Brie left Oxford for the day to meet me at the British Museum in London where we got to see the Rosetta Stone and the other Parthenon sculptures. I also had afternoon tea with both Lucia and Brie and even stopped by the Tower of London. 

                                                            Westminster Abbey

My trip to Istanbul and London was amazing and I feel so lucky that I’ve now gotten to experience four different countries! I love seeing all of the stamps in my passport and I can’t wait to add more! I’m now settling in for my last three weeks in Greece. I’ll be staying in Athens so I can hopefully make the most of my last couple of weeks here and visit the last few museums and sites on my list.  I’ll keep you updated on my adventures in Athens…hope you enjoy the pics!

      -  Sam

Freaks and Greeks, Pt. 7 "Never Eat Questionable Pastichio"

As you may have noticed, I haven't been too up to date on the blogs posts recently. That's mostly because I had an absolutely incredible weekend in Istanbul two weeks ago (talking about that wouldn't make sense in a  blog about my time in Greece, but I'll post pictures anyways, plus some from the Peloponnese) and spent last weekend at the Hygeia Hospital in Athens. Plot-twist, amIright?

Basically what occurred is this: while on our CYA sponsored trip to the Peloponnese, I encountered some questionable Pastichio in the city of Tripolis. Pastichio is a (normally delicious) dish consisting of layers of cooked beef, pasta, and bechamel (but it's NOT lasagna, they get mad if you say that). This happened on a Wednesday. By Saturday morning, I was being whisked down the mountains of Delphi in a taxicab to reach the hospital back in Athens, two hours away. I was diagnosed with some severe dehydration and an infection in my gastrointestinal tract - they still don't know what the pathogen was, but hey, that's life for you. After three nights, four days, and a nuclear arsenal of antibiotics, I was released with a clean bill of health. It has been kind of an out-of-body experience to think that I was just in a Greek hospital.

My stay in the hospital was surprisingly headache free as well. There was barely any language barrier with my limited Greek and the staff's extensive knowledge of English. The CYA administration was also incredibly efficient and helpful in making sure I got the care I needed and handled everything regarding my insurance (and keeping my family in the loop). I'm really grateful to have such an amazing group of people looking out for me while I'm here.

I had to continue my antibiotic regiment for a few days after returning to Pangrati and CYA, but I'm officially med free! My Greek teacher let me know that the community holds medical donation drives at a nearby church, and I took the opportunity to donate the antibiotics (they're mostly over the counter here) to charity today. They go to sick citizens here that can't afford the prescriptions or have been hard hit by the financial crisis. It's the least I could do after all of the help and care I was given/shown in the past week. And it also really made me feel like I'm a part of a community here in Pangrati. So I guess this story has a silver lining afterall, besides the fact that I have a pretty awesome story to tell about my experience abroad now. That and my newfound knowledge of the Greek medical system.

Hopefully next time I'll have a more culturally interesting post (I'll be in Italy next week for our fall recess!)
Anthony

From the Bronze Age to the Middle Ages

This past Monday our entire group of CYA students embarked on a week-long trip to the Peloponnese and Delphi. The Peloponnese is the large are of Greece south-west of the mainland and Delphi is an amazing site about two hours north of Athens. Given the fact that I took almost 500 pictures and visited eleven different sites ranging from Bronze Age palaces to Venetian castles, there is no way I can describe everything I saw and did. Therefore, I’ve decided to talk about my three favorite sites: Mystras, Mycenae, and the Palace of Nestor.

            The first site on our itinerary for Wednesday was the medieval town of Mystras.  Built into the mountains near the modern town of Sparta, this abandoned town includes twenty-four medieval churches with original wall paintings, a large palace complex, fortifications, and many other structures.  The views from the mountain are spectacular and the churches are incredibly well preserved. Below are a few pictures from around Mystras, including a shot of one of the church domes with a depiction of Christ Pantokrator (Christ the Judge). This image of Christ in the central dome is a feature shared by almost all Greek Orthodox churches.

        

       Two of my other favorite sites in the Peloponnese are Mycenae and the Palace of Nestor (located in Pylos).  Although I visited Mycenae during my senior year of high school, the scale and richness of the site amazed me yet again. Mycenae also holds a special place in my heart because of its repeated references in Homer’s Iliad (one of my all time favorite texts).  This large palace complex is the supposed territory of the wanax (king) Agamemnon.  Inhabited during the Bronze Age in Greece, Mycenae is especially known for its cyclopean masonry and the large amount of gold objects and bronze weaponry found in its graves. Many of these prestigious items are now located in the museum at Mycenae and at the National Archaeological Museum here in Athens. The rocks used to construct the walls are so huge that I had to take a picture standing in front of one for scale.  Some of the rocks are as tall as me!

                                         Inside the Treasury of Atreus (a large grave) at Mycenae

The Lion Gate

          

                                                 That's just ONE of the stones in the wall!

            Another of my favorite Bronze Age sites is the Palace of Nestor at Pylos.  Like Mycenae, the Palace of Nestor was inhabited by the Mycenaean people and is said to have been ruled by the wanax/king Nestor (who is also featured in the Iliad). This site was especially amazing because we had the privilege of speaking to many of the archaeologists who are currently excavating the palace. They even showed us some of their test pits that revealed many different stratigraphic layers of the palace.  I also enjoyed this site because of its well-preserved “megaron.” The megaron is the central room of a Mycenaean palace.  It is characterized by columns and a large round hearth in the center.  Scholars speculate that this room served as a receiving/throne room for the king.

                                                         The hearth in the megaron
        

                                                 Archaeologists at the Palace of Nestor

            I had an amazing time exploring the Peloponnese and Delphi, but now its back to classes and midterms.  Check back over the next couple of weeks to see some pictures from my parents’ visit (they arrive in a few days!) and some stories from my up-coming trip to Istanbul and England! 

A Monastic Weekend

I said goodbye to Athens this past Friday and set out with a group of CYA students and professors to spend the weekend in two other fantastic Greek towns: Meteora and Metsovo. Located about six hours north of Athens, Meteora and Metsovo rank as two of the most beautiful places I’ve ever visited. Both towns have spectacular local landscapes and a lot of traditional Greek charm. Since we were quite a bit north of Athens, I even got a taste of the fall weather and foliage that I’ve been missing here in the southern Mediterranean.

I’m not sure it is even possible to describe the magnificence of Meteora, but I’ll try to put it into words. This small area of Greece is known best for its towering rock formations. And as if that doesn’t sound amazing enough, those towering cliffs are the foundations of monasteries that date back to the Byzantine period! Of the twenty-four orignal monasteries that were built in this area, only six survive today.  Over the course of the two days we were in Meteora, our group visited four out of these six working monasteries. Since they are located on top of island rock formations, getting to these buildings is no easy feat. Roads can only get so close to the cliffs, so bridges and many many steps are used to reach the top of the rocks. I was exhausted after just a day and a half of walking to these monasteries, so I can’t even imagine how difficult it was to construct and access these places hundreds of years ago! However, the stairs are well worth the effort.  Once I reached the top of the first monastery, I was overwhelmed by the beauty of the mountains and cliffs. The view is so beautiful that it almost doesn’t seem real. In addition to the amazing scenery, the monasteries provide great examples of Byzantine iconography and manuscripts. Our group was lucky to have three great professors with us who gave us so much information on the modern Orthodox Greek Church as well as Byzantine architecture.

After spending most of Friday and Saturday in Meteora, our group packed up and headed to our next destination: Metsovo. This small mountain town was the perfect place to spend a fall weekend. I was so happy to kick my feet through the fallen leaves and sit down to a warm meal on a cold night.  In addition to spending time looking at the wood-working and cheese shops (Metsovo is known for these two products), we also visited a local folklore museum where we got a taste of life in Greece during the 19th century. Before heading back to Athens on Sunday, our group had the privilege of attending a Greek Orthodox church service and sitting down for coffee with the local priest. His congregation was very inviting and he openly answered our questions about his church and his religion. My weekend in Meteora and Metsovo was definitley one of my favorites so far in Greece and I can’t wait to go back some day!