The First Week and Many Adventures

Although it has really only been a few days since my last blog post, I have been ridiculously busy. I have been shopping at the Laiki which is an open-air market they have one day a week in at least one place in every neighborhood (there are actually 2 close to me, Tuesday and Friday). It is a great place to practice my Greek and to work on learning numbers, although right now I do feel at risk of being ripped off because I am noticeably American, but most of the vendors are very helpful. It is all fresh fruits and vegetables along with some clothes and other random items. I also ventured to the butcher with a couple of my roommates and he was extremely helpful, especially considering how little English he spoke and the fact that I could say I wanted chicken but not specify a breast rather than a whole chicken. After our little shopping adventures of the day my apartment cooked dinner for ourselves for the first time, and it was quite tasty if I do say so myself.

Our program gave us a little public transportation test in which we had to take the Trolley to Sintagma Square and then we were allowed to shop and wander until we met back up to take the Metro together. A couple of girls and I poked around some cute small shops owned by locals and then watched the changing of the guard at Parliament. It was quite a sight, much like the changing of the guard in London, but the outfits are funnier looking and the steps a little more pronounced. We also tasted some fine Greek cuisine along the way, and I have yet to find a Greek dish I don’t like.

On Thursday we watched the funeral procession for the Archbishop of all of Greece for the Greek Orthodox Church who passed away on Monday. The display of gold and purple was exquisite and it was quite a sight to see with all of the priests from all over Greece along with the army, navy, and police of Greece walking in this parade to the cemetery. Then we ventured into Plaka which is a small touristy area right outside of the Acropolis. It was fun because it was the first real tourist shopping we did. After a delicious lunch where I tried Ouzo for the first time (a little bit strong for me, but I might be able to learn to like it) and the waiter let us practice our Greek and taught us a few new words, we headed to the Temple of Olympian Zeus and took pictures through the bars. Our little group then divided and a few of us went to climb Lykavittos Hill which has the best view of Athens. There are no words for what we saw. We made it just in time for sunset and got to see the vast expanse that is the City of Athens. Then we sat in a café on the hilltop and went back out to look at Athens lit up at night. I’m afraid my photographs don’t do it justice.

It has been great getting to know everyone on the trip thus far and they all seem adventurous and outgoing (which is pretty much what I expected of students traveling abroad to Greece) and I had a lot of opportunity to meet some new people and get to know others better on our weekend excursion to Nafplio. It is a city on the coast and there was shopping and cafes by the water with heat lamps to keep you warm while you sit outside. We found this great little store that sells only items made from Olive wood. Our program leaders took us all out to dinner where they set up a sampling of traditional Greek foods, all of which were spectacular and then we headed out for some gelato at a nearby store (it was actually run by Italians, so it was authentic gelato). I have had a wonderful time talking with the “adults” of our program as they have this wealth of knowledge about so much of Greece, both the tourist attractions as well as the culture.

Our second day in Nafplio we climbed 999 steps to the fortress Palamidi at the top of a small mountain. The view was again spectacular and the water was such a clear blue. We spent hours walking around and exploring the old fortress/prison/church that resided at the top. After lots of hiking, some picnicking, and a little sunbathing, we walked back down the 999 steps (we actually only counted 908) and stopped at a café to rest our legs which were a little shaky from the walk down. We did a little bit more shopping and then I headed back to the hotel for a nap.

Once refreshed I ventured out for dinner with a bunch of other people, which whittled itself down to a small group of just three other people and myself at a restaurant recommended to us by a woman at the gelato place. There was live music played by two young men on mandolins and an older gentleman on guitar. They sang and many of the Greeks in the restaurant started singing along and clapping. A couple sitting across from us would get up every now and then to dance and really enjoyed how into the music our table of Americans got. They went so far as to have the waiter bring us some wine on them, and I went over to thank them and then asked them to show me how to dance. So the man danced with me in a Greek ballroom type style for one song, and the woman showed me another Greek dance to another song. I was able to talk to them in mostly Greek as they knew only minimal English and they introduced us to the musicians. We stayed until the musicians were done playing and the older gentleman invited us to go and eat with them. So we joined them for some food at a place near by and talked with them (mostly in English, although one spoke no English at all). They were so friendly and polite and although the language barrier was a little bit of a challenge, they spoke enough English for us to have good conversation. It turned out that they guys ventured to Athens frequently and were telling us of some good places to go. It was a great cultural experience and I am glad that I have been able to communicate what little I can in Greek and use hand gestures and English for the rest. That sort of thing just wouldn’t happen in the United States.

I have to admit, our trip to Nafplio has solidified my love for this country and I have a new desire to learn as much of the language as I can and to visit as many places in and outside of Athens as possible. This is going to be a great semester!