So I completely forgot to write a blog post about my trip to Cape Souneio.
We went with our program director, Jan, and she took us to these old silver mines first and then we hiked, and in some spots mountain-climbed, to a bay and then took a bus up to the temple. The hike was interesting and a bit prickly at times, but the views from the top (after scaling a rock-face, no lie) made up for the scratches. And the Temple of Poseidon was absolutely spectacular. It is so complete that you really feel like you can imagine what it was like up there. There is no doubt that it was meant to serve as an altar to the gods because its sheer size alone is imposing and grandiose. Thus far, it is my favorite ancient temple, and the views of the sea from all different sides were what I have come to expect from all of Greece… breathtaking.
While there isn’t much for me to really comment on about the day trip, it was a sight I won’t soon forget, and one I think that everyone should see should they make it to Greece in their lifetimes.
Sunday, March 30, 2008
Santorini
When you think of Greece, what do you think of? Whitewashed buildings, blue-domed churches, beaches? If so, then really you just described many of the Greek Islands including the most photographed one, Santorini. And that is exactly where I was just the other weekend. It was an 8-hour ferry ride there in which the sitting options were the cold, windy, and wet upper deck or the hot, stuffy, and smoky lower deck. I opted for the upper-deck and the weather did turn around as we got further south and it was quite nice by the time we reached the island. Our hotel came and picked us up from the port and took us to our rooms in the city of Fira. All of the towns in Santorini are perched high atop the mountain cliffs or built into the side and it makes for some spectacular views.
The island is the result of volcanic activity and there is still an active volcano in the center. My travel group (which consisted of my roommates Katie, Aubrey, and Sara as well as Katie's friends Dustin, Ian, and Greg and her sister Emily) and I purchased tickets on a boat tour and went to the volcano and got a guided hike up to the top of it. It was amazing how much you could see and the island goes in a circle around it. You could actually feel the heat and energy radiating out from under your feet and we were warned to stay on the clearly marked paths because inside the craters there are noxious gases and extremely high temperatures. The entire island was black from lava and tiny red flowers had popped up all over.
The boat tour also took us to hot springs that we had to swim to because the boat couldn't get close enough. This means we had to swim through the freezing cold sea to the luke warm hot springs (apparently they're not really hot until the summer) and then swim back through the freezing sea to the boat again. So of course, we all did it. Unfortunately for us, we neglected to bring towels with us on the boat. We had the foresight to wear our bathing suits for the hot springs, but not to bring anything to dry off with, so we air-dried on the boat ride back to port. It was a bit chilly, but the sun was warm and it was definitely worth it.
To get back to Fira and our hotel for some nice hot showers we decided to take the famed donkey rides up. While it was on my list of things I must do before leaving Greece and it was a unique experience, I don't know that I would do it again in that same touristy capacity. The poor beasts had already brought a group of people up the 660 steps to the top of the hill/mountain/cliff and they were sweating and looked tired. Mine actually tripped once or twice on the steps. I know that they do it all the time, but I couldn't help but feel sorry for them and don't want to do it again. Plus, the guy was yelling at us telling us not to take pictures and we have no idea why, so that was confusing and frustrating as I did not get a great touristy picture of me on a donkey.
After that little adventure we decided to shower and try and find our way to Ia where the sunsets are supposed to be spectacular and then grab some dinner at a taverna. The boys were of course ready before the rest of us and decided to go investigate the mopeds they saw for rent earlier in the day. After a lot of back and forth we wound up renting 4 ATVs and driving to Ia. Eight of us was the perfect number and we had two on each bike. I got to drive almost the entire time and loved every minute of it. There really is no better way to see the island than in the open air like that. A bus would not have given us nearly the same views and experience and everyone really enjoyed driving them.
We used them the next day as well to go beach hopping. All of us collected some black sand and lava rocks as it is one of the trademarks of Santorini (see the previous volcano comments). Then we did a little shopping, got a ride down to the port from the nice people at our hotel, and took the 8-hour ferry ride back to Athens. The return boat ride was much more enjoyable and went very smoothly. It was probably one of the best weekends I've had thus far in Greece and I hope to have more experiences just like it.
The island is the result of volcanic activity and there is still an active volcano in the center. My travel group (which consisted of my roommates Katie, Aubrey, and Sara as well as Katie's friends Dustin, Ian, and Greg and her sister Emily) and I purchased tickets on a boat tour and went to the volcano and got a guided hike up to the top of it. It was amazing how much you could see and the island goes in a circle around it. You could actually feel the heat and energy radiating out from under your feet and we were warned to stay on the clearly marked paths because inside the craters there are noxious gases and extremely high temperatures. The entire island was black from lava and tiny red flowers had popped up all over.
The boat tour also took us to hot springs that we had to swim to because the boat couldn't get close enough. This means we had to swim through the freezing cold sea to the luke warm hot springs (apparently they're not really hot until the summer) and then swim back through the freezing sea to the boat again. So of course, we all did it. Unfortunately for us, we neglected to bring towels with us on the boat. We had the foresight to wear our bathing suits for the hot springs, but not to bring anything to dry off with, so we air-dried on the boat ride back to port. It was a bit chilly, but the sun was warm and it was definitely worth it.
To get back to Fira and our hotel for some nice hot showers we decided to take the famed donkey rides up. While it was on my list of things I must do before leaving Greece and it was a unique experience, I don't know that I would do it again in that same touristy capacity. The poor beasts had already brought a group of people up the 660 steps to the top of the hill/mountain/cliff and they were sweating and looked tired. Mine actually tripped once or twice on the steps. I know that they do it all the time, but I couldn't help but feel sorry for them and don't want to do it again. Plus, the guy was yelling at us telling us not to take pictures and we have no idea why, so that was confusing and frustrating as I did not get a great touristy picture of me on a donkey.
After that little adventure we decided to shower and try and find our way to Ia where the sunsets are supposed to be spectacular and then grab some dinner at a taverna. The boys were of course ready before the rest of us and decided to go investigate the mopeds they saw for rent earlier in the day. After a lot of back and forth we wound up renting 4 ATVs and driving to Ia. Eight of us was the perfect number and we had two on each bike. I got to drive almost the entire time and loved every minute of it. There really is no better way to see the island than in the open air like that. A bus would not have given us nearly the same views and experience and everyone really enjoyed driving them.
We used them the next day as well to go beach hopping. All of us collected some black sand and lava rocks as it is one of the trademarks of Santorini (see the previous volcano comments). Then we did a little shopping, got a ride down to the port from the nice people at our hotel, and took the 8-hour ferry ride back to Athens. The return boat ride was much more enjoyable and went very smoothly. It was probably one of the best weekends I've had thus far in Greece and I hope to have more experiences just like it.
A Small Slice of Home...
A friend of mine from high school who traveled with me to Australia when we were 15 and 16 years old happens to be studying in Athens this semester as well. I was unaware that she was going to be here and it wasn’t until she saw some mention of Greece on my facebook profile that she realized I was here too. She got in touch with me and we met up for lunch in the middle of Syntagma square. It was really strange to see such a familiar face in an only recently familiar place. Her program is very different from mine and she actually does not take any Modern Greek Language class. While I think that is poor planning on the part of her school, it made me appreciate what I have learned even if I feel like it isn’t enough at times. We had a very nice lunch and she showed me around her apartment which is much bigger and nicer than mine, but houses 8 people instead of 5. I know that I will see her again while here and it is going to be nice to have an escape when I need a break from Arcadia.
Another slice of home came to visit just last week. My roommate Katie had her three best friends and sister here visiting us the other week and it was extremely refreshing and much needed. It is amazing how trapped in a little bubble one can be with so much of the world lying in front of you, but the world of Arcadia can be very small and it was nice to have someone from the outside come in. The week also showed me just how much I have learned and adapted to Greek life, seeing others who have not experienced the culture or language yet. I believe that the bulk of my cultural education here has been through unconscious observation than anything else and seeing others struggle as I had at first with communication and understanding has encouraged me in how much I now know.
While Katie’s “parea” (a Greek term for your inner network of friends) was here we celebrated St. Patrick’s Day at our local pub on Monday night (the official St. Patrick’s Day, not the pope sanctioned one), but were disappointed by the lack of fanfare as the holiday is not really recognized here unless at an American bar or Irish pub. But we made up for the lack of Greek enthusiasm by going out to “Hell’s Kitchen” the next night for dinner which serves more American style cuisine. It was delicious and the people friendly. Even the service was more American, with our waitress coming to check on us periodically and asking us how we liked the food. One of the chefs actually came out and was talking to us and it turns out he is from Connecticut originally and found his way here seeking job opportunities in his family’s home country, a place he visited a lot as a child. It was nice to have an escape from the frustration and confusion of not fully understanding the spoken language and the body language of Greece.
Besides these small adventures, time with Katie’s friends was enjoyable as the apartment was a lot more full of life and her friends seemed to adopt us quickly as their own. Their personalities suited me well and their being here reaffirmed my enjoyment of meeting new people. Because I got along with them so well, however, I did grow a bit homesick upon their departure. Seeing Katie with her closest friends that she’s known for years made me really miss mine and the few days following were the most homesick I’ve been since I got to Greece. Thank goodness for phones and internet to keep me connected to the people I love back in the United States so that such periods don’t last too long and I may go on my way and enjoy the rest of my time in Greece. We have a lot of adventures already planned and I know that the rest of the semester will go by quickly which is a blessing and curse. But I am certain to have many more stories to tell before my return to the States in May.
Another slice of home came to visit just last week. My roommate Katie had her three best friends and sister here visiting us the other week and it was extremely refreshing and much needed. It is amazing how trapped in a little bubble one can be with so much of the world lying in front of you, but the world of Arcadia can be very small and it was nice to have someone from the outside come in. The week also showed me just how much I have learned and adapted to Greek life, seeing others who have not experienced the culture or language yet. I believe that the bulk of my cultural education here has been through unconscious observation than anything else and seeing others struggle as I had at first with communication and understanding has encouraged me in how much I now know.
While Katie’s “parea” (a Greek term for your inner network of friends) was here we celebrated St. Patrick’s Day at our local pub on Monday night (the official St. Patrick’s Day, not the pope sanctioned one), but were disappointed by the lack of fanfare as the holiday is not really recognized here unless at an American bar or Irish pub. But we made up for the lack of Greek enthusiasm by going out to “Hell’s Kitchen” the next night for dinner which serves more American style cuisine. It was delicious and the people friendly. Even the service was more American, with our waitress coming to check on us periodically and asking us how we liked the food. One of the chefs actually came out and was talking to us and it turns out he is from Connecticut originally and found his way here seeking job opportunities in his family’s home country, a place he visited a lot as a child. It was nice to have an escape from the frustration and confusion of not fully understanding the spoken language and the body language of Greece.
Besides these small adventures, time with Katie’s friends was enjoyable as the apartment was a lot more full of life and her friends seemed to adopt us quickly as their own. Their personalities suited me well and their being here reaffirmed my enjoyment of meeting new people. Because I got along with them so well, however, I did grow a bit homesick upon their departure. Seeing Katie with her closest friends that she’s known for years made me really miss mine and the few days following were the most homesick I’ve been since I got to Greece. Thank goodness for phones and internet to keep me connected to the people I love back in the United States so that such periods don’t last too long and I may go on my way and enjoy the rest of my time in Greece. We have a lot of adventures already planned and I know that the rest of the semester will go by quickly which is a blessing and curse. But I am certain to have many more stories to tell before my return to the States in May.
Wednesday, March 12, 2008
Life Without Lights
There has been a lot of employee strife lately in Athens, and all of Greece, as some people are unhappy about pension and social security reforms that are being proposed. As a result, many unions and workers organizations have been striking. At first it was mostly the public transportation and one day there was a protest in the streets. More recently it has been the power. Workers in the power companies have been striking by shutting off power in random places for a couple of hours at a time, and now because they won’t work normal hours there is a lack of power and the electricity has been shut off at intervals to try and conserve the power we do have. While these strikes are illegal as they are dangerous for the general public (street lights randomly going out, people getting stuck in elevators, and people on medical machines at home) no resolution has been reached.
My apartment has been the subject of a number of power outages lately, but typically the power returns within a couple of hours so it is more of an inconvenience than a problem. But the last time it went out was around 4pm on Sunday. An hour or two later power returned to our street and to our apartment building, but not to our apartment. It being Sunday, a day when most public works are closed, not much could be done. Thankfully with no power our apartment still had water, but unthankfully the next day was Clean Monday, a national holiday as I mentioned earlier, so no one would be working then either. Ultimately we wound up without lights, hot water, a fridge (we had to throw out a lot of food that started to go bad), and stove from 4pm Sunday until 1pm Tuesday when an electrician came to the apartment.
It was not quite the adventure I had hoped to have while in Athens, but my apartment and I are lucky to have made good friends with the other students in our program. We ventured out to others’ apartments for shower and to get some hot water for tea and such. Living by candlelight and flashlight was less than enjoyable, but it could have been worse (thank goodness it hasn’t been too cold around here lately). I am very grateful to have power back as I was starting to feel like I was living in the “old country” and didn’t realize how much I would miss the use of a light bulb. Everything is fixed now and we are keeping our fingers-crossed that our street gets a break from all of the power outages for a while (many of the other Arcadia apartments have not lost power once yet), but I’ll keep you posted.
My apartment has been the subject of a number of power outages lately, but typically the power returns within a couple of hours so it is more of an inconvenience than a problem. But the last time it went out was around 4pm on Sunday. An hour or two later power returned to our street and to our apartment building, but not to our apartment. It being Sunday, a day when most public works are closed, not much could be done. Thankfully with no power our apartment still had water, but unthankfully the next day was Clean Monday, a national holiday as I mentioned earlier, so no one would be working then either. Ultimately we wound up without lights, hot water, a fridge (we had to throw out a lot of food that started to go bad), and stove from 4pm Sunday until 1pm Tuesday when an electrician came to the apartment.
It was not quite the adventure I had hoped to have while in Athens, but my apartment and I are lucky to have made good friends with the other students in our program. We ventured out to others’ apartments for shower and to get some hot water for tea and such. Living by candlelight and flashlight was less than enjoyable, but it could have been worse (thank goodness it hasn’t been too cold around here lately). I am very grateful to have power back as I was starting to feel like I was living in the “old country” and didn’t realize how much I would miss the use of a light bulb. Everything is fixed now and we are keeping our fingers-crossed that our street gets a break from all of the power outages for a while (many of the other Arcadia apartments have not lost power once yet), but I’ll keep you posted.
Clean Monday
Monday, in the Greek Orthodox calendar, was the first day of Lent. There are many traditions associated with this day, and I did my best to participate in all of them. On this day only, every bakery makes this special bread called λαγάνα (lagana). My apartment got two loaves. It is this delicious loaf of bread that is large and square in shape, covered in sesame seeds, and made without any animal byproducts which are forbidden in the traditional Lenten fast which starts this day.
Although I am not sure of its significance, another largely observed tradition is the flying of kites. My friends and I got ourselves a couple of kites and headed over to Filopapous Hill to fly them. We had little success until a Greek man came over and helped us retie it the proper way. It turns out there is a real science to it, and he spent a good twenty minutes working on our kite. He turned out to be a professor and he had a couple of his students with him, as well as his little niece. The students were two Turkish students studying in Athens for the semester. They spoke Turkish and English (and thus English with me) and he spoke Greek and Turkish (Turkish with them, Greek with me). I chatted with the girls for a while as he worked diligently on our semi-broken kite and eventually it was in flying condition.
It didn’t take long to get our kite up in the air. In fact, it got up so well it whipped the string quickly off the spool and the wind pulled our kite so far out that we could barely see it. Then the wind decided it very much liked our kite and tore it loose from the string. The kite-string collapsed on the ground and our kite flew hundreds of feet further across the sky until we could no longer even see a speck of it. Short-lived as it was, it was fun while it lasted and definitely cool to get to chat with those Turkish girls and their professor. Those Greeks never cease to amaze me when it comes to their willingness to help at times.
We ended the day right by heading out for some seafood as during Lent meat is not eaten at all. We ventured to the neighborhood of Petrolona, as suggested by one of our professors. While we were expecting a long row of tavernas, it turned out that most were closed (apparently not too surprising as many people leave Athens to be with family in their villages for the major holidays… and Monday was a national holiday). Finally we found one that was open and could accommodate all of us. They had a special menu for the day as there are many traditional foods that are eaten on Clean Monday. Luckily I had my handy little phrasebook with me that had a traditional Greek foods index to help us look up the various dishes (the owners told us they could not very easily translate the entire menu into English). With a little patience and a good memory we managed to decipher the whole thing and order successfully. The food was delicious as usual, although some were surprised with what they ordered (it turns out scuttlefish is squid and the shrimp/prawns come completely whole and must be deshelled by hand).
I believe according to Greek standards it was a very successful Clean Monday and I really enjoyed partaking in all of the traditions. This is what my time in Greece is supposed to be about… really getting to know the Greek culture and partaking in it, not just observing it.
Although I am not sure of its significance, another largely observed tradition is the flying of kites. My friends and I got ourselves a couple of kites and headed over to Filopapous Hill to fly them. We had little success until a Greek man came over and helped us retie it the proper way. It turns out there is a real science to it, and he spent a good twenty minutes working on our kite. He turned out to be a professor and he had a couple of his students with him, as well as his little niece. The students were two Turkish students studying in Athens for the semester. They spoke Turkish and English (and thus English with me) and he spoke Greek and Turkish (Turkish with them, Greek with me). I chatted with the girls for a while as he worked diligently on our semi-broken kite and eventually it was in flying condition.
It didn’t take long to get our kite up in the air. In fact, it got up so well it whipped the string quickly off the spool and the wind pulled our kite so far out that we could barely see it. Then the wind decided it very much liked our kite and tore it loose from the string. The kite-string collapsed on the ground and our kite flew hundreds of feet further across the sky until we could no longer even see a speck of it. Short-lived as it was, it was fun while it lasted and definitely cool to get to chat with those Turkish girls and their professor. Those Greeks never cease to amaze me when it comes to their willingness to help at times.
We ended the day right by heading out for some seafood as during Lent meat is not eaten at all. We ventured to the neighborhood of Petrolona, as suggested by one of our professors. While we were expecting a long row of tavernas, it turned out that most were closed (apparently not too surprising as many people leave Athens to be with family in their villages for the major holidays… and Monday was a national holiday). Finally we found one that was open and could accommodate all of us. They had a special menu for the day as there are many traditional foods that are eaten on Clean Monday. Luckily I had my handy little phrasebook with me that had a traditional Greek foods index to help us look up the various dishes (the owners told us they could not very easily translate the entire menu into English). With a little patience and a good memory we managed to decipher the whole thing and order successfully. The food was delicious as usual, although some were surprised with what they ordered (it turns out scuttlefish is squid and the shrimp/prawns come completely whole and must be deshelled by hand).
I believe according to Greek standards it was a very successful Clean Monday and I really enjoyed partaking in all of the traditions. This is what my time in Greece is supposed to be about… really getting to know the Greek culture and partaking in it, not just observing it.
Sleep and Patras Do Not Go Together
For the past 3 weeks there have been celebrations involving costumes, cotton candy, and confetti. It all came to a head this past Saturday and Sunday. The event is called Carnival and the biggest celebration in Greece goes on in Patras. It is ranked 3rd in terms of pre-Lenten celebrations, coming in behind New Orleans and Rio de Janeiro. This is where my friends and I decided to spend the last night of Carnival.
It is a 3 hour bus ride from Athens and my apartment left the city at 9pm. We arrived at midnight to a crowd of costumed Greeks dancing, drinking, and eating. A number of our Arcadia comrades had arrived as early as 6pm to see the parade, but seemed a bit worse for wear by the time we arrived and I was happy to have waited to get there.
We were all dressed up with masks and our party clothes, and after a little bit of work rounding up some of our friends who had arrived earlier, we made Chick n Chicken (a fastfood chicken place) our home base. From there we ventured out into the city to have a look around. Confetti, streamers, and colorful lights coated the streets from ground to sky. Giant statues of jester-looking men had been erected in the squares and rainbow lights in the form of ribbons were hung from every light fixture.
The colors, lights, and loud music were a bit overwhelming at first, but I quickly adjusted and tried to take some time to really absorb the whole scene. Costumes ranged from mere masks to full-blown Halloween type costumes and many people matched and dressed up in coordinating outfits. I believe the best one I saw was a group of 4 people who had these old English (Shakespeare is what I thought of) type outfits on that were blue and white checkered with these funny square hats. Upon closer inspection you realize that they are supposed to be a particular object, a chessboard. Their hats even had the chess pieces glued to them.
Venturing through the streets and in and out of bars searching for the best atmosphere and most American friendly place, we settled and wound up dancing the night away. By 6:30am we were all a bit tired and the street sweepers had come out to sweep up the confetti and trash. There was a parade again at 2pm, but none of us were quite up to sticking around Patras for another 7 and ½ hours, so we got the next bus (7:15am) back to Athens.
While I know that I would have regretted being so close to such a huge Carnival celebration and not going, if I were in Greece at this time of year again, I don’t believe I would make my way back to Patras. Such a celebration, I think, would be more enjoyable somewhere a bit more familiar where one can frequent their favorite places and would not get too easily lost or stranded. Overall it was definitely a worthwhile experience for me, but I don’t know that I would avidly recommend it to others, it really depends on how much you like crowds, loud noises, and bright colors.
It is a 3 hour bus ride from Athens and my apartment left the city at 9pm. We arrived at midnight to a crowd of costumed Greeks dancing, drinking, and eating. A number of our Arcadia comrades had arrived as early as 6pm to see the parade, but seemed a bit worse for wear by the time we arrived and I was happy to have waited to get there.
We were all dressed up with masks and our party clothes, and after a little bit of work rounding up some of our friends who had arrived earlier, we made Chick n Chicken (a fastfood chicken place) our home base. From there we ventured out into the city to have a look around. Confetti, streamers, and colorful lights coated the streets from ground to sky. Giant statues of jester-looking men had been erected in the squares and rainbow lights in the form of ribbons were hung from every light fixture.
The colors, lights, and loud music were a bit overwhelming at first, but I quickly adjusted and tried to take some time to really absorb the whole scene. Costumes ranged from mere masks to full-blown Halloween type costumes and many people matched and dressed up in coordinating outfits. I believe the best one I saw was a group of 4 people who had these old English (Shakespeare is what I thought of) type outfits on that were blue and white checkered with these funny square hats. Upon closer inspection you realize that they are supposed to be a particular object, a chessboard. Their hats even had the chess pieces glued to them.
Venturing through the streets and in and out of bars searching for the best atmosphere and most American friendly place, we settled and wound up dancing the night away. By 6:30am we were all a bit tired and the street sweepers had come out to sweep up the confetti and trash. There was a parade again at 2pm, but none of us were quite up to sticking around Patras for another 7 and ½ hours, so we got the next bus (7:15am) back to Athens.
While I know that I would have regretted being so close to such a huge Carnival celebration and not going, if I were in Greece at this time of year again, I don’t believe I would make my way back to Patras. Such a celebration, I think, would be more enjoyable somewhere a bit more familiar where one can frequent their favorite places and would not get too easily lost or stranded. Overall it was definitely a worthwhile experience for me, but I don’t know that I would avidly recommend it to others, it really depends on how much you like crowds, loud noises, and bright colors.
Tuesday, March 4, 2008
Hydra
This past weekend was my first venture to a Greek Isle. My apartment, our friends Therese, Matt, and Tony, and myself headed to the island of Hydra. This particular island allows no motor vehicles and all travel is done by foot or by donkey (which really is a tourist thing to do). The weather was spectacular and the views amazing. I know that it sounds like I say that about everywhere, but seriously, this place was gorgeous.
We checked ourselves into our hotel and grabbed some lunch before exploring the island. Not as much was open as it will be during high season (June through August), but it was still relatively crowded. We saw some people in more traditional dress performing some Greek dances on the street by the water and we wandered around a small fortress looking place (I say fortress because it had canons, really I'm not sure what it was). Then we decided to climb to the top of this mountain to a monastery. And when I say mountain, I mean mountain, as in those 999 steps to the top of the Palimidi in Nafplio was a cakewalk in comparison. But it was worth the struggle and fatigue. On one side, the view was of mountains, the ocean, and just a vast landscape untouched by human hands. On the other side, a view of the city of Hydra Town with its white-washed houses and colorful boats. It was truly spectacular and there was a sense of calm and peace in the air I haven't felt anywhere before.
Dinner was an adventure we experienced entirely in Greek, as we impressed even ourselves as to how much we could understand and ask for. The food was delicious, as usual, but considering it was one of maybe two tavernas open we didn't have much choice in eating there. On our way in we passed some other Americans whom we identified more by the fact that they read one of my counterparts sweatshirts than the look of them. They informed us that it was good food at a reasonable price, so we were encouraged that at least the only place open on the island was a good one. It was a pleasant meal with good company.
The next day, after hunting down someone who worked at the hotel and checking out and such (they were kind enough to let us leave our bags in one of the rooms) we headed out to get our ferry tickets and locate a beach. Now when I say beach, I don't mean what you think I mean. In Hydra beach means pebbles, rocks, and boulders. It sounds awful, but if you have a towel you can sort of wedge your way comfortably into the grooves of the pebbles, or do as we all eventually did and lay on the rocks like seals. It was great to be in the sun and there was a nice breeze. I was even brave enough to go for a dip in the ocean. It was freezing, but well worth it and surprisingly refreshing (although I know there are some pictures of me looking rather in pain).
We were sad to leave the beauty of the island, but this trip has inspired me to seek out many more Greek Isles in time here in Greece. If they are all as nice as Hydra, I don't think it will be possible to have a bad time here :-)
We checked ourselves into our hotel and grabbed some lunch before exploring the island. Not as much was open as it will be during high season (June through August), but it was still relatively crowded. We saw some people in more traditional dress performing some Greek dances on the street by the water and we wandered around a small fortress looking place (I say fortress because it had canons, really I'm not sure what it was). Then we decided to climb to the top of this mountain to a monastery. And when I say mountain, I mean mountain, as in those 999 steps to the top of the Palimidi in Nafplio was a cakewalk in comparison. But it was worth the struggle and fatigue. On one side, the view was of mountains, the ocean, and just a vast landscape untouched by human hands. On the other side, a view of the city of Hydra Town with its white-washed houses and colorful boats. It was truly spectacular and there was a sense of calm and peace in the air I haven't felt anywhere before.
Dinner was an adventure we experienced entirely in Greek, as we impressed even ourselves as to how much we could understand and ask for. The food was delicious, as usual, but considering it was one of maybe two tavernas open we didn't have much choice in eating there. On our way in we passed some other Americans whom we identified more by the fact that they read one of my counterparts sweatshirts than the look of them. They informed us that it was good food at a reasonable price, so we were encouraged that at least the only place open on the island was a good one. It was a pleasant meal with good company.
The next day, after hunting down someone who worked at the hotel and checking out and such (they were kind enough to let us leave our bags in one of the rooms) we headed out to get our ferry tickets and locate a beach. Now when I say beach, I don't mean what you think I mean. In Hydra beach means pebbles, rocks, and boulders. It sounds awful, but if you have a towel you can sort of wedge your way comfortably into the grooves of the pebbles, or do as we all eventually did and lay on the rocks like seals. It was great to be in the sun and there was a nice breeze. I was even brave enough to go for a dip in the ocean. It was freezing, but well worth it and surprisingly refreshing (although I know there are some pictures of me looking rather in pain).
We were sad to leave the beauty of the island, but this trip has inspired me to seek out many more Greek Isles in time here in Greece. If they are all as nice as Hydra, I don't think it will be possible to have a bad time here :-)
Sunday, March 2, 2008
Sweet Shop Crawl
Just like it sounds, this past Friday I went on a "Sweet Shop Crawl". Kim, the Student Services Director of Arcadia here in Athens, took a group of us from one sweet place to another. We got to sample traditional Greek sweets throughout the city.
It started at a little shop that specializes in donuts... or Loukamades as they call them in Greek. We had these funnel cake like donuts covered in honey and cinnamon. They were absolutely delicious and something I had been meaning to try since I got to Greece. Next we walked to this wonderful little gelato place where we got "ena bala" or one "ball" of gelato each. I tried the Kinder which is named after a candybar (one that I have not tried yet, but am now on the hunt for). It was chocolate with marshmallow swirl and a cookie crunch. The marshmallow was a pleasant surprise because it is not a common flavor here and marshmallows have been impossible to find. Next we took the Metro to Kifissia (a 45 minute ride) to this well-known and well-established bakery and yogurt place. We all tried yogurt with honey and walnuts, "Crema" which is a custard, Baklava, Kataifi (similar to baklava, but with shredded phyllo dough, looking kind of like a giant shredded wheat drenched in honey), and Galaktoboureko which is a pastry made of phyllo dough and custard, my favorite that we had there. To end our day we went to a small chocolate shop in Syntagma (close to where I live) and each got to try a different kind of chocolate, all of which were made in Greece.
After 4 and 1/2 hours of this sweet shop crawl my roommates and I were in desperate need of some salty goodness (I was practically shaking from all of the sugar) so we got Gyros at the local Gyro place and then completed our "to do" lists for the day. It was a lot of fun and certainly something I think everyone should do. Really, I have yet to have anything bad to eat in this country and the category of "sweets" is no exception. Knowing me and my sweet tooth you can understand how this was right up my alley, and a very enjoyable day excursion.
The next morning we left for Hydra... read my next post to hear all about my first island experience in Greece.
It started at a little shop that specializes in donuts... or Loukamades as they call them in Greek. We had these funnel cake like donuts covered in honey and cinnamon. They were absolutely delicious and something I had been meaning to try since I got to Greece. Next we walked to this wonderful little gelato place where we got "ena bala" or one "ball" of gelato each. I tried the Kinder which is named after a candybar (one that I have not tried yet, but am now on the hunt for). It was chocolate with marshmallow swirl and a cookie crunch. The marshmallow was a pleasant surprise because it is not a common flavor here and marshmallows have been impossible to find. Next we took the Metro to Kifissia (a 45 minute ride) to this well-known and well-established bakery and yogurt place. We all tried yogurt with honey and walnuts, "Crema" which is a custard, Baklava, Kataifi (similar to baklava, but with shredded phyllo dough, looking kind of like a giant shredded wheat drenched in honey), and Galaktoboureko which is a pastry made of phyllo dough and custard, my favorite that we had there. To end our day we went to a small chocolate shop in Syntagma (close to where I live) and each got to try a different kind of chocolate, all of which were made in Greece.
After 4 and 1/2 hours of this sweet shop crawl my roommates and I were in desperate need of some salty goodness (I was practically shaking from all of the sugar) so we got Gyros at the local Gyro place and then completed our "to do" lists for the day. It was a lot of fun and certainly something I think everyone should do. Really, I have yet to have anything bad to eat in this country and the category of "sweets" is no exception. Knowing me and my sweet tooth you can understand how this was right up my alley, and a very enjoyable day excursion.
The next morning we left for Hydra... read my next post to hear all about my first island experience in Greece.
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