Two of my roommates (Katie and Kelly) and I decided to go on an abbreviated island adventure. We started our excursion with a night on Syros and ended it with two nights on Mykonos with a short trip to the Island of Delos. This was one of my favorite trips this semester. The islands have a certain personality that cannot be replicated on the mainland and they are extremely beautiful to boot.
Syros offers some amazing architecture that is great to observe as you walk around the small town. There is some good shopping and a very large town hall/courthouse building in the center. We did not spend too much time there, but we were there just long enough to appreciate its beauty and just short enough that we did not get bored. Our hotel was quaint and run by a friendly mother and daughter. The overall experience was a welcome one and a relaxing one that energized us for our time to follow on Mykonos.
Of all the places I have visited in Greece, only two have struck me as places I would absolutely want to live (thus far anyway). The first is Nafplio which I visited during orientation this semester and again a couple of weeks later. The second is Mykonos. It is a beautiful island that seems to be just the right size, not too big or too small. The beaches are beautiful, the people friendly, and the pelicans pink. The famous windmills are easy to find and small pedestrian walks easy to get lost in. For what is known as a major “party island” there is a real sense of community as you walk through the streets and shop owners call to their friends as they pass by on the streets. In the middle of the touristy shopping area is an elementary school with children running around everywhere and the narrow streets breed a sort of intimacy you cannot get other places.
Our hotel was an experience that made the island even more enjoyable. When we first arrived at the New Port, we realized that we were not expecting to arrive so far away from the main port. Suddenly our plans to walk to our hotel were not plausible and we had failed to make arrangements to get picked up. A woman was kind enough to try and help us find a cab, but when our attempts failed, she very subtly and politely offered to take us to her hotel since we had not already paid for our other reservations. She had a car at port already and told us her place was only minutes walk from the main city, plus it would be less expensive. So we accepted her offer and got in the car. Her husband joined us, Bobby, and he started talking to us about where we were from and told us a lot about the island. It turns out he used to live in Boston and knew a lot about the United States. He was extremely helpful and told us if we needed anything to come and find him and recommended we rent ATVs to get around the island which he would also help us do. He kept his word and when we were ready to rent our ATVs to tour the beaches of Mykonos he had a guy come and pick us up from our room and take us to the place to rent them at a good price. He also gave us a ride back to the hotel when we were walking back one night from dinner and he passed us on the road. Both him and his wife were very warm and made our stay extremely pleasant and he was always good for a laugh. When I asked Bobby how long he had lived on Mykonos his reply was “In 1978 I came for a weekend… it’s not over yet” and upon our departure from him he told us “You be sure to stay with us again when you come back… and you will come back”. Clearly he, as well as many other people we met, have a real love for the island, a love that I believe I have developed a little bit of myself.
The island is extremely diverse in terms of both animals and people. While there, I saw fish, goats, cows, yaks, chickens, cats, dogs, ostriches, and, of course, the pink pelicans. These birds are massive and just sleep out by the tavernas. They let you take pictures of them and even let you pet them (I know from experience). The reason they are pink is the same reason flamingos are pink, because of the food they eat. And the people, they are just as unique and diverse. In one night my roommates and I met people from Greece, Australia, New Zealand, and Canada. The evening entailed a plethora of accents and a lot of interesting personalities. It was great seeing so many people from different places all come together on this one small island just to have a good time and relax. They were all very friendly and spoke English which is always a plus.
The Island of Delos is an island that is nothing but an archaeological site. No one lives there. It is a vast expanse of ancient rocks, old temples, and relatively well-preserved statues. Sadly the island is not well mapped out for visitors and few signs explain exactly what you’re looking at, but its sheer size was impressive enough. The weather was less than pleasant as it was cold and windy (so windy my camera, which was set up to take a picture of us, got knocked down and tumbled down a column and some rocks… my screen and zoom no longer work). We made the best of it though and saw a good portion of the island before heading back to the small boat that taxied us back and forth from Mykonos.
My parents were doing an island cruise at the same time that I was on Mykonos, so they were able to join us for a couple of hours and take a tour as well as do some shopping, a nice interjection into my stay there. The following day, our last day there, it was beautiful, warm, and sunny so we took our ATVs to the beach and laid out for about an hour and a half. Waiters came around and asked if we wanted drinks as we lay on the long beach chairs provided to the public and the slight breeze off the water kept us from getting to hot. It was really the perfect day and a great way to end a fabulous stay on an amazing island. We dropped off our ATVs and got on our ferry to head back to Athens. We were tired, but contented, and even the huge influx of loud and obnoxious Greek high school students on the ferry after a stop could spoil our satisfaction with the weekend.
When I return to Greece, I will definitely be going back to Mykonos, there is no doubt.
Tuesday, April 29, 2008
Sunday, April 27, 2008
Meteora
Originally I was not going to go to Meteora because it was a mandatory trip for two classes, both of which I am not in, and the extra spots were already filled before I had even really considered going. But the more I heard about it, the more I wished I could go and then my lucky day came. And e-mail was sent out by our Student Services Director, Kim, saying there were two spots now open on the trip and to e-mail if interested. I jumped on the opportunity and got myself signed up. I thank my lucky stars it worked out that way, because it was an absolutely amazing trip. First, let me explain what exactly Meteora is…
A long long long time ago the land that is now called “Meteora” was covered by the sea. Because of the presence of water for so many years, the mountains that are there now have a very unique look. They are greatly stratified with different layers of sediment and have holes in the sides that sea creatures used to live in. Also, unlike the mountains most of us are used to, these mountains are very much independent of each other. They do not connect in a sort of range, but rather stand each on its own with tall, steep, and smoothed sides all around.
At first, these massive rocks were inhabited by spiritual hermits trying to find peace and quiet for the purpose of prayer and reflection. Rather to their dismay they developed certain followings and to accommodate these people, monasteries were established on the top of the rocks, built into the sides. Since then the monasteries have been beautifully maintained and are still inhabited and run by monks and nuns (never in the same monastery though). Our trip included visits to two of these monasteries as well as going to Vespers (the evening service) at a local church. We were fortunate enough to get to speak to a monk, a nun, and a priest. They were all very informative, friendly, and left us with a blessing, but my favorite by far was our encounter with the priest.
He did not speak any English so everything had to be translated for us, but his first comments to us were about how although in the old days people who were not baptized Orthodox had to remain in the Narthex, he believes that we are all God’s children and who is he to say who is and is not welcome in God’s house, thus inviting us to the upcoming service. When he asked about where we were from and heard America he made a short comment about it, one that all of us, with the little Greek we know, could actually understand so we all laughed. He was quite taken aback by our response and gave a hearty laugh at our reaction. During the service, while the Orthodox (and myself as I found it the most comfortable based on my own upbringing in regards to visiting others churches) stand during the entire service, most of the students in our group chose to sit and the priest very discreetly motioned for them to stand during the incense portion of the service and then signaled to them when they could sit down again. He later explained why he found that portion of the service important for them to stand and was very gracious about the whole thing. Vibrant and passionate in the way he spoke, what he said was surprisingly open-minded for an Orthodox priest, especially of his age and it was a greatly refreshing experience. I know that not quite everything he was saying was getting translated to me because he went into great theological discussion and used many flowery words that became difficult for my professors to translate, but for me the importance of what he was saying was the way he was saying it. Always warm and welcoming and looking to educate not reprimand us in response to our lack of knowledge about the church. This was by far my favorite experience during the entire trip to Meteora and it alone made the whole trip worthwhile. Of course there were great views, interesting facts, and good company that also made the trip extremely enjoyable, but this was the icing on the cake.
A long long long time ago the land that is now called “Meteora” was covered by the sea. Because of the presence of water for so many years, the mountains that are there now have a very unique look. They are greatly stratified with different layers of sediment and have holes in the sides that sea creatures used to live in. Also, unlike the mountains most of us are used to, these mountains are very much independent of each other. They do not connect in a sort of range, but rather stand each on its own with tall, steep, and smoothed sides all around.
At first, these massive rocks were inhabited by spiritual hermits trying to find peace and quiet for the purpose of prayer and reflection. Rather to their dismay they developed certain followings and to accommodate these people, monasteries were established on the top of the rocks, built into the sides. Since then the monasteries have been beautifully maintained and are still inhabited and run by monks and nuns (never in the same monastery though). Our trip included visits to two of these monasteries as well as going to Vespers (the evening service) at a local church. We were fortunate enough to get to speak to a monk, a nun, and a priest. They were all very informative, friendly, and left us with a blessing, but my favorite by far was our encounter with the priest.
He did not speak any English so everything had to be translated for us, but his first comments to us were about how although in the old days people who were not baptized Orthodox had to remain in the Narthex, he believes that we are all God’s children and who is he to say who is and is not welcome in God’s house, thus inviting us to the upcoming service. When he asked about where we were from and heard America he made a short comment about it, one that all of us, with the little Greek we know, could actually understand so we all laughed. He was quite taken aback by our response and gave a hearty laugh at our reaction. During the service, while the Orthodox (and myself as I found it the most comfortable based on my own upbringing in regards to visiting others churches) stand during the entire service, most of the students in our group chose to sit and the priest very discreetly motioned for them to stand during the incense portion of the service and then signaled to them when they could sit down again. He later explained why he found that portion of the service important for them to stand and was very gracious about the whole thing. Vibrant and passionate in the way he spoke, what he said was surprisingly open-minded for an Orthodox priest, especially of his age and it was a greatly refreshing experience. I know that not quite everything he was saying was getting translated to me because he went into great theological discussion and used many flowery words that became difficult for my professors to translate, but for me the importance of what he was saying was the way he was saying it. Always warm and welcoming and looking to educate not reprimand us in response to our lack of knowledge about the church. This was by far my favorite experience during the entire trip to Meteora and it alone made the whole trip worthwhile. Of course there were great views, interesting facts, and good company that also made the trip extremely enjoyable, but this was the icing on the cake.
Saturday, April 26, 2008
Corinth
Let me start this blog entry by giving an itinerary of my school trip to Corinth and a number of other places near and around the Peloponnese.
Thursday: Meet at the Center and board the bus at approximately 9am. First stop- a cave at Kapsia. From there we made our way to Agia Foteini, the “Wonky Church” that we were given a tour of by the architect himself and this stop included a picnic lunch. Next stop the Spyropoulos vineyard where we were given a tour and had a tasting of their various wines. After making our wine purchases and enjoying the tasting which included their homemade cheese, we piled back on the bus and headed to our first hotel.
Friday: First thing we drive through the Vouraikos Gorge on the bus. We were planning on taking a nice scenic train ride, but the train tracks have been under construction for over a year and are still not complete. The bus took us through the gorge to Kalavryta, a monastery where the rebels gathered and, blessed by a priest there, they took an oath to defend their country against Ottoman rule. Next we went to a World War II monument that commemorated the lives of thousands of Greeks who were killed by the Germans; most casualties were men, who were shot to death, but many women and children died after being locked in a school and then the building set on fire. From this rather depressing and somber site I went on the optional trip to Perahora, a sanctuary of Hera which is the only ancient site that the general public is actually allowed to walk all over. We got to experience a traditional Greek dinner party by lying on the ruins of the dining room and being shown how they would have sat/lain and drank the night away.
Saturday: The day started off with the strong smell of cheese as we entered a cheese factory in Limnos. The stench was hard to bare and the cheese was not the best I have ever had, but the men working there and giving us the tour were colorful and interesting to listen to. From there we headed to greener pastures, literally. Our next stop was a goat and sheep farm at which we got to meet a genuine shepherd. He was very nice and allowed people pick up and hold the baby goats and sheep. After scraping the mud off of our shoes and trying to recover from the stench, we made our way to Epidavros which is an ancient site where healing was performed and contains this amazing theater with the most spectacular acoustics I’ve ever heard. If you drop a coin in the very center of the stage, you can hear it at every point in the stadium seating. Then it was back to Loutraki for the evening, the town we stayed in for two nights that is known for its fresh spring water which you can find bottled all over Greece.
Sunday: We finally made our way to Corinth on the last day and the ancient site was overwhelming to say the least. Our tour guide was one of the people excavating the site presently and a former Arcadia Athens student. She was very knowledgeable and helped us make sense of the expansive set of ruins. From there we made our way up to the AcroCorinth which is a giant fortress at the top of Corinth. The walls were overbearing and intimidating, making it easy to understand how it is that the fortress has never been seized through force in its entire history. We were fortunate enough to get a tour with Tim Gregory, an expert on the site who has written a number of history books on Corinth. A bit of hiking was involved, but it was all well worth the effort and we had the opportunity to see a “sacred” spring on the very top of the mountain which was covered at some point in history by a certain population, the name of whom presently escapes me, so that one must climb down a steep staircase and slowly make his/her way down the sloping ground to the side of the small pond. Once we made it back to the bus it was time to head back to Athens after a long and tiring weekend.
While there is so much to talk about in regards to this excursion, I think it best to just give my overall comments so that my audience does not get bored by the sheer length of this entry. I am extremely grateful that the school set up such a trip because we saw places I would not normally get to see and probably would not have thought about going to see on my own. It is also useful having people who can translate with you. It was also very reminiscent of our first trip together as a large group during orientation and the nostalgia was welcome. There was definitely a greater sense of the “real Greece” getting to see more of the average village person making a living than the standard Athenian who has adapted to an urban environment. It was a very pure experience and one I won’t soon forget. Although there were not too many outstanding moments for me, I was sure to document it thoroughly on film and it was a trip filled with excursions I feel I should have made during my time in Greece either way, so it was successful in that regard.
My apologies for the more factual and laundry list style of this blog, but it can be difficult to write with great detail on such an immense experience that, especially in hindsight, did not strike any particular chord with me. But check back for when I post on my trips to Meteora and Mykonos, they will be much more entertaining and anecdotal, I guarantee it.
Thursday: Meet at the Center and board the bus at approximately 9am. First stop- a cave at Kapsia. From there we made our way to Agia Foteini, the “Wonky Church” that we were given a tour of by the architect himself and this stop included a picnic lunch. Next stop the Spyropoulos vineyard where we were given a tour and had a tasting of their various wines. After making our wine purchases and enjoying the tasting which included their homemade cheese, we piled back on the bus and headed to our first hotel.
Friday: First thing we drive through the Vouraikos Gorge on the bus. We were planning on taking a nice scenic train ride, but the train tracks have been under construction for over a year and are still not complete. The bus took us through the gorge to Kalavryta, a monastery where the rebels gathered and, blessed by a priest there, they took an oath to defend their country against Ottoman rule. Next we went to a World War II monument that commemorated the lives of thousands of Greeks who were killed by the Germans; most casualties were men, who were shot to death, but many women and children died after being locked in a school and then the building set on fire. From this rather depressing and somber site I went on the optional trip to Perahora, a sanctuary of Hera which is the only ancient site that the general public is actually allowed to walk all over. We got to experience a traditional Greek dinner party by lying on the ruins of the dining room and being shown how they would have sat/lain and drank the night away.
Saturday: The day started off with the strong smell of cheese as we entered a cheese factory in Limnos. The stench was hard to bare and the cheese was not the best I have ever had, but the men working there and giving us the tour were colorful and interesting to listen to. From there we headed to greener pastures, literally. Our next stop was a goat and sheep farm at which we got to meet a genuine shepherd. He was very nice and allowed people pick up and hold the baby goats and sheep. After scraping the mud off of our shoes and trying to recover from the stench, we made our way to Epidavros which is an ancient site where healing was performed and contains this amazing theater with the most spectacular acoustics I’ve ever heard. If you drop a coin in the very center of the stage, you can hear it at every point in the stadium seating. Then it was back to Loutraki for the evening, the town we stayed in for two nights that is known for its fresh spring water which you can find bottled all over Greece.
Sunday: We finally made our way to Corinth on the last day and the ancient site was overwhelming to say the least. Our tour guide was one of the people excavating the site presently and a former Arcadia Athens student. She was very knowledgeable and helped us make sense of the expansive set of ruins. From there we made our way up to the AcroCorinth which is a giant fortress at the top of Corinth. The walls were overbearing and intimidating, making it easy to understand how it is that the fortress has never been seized through force in its entire history. We were fortunate enough to get a tour with Tim Gregory, an expert on the site who has written a number of history books on Corinth. A bit of hiking was involved, but it was all well worth the effort and we had the opportunity to see a “sacred” spring on the very top of the mountain which was covered at some point in history by a certain population, the name of whom presently escapes me, so that one must climb down a steep staircase and slowly make his/her way down the sloping ground to the side of the small pond. Once we made it back to the bus it was time to head back to Athens after a long and tiring weekend.
While there is so much to talk about in regards to this excursion, I think it best to just give my overall comments so that my audience does not get bored by the sheer length of this entry. I am extremely grateful that the school set up such a trip because we saw places I would not normally get to see and probably would not have thought about going to see on my own. It is also useful having people who can translate with you. It was also very reminiscent of our first trip together as a large group during orientation and the nostalgia was welcome. There was definitely a greater sense of the “real Greece” getting to see more of the average village person making a living than the standard Athenian who has adapted to an urban environment. It was a very pure experience and one I won’t soon forget. Although there were not too many outstanding moments for me, I was sure to document it thoroughly on film and it was a trip filled with excursions I feel I should have made during my time in Greece either way, so it was successful in that regard.
My apologies for the more factual and laundry list style of this blog, but it can be difficult to write with great detail on such an immense experience that, especially in hindsight, did not strike any particular chord with me. But check back for when I post on my trips to Meteora and Mykonos, they will be much more entertaining and anecdotal, I guarantee it.
Sunday, April 6, 2008
Independence Day... Greece Style
After our return from Santorini, my apartmentmates and I decided to take the couple of days we had off from classes to relax and enjoy some good old Greek nationalism. On Monday the city of Athens put on a parade much like the ones we see in the United States around Memorial Day with all different ages marching and playing instruments, as well as riding in floats and throwing candy into the throng of spectators along the rode.
Tuesday, the official Independence Day of Greece (March 25th) brought about a different type of parade. The Prime Minister himself said that it would be a display of Greek military strength and power. It was exactly that. Representatives from every branch of the military were there. Army, navy, air force, police, and firefighters all marched in unison down the streets of the city center. Tanks and machine guns, medical vans and firetrucks all rolled across the pavement with great verocity and might, shaking the ground as they passed. Overhead flew fighter jets and helicopters as men and women in all manner of dressed marched in front of us. There were people in carrying guns, men in wetsuits, people carrying rocking climbing gear, others in dressed in white and carrying skiis. A display of Greece's defense against biological warfare could be seen in the people dressed in gas masks and plastic jumpsuits. The firefighters wore helmets of silver that reflected the sun, while others marched in full silver, heat-repellent suits. This display was impressive and transfixing. It certainly met its goal of inspiring a strong sense of pride as well as confidence in the Greek military and the stability of Greece as an independent nation.
It is interesting to note the contrast of such a parade in Greece versus the typical Independence Day celebration in the States. While there was, to some degree, the same amount of merriment and holiday, America would not so readily display all of its weapons and various military strengths to the general public, where it can be easily photographed and studied. There was something very Greek about the parade and its grandeur. The emphasis on Greece and its strength is a trait visible in the everyday actions of Greeks, so this parade was a hyperbolized version of this. And nothing made it more clear to me that I was in Greece than the passing of the guards. Decked out in their traditional dress, all towering feet above my head, their distinct look and style of marching took away any doubt or sudden lapse of awareness from the audience that they were, in fact, in Greece.
I am so glad I got to see the parade and feel the strong presence of Greek pride (stronger than I've felt before). It was an experience I will not soon forget and I only wish that my words could do it the justice it deserves.
Tuesday, the official Independence Day of Greece (March 25th) brought about a different type of parade. The Prime Minister himself said that it would be a display of Greek military strength and power. It was exactly that. Representatives from every branch of the military were there. Army, navy, air force, police, and firefighters all marched in unison down the streets of the city center. Tanks and machine guns, medical vans and firetrucks all rolled across the pavement with great verocity and might, shaking the ground as they passed. Overhead flew fighter jets and helicopters as men and women in all manner of dressed marched in front of us. There were people in carrying guns, men in wetsuits, people carrying rocking climbing gear, others in dressed in white and carrying skiis. A display of Greece's defense against biological warfare could be seen in the people dressed in gas masks and plastic jumpsuits. The firefighters wore helmets of silver that reflected the sun, while others marched in full silver, heat-repellent suits. This display was impressive and transfixing. It certainly met its goal of inspiring a strong sense of pride as well as confidence in the Greek military and the stability of Greece as an independent nation.
It is interesting to note the contrast of such a parade in Greece versus the typical Independence Day celebration in the States. While there was, to some degree, the same amount of merriment and holiday, America would not so readily display all of its weapons and various military strengths to the general public, where it can be easily photographed and studied. There was something very Greek about the parade and its grandeur. The emphasis on Greece and its strength is a trait visible in the everyday actions of Greeks, so this parade was a hyperbolized version of this. And nothing made it more clear to me that I was in Greece than the passing of the guards. Decked out in their traditional dress, all towering feet above my head, their distinct look and style of marching took away any doubt or sudden lapse of awareness from the audience that they were, in fact, in Greece.
I am so glad I got to see the parade and feel the strong presence of Greek pride (stronger than I've felt before). It was an experience I will not soon forget and I only wish that my words could do it the justice it deserves.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
