Island Living

This week has been keeping me very busy - I just finished taking midterms and my hand is cramping from all the writing! Anyway, I'm getting behind in my travel chronicles, but I wanted to finally finish my report of the Greece trip (even though it feels like it happened so long ago now that I am back in the whirlwind of school)!

Mykonos (Days 7, 8, 9, and a little bit of 10)

Back on our beloved tour bus after departing Nafplio, we drove for awhile in pursuit of the coast in order to take a ferry to Mykonos. On the way, we stopped at Corinth, a major site of ancient history, as well as the city in which St. Paul visited and lived for a short time. Unfortunately, it was raining, so we didn't stay long in the interest of not getting soaked.
 

We reached the Corinth Canal shortly after, where we had another seafood lunch, and then we piled onto a ferry which would take us to the island. The ferry ride was five hours long, but we kept ourselves amused by playing cards and looking out at the beautiful view of the sea. By the time we made it to the island, it was pretty late. We had just enough time for a quick walking tour of the city before going to bed at our hotel, a really beautiful place with a great view of the sea, appropriately called Hotel Posiedon.

The next day my professor lead an optional trip to the nearby island of Delos. I took the option, and visited the island, which is small and completely uninhabited as the whole island has been designated an archaeological site. It was exeedingly cool though, because basically the entire island is covered in ruins. There was a very large hill in the middle of the island, which we trekked up, and for awhile I spent some time sitting on a ledge at the top and just enjoying the view.

I'm that speck on the top of the hill in the far distance.

The ruins covering the island

The Terrace of Lions

We returned to Mykonos and got lunch (more gyros!) from a place called Jimmy's. Jimmy's is coincidentally run by a guy named Jimmy, who is a super friendly Greek islander. He has pictures literally covering the walls of his restaurant of him and all the people who have visited his place, which I thought was pretty funny. After lunch, we decided to jump into the hotel pool, and while that may not seem logical considering the beach was not far away, let me elaborate:

This is the hotel pool.

Except the pool turned out to be absolutely ice cold, so once we all became numb from swimming in the water, we got out and went to the beach instead. Later we had another fancy dinner with never-ending food and wine and explored the island a bit.

Mykonos is, of course, an island paradise, and we spent our time there accordingly. The next day we spent the entire morning and afternoon alternating between swimming in the sea and lazily sprawling on the beach. I had a little time before dinner after returning to the hotel, so I spent it reading on the balcony of my hotel room while the sun was setting, and feeling like some kind of celebrity on vacation. Our last dinner was at another lovely place with a seaside view, and while the food was absolutely delicious, we couldn't help but lament that the next day we would be back to dining hall fare.

The next morning we packed up and drove to a tiny airport, where we flew out of Mykonos, and transferred to a plane bound for Rome, getting back to campus late in the evening and thus ending the Greek adventures.

One last view

Good-bye Greece, I will miss you...

999 Steps

Friday I went downtown for another school observation for my research, made more interesting by a transportation strike which caused the bus schedule to be even more sporadic than usual (oh Italy). I made it to the school and back with minimal difficulty though, and got some good information for my project, so I would consider it a success all around.
And now, back to Greece:

Nafplio (Days 5 and 6)
Nafplio was our base for the next two and a half days of the Greece trip, from which we took day trips to see nearby places of interest. The city itself was very nice - relatively quiet and free of tourists, and much cleaner and calmer than Athens. The architecture in the city gave it a very interesting character; there were ancient mosques from when the Ottomans took over the city in the 16th century, alongside Venetian-style buildings (who retook the city, then lost it to the Ottomans again, who then lost it to the Greeks, whew!) among all the Greek buildings as well.

We left the first morning for an excursion to the archeological site of Mycenae, what was once the center of Greek civilization from as far back as the 2nd millennium BC (sorry if I sound like a guidebook). It's also where the king Agamemnon, the inspiration for Homer's poems, resided. We walked among the ruins and Cyclopean walls (described as such because only a cyclops ought to have been capable of building them) and took some time to soak in the history. We also stopped off at the Tomb of Agamemnon nearby, before heading to another archeological site, the Theatre of Epidaurus.

The theater dates from the 4th century BC, where it was built in the asclepieion where Greek citizens would go for healing and relaxation. Ancient playwrights such as Aristophanes, Euripides and Sophocles staged plays at the site. What's fascinating about the theater is its amazing acoustics. We climbed all the way to the top row of seats, and from the center of the stage we could hear our professor dropping coins on the ground. Apparently there have been attempts to replicate the theater's natural acoustics, but no one has been able to.

You could hear a coin drop even from the top row!

 We returned to Nafplio late in the afternoon, where we had free time to do whatever we wanted. And what did me and a few friends want to do? Climb nine-hundred and ninety-nine steps to visit an eighteenth century fortress on the top of a giant hill. Let me just say, I don't think I have ever climbed so many stairs in my life as I have on this Greece trip. After a sufficient work-out getting up to the fortress, we spent several hours exploring every nook and cranny of the place, of which there were many. We intrepidly traversed the entire fortress, climbing through pitch black tunnels and shimmying along walls, at which point I felt a little like Indiana Jones. Then, about a hour or so before sunset, we headed back down the stairs (another trek) and went to the beach nearby to go swimming and cool off from all that exercise! For dinner, we ate gyros and gelato from a local Italian gelateria run by friends of our professors (even in Greece you cannot escape gelato)!

999 stairs (because having 1000 stairs would be too obvious)

A small portion of the Fortress of Palamidi

Infiltrating the fortress walls

The view from the top was worth the climb

We returned to the mountains the following day, driving about two hours to the ancient and well-known city of Sparta, where we climbed more ruins (I'm getting very good at ruin-climbing; I'm thinking about doing it for a living).

Spartan ruins

More Spartan ruins

Ruin-climbing professionals

After that sidetrip, we reached the village of Karyes on Mt. Parnonas. Karyes is an extremely small village; it's population is less than 1000 (so less than the amount of steps I climbed the day before) and it's where our guide Ioanna's family is from. As a result, the locals were extremely inviting and ridiculously friendly. We had a delicious meal of local foods, followed by a scavenger hunt in the village, and a visit to one gentleman's very own wine cellar, where we tasted some really amazing local wine. In the evening, we sat outside the cafes in the village's main square and they gave us Greek coffee (very strong!) and oukoumades, which are something akin to homemade donuts, served hot and doused in honey. 

And insanely delicious!

While we were eating, the lights in the village went out, so after the sun set, the locals brought out candles and we all sat around talking and eating in the dark, with a little candlelight. It was really a wonderful time. We returned to our hotel in Nafplio very late, and I went to sleep almost instantaneously! We said goodbye to Nafplio the next morning, setting out for our final destination: Mykonos!

Into the Mountains

The busy week back is almost over, though we don't have the day off on Friday as usual due to make-up classes. Did I mention how much I love my classes in Rome? Wednesday for art, we went to the church of San Clemente, which is multi-layered; we went underneath the current church to see what used to be the original chapel, from the 5th century, and even lower than that, two buildings from the 1st century of the Roman empire. Also today, we had a wine tasting in my literature class, so we were basically just sipping wine and taking notes...oh, the Roman life!

Anyway, allow me to continue with my chronicle of fall break:

Arahova and Delphi (Days 3-4)

We drove in our trusty tour bus for several hours to get from Athens to the deep mountains of Greece, our destination being the small mountainous town of Arahova where we stayed at a hotel which is apparently a popular ski lodge in the wintertime. The mountains were absolutely beautiful, but very cold, which we were not particularly prepared for given it is still summer weather in Rome. We bundled up as best we could and explored the town a little before dinner, stopping in some of the small shops along the way. 

Arahova, the little mountain town

Dinner was at a little tavern near the clock tower, which required us to hike up a mountain of stairs to get to! The restaurant was very small, so we Loyolans had the whole place to ourselves. The food was all local and very authentic Greek fare and I think I tried everything (I had really worked up an appetite after all those stairs)! Near the end of the meal, two of our guide Ioanna's Greek friends from a nearby monastery entertained us by playing some traditional Greek music on a mandolin. Our professor demonstrated some Greek dancing for us, to which Ioanna joined in, actually dancing at one point with a full wine carafe on her head! That takes some pretty intense concentration, I would say... Dinner was followed up by a delicious dessert in a nearby local cafe after which we headed home to get some sleep!

We departed for Delphi the next morning, which was a short drive away from our little mountain town. Delphi is a historic site to rival the Roman Forum; it was once thought to be the center of the universe by the Greeks, and was visited by figures such as Alexander the Great and the Roman emperor Hadrian. The main attraction of Delphi was the oracle at the Temple of Apollo, which gave out prophesies similar to what you might find in a fortune cookie, but was apparently taken very seriously. We spent plenty of time climbing the mountain and seeing all the places of interest, including:

The Stadium

The Amphitheater

The Temple of Apollo (unfortunately there was no oracle to give us a prophecy)

The Treasury of Athens

Look Mom, I climbed a mountain!

On our way from Delphi we passed by the Gulf of Itea and the world’s largest olive grove, which was basically a sea of olive trees blanketing this huge valley area of the mountains. I have to admit, it's going to be hard to come back to the cornfields of the Midwest after seeing all this! Our next stop was a visit to the monastery where Ioanna's friends who joined us at dinner the previous night were from. The monastery was called Hosios Loukas. It was very beautiful and incredibly serene.

The monastery

Our final stop for the day was Nafplio, a coastal town that was the first capital of Greece. We had just enough time to drop our stuff in our hotel rooms and change for dinner, concluding the day with a laidback stroll around the town. More about Nafplio in my next post!

The Greek Metropolis

 I'm getting back into the school routine after the long break, and I have to say, as much as I miss Greece already, it is no punishment to come back to Rome for school. I went downtown this morning to tutor English and got a really delicious panini on my way back (though I am craving gyros a bit after the trip)!
 

Now that I am back in Rome, though, I can take the time to document my Greece trip in a little more detail for those of you interested. So:

Athens (Days 1-3) 

Our trip began early Friday morning when we left Rome to take a plane to Athens. I think I am very quickly getting used to planes and airports, considering I never really flew before this year, but I still find flying more exciting than it apparently warrants according to my more frequent-flying friends (I like the little snacks they give you on board...)
 

The flight was short, and we landed in Athens where we met our Greek tour guide, Ioanna, who is a friend of our professor's from Oxford. Ioanna was an amazing person and told so many fantastic stories (she's originally from the south so she spoke with a southern accent instead of a Greek one)! She was in charge of planning our entire itinerary, including the first lunch we had in Greece, after piling onto a bus and taking a quick ride to Cape Sounio, where this was the view we were met with:

The Aegean Sea

The Temple of Poseidon in the distance

Lunch was at a seaside tavern where, in addition to having an incredible view, I tasted real authentic seafood for the first time. Mussels, calimari, and shrimp were just a few of the dishes I sampled, in addition to the notorious Greek ouzo which they had us all try - a strange drink which could not be consumed without making funny faces.

We finished lunch with just enough time to head up to the cliffs and explore the Temple of Posiedon up close as the sun set.

Our delicious seafood spread

 After sunset we took the bus into Athens, got settled in our hotel, and followed Ioanna through the main parts of the city for a walking tour. It's so exciting to see a new city for the first time at night; it reminded me of my first night seeing all the sights in Rome! The Acropolis was especially exciting to see for the first time, all lit up and shining from the top of the hill like a beacon.

Athens at night was very cool to explore

Occasionally we'd run into some interesting discoveries, like this street full of lamps!

We spent the next day focusing on the Acropolis. We hiked up the hill to listen to our knowledgeable professor give an onsite lecture regarding all the highlights of the Acropolis, most notably of course being the Parthenon. Then we proceeded to explore the Agora, what used to be the most important meeting/marketplace in ancient Greece, and the Temple of Hephaestus which is a remarkably well-preserved Greek temple from 449 BC. Later in the day we returned to the Acropolis to visit the museum, followed by dinner on a rooftop restaurant where I had the best salad I have ever tasted in my life (along with a lot of other good food and wine)!

 

The Parthenon (though I don't think the ancient Greeks put those cranes there...)

The Erechtheion at the top of the Acropolis

The Porch of the Maidens, or the Caryatids

Another delicious meal with friends

I thought the city itself had a very eclectic vibe. At night, all lit up, it feels very urban and trendy. In the day it has more of a calmer, antiquated feel. While I would describe Rome as an orange city, with all its warm-hued buildings, orange cobblestone, and soft lights, Athens is definitely a white one; with stark white buildings and scattered, worn-away ruins.

Rome

Athens

We left Athens early Sunday morning and headed into the mountains for Delphi, which will be coming up next!

Ελλάδα!

 Greece was absolutely breathtaking, and I can scarcely believe I am so fortunate to be able to say so. Our fall break trip spanned ten days, four major cities, and many, many delicious meals. I want to dedicate a separate post for each few days since I have so much to describe, but for now here are some highlights of the journey!

The seaside Temple of Poseidon

Our girl band at the Aegean Sea

The Acropolis in Athens: the Parthenon is at the top

The picturesque little mountain village of Arahova

Delphi

Dinner in the mountain village (some of the best Greek food I've ever tasted!)

The city of Nafplio, taken from the top of a castle

THIS IS SPARTA!! (No, seriously though)

Mykonos Islands, aka Greek paradise!

The ancient and archeological island of Delos

 More to come after I finish unpacking!

Backseat Italians

They showed us this commercial during orientation, and I'm not sure if it's just because I'm in Italy, but I found it really funny.
(Also, everyone drives a Fiat here).

I'm Telling the Truth!

I just finished a big test for my art class and I feel like from all the information we've studied, I could give someone a really good tour of Rome! Any takers?

Most exciting this week has been my first school visit for my research observations. I visited a very elite boarding school in downtown Rome, which is involved in a special program to implement technology in their classes. The faculty was extremely accommodating; I was there for the entire school day, and I was able to see at least five different classes and interview some teachers, so I've got some good notes to get started! I've also got a huge stack of books and articles that I need to look through, so it seems that they do expect us to do more for this program than just attend fancy dinners...

Speaking of which, I had a really nice dinner last Tuesday at a pizza place called Popi Popi. We were supposed to have a make-up class on Friday for the cancelled Wednesday classes during the papal audience, but instead my professor told us all to meet him Tuesday night at the restaurant for a free meal (gotta love Italian professors)! The restaurant was downtown in Trastevere, and while we were there we also saw another beautiful church, St. Cecelia.

Other Churches I've seen this week include Santa Maria Maggiore, St. Prassede, and St. Pudenziana, which we toured for my art class. I feel like I ought to start making a list of all the churches I visit in Rome to keep track of them all; I'm sure it will be quite a large count by the end of the semester.

Santa Maria Maggiore, begun in 432

Saturday I explored southern Rome with some friends. We visited La Bocca della Veritas, The Mouth of Truth which is  located in the portico of the church Santa Maria in Cosmedin. Supposedly if you tell a lie while you're hand is in the sculpture's mouth, it will be bitten off!

Don't worry, I told the truth!

Nearby was the Forum Boarium. Behind us is the Temple of Hercules Victor.

We also toured the Baths of Caracalla:

 

And we saw the site of the Circus Maximus:

Chariot race, anyone?

Unfortunately our last goal, the Pyramid of Cestius, was under restoration, so the entire thing was covered in scaffolding. Not very exciting, but I guess we technically saw it.  Porta San Paolo, one of the gates of the Aurelian walls, was nearby as well. We finished the day by getting gelato for dinner, and I think I discovered one of the best flavor combos yet: banana and dark chocolate!

Just yesterday I went to a meeting for pre-departure information for Greece and I am getting very excited for the trip! We leave Friday and I can hardly wait for the week to be over! I'll be sure to keep everyone updated.