Early in the morning we drove to Ancient Corinth, and saw where St. Paul would have preached.
Then we got on the ferry for the long voyage home. The rattling of this boat's engines was worse, but I wasn't sick at all. The ferry headed west toward the setting sun, and the seagulls flew inches above the waves. The islands started to appear in splendor. I finished Kipling, which was wonderful, if not a little sad and scary. At the line for dinner there was an incident. Some Italian girls tried to cut in front of us, and we edged ourselves in front of them. One turned to us and said, "You speak English?" I replied, "Yeah". They turned to each other and began to giggle and speak in Italian. Then she turned back to stare at me, inches from my face. I didn't flinch, and she turned away first. We got up to where our RA Steve was handing out meal vouchers, and he told them they would have to go to the back of the line. They attempted flirting with him, but we got our spot in line and chuckled to ourselves. After dinner we went on deck. The wind blew our hair into disarray, and the waves leaped. At the very back we stood for at least an hour, watching the near-full moon shine on the waves. The ship's path created large foamy swells.
Finally we arrived in Italy, and drove towards Due Santi. We got there at dusk and lugged our suitcases up to the third floor. I got to bed late, but happy that I got a chance to talk to the folks back home ;) and glad to be in my Roman home.
Wednesday, October 22, 2008
The Theater and the Castle
Friday, October 10th, was one of the best days of the Greece trip. The bus ride to Epidaurus was a little nauseating as we careened up and down hills and made sudden stops, but I instantly felt better as I saw the sun rise over the huge theater. I took the steps two at a time and went up to a high seat. Even from the top I could hear Dr. Hatlie and Dr. Roper speak from the middle of the stage, because of the perfect acoustics of the theater. All of us got a chance to speak from the stone in the middle of the stage. There was the Gettysburg Address, the speech from Braveheart and all kinds of poetry and song. After the Jabberwocky and some Henry V, I did a short poem from Much Ado About Nothing. The sun shone blindingly, and you really can hear and feel your voice fill the whole theater. It was very fun.
Back at the hotel we got into our swimsuits and took the bus up the mountain to the Palamidi Fortress. We learned this awesome song from our bus driver about Rasputin. Anyway, the castle was amazing, and the view of the sea was beyond belief. The castle was huge and extended over the whole mountain, with at least three levels. It made me want to be a princess or a soldier or something. Then the bus took us back down, and we made the long walk to the beach. It was covered in large pebbles and felt really hard to walk on. At dinner that night we got to talking about our Christmas traditions and got all excited for when we come home for Christmas.
Back at the hotel we got into our swimsuits and took the bus up the mountain to the Palamidi Fortress. We learned this awesome song from our bus driver about Rasputin. Anyway, the castle was amazing, and the view of the sea was beyond belief. The castle was huge and extended over the whole mountain, with at least three levels. It made me want to be a princess or a soldier or something. Then the bus took us back down, and we made the long walk to the beach. It was covered in large pebbles and felt really hard to walk on. At dinner that night we got to talking about our Christmas traditions and got all excited for when we come home for Christmas.
Mycenae and Nafplion
We drove to a palace on a small hill, in the ancient town of Mycenae. We heard stories about the man who rediscovered it, Heinrich Schliemann, who sounds like a cross between the characters in Indiana Jones and Secondhand Lions. This city is where Agamemnon would have lived, one of the great leaders of the Greeks at Troy. We went down into one of the tombs, called tholos because they are shaped like beehives, and read a scene from the Greek tragedy Agamemnon. Then we hiked up to the summit, passing under the famous entrance called the Lion's Gate.
Then we traveled to Nafplion, a cute seaside resort town. It took some doing to find the beach, for it is all the way around the other side of a large cliff, past the docks. I didn't bother going all the way to the beach but clambered down to the white rocks hanging a few feet above the sea and sat reading my book. The rocks were riddled with small holes through which one could see the waves. The sun was warm, but the breeze felt good on my skin. The mountains are purple in the distance, sailboats pass by, and up on the cliff is a fortress.
Then we traveled to Nafplion, a cute seaside resort town. It took some doing to find the beach, for it is all the way around the other side of a large cliff, past the docks. I didn't bother going all the way to the beach but clambered down to the white rocks hanging a few feet above the sea and sat reading my book. The rocks were riddled with small holes through which one could see the waves. The sun was warm, but the breeze felt good on my skin. The mountains are purple in the distance, sailboats pass by, and up on the cliff is a fortress.
Athens: The White City
I'm serious. Athens is the White City. Not quite like on LOTR; the only part on a hill is the Acropolis. Our hotel in Athens rose above the level of most of the buildings in the city, and breakfast was on the top floor. WHAT a view. The hill of the Acropolis is right in front of you, and is amazing. The city itself stretches for miles around, all across the valley to the slopes of the surrounding mountains. In the morning the sun rises and all the white buildings sparkle hazily. It is beautiful and huge. We started off through the city streets to the Pnyx, the low, rocky hill where the Athenian Assembly, or ekklesia met. Standing on the speaker's platform, the Acropolis is very close to one's right. Some kids in our class read parts of Pericles' Funeral Oration to get us all fired up for democracy. We climbed down to the agora, and explored the marketplace. Then back up to the Areopagus, on the slopes of the Acropolis. This was where court cases were held. The white rocks there were so slippery! After lunch we went to the Archaeological Museum of Athens, and it is probably the largest museum I've ever been in. There is no way I could have seen everything in there. There was Greek and Roman sculpture and even Egyptian artifacts. Then my roommate and I found our way across the city to our hotel, where we changed and went shopping on one of the main streets, where we bought new dresses.
I went up to breakfast on Wednesday for the same beautiful view. Again we walked through Athens, to the foot of the Acropolis, where we visited the colorful Theater of Dionysus. Then we started the slow trek up the hill, shuffling behind more and more tourists. The Parthenon itself is quiet and still among all the gaping tourists. It's under construction, as is one of the other temples on the hill, but it is still a wonder. The huge building is restored to its perfect proportions, but most of its decorations have been moved to England. We climbed down and bought some gyros, which are also delicious, and ate them on the go. I bought an Athens hoodie, and then we went to the hotel to change. The day was so warm; Greece in October still embraces summer. Then we had a quick stop at Socrates' prison, a cave in a green park. Then we caught a bus to Cape Sounion, where we walked to the top of the cliff to see the Temple of Poseidon overlooking the water. Visitors from the 1800s had carved their names all over the base of the temple. The view of the blue sea was amazing, and we couldn't wait to climb down to the beach. The water was cold, but so clear, and I got out to dry and read some. I was probably the only person to ever read Kipling at a beach.
The next morning we got one last view of the white city, then moved on.
I went up to breakfast on Wednesday for the same beautiful view. Again we walked through Athens, to the foot of the Acropolis, where we visited the colorful Theater of Dionysus. Then we started the slow trek up the hill, shuffling behind more and more tourists. The Parthenon itself is quiet and still among all the gaping tourists. It's under construction, as is one of the other temples on the hill, but it is still a wonder. The huge building is restored to its perfect proportions, but most of its decorations have been moved to England. We climbed down and bought some gyros, which are also delicious, and ate them on the go. I bought an Athens hoodie, and then we went to the hotel to change. The day was so warm; Greece in October still embraces summer. Then we had a quick stop at Socrates' prison, a cave in a green park. Then we caught a bus to Cape Sounion, where we walked to the top of the cliff to see the Temple of Poseidon overlooking the water. Visitors from the 1800s had carved their names all over the base of the temple. The view of the blue sea was amazing, and we couldn't wait to climb down to the beach. The water was cold, but so clear, and I got out to dry and read some. I was probably the only person to ever read Kipling at a beach.
The next morning we got one last view of the white city, then moved on.
The Oracle at Delphi
I woke up to a pink sunrise, and dressed quickly because of the cold. The site of Ancient Delphi is in ruins, but it is very interesting. The view is breathtaking from the mountains. The Temple of Apollo, where the Oracle would have prophesied, still has some of its columns. The museum is also very cool, I especially liked the stone statue of a sphinx which would have stood high on its own column close to the temple.
Speaking of sphinxes, Delphi is full of cats! Little kittens roam about everywhere. Most had brown tiger stripes, skinny bodies, and long tails, but one cute little kitten was all black. After lunch we packed up and drove on to a Greek Orthodox Monastery called Hosias Loukas. It's dedicated to Saint Luke, but not the Saint Luke the Evangelist. Rather it's for a local Greek Orthodox Saint. It's full of beautiful mosaics in the Byzantine style, and a small store sold hundreds of icons.
Then we drove on to Athens and arrived in the city by night. We could see the Acropolis lit up against the night sky! My cold was getting worse, but dinner was delicious. Moussaka is really...really....good. It's potatoes, and meat, and eggplant, and some kind of cream flavored with nutmeg so it tastes like pumpkin. Looks like lasagna, but it's delicious in a different way.
Speaking of sphinxes, Delphi is full of cats! Little kittens roam about everywhere. Most had brown tiger stripes, skinny bodies, and long tails, but one cute little kitten was all black. After lunch we packed up and drove on to a Greek Orthodox Monastery called Hosias Loukas. It's dedicated to Saint Luke, but not the Saint Luke the Evangelist. Rather it's for a local Greek Orthodox Saint. It's full of beautiful mosaics in the Byzantine style, and a small store sold hundreds of icons.
Then we drove on to Athens and arrived in the city by night. We could see the Acropolis lit up against the night sky! My cold was getting worse, but dinner was delicious. Moussaka is really...really....good. It's potatoes, and meat, and eggplant, and some kind of cream flavored with nutmeg so it tastes like pumpkin. Looks like lasagna, but it's delicious in a different way.
Friday, October 17, 2008
Olympia
On Sunday the 5th we went to Ancient Olympia, where we saw the site of, obviously, the first Olympics. The day before we had gone to the Olympia Archaeological Museum, which holds some interesting statues and other artifacts, among them the helmet of the Athenian hero of the Battle of Marathon, Miltiades. The town is in a valley surrounded by green hills, and it was early morning when we walked down the path and sat in the ruins of the gymnasium. Our Western Civilizations professor, Dr. Hatlie (who speaks seven languages and is amazing and we all love him) was giving a lecture on the proceedings of the Olympics when a Greek woman leading a tour interrupted him and started to argue with him in Greek, gesturing to us, and back to her group. Hatlie was polite, but you could tell he was pretty annoyed. Eventually she left, taking her group with her. Dr. Hatlie said, "Sorry about that. The Greeks think that the site is theirs, and no one else should have a right to visit it." And truly the Greeks are very possessive about their artifacts and places of historical interest. No one was allowed to clap or shout on the site, and posing in front of statues was strictly forbidden in museums.
Eventually we left the gym while the Greek tour guide glared at us, and we climbed up the ruins of the Temple of Zeus, which once held one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World! It was a HUGE statue of Zeus which was eventually captured, destroyed, and lost in Constantinople (I think). The temple itself must have been colossal, because we could see the drums of the columns lying on the ground, and they were as big around as the mammoth trees in California.
Everyone then went to the stadium where foot races took place. Everyone, even the teachers put on their running shoes, and the men went to the starting line. The most amusing runners were Steve, our RA, proudly displaying his American flag swim trunks, and Dr. Lowery, our Theology professor, sprinting at top speed. Then the girls ran, and it was not the best day for me, because I was sneezing, and in general had a bad cold. But I participated at a light jog, for how many times in your life will you get to compete in Olympia? The winners were crowned with olive branches, and then we all piled on the bus to Delphi.
I slept most of the way, trying to recover from my cold, but I woke up when we were crossing the Gulf of Corinth to see an amazing white bridge. The water was again blue and beautiful, and the landscape was green, with little islands and white houses dotting the shoreline. We started to wind around the Gulf through the mountains, and saw Delphi across the water, with Mt. Parnassus rising above it. (home of the Muses, Apollo, and Dionysus!)
When we were winding up the mountain to the town, the view of the valley below was gorgeous. The sun was setting and the fields of olive trees and grape branches cast shadows in the golden haze. Rays through the clouds lit up the tall pine trees, and we could see the sea far away. Our hotel was on the slope of a mountain, and we had a perfect view of the valley and neighboring mountain. At night we could see hundreds of stars in the little town, and the crescent moon shone silver and gold. Modern Delphi is a small little town, with steep, narrow streets, and Christmas lights everywhere. There are little cats everywhere, and as I was going back to the hotel from our restaurant, I'm sure I saw something that was not a cat, it looked like a ferret or a mongoose or something, so that was kind of weird.
Olympia was interesting, but Delphi was definitely one of my favorite places on the trip.
Eventually we left the gym while the Greek tour guide glared at us, and we climbed up the ruins of the Temple of Zeus, which once held one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World! It was a HUGE statue of Zeus which was eventually captured, destroyed, and lost in Constantinople (I think). The temple itself must have been colossal, because we could see the drums of the columns lying on the ground, and they were as big around as the mammoth trees in California.
Everyone then went to the stadium where foot races took place. Everyone, even the teachers put on their running shoes, and the men went to the starting line. The most amusing runners were Steve, our RA, proudly displaying his American flag swim trunks, and Dr. Lowery, our Theology professor, sprinting at top speed. Then the girls ran, and it was not the best day for me, because I was sneezing, and in general had a bad cold. But I participated at a light jog, for how many times in your life will you get to compete in Olympia? The winners were crowned with olive branches, and then we all piled on the bus to Delphi.
I slept most of the way, trying to recover from my cold, but I woke up when we were crossing the Gulf of Corinth to see an amazing white bridge. The water was again blue and beautiful, and the landscape was green, with little islands and white houses dotting the shoreline. We started to wind around the Gulf through the mountains, and saw Delphi across the water, with Mt. Parnassus rising above it. (home of the Muses, Apollo, and Dionysus!)
When we were winding up the mountain to the town, the view of the valley below was gorgeous. The sun was setting and the fields of olive trees and grape branches cast shadows in the golden haze. Rays through the clouds lit up the tall pine trees, and we could see the sea far away. Our hotel was on the slope of a mountain, and we had a perfect view of the valley and neighboring mountain. At night we could see hundreds of stars in the little town, and the crescent moon shone silver and gold. Modern Delphi is a small little town, with steep, narrow streets, and Christmas lights everywhere. There are little cats everywhere, and as I was going back to the hotel from our restaurant, I'm sure I saw something that was not a cat, it looked like a ferret or a mongoose or something, so that was kind of weird.
Olympia was interesting, but Delphi was definitely one of my favorite places on the trip.
Thursday, October 16, 2008
Greece is the Word
To some people's delight, and other's annoyance, that song played about twenty times on the bus rides on our 10 Day Class Trip to Greece.
On Friday October 3rd, we took a seven hour bus ride to the coast, and departed from the town of Bari on a ferry to Greece. I had a cabin with three other girls, and it was very cute. The beds folded down from the walls, and the room had several desks and a large window. None of us spent much time in there, but we roamed around the ship in the shopping areas, lounges, and out on the deck.
That night it was chilly on deck, but it was worth it to watch the waves. We hung out and danced at the all night disco for about an hour, but eventually I was too tired, and the room was too smoky, so I went off to bed. Unfortunately, I couldn't sleep all night, because I reeked of cigarette smoke, the engines rattled the beds, and i was getting a sore throat.
In the morning I climbed off the top bunk, and immediately felt the rocking motion of the boat. "Uh-oh." I thought. The engines had quieted down, which was a plus, but the rolling of the waves was making me a little queasy. Breakfast didn't help, even though I was happy to see green islands out the windows. I walked cautiously down the narrow hallways, holding on to rails, and decided that going out on deck might help. Luckily, I immediately felt better as the wind hit me full in the face, and i saw the glittering of the sun on the waves. We saw rocky cliffs, with lighthouses perched on the top of islands. The ferry plowed cheerily through the waves, and the sapphire sea was just a shade darker than the sky. The white froth made a thousand different shapes, and as the boat tossed up spray, the droplets made rainbows.
The wind pushed us around, and even droplets of water on the deck struggled against its force.
Sailboats passed by now and then, and another ferry raced us across the sea.
We imagined we saw jellyfish, and wished for dolphins to leap alongside. Clouds rest on the tops of some of the islands, with the sun shining through them.
We got to Patras, Greece, and disembarked, marveling in the mountains. I was looking foward to Greece, but couldn't wait for the return ferry ride
On Friday October 3rd, we took a seven hour bus ride to the coast, and departed from the town of Bari on a ferry to Greece. I had a cabin with three other girls, and it was very cute. The beds folded down from the walls, and the room had several desks and a large window. None of us spent much time in there, but we roamed around the ship in the shopping areas, lounges, and out on the deck.
That night it was chilly on deck, but it was worth it to watch the waves. We hung out and danced at the all night disco for about an hour, but eventually I was too tired, and the room was too smoky, so I went off to bed. Unfortunately, I couldn't sleep all night, because I reeked of cigarette smoke, the engines rattled the beds, and i was getting a sore throat.
In the morning I climbed off the top bunk, and immediately felt the rocking motion of the boat. "Uh-oh." I thought. The engines had quieted down, which was a plus, but the rolling of the waves was making me a little queasy. Breakfast didn't help, even though I was happy to see green islands out the windows. I walked cautiously down the narrow hallways, holding on to rails, and decided that going out on deck might help. Luckily, I immediately felt better as the wind hit me full in the face, and i saw the glittering of the sun on the waves. We saw rocky cliffs, with lighthouses perched on the top of islands. The ferry plowed cheerily through the waves, and the sapphire sea was just a shade darker than the sky. The white froth made a thousand different shapes, and as the boat tossed up spray, the droplets made rainbows.
The wind pushed us around, and even droplets of water on the deck struggled against its force.
Sailboats passed by now and then, and another ferry raced us across the sea.
We imagined we saw jellyfish, and wished for dolphins to leap alongside. Clouds rest on the tops of some of the islands, with the sun shining through them.
We got to Patras, Greece, and disembarked, marveling in the mountains. I was looking foward to Greece, but couldn't wait for the return ferry ride
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