Although I shared my dynamic weekend with you, a couple of exciting events occurred last Thursday that I will now impart. As a class, we received the great privilege to visit the Greek Parliament. Twice over the last few years, I've had the amazing opportunity to sit on the floor of the House of Representatives in Washington, D.C.; when visiting the Veuillez (governing body of Greece), however, I knew not to expect such strict security measures. Not only did we approach the entrance as a group without a sighting of any armed officers (except those guarding the Tomb of the Unknown Soldiers), but we walked right in to the building, an entrance devoid of metal detectors and bag checking.

We first walked into the chamber where the 300-member parliament meets regularly to discuss and enact legislation. The prime minister, Costas Karamanlis, suspended the government a couple of weeks ago in preparation of the upcoming European Union elections on June 7, so we literally had the building to ourselves, minus the few guides meandering about ready to answer any of our questions. In the chamber, we sat in the first few rows of seats, and the main guide gave us a brief history of the building after the prime minister's aid welcomed us. The building first served as the palace for King Otto after Greece won independence from the Ottoman Empire. The guide also pointed out where the prime minister sits and his cabinet, and also where the president sits (in presidential parliamentary systems, the president merely serves as a symbolic head of state). I found it interesting that the president now always sits down on the floor with his colleagues, rather than from a balcony area where the leader did when the nation operated under a constitutional monarchy. A large gallery behind the seats provides space for hundreds of spectators; the chamber is always open to the public when the parliament is in session.

The guide also pointed out where the different parties are arranged in the chamber; there are currently four or five major parties, but an ecology party is emerging that may gain a number of seats in the next round of elections. We then walked through the museum area, containing items from King Otto's reign, as well as display cases about previous prime ministers. I found pictures of Greek prime ministers with U.S. presidents and learned that George H.W. Bush was the last U.S. president to visit Greece. From one of the windows in the museum area you can look out directly above Syntagma Square, where a majority of the protests you read about occurring quite frequently commence

Before we left, we were kindly treated to coffee, tea, juice and muffins, and we received a little gift bag with books addressing the history of the Greek Parliament and a tetra-lingual translation of Pericles' funeral oration. Overall, I found sitting where the Greek legislators discuss the matters of the state fascinating, and learning about a governmental system far different from the one we're accustomed to in the states is always interesting, and even more so when you have the privilege to observe the very institution in which the government operates.

Keeping astride with the perpetual connection to the past, we then spent the afternoon visiting a number of archaeological sites around Athens--the Temple of Olympian Zeus, Areopagos Hill, and the Kerameikos, all of which I've visited before on my own time, but it's always more interesting to have professors point out major areas or provide anecdotes. One site we visited that I had not ventured to yet before, though, and the Pnyx is now my second favorite spot in the city. My favorite areas shift on a daily basis, though, between the National Gardens, the Agora, and Antifiotika. The Pnyx is the hill just to the west of the Acropolis where essentially democracy happened in antiquity. On a regular basis, the Athenian Assembly, consisting of all male citizens, met on the Pnyx to pass legislation and decrees. The orator's beam is still visible; after sharing some of the history of the site, Professor Hurwit told us to simply imagine ourselves as the Athenian Assembly, standing where we were, listening to Pericles' proposition to rebuild on the summit of the Acropolis (of which you have a full view) after the Persians destroyed it in 479 B.C. Hands-on history does not get much better than that.

It's hard to believe my time here in Greece is rapidly winding down, so you can imagine I'm trying to make the most of every free moment. Although I find myself quite acclimated to the frenzied atmosphere of life in Athens, I savor the day trips to explore the city's outskirts. On Friday, we made a class excursion around eastern Attica, visiting the sites of Amphiareion, Thorikos and Sounion. The first area is nestled around a forest, and after a few steps, I was swathed with the smell of grass; I did not realize before that moment I much I've been pining for that distinct aroma of fresh-cut grass. In ancient times, Amphiareion was a place of healing; and a couple of millennia later, in my opinion, it still serves as a remedial sanctuary away from the city. In addition to the foundational remains of the sleeping hall (people in antiquity would sacrifice sheep, sleep on the skin, and record their dreams, which would then be interpreted by an "expert" and a cure would be prescribed), a few seats from the theatre remain, as well as a water clock.

At Thorikos, an ancient theatre has been largely reconstructed, which is kind of disheartening because you know you're not looking at any of the original stone. But it's still a neat feeling imagining ancient Greeks sitting and watching dramatic performances. This site was also host to numerous silver mines, and we walked across the ancient foundations of the slaves' quarters.

The highlight of the day, though, was Sounion, a peninsula where Greeks in ancient times built the enormous Temple of Poseidon, of which of which 16 Doric Temples remain. The weather on Friday was absolutely gorgeous, with perfectly blue skies and bright sunshine, so the temple gleamed even more magnificently. On the columns, hundreds of people have etched their names--including Lord Byron! Walking around the grounds, you have beautiful views of the harbor filled with boats, as well as the surrounding mountains. Many of us sat on the cliffs overlooking the blue waters, cringing at the thought of returning to the city. But it makes us appreciate the splendor of all that Greece has to offer.

After basking in the warm sun at Sounion over the enticing water, a group of us ventured to the beach on Saturday to finally go swimming, now that the weather has warmed considerably compared to a few weeks ago. There are a number of beaches about 30 minutes out of the city, along the Sardonic Gulf; most are easily accessible by public transportation, free to enter and relatively clean. The water is so calm, with no breaking waves, so you literally float around, treading every so often. We tossed a Frisbee in the shallows and were just riveted by the serenity of floating under the Aegean sun. It's an amazing way to think and clear the head, and I tried imagining myself as a bottle and how much of the world I could see by just drifting with the current.

After all of that floating and swimming, we built up an extensive appetite. At one of the student apartments on the roof are a few grills, so we decided to have a barbecue. It's a very American ritual, I realize, but as much as I relish Greek salad, gyros and mousaka, I had been craving a juicy steak for quite some time. Some of my friends grilled hot dogs, others sausage, one stuffed peppers--it was quite a smorgasbord. The best part, though, was sitting around a blanket on the roof with a perfect view of the Acropolis. So friends, steak, ouzo, and a lit-up Parthenon, all on a warm night in Greece...an all-around perfect evening.

The weekend culminated in quite a climax--a group of us hiked Mount Parnitha, a vast national park with many trails about 30 minutes outside of Athens. The Athens Centre arranged a guide for us. We started hiking around 9 a.m. and reached the top at about 12:30 p.m., where we ate free souvlaki and witnessed a community gathering, where the locals danced traditional Greek style and the children ran around playing. I can't even begin to describe the sensation of breathing the freshest of air, as well as taking in the view of the entire city of Athens. After about an hour's rest, we worked our way to the other side of the mountain, where a casino (of all things) sits on top, accessible by cable car, which we rode down to ensure we didn't miss the bus back to Athens at 4 p.m. Walking toward the casino took about 90 minutes, and we actually got a little off course. The guide whipped out his map and compass, though, and there was a cell phone tower blatantly standing atop a nearby hill; so all hope of an actual adventure getting lost and working hard to find our way back was lost. What was neat about the latter half of the walk was that we walked on the barren side of the mountain where wildfires struck two years ago. I remember hearing about the destruction on the news. It was rather eerie at first, but then I realized I was witnessing nature at its finest--the rebirthing process, how the forest life will grow back even stronger and more beautiful.

Now I sit on the balcony of my apartment, listening to the incessant noise of traffic and braking mopeds and wish I was back hiking up Mount Parnitha. The trek was definitely a warm-up for Mount Olympus, which a small group of us will be scaling on May 29 and 30.

Right now, though, I must rid my mind of the distractions of Greek landscape and nature--I have a midterm tomorrow afternoon! Wish me luck. Καληνίκτα! Good night!

When I left Athens on May 1 to spend spring break in Egypt, I knew I would be seeing, in the flesh, the pyramids, tombs and temples I've only read about in books. I did not know of the cultural awakening I would experience and how deep of an impact it would leave. As always, I want to impart every detail of every experience, but I could literally write thousands of words. So for now I'll just share the major highlights and let future conversations fill in the holes.

I fell in love with the people of Egypt our very first night in Cairo. Cairo itself is an overpopulated, polluted city with drivers honking their horns 24/7. But down side streets and in smaller neighborhoods, the people practice a sense of community togetherness lacking in America. We decided to wander toward the Nile River and got what seemed to be rather easy instructions from the hotel owner. We ended up taking a wrong turn somewhere, and we had no detailed map of Cairo. Our plan was to get lost and then hail one of the ubiquitous taxis to get back to the hotel. And I'm so glad we meandered because we ended up walking through this neighborhood with people working outside their shops and children running around playing. Men and women wore the traditional clothing--women with their headscarves around their hands and men in their gallibaya. You could immediately tell it was an area through which not many tourists walk, but nearly every one of them waved at us and said "Welcome to Egypt." They were so excited to see us. They didn't condemn us for being different but were truly happy to welcome us to their country. I instantly felt safe and at home, as if I had been to Egypt numerous times before. Once we finally found the Nile, we walked across one of the bridges, and I could not fathom the great fortune I had received.

All together, I have a collection of 17 ticket stubs to tombs, temples and museums in Cairo, Luxor and Aswan. Our first full day was spent riding camels and horses around the Pyramids of Giza and the Sphinx. They were awesome in the truest sense of the word and more impressive than I ever imagined. On Sunday we spent about two-and-a-half hours in the Cairo Museum, where we saw the special exhibit of pharaoh mummies and the items found in King Tut's tomb, including the famous mask. Then we explored a bazaar. Bargaining is an art form in Egypt. You casually look around but don't try to appear like you're really interested in something. You ask how much, they give a much higher price than what they want, you say it's too much and that you'll look at other places or you just saw it for half that price. I learned to throw in that I was a student and that there should be a discount for that as well. It worked because I got some good deals on papyrus, perfume, Egyptian glass and some other trinkets. On a side note, it did take awhile to get accustomed to the currency, the Egyptian pound. The exchange rate to the dollar is about $5.60, so when something would be 30 pounds, my initial reaction would be "whoa," but then you have to divide by 5 to get an idea of what that's worth in American dollars, so 30 pounds is actually only a little less than $6.

On Sunday night, we took a sleeping train from Cairo to Luxor, a beautiful relief from the craziness of Cairo. We explored the Valley of the Kings and Valley of the Queens, walking through the tombs of the ancient monarchs. I was struck by how well-preserved the wall decorations are and how vivid the colors and designs still are. It was neat to point how different scenes of funeral processions and the different gods and goddesses. The next day we spent wandering how the Karnak and Luxor temples--absolutely massive statues and tall columns covered in symbols and friezes. On Wednesday we hit up the other tombs and temples on the West Bank, including Workers' Village, Tombs of the Nobles, and the temples of Ramses II and Ramses III.

Luxor is divided into two areas by the Nile River--the East Bank and the West Bank. The East Bank is much more developed, but our hotel was on the West Bank, and we all feel so fortunate for the cultural encounters we experienced there. Our hotel was a short walk from the ferry dock, but to get there we walked through a part of a small village, where men and women walked and sat, wearing traditional clothing, children ran around playing asking us our names. We truly experienced the real Egypt and how the average people live. On Tuesday night we attended a wedding on the street right outside our hotel. We were told that it would start at 10 p.m. but Egyptian time always runs about an hour behind, so we got to at least watch some of the music and dancing. Men and women sat in different areas, and it was neat to observe the social interactions. The village is like one big family, everyone looking out for each other.

On our last night in Luxor, we rode on a felucca boat to Banana Island, an area filled with banana trees. There's a restaurant and all they serve is tray of fresh bananas--so I ate 10 for dinner. It was so peaceful just floating along the Nile, taking in the beauty. I could have very well spent the evening just floating around napping.

Thursday morning we woke up early to catch a train to Aswan, where we spent the day wandering around the Philae Temple, visiting the High Dam, eating a delicious Egyptian meal along the Nile and watching the felucca boats. We then took the sleeping train back to Cairo that night. On our last full day in Egypt, we explored Coptic Cairo, an area full of Christian churches, as well as a synagogue and nunnery. The inside of the churches are gorgeous. Of course, we were in Egypt so we wanted to see the inside of a Mosque. Friday, however, is the most important day of prayer for Muslims, so the main mosques were closed to visitors and non-Muslims throughout the afternoon. However, we did experience something incredible. We walked to the Bab Zuwayla city gate, where we walked up a minaret. From the top we had an amazing view of the city, interesting because you can see tall skyscrapers on the horizon but filthy roofs in front of us covered in trash and just run-down. Most breathtaking, though, was the number of minarets towering over the city, signifying their importance. It was a little after 1 p.m., peak time for the Muslim prayers. The prayers are distribute through a loudspeaker, and it was so amazing to hear all of these different prayers at once from all directions. The combined sounds were so beautiful and impressive.

Although seeing the pyramids, Sphinx, tombs and temples was extremely exhilarating, the most incredible experience of my time in Egypt came Friday afternoon.

While waiting for the sleeping train to arrive on Sunday night, we met Travis, a guy around our age who spent some years of his childhood in Egypt. He gave us tips for what to see in Luxor, and we actually ended up bumping into him quite a few times at the tombs and temples. We found out he was going to be in Cairo on Friday, when we planned to go back since we were to fly out on Saturday morning. He invited us to join him at the farm of a family friend for a traditional Egyptian lunch. We traveled about 45 minutes to the north of Cairo, passing beautiful countryside. Nabil, Travis' friend, treated us to this flat, flaky bread as large as a pizza crust, which we ate with fresh honey and cheese. We then spent a few hours just sitting with the family that works on Nabil's farm and lives in an apartment complex just behind the one cornfield. In Egypt, the strong sense of family is wholly overpowering. There was an 8-month-old baby girl named Amil that the mother let me hold for awhile, and at least 6 or 7 other children. Most of the younger ones were a little on the shy side, but one of the older girls, probably around 14 or 15, grabbed my hand and asked me to join her while she helped prepare the tea. She showed me her room and we sat around. I found some pen and paper and drew a smiley face and wrote my name, and had one of the younger girls do the same. I could tell they all had many questions for me but didn't know enough English to ask. When it was time to leave, I said goodbye to the older girl Egyptian style (kisses on both cheeks), and then one of the most moving experiences of my life occurred--she called my name with both hands extended and asked "You'll come back?" I felt the tears coming and knew that I will have to return again very soon.

I was just amazed at the happiness they emitted with their beautiful smiles and laughs, and how close they were as a family, working together day in and day out, living in a small house. I feel in America we take family for granted, and as a society we're missing out on the pure joy community connectedness can bring. I can't pinpoint the feeling just yet, but after leaving that farm, I feel a compelling urge to immerse myself more fully in their lives and the lives of others like them in third-world countries.

I plan to write a post tonight summing up all of my experiences this past week in Egypt, but this video will take you there with me--at least for a few seconds!

Although the semester is just wrapping up back at LVC, my 10-day spring break here in Athens begins tomorrow, May 1 (May Day holiday in Greece). I’ll be spending the time traveling through more ancient lands—Egypt! Three other students and I fly to Cairo tomorrow afternoon at 2:30 p.m. We’ll stay in Cairo through Sunday, exploring the pyramids at Giza and visiting the museum (also perhaps riding camels). On Sunday night we’ll take an overnight train to Luxor, where we’ll stroll around the Valley of the Kings and visit some other sites. On Wednesday we’ll take a bus to Aswan and take a felucca boat ride down the Nile. Before our flight back to Athens from Cairo on Saturday afternoon, we’d like to get over to see the Suez Canal and Red Sea, but we’re not sure if we’ll squeeze those excursions in yet or not.

As with Crete, I’m not taking my computer with me, but the hostels and hotels at which we’re staying have Internet access. So I will try my best to post some quick blog throughout the trip, but you may just have to wait with anticipation to read about my Egyptian experiences! I definitely plan to take video as well.

Salam!

On Thursday evening, I visited the Cycladic Art Museum with a few other students to view an exhibition called "Scenes from Everyday Life in Antiquity," which followed the life of Leon, an Athenian born in 458 B.C. The displays addressed various aspects of everyday life for Athenians, including childhood, women's purposes, marriage rituals, symposiums (when males gathered to be "entertained"), athletic training, military training, going off to war, participating in politics, and finally, burial rituals. It was neat to experience because although visiting ancient sites brings goosebumps to my arms, the ruins are only physical representations of the buildings that once stood on that ground, and archaeologists can make rather educated guesses at the function of the structures. But the true story lies in the people who used those buildings, how they lived day to day, what traditions they practiced, how they entertained themselves, how families functioned, etc. So walking from scene to scene was very moving, as I was able to imagine the Athenians walking across the grounds I've been visiting or will be visiting just living their lives. I especially enjoyed the display case that discussed the Ancient Agora, the area behind the Acropolis where the city's democracy first flourished in the 5th century B.C. On a side note, I've discussed before how for my Creating Impressions class we're required to choose one site to visit and design an observation journal over the course of the semester. I've chosen the Agora; it felt like a natural choice, as if I was innately drawn there. How thrilling it will be to just sit and observe the visitors in modern time, but yet sketch and observe the ruins as well. Last Monday I wandered around for most of the afternoon. The Hephaisteion stands there, the most preserved Doric temple from classical Athens. Above all, though, it's where the civic and administration offices of the young democracy once stood, where Athenians gathered to debate ideas and express opinions and create policy. So bottom line, I'm an English and political science major who gets to roam around the site where Athenian democracy first prospered at my own accord, and write and sketch about my observations. Can life get any more perfect?

On Friday, we took a day trip as a class to Aegina, an island just off the coast of Attica, about a one-hour ferry ride away. We first visited the ruins of Kolona, where one column from a temple to Apollo still stands. After visiting the museum there as well, we traveled through the mountains of the beautiful island to the Temple of Aphaia, one of the most preserved temples from ancient times with its double colonnade still quite intact. The temple stands atop a hill, so you can see the clear blue waters of the Sardonic Gulf and Athens in the distance.

After taking in the breathtaking view, we visited the ceramic workshop of Mr. Nekatarios, a fourth-generation pottery maker. What's most interesting about him is that he is the last pottery maker on the island who still climbs up to the mountains to quarry the Aegina clay. He let us watch him make some pitchers, and then we walked around his shop, full of the most beautiful hand-made pottery. It's a quaint little shop, set on a hillside with wildflowers blooming all around. Although I would have loved to purchase some of his larger creations, I knew it would be impossible to transport home and too expensive to ship to the states. But I did buy some smaller pieces that should make the trip home safely.

We then had the rest of the afternoon free to ourselves, so we walked along the waterfront and then made our way back a few streets, looking for a hole-in-the-wall tavern; they were all closed, though, since it was siesta time. We did, however, find this handsome dog, whom we named Agamemnon, who just kept walking alongside us, his tail wagging happily. After walking around a little more, we settled for a restaurant on the waterfront for a quick snack. Then I spent the last hour before our ferry ride back to Athens sitting out at the end of the pier by this small white monastery, watching the boats come in and go out. Agamemnon followed me out there and sat or stood by me the whole time. At one point he took a quick dip in the water, but immediately returned to his guarding stance--so adorable. At one point, while I was sitting on the ledge, he came right up next to me, put his paw out to shake and then rubbed his head on my lap and plopped right down beside me. As we were gathering to board the ferry, a gentleman running the pistachio stand said the dog has been wandering the streets for 10 years. By the way, the Aegina is well-known for its pistachios, and there are a number of nut shops. I found these delicious dark chocolate covered pistachios, almond and peanut clusters. As with Crete and Marathon, it was nice to get out of Athens for a short while. Since it's such a short ride to get to Aegina, I'm thinking about returning another day and stay later into the evening, and perhaps see some stars!

Today I plan on spending a few hours in the Agora, but otherwise, my first paper beckons. Spring Break begins on Friday (I'm officially going to Egypt! More on that later), so this week is a little hectic academically. I have a quiz on Wednesday in the Athenian Acropolis class, and then for Monuments of Greece, I have a quiz on Thursday and a paper due the same day. It's been a little more challenging than I imagined balancing academic work, just because I'm constantly tempted to explore the city and make the most of every second. Back at LVC, I had my spot in the library where I "got in the zone" to study and write papers. Here, though, I just have the apartment and the Athens Centre, which is closed weekends. So yesterday I ventured to the National Library to find a quite spot and get focused. The reading room is gorgeous, with shelves of books extending high to the ceiling. I sat next to a shelf of Italian encyclopedias. Although I did write a good portion of the paper (which is about the functions of the Minoan palace), I found myself becoming distracted every once in awhile by the allure of the foreign books, and I had to will myself from getting up and thumbing through the pages. It will definitely be my spot for studying and writing papers the rest of the  semester.

Keeping with the Greek tradition, the group of us students who stayed in Athens for the Easter holiday dyed eggs red on Holy Thursday evening, as the red symbolizes the blood of Christ. We purchased 20 eggs (two cartons of 10, not a dozen like in the states...and I have yet to see white eggs anywhere, only brown), bought a container of red coloring dye and went back to my apartment to absorb ourselves in Greek culture. We quickly discovered that Greek eggs are much more sensitive compared to those produced in the states, as our collection of 20 rapidly dwindled to 14. However, I've learned I can depend on one thing here in Athens--the hospitality of the Cookie Man and his family. The next day, Good Friday, while on our way to climb Philopappos Hill (see below), we gave Kostas and his wife flowers to thank them for their kindness and generosity and to wish them a wonderful Easter. And to express their gratefulness, they bestowed upon us a carton of already dyed eggs, and as always, free bread. They sure are something else.

We were told by a number of our professors to expect most shops and businesses to close on Good Friday, but I was actually surprised when walking around that morning how busy the city still was. The day signifies the death of Christ and his burial, and the Greek Orthodox Church practices it as a day of serious mourning and solemnity. However, I suppose with Athens being such an urbanized area, people going on with their lives as usual is to be expected, even just to prepare for the weekend dinners and celebrations.

To bask in the beautiful spring afternoon, a group of us walked to the top of Philopappos Hill, just to the southwest of the Acropolis. It's a short walk, about 10 minutes, and the view of the Acropolis and city from the top is astounding. After taking a lot of pictures, we just sat on the rocks, eating the free bread from the cookie man, relaxing and wondering how we could be so fortunate to spend an afternoon with such a view. I often still feel the need to be pinched.

On Good Friday night, after meeting at Professor Hurwit's apartment for some food and drinks, we walked to a church just down the road from his place at 9.m. It was a charming small church with a little square and courtyard outside where hundreds of people gathered, holding candles. The atmosphere was definitely solemn. A small marching band adorned in red uniforms began playing a mournful tune, and then a priest walked out of the church into the square, chanting and dosing incense. Behind him came another priest carrying a cross, lit up and adorned with flowers, high above him. Following him came a beautiful site I will never forget--the coffin-like structure draped in flowers carrying the icon of Christ that hung on the cross in the front of the church before Good Friday morning. I say coffin-like because it wasn't a casket; what comes to mind to help describe it is when you think of Indian princesses, seated and being carried around in a canopy-covered device (I know there's a name for it, but it just won't come to mind right now) while four gentleman prop it up. Four pallbearers carried the icon of Christ. The Greek Orthodox Church re-enacts the burial of Christ by carrying the icon on the coffin from the church in a slow procession around the city. At this particular church, the procession walked to Hadrian's Arch and stopped outside the Temple of Olympian Zeus. After a few minutes of recitations and chanting, the procession traveled back toward the church. We peeled off and walked toward Syntagma Square, where another church, or maybe a few, was gathering in front of Parliament.

What I'll remember most about observing this tradition is the passion expressed on the faces of the faithful. In the church square, they were all regular people, some dressed formally, others casually, some in big families, others alone. What they all had in common, though, was deep, heartfelt devotion to the event, and I was brought to tears seeing the mournful looks in their eyes. When the coffin first came out of the church, all of the people around me were murmuring and chanting softly, with the soft glow of their candles adding an ethereal effect. For the Greek Orthodox Church, Easter is not just another holiday; it really means something to them, as it defines their faith and ultimately their lives.

Also, I was overwhelmed by the juxtaposition of the cross and icon of Christ on the coffin paused in front of the Temple of Olympian Zeus and its towering columns lit up in the night. It's so neat to think that in the course of 2,500 to 3,000 years, we as a human race have transitioned from worshipping multiple gods created out of myths to branching out to hundreds of religions, mostly centered on serving only one higher power. And, in this specific case, we're forever reminded of ancient Athenian worship rituals, so our nexus to history is perpetual even as new customs develop.

After a day of exploring Marathon (see previous post) and a fabulous dinner on the Plaka (where many taverns were roasting lambs on spits--quite the spectacle), we arrived at the Metropolis Church behind Syntagma Square a little after 11 p.m. I could already sense the excitement of the celebratory events to come. By midnight, the square in front of the church was full of faithful Greeks and tourists alike, all holding candles. Shortly before midnight, the priests stepped outside from the church to a platform in the middle of the square, and the candles began to light one by one. The priests continued their chanting, and as soon as the clock struck midnight, the bells chimed gloriously, and the main priest exclaimed "Χριστός Ανέστη!" or "Christ has Risen!" People smiled and celebrated, kissing one another on the cheek and sharing exclamations of "Χριστός Ανέστη!" Firworks filled the sky, and there was a real sense of joy and excitement. After about 15 more minutes of singing, chanting and exclamations of joy, everyone began their walk home with their candles still burning; I did not have much luck keeping mine lit, though. Especially when I got closer to my neighborhood, Pangrati, it was amazing to see families walking with their candles. I passed an elderly couple, and we shared greetings of "Χριστός Ανέστη!" The whole evening was an incredible experience, and I'm so glad I received the great opportunity to witness such a devout custom first-hand.

Many people who reside in Athens return to their home villages or islands for the Easter holiday, so I decided to take advantage of the serenity that descended upon the city on Sunday. I just could not get over how quiet the entire city was! With no specific plan, I meandered along the streets, vacant of cars and people, occupied only by a few stray cats. When I heard people talking, children laughing or music or saw smoke or smelled roasting lamb, I walked in that direction to steal a glimpse of the celebrations. Many families gathered on their porches, since most residencies throughout the city are apartments, and I also passed a few houses with families in the back yard, talking, laughing and just enjoying each other's presence. For Greeks, Easter Sunday is all about showing love for your family since Christ expressed ultimate love for humankind. I made eye contact with a number of them and exclaimed Καλό Πασχα! Happy Easter!

For Easter dinner, I ate at the Cave of the Acropolis tavern on the Plaka with a friend, eating the traditional Easter lamb. It was so tender and full of flavor and just absolutely delicious. Oh, and the restaurant is situated just below the Acropolis, so you take a bite of lamb or a sip of wine and just casually look up at the Acropolis. It's going to be so difficult to leave in a few months!

A group of us who stayed in Athens for the Greek Orthodox Easter holiday decided to take a day trip out of the city to Marathon, about 24 kilometers to the northeast. We decided this around 10 p.m. Friday night and consulted our guidebooks as to the best mode of transportation to travel there. Although we threw around the idea of walking there, we ultimately concluded it would save time to take a bus. We discovered we could take the metro to a bus depot, where we could find a bus going to Marathon on the hour starting at 5 a.m. We decided to meet at 8:30 a.m., giving us plenty of time to walk to Syntagma Square, get on the metro and find the correct bus. The plan seemed unassailable.

Of course, nothing ever goes so swimmingly, especially abroad. We arrived at the bus station a little before 10 a.m., and a woman at a ticket kiosk pointed to the bus going to Marathon that was leaving in just a few minutes. When we got to that bus, however, the driver standing outside said it was not leaving until 10:30 a.m., and we deemed him a trustworthy fellow. After walking around the area for a little, we entered the bus, and just to be sure, we double-checked with the driver that the bus was indeed going to Marathon. Nope, he pointed to a bus down the line. So we quickly got off and found the driver of that bus, who spoke English well, and he assured us his bus was going to Marathon at 11 a.m. Finally, after what felt like an excruciatingly long morning, we were on our way. Although Marathon is only 16 miles from Athens, the drive took a little over an hour because of the continued stops along the way.

The man who spoke English ended up being the ticket collector on the bus, as well as the guy who can both aggressively demand passengers to empty their drinks before they board and kindly help the older women with their bags. He asked us where we were from, and after I said Pennsylvania, he asked if Philadelphia was the capital. I said no, it's Harrisburg but he's certainly not alone in thinking Philadelphia is the capital. And then he said something to my surprise that I still shake my head at in amazement; he asked me if I remembered during the primary when Barack Obama made the comment that Pennsylvanians cling to their guns and religion. So I of course perked up quite a bit, and we had a short conversation about his thoughts on American politics; he said his favorite politician is John Kerry, and he knew that Kerry and John McCain are veterans of the Vietnam War. I was impressed by how much he knew, but even more awed by the interest he showed in following the news from the states.

He kindly let us knew when we came to our spot and pointed us in the direction of the Tomb of the Fallen. In the Battle of Marathon, the Athenians defeated the army of the Persian Empire. At the site of the climax of the skirmish, an earth mound, or tumulus, was erected, covering the ashes and burnt bones of the fallen soldiers. It's surrounded by a multitude of wildflowers, filling the field with all kinds of colors, including chamomiles which emit such an incredible smell. A pathway leads visitors to the top of the mound, from where you can overlook the battlefield. However, we were asked by the woman at the entrance gate not to walk to the top, an order we begrudgingly obeyed.  

But, I skipped an important part of the story. We walked in the direction the bus guy pointed to, a main road, but it came to a Y after a short while, and we veered to the left and continued walking until we arrived at the beach and the beautiful blue waters of the Aegean Sea...not what we wanted to see first, though. A gentleman at one of the beachfront restaurants told us to walk back along the main road and then we will see "lots of green" and the tumulus. Eventually, we saw a mound behind a fence and resolved it had to be the mound and finally found the entrance. It's a simple, secluded memorial for such a significant battle, but it's incredible that we can witness the burial ground of devoted soldiers nearly 2,500 years later.

Marathon is a sprawling city surrounded by gorgeous mountains, but it's definitely not ideal for visitors without access to an automobile. So from the tumulus, we walked back toward the main road where the bus dropped us off to hail a taxi to get to the archaeological museum a few miles away. There was one slight problem--there were five of us, and Greek law decrees taxis can carry only four passengers. The driver spoke a little English and said he would take only 4, but while we tensely decided what to do, who would split off, he waved all of us in and then charged us a few extra Euros. We were thankful, to say the least. We arrived at the museum a little after 2 p.m., just in time before its 3:00 closing. We browsed the artifacts and pottery found around Marathon, as well as a recently excavated Helladic tomb. The inhabitants of Marathon buried the dead in fetal positions in the corner of graves, leaving room for the remains of family members once they passed as well. It was both eerie and thrilling to walk among the tombs.

The owner of the museum kindly called for a taxi for us, but we did not have the same luck with this driver as our first one when it came to illegally transporting all five of us back to the beach. We split off into two groups, so three of us got in but immediately decided we would have him drop us off at the bus stop rather than drive us all the way down to the beach because he started our tab at 7 Euros...some Easter bonus, I suppose. We started a slow walk toward the main road leading to the beach, waiting to flag down the other two in their taxi, positive that their driver was charging excessively as well. We successfully found their taxi, and we were all back together and ready for the beach. We needed to make sure we were back at the stop in time for the 5 p.m. bus so we could get back to Athens in time for dinner at 8:00 with Professor Hurwit. It was about a 20-minute walk to the beach, but the gorgeous view of the sea and surrounding mountains certainly made the trek in the warm sun worth it. The beach was a little too rocky and the water too shallow for swimming, but we waded in, skipped stones and just basked in the sun for awhile. There was this father with his son, who was having a blast throwing stones into the water. Also, tractors kept going into the water to bring in boats, and we passed an older gentleman riding his bike with a loaf of bread in the front basket who waved and said "Yassas."  

We made it back in plenty of time to catch the bus back to Athens. Utterly ravenous, we enjoyed a great dinner at a restaurant on the Plaka, with plenty of bread, red wine and Greek salad to go around. Then it was time to explore the Greek Orthodox Easter Eve -- check back soon for my impressions on Greek Easter!

Here's a little reminder for those of you who wish to view my photos from abroad. You can visit this link to view an online gallery if you are not in possession of a Facebook account. I don't want anyone to be left out of viewing images from my excursions and discoveries! The gallery has now been updated with photos from Crete and my second visit to the Acropolis.

Speaking of which, I don't think I had the chance to tell you about the latter. Last Wednesday before we embarked to Crete, I visited the Acropolis again with my classmates and professor, Jeff Hurwit. This time we focused on the Peripatos, the ancient highway that once encircled the structure. How enthralling to think we walked the same path Athenian citizens and philosophers once did, discussing the enigma of life. My professor is a leading scholar on the history and art of the Acropolis, so it was neat to have him point out every significant part of the Peripatos, such as caves dedicated to the gods and other shrines, that you would not notice if wandering around alone. And he can also provide anecdotes and other interesting facts that make the experience all the more interesting. On a side note, my Creating Impressions of Greece professor, Judy Allen, will have an exhibit of her artwork in the Benaki museum, a contemporary art museum here in Athens, at the end of the month. So I feel extremely privileged to not only be studying in Greece, but I'm learning from individuals who have excelled in their field, and it's a true honor.

This whole week is considered Holy Week according to the Greek Orthodox Church, and I've been trying to absorb all of the traditions and rituals. On Wednesday night, three of us went to a concert of the City of Athens Symphony Orchestra, which performed a free Easter concert along with a children's choir. It was empowering on so many levels. Although we did not understand what the children were singing, music truly is a universal language. They were a very talented group of children, and the resonating sounds of the orchestra portrayed the meaning of Easter so beautifully.

On Holy Thursday, Greeks traditionally dye eggs red, representing the blood of Christ. So last night, a group of us did just that. Today, Good Friday, is considered the most solemn day of the Holy Week; it's practiced as a day of mourning, as the church depicts the burial of Christ after his crucifixion. At some point throughout the day, every church removes the icon of Christ on the cross from the front of the church, and it is then placed on a makeshift coffin covered in flowers. Tonight here in Athens, near the Plaka, every church brings its coffin bearing Christ, and a procession advances through the square, with priests casting incense and children following with firecrackers. What an incredible sight it will be.  

On Easter Eve at midnight, churches and squares fill with people lighting candles; the traditional Greek Orthodox chanting occurs, and at the stroke of midnight, fireworks erupt and church bells ring, signaling the ascension of Christ to Heaven. Throughout Holy Week, Greeks fast, and late Saturday night after church, a celebration ensues. The red eggs are cracked in a game of whose egg can endure the longest, and an abundance of lamb intestine soup is eaten to prepare the body for the large Easter meal after fasting. Then on Sunday, families gather to roast whole lambs outside, and the day really centers around emitting love in the name of Christ.

I'll be sure to share my observations of these rituals with you. Καλό Πασχα! (Happy Easter!)

My apologies for the delay in writing about my experiences this past weekend in Crete. Not having a computer was actually enlivening, but the absence of course made it difficult to keep all of you in the loop! I wrote in my journal every night, though, so this post is more of a conglomeration of those thoughts over the course of the five-day exploration across the island.

On Wednesday night we boarded a ferry at Piraeus, the major port area just outside of Athens, to Iraklion, the biggest city on Crete in the north-central area. The ferry was like a miniature cruise ship, with all kinds of restaurants and bars, even a disco dance area, on board. I've never been on a cruise ship before, so it was neat to get a little taste of what it's like to sail in style. We left mainland Greece around 9:30 p.m. and arrived in Iraklion at 7 a.m. Around 11 p.m. a few of us ventured out on to the deck to see if we could get a glimpse of stars above the sea, since we can't see any in Athens, but we were immediately impeded by a slight sea breeze...and by slight I mean it felt like a hoard of helicopters were landing around us; it made for some good laughs. We slept four people to a cabin, and although the room was a little cramped, you can't expect much for a ferry boat. Although there some random noises throughout the night, I slept well and almost forgot I was on a boat.

We couldn't actually settle into our rooms since it was just a little after 7 in the morning, so we all left our bags in the lobby for the day while we traveled to Knossos, site of an ancient Minoan palace. I still can't get over the fact that we learned about the Minoans and the structure and function of their palaces 3 to 4,000 years ago in class last Tuesday, and two days later, we were physically walking on the ruins. On a side note, "palace" is a misnomer; it's not like Buckingham Palace or where a royal family by today's standards resides. Minoan palaces actually served more as central gathering places for villages, with religious shrines, banqueting halls and even townhouses. Of course, no one, even the most scholarly of archaeologists, will ever be able to reconstruct the actual design and uses of the "palaces," but I do find it fascinating that people are skilled to make rather accurate guesses. After visiting Knossos, we walked through Iraklion's archaeological museum, filled with pottery, artwork, coins, jewelry and a number of other trinkets recovered at the site and surrounding areas. One piece of artwork that stood out to me depicts the Minoan sport of bull leaping. A prevailing mythological figure for the Minoan was the centaur, a half-bull and half-man creature, and bulls are quite common in Minoan art and pottery.

With the rest of the day to ourselves for independent activities, most of us headed to the beach to dip our feet into the Mediterranean Sea. We got on the bus right near our hotel, and it was about a 15-minute ride to Mysos Beach, where there was not one other soul around, so we had the blue sea to ourselves. You can look for miles out to the horizon, and the water is clear and deep blue entirely. There was a cool wind in the air so I wasn't brave enough to dive in and go swimming, but it was neat to walk along the shoreline, collecting rocks and feeling the waves gently roll in around my feet.

I have to tell you about our bus ride back into the city. As I said earlier, there's a bus stop right outside our hotel. Just a few blocks from the hotel is a large square where the bus also stops. On the way back, when the bus came to the square, we contemplated getting off but decided as a group that the bus must stop where we got on after a few more stops...we're obviously not very savvy in the area of public transportation. We ended up being on the bus for about an hour as it completed its loop around the city. We knew it had to go back to the stop outside the hotel eventually, and it was still only about 6:00 p.m., so were rather positive it wouldn't be taking us to the end of the line. Although people continued to get on and off, by the time it came to our stop, we were just one big group of Americans...I suppose we'll laugh about it one day.

That night after a dinner of tomato cucumber salad and chicken slouvaki over potatoes (French fries in Greece), a few of us wandered around Iraklion, a big city with lots of shopping but also Venetian monument and buildings from the time Venice controlled Crete during the 17th century. A fortress lies out beyond the port, and the Lion's Fountain, a rather prominent sculpture, sits in the middle of the main square.

On Friday, we traveled to the south of Crete, about one hour away, to visit three more ancient sites. The first stop was Gortyn, where the law code is still etched on the walls; the ancient Greek script reads from left to right on the first line, but then rather than beginning the next line on the left, the writing begins below the last letter of the first line and reads right to left, and this continues for about 600 lines. Archaeologists have deciphered the entire code, addressing issues of marriage, divorce, servants. It was amazing to see the supreme law of the land established over 2,000 years ago right before my eyes.

Phaestos, another prominent Minoan palace, was our second stop for the day. I enjoyed it a little more than Knossos because at Knossos, a lot of the structures you see are raised and reconstructed, whereas at Phaestos, you knew you were walking among the original foundations. The backdrop is also gorgeous rolling hills and plains, with sprawling mountains in the distance. That's when I realized I really miss the wide open fields back home. The bus ride to Phaestos was absolutely beautiful, as we passed hills and valleys, so green and lush. I imagined Crete to be a rugged, scenic island and was a little disappointed when we arrived in urbanized Iraklion. The road twisted over and through many hills, and I think even a mountain or two, as my ears popped quite a few times. I had my nose to the window the whole time. All kinds of trees--olive, lemon, orange--dotted the hills, and wildflowers were in full bloom everywhere you looked.

At Phaestos, we observed where the central court, magazines (storage areas) and other rooms may have once stood. Our last stop for the day was Agia Triada, a beautiful site located along the sea. It was then that I thought back to how intelligent the Minoans must have been over 2,000 years ago to build palaces and villas like Agia Triada near water, necessary resource, but also at the base of mountain ridges for defense purposes and near fertile plains for agriculture. As a civilization, all citizens worked together to make everyday life go smoothly.

We ate lunch together as a group at a small tavern outside the town where Agia Triada is located. There I tried my first mousaka--a baked pasta dish with beef, potatoes and eggplant. As always, I enjoyed it and plan on ordering it a few more times over the next few months. Dessert was fresh oranges. Although there a number of sweet shops and bakeries with scrumptious-looking treats all over, I've discovered at restaurants that desserts tend to be fruit-related, like apples and bananas covered with cinnamon, which are no doubt delicious but also much more on the healthy side, which I admire.  

At one of the souvenir shops in Iraklion where I purchased some handmade clay pottery with the portrait of the bull leaping, Marios, the owner, had pizza from a place called Napoli on his desk. It looked appetizing, so I asked him where I could find some. If the locals like it, you know it has to be good! He gave me directions, and that's where a group of us had dinner on Friday night. It proved to be just as tasty as it looked. Earlier in the day, we had some more free time, so we walked out to the Venetian fortress. Along the way, you can walk out on rocks into the sea; it was incredible to just sit there for awhile and listen to the waves crashing.   

After finding some cheesecake gelato that night, we passed a church called the Basilica of St. Mark where a Greek Orthodox service was occurring. We decided to walk in to observe for a little while. From what I could see, people walk in and out at their pleasure, and the priest constantly chants. I'm sure there's a set time when the service begins, but a number of people simply walk in and out a short while later. The worshippers entered, lit a candle in memory of a loved one, and then kissed portraits of Christ in the narthex before sitting in the pew and to listen to the chants. I can't wait to attend the services for Greek Orthodox Easter this weekend. Speaking of which, Happy Belated Easter!

On Saturday, we checked out of Hotel Olympic and visited Tyliossos, a tiny excavated Minoan Villa located in a small Greek village. To get to the site, we had to walk past a number of little but gorgeous houses with older women outside beating rugs and hanging wash. The backdrop of hills and mountain peaks was breathtaking. Again, walking among the ruins of ancient towns and sites always gives me the goose bumps, but now with taking the class, I can pinpoint lustral basins or pier-and-door partitions and it makes the learning experience and absorbing the information so much more fascinating.  

We then had a two-hour bus ride to Khania along the coast with an almost constant view of the sea, so crystal blue in color. Khania is an adorable town, much smaller then Iraklion, with a Venetian port. All along the harbor sit a number of restaurants and shops. Competition definitely thrives here. While you're walking past tavern after tavern, hosts stand outside, and each and every one of them say hello, ask you how you are, talk about their specials and why you should eat there--all in about 15 seconds. When you take some roads up and out of the touristy area, you find charming little houses with colored shutters and set along winding pathways. We had the afternoon free and walked along the seascape toward the beach, where again some of the others were brave enough to swim in the water, but I was content just walking along the shoreline. There's also a lighthouse a few of walked out to, and along the path there, you can sit on the walls overlooking the sea. I could have definitely camped out there for the night, just looking at the stars and listening to the waves.

On Saturday night we had another great Greek dinner, where our waiter Angelo treated us to free house wine, free dessert (nut cake and vanilla ice cream) and Rocky, the staple Greek drink at the end of a meal to cleanse the palette, but you definitely need some sort of chaser after taking a shot or two of it. Oh, and I tried a Cretan snail! Once I got past the whole texture dilemma, it actually did not taste much of anything except just the rosemary and other spices in which they were cooked. I'm certainly getting my fix of exotic foods!

Sunday was our last day in Crete. We visited Khania's archaeological museum, where Linear B Tablets addressing economic terms and agricultural products were on display, as well as a clay impression depicting a God on top of a palace, which brings into question the Minoan religion. As with the museum in Iraklion, much of the pottery and statues depicted bulls. I've always wanted to observe and appreciate art more, and learning the history of art and architecture in ancient Greece and then seeing the pottery and foundations in person has helped me understand the significance, and I'm just fascinated by it all. In the past I would have passed on visiting an art museum over other historical sites, but I found myself enamored and staring at the displays, simple because I could not fathom such artistry could be displayed over 2,000 years ago, let alone we have the ability to look at it all, mostly intact, behind a glass wall. We actually left the museum as a group because we had to check out of our hotel by noon, but I immediately went back to observe the remaining displays I did not get to see the first time through.

The afternoon brought gorgeous weather, and I spent some time reading on a bench along the Venetian port and then met up with some other friends to take a boat ride out past the lighthouse to an island not far off the coast. Captain Nick treated us well, and some of the others went snorkeling and swimming once we arrived at the island but the cool wind kept me in the spectator's seat. I know I'll have all of May and June once the weather gets really hot to venture out into the water. We then had one more delicious Cretan dinner at a restaurant along the water and walked through some more of the shops before another ferry ride back to Athens. This ride was a little bit rockier; some people were saying there was a storm nearby. We just wanted to relax and talk, but the lounges are filled with Greek smokers. So we ended up sitting underneath this stairwell near the main lobby, playing cards and drinking ouzo. For me, heading back to Athens brought mixed feelings. I love the beautiful landscape of Crete and was not looking forward to returning to the traffic and pollution of Athens; but I also found it surprising that I felt as though I was heading home, as I've settled in so easily over these first three weeks

All in all, it was a fantastic trip, learning about the ancient sites and civilizations of the Minoans first-hand but also exploring the beautiful island on our own.

Now Greek Orthodox Easter is approaching, and that will be an amazing and eye-opening experience as well. The discoveries never stop!