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!