It's Monday morning here in Athens, and I don't know where to begin to describe all of the amazing experiences I encountered over the weekend. Although a bona fide blog writer would recall events in chronological order, I think I need to begin with the most recent since there have been so many exciting moments in just these past four days!
First, I'll share my food experiences. Between all of the pita bread and delicious desserts, it's a good thing I'll be doing a lot of walking over the next three months. In the study abroad program in which I'm participating, there are 25 students -- 20 young women and 5 guys. We ladies will be extremely spoiled over the next three months because four of the guys are avid cooks. Last night about 14 of us gathered at the apartment of four of the ladies (we are all scattered throughout the city in 2-4 person apartments), and the guys prepared all of us dinner that included couscous stuffed in bell peppers, baked chicken and vegetables and garlic mashed potatoes. We enjoyed the meal Greek style, taking our first bites around 8 p.m. and not sipping dessert wine until about 10:30 p.m. Greeks consume heaps of food but eat it quite slowly in a very relaxed manner.
Earlier in the day, I had lunch with two other students at a little restaurant in the Monastiraki neighborhood of central Athens, where there is an enormous flea market with hundreds and hundreds of vendors, selling everything from beads and candles to art and fresh fruit. We ate outside at a little cafe, since the weather was of course once again beautiful, with a quite personable owner who greeted everyone who walked by. I ate a delicious tomato salad with cucumbers, olives, green peppers and onions, all soaked in olive oil. I also tried and enjoyed my first glass of Retsina, a highly recognized Greek white wine with a unique flavor from being brewed in sealed vessels with resin. At the same cafe the day before, I enjoyed my first Greek slovaki--lamb and beef wrapped in pita bread with tomatoes and onions. On Friday night, the Athens Centre treated all of the students to dinner at a local taverna, where I tried my first lamb dish. The meat was so tender, falling right off the bone and was full of flavor after being roasted with potatoes. Most of the desserts that have come with the meals have been fruit, like apples, bananas and oranges, drizzled in cinnamon and honey--absolutely scrumptious!
Well, it's a little after noon, and my first class--The Athenian Acropolis: Archaeology, Art, History--begins at 12:30. After not attending class for over three months, I can't begin to describe how eager I am to learn and study in a classroom setting again, especially right here in Athens! It cannot get much better than reading about the Acropolis and Parthenon in a textbook at the Athens Centre, then walk up a set of black spiral steps to the roof and physically gawk at the edifice. I can't believe I'm here!
I have so much else to write about and share with you from my weekend of exploring, so I'll try to post another blog or two later today after class. Kalispera!
P.S. For those of you on Facebook, I have finally received the chance to upload photos. For those of you not on Facebook, please try to access this link: http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?cropsuccess&id=1382420650#/album.php?aid=19076&id=1382420650 and let me know if you can view the album without a Facebook account. If you can view the pictures, I'll post the links to the other albums; if you can't, I'll try to find a way to share them with you!