Hi All,
Last night we had dinner at the same place we had lunch two days ago. I ordered Chicken Souvlaki which was amazing, then we headed back to our hotel for our farewell party on the rooftop terrace. It was a lot of fun and had a great view of the Acropolis. We didn't get to bed until midnight!
This morning, I woke up at 3:15 AM for a 3:30 AM taxi to the airport with a few people. I'm still waiting at the airport check in as my flight is still two and a half hours away.
I have a short layover in Rome before catching my flight to Reggio di Calabria where I will meet up with a few people I know from Penn State. Two of my teachers are hosting a study abroad program there and I know one girl that graduated with me who is visiting as well. It will be a lot of fun!
I can't wait to get back to Italy where there is nowhere near the language barrier I had in Greece! Greece didn't even have the same alphabet!
Michele
Wednesday, May 30, 2012
Where's the Rocky Music?
Hi All,
Today, we woke up and had a three hour walking tour of Athens - basically a tour guide to lead us up to the Acropolis, the place that saw the foundation of Western Civilization.
We started out walking to the same area we walked to yesterday - the bazaar where we all went shopping. Our tour guide pointed out a mosque and the first library in history. Then, we walked up a few hills and passed an area called the Agora which is where the people used to shop 2500 years ago! We continued walking up steps and ramps until we were told that we were halfway there. The whole time we were walking, I was waiting for the Rocky theme song to start playing in the background.
Then, we walked about a kilometer up a hill where we bought our tickets for the Acropolis. We then entered the gates and walked up the final ascent which was a mix of slippery marble ramps and stairs. It was quite a workout, but I think I must be in pretty good shape because I wasn't huffing and puffing!
All the walking was worth it when we climbed the final flight of stairs and saw the Parthenon standing right in front of us. A huge, imposing structure. The climb up makes you appreciate all the hard work that must have gone into building it! The Parthenon was supposedly made a bit crooked because nothing is ever perfect. To build something perfect back then was like slapping the Gods in the face!
Overall, the Acropolis was pretty small. I thought it was going to be a huge piece of land on a mountain, but it was very easy to walk around the perimeter in less than 20 minutes!
After a few photos, I decided to take the easy way down and take the elevator since I saw everything that I needed to see on the way up!
We met at the bottom and went out to lunch. I had a very good dish - Maksala (I definitely butchered the spelling)! It was basically Greek lasagna - potatoes, tomatoes, eggplant, and ground meat. It was very salty, but all the food I've had in Greece so far was too salty for my liking.
After, we went back to the bazaar we went to yesterday to finish up souvineer shopping. Then, we went back to the hotel for a bit. I left after a half hour to go mail a postcard and go to the supermarket with a few friends. That was our adventure for the day!
I think I am in Athens at a very unique time. It is in the process of modernizing itself. I would love to come back here in 20 years and see how different it is. I think that this is what every major, modern city had to go through at one point or another.
Another comment I have is that the Greek people are so nice. They are probably the nicest people I've met in Europe outside of Amsterdam and Italy (I'm biased on the latter, I know). The Greeks are so appreciative of our tourism. I think they are happy that some people are not discouraged by the media reports.
Tonight, we have our final dinner followed by a farewell party on our hotel's rooftop terrace which has a view of the Acropolis all lit up at night.
Then, I'm off to Italy for a week of backpacking fun!
Michele
Today, we woke up and had a three hour walking tour of Athens - basically a tour guide to lead us up to the Acropolis, the place that saw the foundation of Western Civilization.
We started out walking to the same area we walked to yesterday - the bazaar where we all went shopping. Our tour guide pointed out a mosque and the first library in history. Then, we walked up a few hills and passed an area called the Agora which is where the people used to shop 2500 years ago! We continued walking up steps and ramps until we were told that we were halfway there. The whole time we were walking, I was waiting for the Rocky theme song to start playing in the background.
Then, we walked about a kilometer up a hill where we bought our tickets for the Acropolis. We then entered the gates and walked up the final ascent which was a mix of slippery marble ramps and stairs. It was quite a workout, but I think I must be in pretty good shape because I wasn't huffing and puffing!
All the walking was worth it when we climbed the final flight of stairs and saw the Parthenon standing right in front of us. A huge, imposing structure. The climb up makes you appreciate all the hard work that must have gone into building it! The Parthenon was supposedly made a bit crooked because nothing is ever perfect. To build something perfect back then was like slapping the Gods in the face!
Overall, the Acropolis was pretty small. I thought it was going to be a huge piece of land on a mountain, but it was very easy to walk around the perimeter in less than 20 minutes!
After a few photos, I decided to take the easy way down and take the elevator since I saw everything that I needed to see on the way up!
We met at the bottom and went out to lunch. I had a very good dish - Maksala (I definitely butchered the spelling)! It was basically Greek lasagna - potatoes, tomatoes, eggplant, and ground meat. It was very salty, but all the food I've had in Greece so far was too salty for my liking.
After, we went back to the bazaar we went to yesterday to finish up souvineer shopping. Then, we went back to the hotel for a bit. I left after a half hour to go mail a postcard and go to the supermarket with a few friends. That was our adventure for the day!
I think I am in Athens at a very unique time. It is in the process of modernizing itself. I would love to come back here in 20 years and see how different it is. I think that this is what every major, modern city had to go through at one point or another.
Another comment I have is that the Greek people are so nice. They are probably the nicest people I've met in Europe outside of Amsterdam and Italy (I'm biased on the latter, I know). The Greeks are so appreciative of our tourism. I think they are happy that some people are not discouraged by the media reports.
Tonight, we have our final dinner followed by a farewell party on our hotel's rooftop terrace which has a view of the Acropolis all lit up at night.
Then, I'm off to Italy for a week of backpacking fun!
Michele
Tuesday, May 29, 2012
Athens: Night One
Hi All,
I am sitting in my hotel situated off of a side street about five minutes away from Athens main shopping area for tourists. Our hotel is gorgeous and very modern. We were told that if we make a right out of our hotel, we will have no problems. I don't want to know what happens if we turn left!
After arriving at our hotel, we ventured to have lunch in the main shopping area. The food was the best I've had in Greece that was actually Greek food - I'm not a fan of lamb, so I had a cheese salad and shared a plate of fried cheese with someone. The fried cheese tasted like mozzarella sticks minus the breading. The cheese salad was a bit weird - it was like a plate of ricotta cheese that was spicy. We finally realized that it was better if you paired it with pita bread. Once we did that our palates were satisfied. Lunch was really cheap, too. €6 including a can of Coke!
After lunch, we walked around the shopping area. We all bought one pr two souvineers before heading back to the hotel. I liked the shopping area. It was like the bazaars that we learned about in school. You had to bargain with the store owners and get the best deal. Everyone here seems very nice & appreciative of the tourists, though.
Then, we walked back to the hotel to rest up before dinner. Our dinner was pretty good. It was a gyro. I'm starting to think that's all the Greeks eat - I think I've eaten it four times since I've been here. Gyros with French fries. Who knew the Greeks were so into French fries? Our dessert was really good! It was cinnamon battered apples and some type of flan-like cheese.
After dinner, we all went out to a local bar. It was pretty dead, but apparently they get a bit more lively after 11:00 PM. I was too tired to wait up, though, so I headed back to the hotel.
Tomorrow, we have our grand walking tour of Athens - the foundation of Western civilization. The history buff in me is just a little bit excited!
Thanks for reading!
Michael
I am sitting in my hotel situated off of a side street about five minutes away from Athens main shopping area for tourists. Our hotel is gorgeous and very modern. We were told that if we make a right out of our hotel, we will have no problems. I don't want to know what happens if we turn left!
After arriving at our hotel, we ventured to have lunch in the main shopping area. The food was the best I've had in Greece that was actually Greek food - I'm not a fan of lamb, so I had a cheese salad and shared a plate of fried cheese with someone. The fried cheese tasted like mozzarella sticks minus the breading. The cheese salad was a bit weird - it was like a plate of ricotta cheese that was spicy. We finally realized that it was better if you paired it with pita bread. Once we did that our palates were satisfied. Lunch was really cheap, too. €6 including a can of Coke!
After lunch, we walked around the shopping area. We all bought one pr two souvineers before heading back to the hotel. I liked the shopping area. It was like the bazaars that we learned about in school. You had to bargain with the store owners and get the best deal. Everyone here seems very nice & appreciative of the tourists, though.
Then, we walked back to the hotel to rest up before dinner. Our dinner was pretty good. It was a gyro. I'm starting to think that's all the Greeks eat - I think I've eaten it four times since I've been here. Gyros with French fries. Who knew the Greeks were so into French fries? Our dessert was really good! It was cinnamon battered apples and some type of flan-like cheese.
After dinner, we all went out to a local bar. It was pretty dead, but apparently they get a bit more lively after 11:00 PM. I was too tired to wait up, though, so I headed back to the hotel.
Tomorrow, we have our grand walking tour of Athens - the foundation of Western civilization. The history buff in me is just a little bit excited!
Thanks for reading!
Michael
First Impressions
Hi All,
We just arrived in Athens. It seems to be a very unique city. There is lots of graffiti, but the areas we are driving through seem to be good areas. The housing is a bit weird as well - it seems like every apartment building has a store or bank underneath it. It's similar to NYC, but the apartments have balconies with a lot of flowers and ivy growing over the side. It is almost as if the city itself is in the middle of a huge modernization project. I'm looking forward to exploring it further.
We will arrive at our hotel in a bit, check in, and venture out into the urban jungle. I'll keep you posted.
Mike
We just arrived in Athens. It seems to be a very unique city. There is lots of graffiti, but the areas we are driving through seem to be good areas. The housing is a bit weird as well - it seems like every apartment building has a store or bank underneath it. It's similar to NYC, but the apartments have balconies with a lot of flowers and ivy growing over the side. It is almost as if the city itself is in the middle of a huge modernization project. I'm looking forward to exploring it further.
We will arrive at our hotel in a bit, check in, and venture out into the urban jungle. I'll keep you posted.
Mike
Next Stop: Athens
Hi All,
We all had an early night last night and are currently waiting in our hotel lobby for our ferry boat to Galatas where we will catch a bigger ferry to Athens. Once we get to Athens, we have a dinner with our group. Tomorrow is our last day together and we are going to take a tour of all of Athens.
Over the past three days, I have learned why Greece is struggling so much when compared to the rest of the countries in the European Union. Their culture is so much different than the rest of the countries I have traveled to in the Euro zone. There is something to be said for their lifestyle, though. It's much more relaxed.
Next stop, Athens!
Michael
We all had an early night last night and are currently waiting in our hotel lobby for our ferry boat to Galatas where we will catch a bigger ferry to Athens. Once we get to Athens, we have a dinner with our group. Tomorrow is our last day together and we are going to take a tour of all of Athens.
Over the past three days, I have learned why Greece is struggling so much when compared to the rest of the countries in the European Union. Their culture is so much different than the rest of the countries I have traveled to in the Euro zone. There is something to be said for their lifestyle, though. It's much more relaxed.
Next stop, Athens!
Michael
Monday, May 28, 2012
Relaxing on Poros
Hello Everyone,
I have spent the last two and a half days in relaxation mode. When we finally got off our bus, we had to take a 10 minute boat ride to the island of Poros, a small, touristy island that our hotel is on. We arrived at our hotel and it was very chic. It is right on the water and has its own beach as well as a pool with a bar behind the hotel. The hotel itself is about two miles from downtown Poros, but that is fine as there is not a lot to do in the downtown.
After checking in and relaxing a bit, we had dinner at our hotel. They served us Greek salad as our appetizer. I was surprised to find out that Greek salad has no lettuce in it. Then, we had chicken gyros which were pretty good and a dish of vanilla gelato for dessert. After dinner, we went to the back of the hotel and hung out by the pool.
Yesterday, I slept in late and gave my laundry to the front desk to be cleaned. Then, I decided to walk into town to see it and look around. It was a beautiful walk - I am happy our hotel is far away from the town. It is much quieter. The town was very touristy, but I bought a postcard to send home as well as a pin for my pin collection before heading back to the hotel. After I got back, I took advantage of the free wifi and planned out half of my Italian trip next week. Then, we had dinner (Greek hamburger) and a toga party out by the pool. It was a lot of fun and a few of us jumped into the pool with our togas on. It was amazing!
This afternoon, we took a boat around the island of Poros and stopped at a beach. The island is beautiful and I really enjoyed the boat ride. After the boat, I went back to the hotel, had lunch, sat by the pool with a few people and planned the rest of my Italian trip.
Tomorrow we leave for Athens!
Thanks for reading.
Mike
I have spent the last two and a half days in relaxation mode. When we finally got off our bus, we had to take a 10 minute boat ride to the island of Poros, a small, touristy island that our hotel is on. We arrived at our hotel and it was very chic. It is right on the water and has its own beach as well as a pool with a bar behind the hotel. The hotel itself is about two miles from downtown Poros, but that is fine as there is not a lot to do in the downtown.
After checking in and relaxing a bit, we had dinner at our hotel. They served us Greek salad as our appetizer. I was surprised to find out that Greek salad has no lettuce in it. Then, we had chicken gyros which were pretty good and a dish of vanilla gelato for dessert. After dinner, we went to the back of the hotel and hung out by the pool.
Yesterday, I slept in late and gave my laundry to the front desk to be cleaned. Then, I decided to walk into town to see it and look around. It was a beautiful walk - I am happy our hotel is far away from the town. It is much quieter. The town was very touristy, but I bought a postcard to send home as well as a pin for my pin collection before heading back to the hotel. After I got back, I took advantage of the free wifi and planned out half of my Italian trip next week. Then, we had dinner (Greek hamburger) and a toga party out by the pool. It was a lot of fun and a few of us jumped into the pool with our togas on. It was amazing!
This afternoon, we took a boat around the island of Poros and stopped at a beach. The island is beautiful and I really enjoyed the boat ride. After the boat, I went back to the hotel, had lunch, sat by the pool with a few people and planned the rest of my Italian trip.
Tomorrow we leave for Athens!
Thanks for reading.
Mike
Saturday, May 26, 2012
Off to Greece
Hello from Greece!
We're on a very small, loud, uncomfortable bus for our five hour bus ride from where the ferry dropped us off in Patras to the other side of the island where we will board another boat to Poros.
The ferry was great. It was more like a cruise ship with staterooms, a restaurant, and even a mini-casino. Our fifteen hours flew by and I even won €2 in the casino playing roulette.
When we got off the boat, our bus driver initially said it would be a four hour drive, but he changed his mind and told us it would be five. We stopped at a very sketchy and dirty cafe for food, but I could only eat a bite of my gyro before it was attacked by flies and I lost my appetite. Then, we all got back in the bus and immediately stopped for gas. I guess the driver couldn't do it during our one hour food stop.
So far, I am unimpressed with Greece. We are still far from the touristy areas, but it is obvious why they are struggling with the Euro right now. I am already noticing a difference in the Greek work ethic and that of Western Europe. The poverty here is similar to that of parts of Mexico as well.
I'm holding out full judgement until after we arrive in Poros, so I'll keep my fingers crossed!
Mike
We're on a very small, loud, uncomfortable bus for our five hour bus ride from where the ferry dropped us off in Patras to the other side of the island where we will board another boat to Poros.
The ferry was great. It was more like a cruise ship with staterooms, a restaurant, and even a mini-casino. Our fifteen hours flew by and I even won €2 in the casino playing roulette.
When we got off the boat, our bus driver initially said it would be a four hour drive, but he changed his mind and told us it would be five. We stopped at a very sketchy and dirty cafe for food, but I could only eat a bite of my gyro before it was attacked by flies and I lost my appetite. Then, we all got back in the bus and immediately stopped for gas. I guess the driver couldn't do it during our one hour food stop.
So far, I am unimpressed with Greece. We are still far from the touristy areas, but it is obvious why they are struggling with the Euro right now. I am already noticing a difference in the Greek work ethic and that of Western Europe. The poverty here is similar to that of parts of Mexico as well.
I'm holding out full judgement until after we arrive in Poros, so I'll keep my fingers crossed!
Mike
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