Day 8 - Athens

Greetings!  We have just wrapped up our farewell dinner and the young men are packing for an early departure from the hotel tomorrow.  Please note, if you have not heard already, that we are scheduled to arrive at 8:52 p.m. tomorrow evening on Delta Flight #2291 from Atlanta. 

And now our two last bloggers, Austin Bronstein and Carlson Zou:

Austin

   My time in Greece has been one of the most unique experiences of my life. I've truly enjoyed getting to know the country that has received so much attention in all my history classes.
   Today was more relaxed than others. After waking up and eating breakfast we went off to Marathon for a few hours (I'll go out on a limb and say it was around 26.2 miles away from Athens). A visit to a museum with art from the tomb in Marathon yielded great interest among my peers as well as myself. We also got to see the tomb itself. After the visit to Marathon's more historical parts, we went off to Marathon's beach where we ate an amazing lunch (octopus was just one of the courses).
   Afterwards, we drove back to our hotel and were given three hours of free time at the Plaka (a touristy shopping area in Athens). Happily shopped-out, we were given the marching orders for the rest of the day which involve a free dinner and packing in preparation for our long trek home tomorrow.
   This past week has been very exciting for me. My first time outside of the United States has proven a fruitful and educational experience. To end this post, I wish to personally thank my parents for letting me come on this trip - it honestly means so much to me.
   Happy Birthday Mom!

Carlson

As our odyssey in Greece nears its end and it's soon time for us to come home, we all begin to feel a bit of melancholy, knowing in our hearts that tomorrow we would be taken away from the adventurous world that we have been immersed in for the past week. However, we're not done just yet. There's one more chapter to be written in our story. We saved the site of the battle of Marathon for last, in which the ancient Athenians successfully held off an army of invading Persians. We visited a burial mound where 192 brave Athenians who gave up their lives to protect their homeland were buried. Compared to the 6400 casualties that the Persians suffered, it was clear that the Athenians were more disciplined and motivated. The teachers sat us near the hill and read us passages that invoked the emotions of the battle, which was truly inspirational. I also did something that I thought I would never do in my life today... start a marathon. The teachers lined us all up at the starting line of the modern marathon race in the spirit of commemorating the famous courier who ran all the way from Marathon to Athens to deliver the news of victory. Luckily we didn't have to actually finish the marathon... because I would've died. My athletic abilities aside, I honestly believe this trip has been one of the most educational and eye opening experiences in my life. More than a couple of my classmates on this trip feel the same way. I had learned about all of this before in my Western Civilization course freshman year but that was just textbooks, pictures, and tests. Coming to Greece brought a third dimension to everything I had learned about, bringing these concepts to life. I can't wait to go home and share what I've learned with my friends and family.

A few pictures...




The Tumulus at Marathon

A Teachable Moment

The Start of the Modern Marathon

Some Final Words

As chaperones, we have had a great trip this week for many reasons.  First, we want to thank Smaragda Touloupa - Smaro - for her expertise and flexibility.  She brought new insight into each of the sites we visited and happily added a few stops of interest to the boys. 

Smaro



Second, we want to thank the boys.  Our smiles below come from the fact that they really took on every challenge with open minds and cheerful attitudes - and they were very responsible about meeting on time and taking care of each other. We are so very impressed with how this group came together.









Thank you for sending the boys on this great adventure.

-Adam Marcia, Karl Frerichs, and Peter Millett
 

Day 6 at Delphi and Day 7 at Meteora and Marathon

Day 6

We did not have internet last night (Friday), so this will be a double blog tonight.

First, Andrew Pokorny on Delphi:

After an early wake up on Mt. Parnassus, we began our exploration of Delphi, the location of the most famous oracle in antiquity.  We started by looking around what is commonly referred to as the lower part of Delphi.  Thanks to Mr. Millett and Mr. Frerichs, I had the privilege to see an ancient Greek digamma in an inscription, an extremely rare occurrence.  Next we began the long, windy hike.  Without dragging on about details, I thought the most entertaining part of Delphi was the set of statues that once lined the path.  We first looked at the Arcadian statues dedicated upon the defeat of Sparta.  Across the path from these statues, Athens had set up statues for its victory at Marathon.   Finally, Sparta placed even more statues to the right of the Athenian ones celebrating its defeat of Athens.  Because of the highly compact and competitive placement, these statues combined to create an ancient one-up-manship between the different city-states.  The day ended with a couple hour's drive from Delphi to Meteora, during which the highlight of Mr. Millett's trip occurred.  We stopped at a WW I grave for British soldiers.  However, I slept right through the stop because no one woke me up.  Tomorrow we take on the middle-of-the-air (Meteora) monasteries.  Wish us luck.

And Andrew Dorogi on the images of Delphi:

The omphalos stone.  Myth has it that this was the stone, disguised as Zeus, that Chronos consumed when there was a threat that one of Chronos's children would overthrow him.  Also it is said that this stone was Zeus's marker for the center of the Earth.

This wall at Delphi shows a series inscriptions marking that proclaimed a series of freed slaves.

The ruins of the Temple of Apollo overlooking the the beautiful mountainous landscape. It would be here where the Oracle herself would give predictions.

At the very top of the sight at Delphi was one of the stadiums in which hosted the original Panhellenic games - one of the 4 panhellenic stadiums located in Greece.

A group photo of outside the stadium at Delphi.

An overlooking view of the Theater of Dionysus and the Temple of Apollo.

A photo of Mr. Millett just about to finish crawling through one of the underground passages at Delphi.

Two statues of twins found at the Museum located at Delphi.

In this photo is the Sphynx dedicated to Delphi. It was originally located outside the temple of Apollo in order to serve as a protective divinity.

The Charioteer is one of the few remaning original bronze statues from ancient Greece. It was found buried under the original Delphi sight.

A memorial for passed veterans of the Great War, surrounded by the beautiful landscape of rural Greece.

Day 7

Marc Manolache comments on Meteora and Thermopylae:

Today we visited Meteora where we saw several Greek Orthodox monasteries. The monasteries were located in a stunning rock complex with a beautiful view of the mountains. There we learned about Byzantine art and architecture. The monastaries had many beautiful and terrifying depictions of heaven and hell that served to remind the monks of their duty. The walls were beautifully painted, usually depicting scenes of the final judgment, as well as the martydom of early Christians and paradise. The painting on the ceiling of the dome was always reserved for Jesus. We then stopped at Thermopolae where the famous 300 Spartans took their final stand. We learned about the geography and historical importance of Thermopylae. Afterwards we returned to Athens where we were allowed to get our own dinner and later shop for souveniers.

Finally, Chris Lincoln on the images of Meteora and Thermopylae:

This is a beautiful view of the mountians from the St. Barbara Monastary. Our tour guide, Smaro, told us that we were looking at the entire length of the mountains that separate the East and West of Greece. What a nice view, ay?

We stopped the bus to look out and take a shot of these two monasteries, as well as chow down on a tasty treat given to us by Smaro.  They built these monasteries on these rocks for protection.

Here is a view of St. Barabara and its flags.  The yellow flag has two eagles and is the flag of the Greek Orthodox Church. You can also see the flag of Greece to the right.

Our group with the Great Meteora monastery in the background.

Walking around Greece makes me feel as if I am living in the wrong part of the world.

A view of Mount Olympus. This is the home of the Olympian gods.  If I were a god, I would have lived somewhere warmer.

Here we can see the view of "The Pots". It is one of the hot springs that give Thermopylae it's "thermo". It smelled strongly of sulfur. You would not find me bathing in it as the locals we saw.

Oh! Some rocks! (The fortification of the Phocians at Thermopylae)

Leonidas! A man's man and a hero's hero. (Thanks mom and dad for the trip! It is a once in a life time experience!)

Day 5 - Olympia

Our bloggers today are Mike Daddario on narrative and Brian Lettrich on captions.  Sorry about the large (slow loading) pictures yesterday.  I think we have fixed the technical glitch for today.

Mike

Today's pace was more relaxed and was a good change form the intensity of the other cities.  Our first stop was the sports museum in Olympia where we explored the ancient ruins of the first Olympic town. I found the remains of Apollo's temple and the workshop of Pheidias particularly interesting, we were even able to have a 200 meter race in the arena where the sprinting events were originally held.  Next we visited the archeological museum and were allowed to move about in small groups.  Encountering things like the statue of Nike, pediment of Zeus and statue of Hermes independently was again, a nice change from the group oriented experience of the previous museums.  By mid day it was time to make the long haul to our current hotel, Leto, in Delphi.  The monotony of the ride was broken, however, with a stop at the bridge at Patra across the Gulf of Corinth, completed in 2002 for the amazing equivalent of 1 billion US dollars.  Finally we ended the day with a dinner at Astra's and some free time to do a little gift shopping, all in all a relaxing day.

Brian

These were in our visit to the Greek Olympics Museum.  These items were used for bathing.  The sharply curved item was used to scrape the dirt, oil and sweat off of an athlete after an event. The bottles held oils that acted as a cologne.

In the same museum, this rock was used for weight-lifting.  The writing on the stone says one particular athlete lifted the rock above his head with one hand.  Lifting weights weren't part of the games, but it is most likely when one athlete was trying to show off or otherwise intimidate his future opponents.  It is said that this stone weighs about 300 pounds. 

This block was the starting line for the foot races.  The two lines in the middle are where the athlete would put his feet.  His toes would grab onto and push off of these lines as the race started.

This is the Philippeion.  It was built by Philip of Macedonia after he conquered Southern Greece.  Philip built this monument to honor his family.  This was an insult to the Greeks as it was a building meant to honor Philip's family instead of the Greek gods.

At the stadium of Olympia we had ourselves a little race.  One of which Mr. Domo was the winner.  He was presented with flowers but unfortunately did not bask in the eternal glory that others would have if they were to win.

The defeated as they walk back to the crowd of students.  As they walk, they are thinking of something clever to say to try and save themselves some embarrassment.

A helmet of Miltiades from the Battle of Marathon.  This is a little preview to what we will be doing in the days to come.

A group picture at Naupactos.  A city with a picturesque view of the water, but it was a little too chilly for a swim.

Day 4 - Nauplio to Olympia

Today our bloggers are Devin Daugherty and Devin Edwards.  Devin Daugherty will give us a narrative, and Devin Edwards will provide commentary on the pictures.

Devin Daughtery

Today we concluded our stay in the beautiful city of Nauplio with a visit to the Palamide. This Venetian-built fortress sits on the top of a mountain overlooking the city, surrounded by sheer cliffs. An impressive staircase crisscrosses up the steepest face, making for an interesting journey to the top. The staircase is said to consist of 999 steps (actually around 850), so getting up there was a bit of a workout.
The day was beautiful, and in the clear Greek light the view from the summit was incredible. We could see the entire city, and miles of blue waters beside it. Even more impressive was the fortress itself. According to Smaro, our guide, its builders considered it to be impregnable. Although Turkish invaders proved this to be false in barely a year, it certainly seemed invincible to me. I simply cannot imagine an invading force working its way up that staircase. The entire thing is pretty much a choke point, and much of it is surrounded by high walls that would allow the defenders to pummel an attacking force with a wide variety of deadly or annoying projectiles.
When I learned there was a rear entrance (with a road) I realized the fortress wasn't quite as unattackable as I had thought. Even so, the tactical position was pretty awesome. And as I explored the fort, I was very impressed at its construction. Straying from the group with a couple other kids, I found the fort continued on, covering most of the mountain's peak. I really enjoyed wandering through the vast stone structure, and I can honestly say it was one of the most amazing things I have ever seen.
Unfortunately we were pressed for time, and had to go before we had seen the entire fortress. That fact serves more as a testament to the immense size of the Palamide, as it would require hours to fully explore. The experience was without a doubt a highlight of the trip.
I left Nauplio with a desire to come back and see more of the city (bike trip across the Peloponnese?). Our stay there has without a doubt been a highlight of the trip.

 Devin Edwards

At one of the museums we went to today we saw armor from the Bronze age of Greece. I thought this was very interesting because of how it survived the many years of being buried and how it gives us a clear example of what the Greeks fought with.

After climbing a long flight of stairs, to the Palamede, most of us raced up to the top, like Mr. Millett and I did. I clearly won. Although it was a tiring and long walk up, it was worth it. We all enjoyed the magnificent view it had to offer of the whole city and the port. After looking at the city from high above, we explored a little, and this is when Joe fell and scratched his hand. He is fine, though, and was able to keep exploring the magnificent fortress.

As we were riding the bus through the very steep and hilly mountain, we ran into some sheep blocking our way. This was something new because we usually don't encounter this in the United States.

After a long drive up the hill we got some exercise climbing up an ancient fortress. Here we did parkour running and climbing through all the fallen rocks. When we reached the highest point in the guard tower we had a beautiful view of the whole mountain side.

And a few late additions:

A view from the Palamede

Devin Edwards on the fortress at Messene

Picking Oranges outside Nauplio

And finally, a very happy birthday to Mr. Millett.  We celebrated with a very large galactoburico!

Day 3 - Corinth, Mycenae, Epidauros, Nauplio

A very busy day today, but the boys all held up very well indeed.  Our bloggers today are Charlie Martens and Adam Meisler.

Charlie

 

Once we filled our stomachs with a nutritious breakfast, the bus began to roll.  Our first stop was near a gigantic canal (one of the nineteenth century technical marvels of the world IMHO).  It took a near 12 seconds for my spit to reach the bottom.  IT WAS THAT BIG!  And then we went to ancient Corinth, the Graeco-Roman metropolis of 350,000 strong in its heyday.  Even though its history was full of knots, we were driven to untangle them.  The first step was to visit the museum where we saw some great intact Roman mosaics among other things.  And then we stepped outside to the amazing but slightly less intact Temple of Artemis and Apollo along with the forum.

And then we had lunch and visited Mycenae (which I'm certain Adam Meisler will go into great detail about).  We also visited an ancient theater with impeccable acoustics.  Now, as I sit atop my lofty citadel, I can say with absolute certainty that I have won against history and my life is now full of mystery and adventure.  Remember, don't ask the question, ask the answer.

Adam

I woke up this morning recovering from fascinating, but exhausting, museum visits. While I first dreaded the prospect of a several-hour bus ride, I quickly realized how wrong I was.  The vast difference between the hustle and bustle of the compact city of Athens and the beautiful Greek countryside struck me. After a couple hours of sight-seeing we landed upon the ruins of Mycenae. The complex design of the ancient ruins coupled with the vast mountainous landscape (which reminded of scenes from the movie Avatar) overcame me with a feeling of bewilderment in how such sights are not more commonly known. I was overwhelmed by the sensation of walking in the footsteps of the fabled Agamemnon, who I have viewed as almost a god-like figure. I have been delighted to view such ancient sights, and I am excited to see what other hidden gems Greece has to offer.

The Corinth Canal

Glauke's Fountain, Corinth

The Temple of Apollo, Corinth

A Roman Public Bathroom in Corinth

The so-called Treasury of Atreus

The Lion Gate at Mycenae

The Theatron at Epidauros

The Gulf of Argos at Nauplio

Dancing after Dinner

Day 2 - Athens

Today we continued exploring Athens, and we visited some of the most famous sites and museums.  As we go through the trip, we will have two students blog each day.  Joe Domo and Will Walker have volunteered to narrate the events of the day for us.

Joe Domo

Hi this is Joe, I am going to describe pictures of some of the sites seen during our time in Athens.

Here we are on the Akropolis in front of the Parthenon. We learned of its colorful history including its sacking by the Persians and later rebuilding. It also provided a fantastic view over Athens and the Saronic Gulf.








This is the view I described before on top of the Akropolis. It is an amazing view over the city of Athens and farther out, the Saronic Gulf. One can see the intricate design of the city as well as its various landmarks.

Here are the Ostraca. These were made whenever someone was being voted to be ostracized from the city for 10 years. The voters would cast their vote on these shards.

This is the strafing of spitfire bullets on the Temple of Hephesteion from the British fighter planes. These were made during the civil war between the Winston Churchill who supported monarchists over anti-monarchists, who were occupying this part of Athens after WWII. 

Here is another view from atop the Akropolis. We are looking down on the Temple of Hephesteion from the previous picture. It was once a Christian church so it was preserved better than most buildings.

Will Walker

Today was an exhilarating, albeit, pretty exhausting journey through the downtown and ruins of Athens. Even though we saw a lot, and did a lot, my personal favorite experience has to be the National Athenian Archaeological Museum (due, in no small part, that it involved little walking and lots of benches). The Museum, a treasure-trove of Pre-Historic, Archaic, Classical, and Hellenistic sculpture, was exciting not only because of the air-coniditioning, but also, (and maybe more importantly) because of the tremendous collection of artistic works. The famous "Mask of Agamemnon" was a personal favorite, as was the enormous "Dipylon Vase," a work that epitomized the vase-painting of the Geometric period pretty completely. Supposedly the agenda for tomorrow involves a bus-ride to another part of the mainland, as well as the exploration of some other ruins, and even though I'm excited, I can't imagine it can top today!