2017 Greece – The Gatton Academy News

Greece 2017: Epidaurus and Mycenae

January 14, 2017 | 2016-2017, 2017 Greece, Amber Carroll, Avatars, Study Abroad | No Comments

By: Amber Carroll

We started our day with a 7:30 wake-up call. Most of us were thrilled because this is the latest we have gotten to sleep in while on the trip (us teenagers sure do love sleep). Once the bus was packed, loaded, and ready to go, we headed off on a short journey to the ancient palace of Agamemnon. Being able to stand atop of Agamemnon’s palace was a once in a lifetime opportunity that most of us will probably never forget.

After we left the palace, it was just a short bus ride to King Agamemnon’s tomb. There, the king himself was actually buried, and for us that was absolutely exhilarating to consider. The enormity of the tomb was truly overwhelming. You can tell the tomb was old because of the smell, but what else would you expect out of a tomb that’s over 3,000 years old?

We then headed off to a clay workshop. Here, we learned how the locals make homemade pottery, jewelry, and sculptures; their work was amazing. From historic recreations to designs from local artists, the fact that everything was painted by hand was astounding. It’s fascinating to think that the same processes used by the ancient Greeks are still being utilized today. There was a specific collection of blue and gold pottery that immediately caught my attention.

Tomorrow, we will visit Hydra, a small Greek island located about 2 hours from Athens. Although this island lacks the historical significance of the other places we have visited along the way, I have personally been looking forward to Hydra this entire trip. While I have loved learning about all of the details of ancient Greece, an escape to a simple island is a welcomed change.

By Gatton Academy

Greece 2017: Sparta

January 14, 2017 | 2016-2017, 2017 Greece, Amanda Zahn, Avatars, Study Abroad | No Comments

By: Amanda Zahn

Another day has passed here in Greece and my oh my how this trip is flying by! It’s hard to believe we have almost crossed all the destinations off our lists of places to see.

Today’s destination: Sparta.

Though the main event of the day was visiting the city of Sparta, our day did begin in Nafplio bright and early, per usual. By 8 am, our group had all walked to the main square in town and stood waiting outside the Archaeological Museum of Nafplion, our first stop of the day. The doors opened and, with our guide sheet in hand provided by Irene, we took some time to explore the museum and view the multitude of artifacts found throughout the Peloponnese region that are housed there. Then we loaded up the bus and headed for the main attraction of the day… Sparta!

Unfortunately, as we drove to Sparta the weather took a downhill turn and the rain began. Luckily it wasn’t cold enough for this to be snow or ice, but it did mean we could no longer visit the acropolis of Sparta. We could still go to our first stop in Sparta, though. This was the Archaeological Museum of Sparta, which houses many artifacts found around the ancient city-state of Sparta. For this museum we had a guide who told us many stories about the Spartans and the various artifacts.

To make up for not going to the acropolis of Sparta, we changed plans and also visited the Museum of the Olive and Greek Olive Oil to spend some time learning how olive oil was traditionally produced and used throughout Greek civilization.

We then headed for a quick stop at the statue of Leonidas, the warrior king of Sparta back during the Persian wars. Since it was raining, it was a quick stop and we took a quick group photo of everyone doing their best battle cry. Finally, it was time for a late lunch. We found a nice little restaurant in town with a bakery next door so that we could have some lunch and dessert before loading up the bus and heading back to Nafplio.

With it being our final night in Nafplio, we had some free time before dinner to shop and such. Groups split off to visit the city’s quaint little shops and various ice-cream and gelato shops. I myself got gelato and I must say, it tasted like the authentic Italian gelato. So, all in all, it ended up being a good, full day of experience, despite the rain.

By Gatton Academy

Greece 2017: Delphi (from the Birthday Girl!)

January 14, 2017 | 2016-2017, 2017 Greece, Amber Carroll, Avatars, Study Abroad | No Comments

By: Amber Carroll

The word “freezing” does not even begin to describe today. In fact, it was around 10-20 degrees all day. Not to mention that we were outside for a great majority of the day. However, we saw some amazing things that I do not regret seeing. Not many people can say that they have visited the Oracle of Delphoi, which contains Temple of Apollo, in person. The breadth of the oracle was breathtaking. Being frozen for about an hour was all worth it at the end.

The grounds contained an old church, an old gift shop, the Temple of Apollo, a theater, and a stadium (not to mention many cats and dogs). The ruins had the original inscription from when the oracle was in use which I found fascinating. At the museum, we had a quiz; Alex and Piper were the winners and received a prize from our tour director, Irene.

We had another long day of traveling and arrived in Olympia for dinner. On the way, we stopped at a delicious bakery. Here, Irene purchased a Greek, traditional New Year’s cake. For dinner we cut the cake and the person with the coin in their piece are said to have a really lucky year; Hannah had the coin and should have a great 2017 year (hopefully we all do).

Not only was today fascinating, but it was particularly my favorite day because… dun dun dun… it was my 18^th birthday.

By Gatton Academy

Greece 2017: Thermopylae and Delphi

January 10, 2017 | 2016-2017, 2017 Greece, Amanda Zahn, Avatars, Study Abroad | No Comments

By: Amanda Zahn

Waking up in the small town of Kalambaka, despite it being 6:30 in the morning, was absolutely amazing. All it took was opening up the curtains and gazing upon the breathtaking rocks of the Meteora to get me out of my morning grogginess!

After breakfast at our hotel and reloading the bus, we set off on a trip through the mountains of northern Greece. This also proved to be a breathtaking sight, as the mountains were snowcapped and absolutely massive. A real sight! All eyes were glued to the passing landscape for the majority of the ride as we all listened to our tour guide, Irene, tell us tales and stories from both Greek mythology and history.

Our first stop of the day was at Thermopylae, the site of one of the major battles between the Greeks and the Persians. We got to see where the fight actually occurred, as well as visit the information center nearby to watch a video explaining the battle. We learned about the armor and weaponry used by both sides, and observed the maneuvers utilized during the battle. After spending some time in the visitor center, we visited the monuments dedicated to the Spartans and the Thespians who refused to retreat despite their impending certain death, and loaded back onto the bus to continue our journey south towards Delphi.

Right before arriving in Delphi, we made a surprise stop at the ski town of Arachova. Our bus driver (Zafiris) did a phenomenal job of maneuvering through the extremely narrow main street of the small mountainside town, and we then ventured off for an hour in small groups to explore the town and local shops. Although it was quite cold, everyone enjoyed getting off the bus for a little and getting to see the mountainous landscape from outside the bus.

Finally, we arrived in Delphi at our new hotel, unloaded the bus, and walked as a group to dinner. After our meal, small groups split off once again to explore, do a little bit of shopping, or play cards in the hotel lobby. Now, exhausted from such a busy day, we are all off to bed to rest up for another day of adventure!

By Gatton Academy

Greece 2017: Meteora

January 9, 2017 | 2016-2017, 2017 Greece, Avatars, Emma Reed, Study Abroad | No Comments

By: Emma Reed

Today we left the bustling city of Athens and headed north to the small town of Kalambaka. We loaded up the bus and were on the road by 8am. We watched as the light industry of Athens gave way to the snow covered olive trees and vineyards of the Grecian countryside. Eventually, the snow picked up and many of us were reminded of winters at home. Many of us were excited to listen to the stories our guide told us about the Persian wars and the myth behind marathons. Others of us were excited to catch up on sleep.

After an adventurous drive through the snow and a stop at a cute restaurant, we finally arrived at our hotel, the looming rocks of Meteora in the skyline. We waited as our driver took off to check out the mountain before we made the trek ourselves. After having declared it safe, our group started our journey into the beautiful peaks. I found the history behind the peaks particularly intriguing. The monks began to climb these peaks over 1300 years ago. They sought a place to be closer to god and found that unclimbable mountains did the trick. It was beautiful to see these lovely churches and houses, precariously perched on the high peaks. As the bus climbed further and further up the high rocks, we stopped at the convent of St. Stephen. As the wind whistled around us we trekked into the larger of the monasteries.

Eventually we came down these hills to the small town of Kalambaka. After a warm dinner, many of us ventured out into the cold to a small bakery down the street while others of us perused the small souvenir shops along the main drag. All in all it was a great day full of beautiful views, tasty treats, and enriching stories.

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2017 Greece Study Abroad – Acropolis and Parthenon

January 6, 2017 | 2016-2017, 2017 Greece, Amber Carroll, Avatars, Study Abroad | No Comments

By: Amber Carroll

To say that our Greece experience has been unforgettable would be an understatement. After leaving on January 4th, missing our flight in Germany, and arriving to Greece on January 6th, we were already off to a very memorable start, but it didn’t just end there.

This morning we started our day with a wakeup call at 8:00 am. At 9:30 we left for a short tour of Greece. While on this tour we visited the stadium that held the first modern Olympic Games, the Tomb of the Unknown Soldiers, and the Running Man sculpture.

We then headed off to the Acropolis. By this point, everyone was beyond ready and anxious to see the Acropolis; this was the point in the trip I was personally looking forward to. The Acropolis was visible at every point we visited on the driving tour, so being able to walk among the ruins and majestic monuments instead of merely just looking from afar was exhilarating. I’ve never seen anything like it in my life.

Peering out from atop the hill, the city of Athens seemed endless from every view. You could even see the Aegean Sea. My particular favorite view was of the Parthenon. Finally, visiting something you have seen in textbooks your entire life is indescribable and even more amazing in person.

All in all, we had a very eventful, tiring, and unforgettable day. I have high expectations for the rest of the trip—besides having to wake up at 6:30 tomorrow morning. Wish us luck!

By Gatton Academy

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