Happy Mother's Day from Athens to all of you! Please enjoy the group reading the poem "Only One Mother" to commemorate all of the love, patience, and hard work moms invest in their families.
Sunday, May 11 - Day 7
Today was another free day, and everyone made the most of it in their own way. Jack, Max, Josephine, and a few others took a ferry to Hydra, where they spent the day riding horses through the island’s winding paths. Back in Athens, some students visited the Museum of Contemporary Art and later headed to the beach to enjoy the warm weather. Having the water so close and accessible is awesome!
Zander, Jenny, Caroline, Jacob, and Hadley spent the afternoon at the Stavros Niarchos Foundation Cultural Center with Professor Martin, where they explored the library and opera house. They concluded their day in arguably the best way possible: a dinner by the marina with Professor Martin!
A few students returned from their trip to Budapest, tired but full of stories. Sophia told me about the lack of free public bathrooms, the fisherman's bastion, and the thermal baths they went to. As for me (Julianne), I was sick and stayed in bed all day. Luckily I had lots of friends to live vicariously through. We are all excited to see what the next week has in hold for us!
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Saturday, May 10 - Day 6
Athens, GR
Today's Bloggers: Jenny & Ben
Today we had a free day, and, as usual, we made the most of it! On this sunny Saturday, the group was split between Greece and Hungary, with some students island hopping through the Aegean Sea, some staying in Athens, and others exploring Budapest. In Athens, we caught up on mountains of laundry, relaxed on the beach, and shopped for groceries to fill our empty fridges. Some of us spent the day at the beach enjoying the sun, as the weather in Athens is starting to get much warmer. We also took advantage of the free day to catch up on some work for our classes. At night, some of us went out to dinner and bars in Athens to enjoy a later night, being able to sleep in tomorrow. Those on the islands went scuba-diving for turtles, kayaked, and (happily) entertained their parents. In Budapest, some students visited St. Stephen’s Basilica, a beautiful Roman Catholic basilica named after the first king of Hungary. Afterward, the group went on a cruise down the Danube River, enjoying their aquatic tour of Budapest and delighting in conversation with one another. Overall, it was an action-packed day full of activity, laughter, pastries, and fun!
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Friday, May 9 - Day 5
Aegina, GR
Today's Bloggers: Aryeh & Caroline
Our class went to Aegina today, which was so fun! We were led by Jamie and Professor Martin. We took an hour-long ferry to and from the island. Once we arrived at Aegina, the group took a bus to the Temple of Aphaia, which Professor Martin led us through. We could see the urban expanse of Athens across the ocean, and discussed the importance of Aegina's closeness to Athens.
After this, we travelled to the workshop of a local sculptor, Panagiotis Marinis, who used the same limestone & tools the ancient Greeks would have used! His wife made us an incredible sweet treat that everyone in the group loved. They also had a dog who we loved seeing.
After this, we traveled to the Archaeological Museum of Aegina, which had cool things on display and the remains of the ancient town, Kolona, outside the museum as well. After this, the group split off and got gyros from an amazing restaurant, pistachio ice cream, among other wonderful treats. We then finished the day with a gorgeous ferry ride back with a nice summer breeze!
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Thursday, May 8 - Day 4
Athens, GR
Today's Bloggers: Angie & Zander
In the morning, both sections of “Topography and Monuments of Athens” joined to hear a presentation from members of the Dipylon Society, an archaeological organization that seeks to plot ancient Athens on top of the modern city. The founder and lead archaeologist gave a fascinating history of the archaeological digs in the city, from rescue excavations when someone wants to build a new house to massive like the construction of the metro in the late 90s.
A central goal of the project is to showcase the parts of Athens that are not blockbuster sights like the Acropolis or Olympeion. They offer audio walking tours of the ancient city walls, the long walls to Piraeus, and the walk to Plato’s academy. Much of these walks discuss archaeological remains that are not visible (buried under buildings or roads), but they seek to show the extent of the ancient city as well as the process of archaeological in a sprawling metropolis of four million people. It was fascinating to hear the methods and goals of accomplished archaeologists.
After class, everyone split off to do their own thing, some hit the beach, but Zander and I opted for a more low-key afternoon. I tackled some much-needed laundry and then headed to the National Archaeological Museum. The museum recently opened a new section dedicated to artifacts from Santorini, and I was eager to check it out.
I think the highlight of my visit was the “Spring Fresco,” an ancient mural from Akrotiri, Santorini, dating back to around 1600 BCE. This fresco was very impressive to me because it beautifully shows a natural landscape, featuring blooming red lilies and swallows in flight against the backdrop of Thera’s volcanic terrain. I did more research on it and it’s considered one of the earliest examples of landscape painting in European art history . The fresco’s vibrant colors and dynamic composition bring to life the essence of spring in the Aegean Bronze Age.
Despite the scorching heat, navigating Athens was manageable thanks to the efficient public transportation system. The air-conditioned metro and buses were a relief compared to walking in the sun!
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Wednesday, May 7 - Day 3
Athens, GR
Today's Bloggers: Josephine & Josiah
Today was a day of pasta and classes. Some members of the group kicked off their day going on a guided audio tour of various famous archaeological sites to prepare for an exciting workshop at the Dipylon Society tomorrow. Others took the opportunity to catch some extra zzzs before section 2 of Myth and Religion headed to the Byzantine museum to examine material culture from the time period. We had mixed reactions to examining art that strayed from our usual Greek material, because after all, that's what we’re used to seeing all the time. Nonetheless, it was incredible to expand our historical horizons.
For nourishment: PASTA. Felipe cheffed up some homemade red sauce with fresh tomatoes, served over perfectly al dente penne that wafted savory aromas throughout the apartment. Margaret wolted (the greek equivalent of uber eats) some delectable ragu pasta from Mailos, the FSP’s favorite go to pasta establishment. Jack did the same, but he paired his ragu with the best pasta shape, rigatoni, and with full stomachs, Filippe and Jack lay their heads down for a nap. Josephine also cheffed some homemade pasta. Using parmesan cheese flown back from Rome, she crafted the perfect alfredo, also served with perfectly al dente penne. In the evening, Myth and Religion section 2 met up once again to go to class and learn about Greek heroes. Today was an amazing day (if you aren’t gluten free).
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Tuesday, May 6 - Day 2
Athens, GR
Today's Bloggers: Erika & Ryker
Hello blog! Today was a fun-filled day in Athens and many of us took advantage of the warm, sunny weather to go outside. A group of us had our class rescheduled to the late afternoon, so some of us headed for the beach in the morning while others went to Lake Vouliagmeni. This is a nearby lake with fish that will come up to feed off the dead skin on your feet! As for the beach day, we had a great time, as there are plenty of beaches along the coast of Athens that we don’t have to venture too far away for.
Section 1 of Topography took a walk over to the north side of the acropolis after meeting at Kekkos cafe for some much-needed caffeine. At this point we could probably walk to the acropolis blindfolded since we’ve gone there so many times for class, although the crazy drivers here in Athens would probably not like that idea too much. On Professor Parikh’s agenda for today was the Areopagus and the Pnyx, related in the sense that they were both political institutions yet located outside of the Athenian agora. The Areopagus got its name from being the place where Ares was held on trial for murdering Poseidon’s son; it served the Athenians as the setting for homicide trials and later became an appeals court. The Pnyx, on the other hand, was where the Athenian assembly met to vote on state matters. The small hill is said to be the place of many famous speeches, including Pericles’s funeral oration. The Romans who later occupied Athens moved the assembly to the Theater of Dionysus, and the Pnyx became home to a sanctuary of Zeus. Class was relatively short, and on the way home some of us stopped in a store called Public to pick up some books for leisurely reading. If Best Buy and Target ever had a child together, it would look a lot like Public.
Section 2 of Topography similarly visited the Pnyx later on in the day, but this wasn’t the most notable thing that happened in the evening. PCC graciously set up a movie excursion for the entire program. We all headed to the open-air theater a bit early to make time for a little birthday celebration for Sophia. Happy birthday Sophia. You’re so old. Much to the excitement of those who attended the Pope’s funeral a week or so ago, the movie showing tonight was Conclave, a thriller about the process for selecting the new head of the Catholic church. The conclusion of the movie also concludes our day in Athens, see you tomorrow blog!
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Monday, May 5 - Day 1
Athens, GR
Today's Bloggers: Caroline & Tanaz
Today was a good day! Myth and Religion classes met today, and Myth and Religion section I visited the Byzantine Museum with PCC. We perused the galleries, learning about Byzantine art, religion, and society from their expansive collection. After our visit, we walked through the museum gardens, passing by some ancient tombs, before sitting in the Lyceum of Aristotle, where he held his famous philosophical debates. We commemorated the occasion with Felipe, Max, and Zander reading the Metaphysics in Ancient Greek, along with an English reading from Gracie. Aristotle would have been proud.
Topography of Athens has a paper due today on recent excavations in and around Athens, so lots of people were working on it in various cafes like Kekos. Some example topics are the excavations under the Acropolis Museum or the metro stops. Sophia turned 20 today! She went to the Museum of Illusions to celebrate. We can’t believe that our FSP is already halfway over! We are soaking up every moment here, and many beach trips are in the works as it becomes hotter here! Today it got as hot as 80 degrees, which people are loving, just as long as buildings have air conditioning! For dinner, people got different things, including making food at home and also Grill & Pita gyros, which are a classic! Overall, it was a really good day here in Athens, and our 1000-1500 word excavation paper kept us busy!
