Another Day Another Dollar

Today was a longgg day, with two trips to the weekly neighborhood farmer's market, two trips on to campus, two walks to the store, and activities that spanned the length of the whole day. A side note on the farmer's market: AWESOME. Fruits and veggies galore, all fresh, all tasty, and all cheap. I got a bunch of apples, pears, green beans, and carrots for under 10 euros. We will make two trips every Monday without complaint for those delicious arrays of goodies. But back on track, to the main reason for my post. I learned a new and unexpected cultural similarity between Greeks and Americans when I attended a PR in non-profit class with a friend. Our animated Greek professor mentioned a Greek saying that basically boiled down to this: Greeks never do anything without a purpose. Which is such an American concept, in my mind. We always maximize our time, economize it, and squeeze every last drop of production out of it. His Greek saying fit with this American view of things in the context of the lecture about designing a PR campaign for a non-profit with the problem of needing to raise funds. They never do anything without a purpose in mind, and they are driven to accomplish that task. Which seems funny coming from a society that takes smoke breaks, coffee breaks, and naps. But they are also very hardworking and exceptionally motivated here, which offsets their otherwise laidback lifestyle and mentality. Maybe I'm not Greek after all?

Trash or Treasure?

The saying "One man's trash is another man's treasure" came to mind during our group adventure into Athens today as we joined the milling masses that were flocking to the Acropolis. That isn't the traditional thought that passes through a tourist's mind as they are surrounded by centuries of history, so let me explain. Mr. Dr. Kaplan, our ancient Greek expert, educated us on the history of the site as we walked, explaining that as Athens had been occupied at different times there had been different buildings erected on the Acropolis. At one point there was a mosque inside the Parthenon which the Greeks decided was not the history they wanted to preserve and so they tore it out. There was also a 13th century tower which was reduced to rubble, something that would be unthinkable anywhere else in the world. This got me thinking, when is something considered trash or a treasure? Where is the line? Who has the right to decide where that line is drawn? Common sense would say that these things are in Greece and so the Greeks should have the final say in what stays and what goes. But the answer shouldn't be so simple. Greece has been occupied many times, intertwining the history of the people here and the occupying people. Should that shared history only mean something to one side? Why can't both sides be represented in the historical record? As I stood and stared up at the Parthenon, I considered all of this from a different perspective. What if another country invaded the United States and occupied us, erecting monuments and religious centers near some of our most beloved monuments. The White House, the Washington Monument, Mt. Rushmore, etc. How would we react once that country was pushed out? I imagined mobs of Americans rushing to tear down the traces of any foreign occupation, bellowing "Don't tread on me!" or "Murica!" in fits of frenzied nationalism. So can I really blame the Greeks for seeing those things as trash, not treasures?

A Morning Hike to Remember

Very early this morning (5:30 am!!!) we had an optional hiking trip up Mt. Hymettos here in Athens. We had a surprisingly high turnout considering the ungodly hour with only four members of our group of 16 staying behind. The climb up was long and rough, with parts that were steep and unstable. But once we got to the top, we were all thankful that we made the climb. The views, per usual here, were amazing. 

                                The city of Athens from atop Mt. Hymettos

                                         It's larger than you would imagine!

                        We could barely make out the Acropolis on that hill

                           The view down the opposite side of the mountain

After a lengthy break to catch our breath and re-hydrate, we decided to take a new way down the mountain, shunning the 'easy' and 'normal' path we took up for a new adventure. Which we soon regretted. The climb down excluded a trail for the most part and was slippery, prickly, and precarious. Most of us suffered some form of battle wound from the sharp leaves, sticks, and stones that littered the slope. But we all managed to survive and as a ragged group we made our way down to the road below. However dangerous and strenuous it may have been, I still feel proud of the nearly 8 mile hike that I conquered with my group. It was a great experience and a decision that I won't regret. And we even made a new friend!

                                      Our newest addition to the group

Reflections on Santorini

Thursday was our last day in Santorini, and we spent the early afternoon there before a long 8 hour boat trip back to Athens. But rather than my traditional play by play post, I want to try and sum up what the experience was like for me. We were busy most every day, but even the busiest of days felt like they lasted a lifetime. This trip did exactly what it was supposed to do: give us a vacation before classes and bond the group together. We all communicated our experiences with each other and shared the bits of Greek that we learned from the locals. On the subject of the locals, they all spoke at least some English because Santorini is a tourist hot spot. The town we stayed in, Fera, and the other city we visited, Oia, were both packed with people from other countries for the duration of our stay. But even with all the bustle, the locals were usually incredibly hospitable. Shopkeepers gave out samples of wine, nuts, and oil and even little trinkets. They treated us kindly, with one going so far as to invite us out to her family's restaurant with her on our last night. By the end of our stay there, we all felt at home. Our group felt like a family. And none of us wanted to leave. The island was beautiful and the food was delicious. Everything seemed more vibrant and alive there. WE felt more alive. It was the vacation of a lifetime. I will always treasure the time I spent there.

Santorini Day 3

Todays adventures included the ancient city of Thira and the even more ancient site at Akrotiri before a rocky climb down to the aptly named Red Beach. We left at 8 and made it back in time to catch a refreshing nap. The rest of the night consisted of food and dessert wine before we wandered the streets and found a bar to watch Greece beat Ivory Coast 2-1. We expected more jubilation than the small eruption of joy in the town square, most likely because of the greater amount of tourists here. Tomorrow we have a free day with an optional museum trip, so the possibilities are nearly endless!

My most difficult moment today came as the fun started to wear off and thoughts of reality set in as I wandered the streets alone. I couldnt help but think about how most of Greece is struggling yet this island seems prosperous because of tourism. Its almost an illusion, a mirage of a happy and successful Greece that isnt grounded in reality. I wonder if the illusion will shatter for me when we travel back to Athens or if it will continue for the rest of our time here...

Santorini Trip, Days 1+2

Didnt get a chance to post yesterday, and today was an absolute whirlwind. Yesterday we arrived by boat, after getting up at 5:30 am and catching a bus to the port at 6. Our high speed boat got us to the island in 4-5 hours and we were wandering the town by midday. Our hotel is gorgeous with a sea view, and 3 minutes walking from the town square. Most of the day was free time and at night we got the group together for another wonderful meal. The biggest challenge of the day was deciding how to spend our precious time here. Everything is so new and exciting that the language difficulties rarely crossed my mind. The island is also very touristy, so there is just as many English speakers as Greek, or at least it feels that way. So far the language barrier feels more like a language speed bump.

Today, the fun continued with an all day trip to the different islands around Santorini via boat. We hiked up on top of a mountain of lava rocks, swam 40 meters from the boat into geothermal hot springs, and spent the evening at a neighboring port for dinner and the gorgeous sunset. Now looking back on the day, which lasted a solid 12 hours (10am-10pm) it is a struggle to find a moment of difficulty. The food is fantastic, the people are friendly, the sights are breathtaking,  and our group is bonding easily. The hardest part will be leaving this piece of heaven and facing harsher realities back in Athens. But for now, Nick the Greek is enjoying the ride and soaking up every adventure that comes my way!

Belated fun fact: Santorini has been home to excellent wine for hundreds of years, and the vino is a beautiful experience by itself!

First Day in Athens!

It's the end of our first day in Athens and the reality of this trip is finally hitting home with me. I'm in GREECE! So far my very long day has been a huge success. We flew out of Jacksonville and 10:45, had a quick rest stop in Philly, and took a laborious 9 hour flight into Athens. It was worth every second on that plane. The views of the coastline off Italy and Greece were both amazing during our flight. We landed in Athens at 9:10 am, and took a bus to Deree, the American College in Greece. After a little adventuring with some of the group, we ended up in a small, two-story super market where I bought the most authentic Greek food ever: Pringles and 7up. I know, I know. Not authentic or Greek. But what was both of those was the ouzo that we bought and shared on our trip back to the college. And the souvlaki I ordered for our brief meal afterwards. It was a great experience to wander the streets as an obviously foreign group of kids, just exploring our new surroundings. After our excursion, we headed back to the college and participated in a nationally imperative Greek ritual: nap time. After not sleeping a wink on the planes, a nap was welcome. At 5pm we got together as a group for an official tour of the neighborhood which is an incredibly interesting place to be. After our tour, we sat down for a divine meal at a Cretan restaurant, where I tried lentil pie, snails, mussels, and a variety of fabulous red meats and fresh veggies/fruits. Overall, today has been long but an incredible amount of fun. I'm so excited to head to Santorini tomorrow!

Amid all the fun, I did have a few moments of difficulty. Most Greek signs have both the Greek and English translation on them, and the same can be said about some of the menus in the variety of restaurants in our neighborhood. But just as many if not more are strictly Greek. Having not studied the language as much as I should have, the amount of Greek in the city is overwhelming. Obviously, I'm in Athens and they speak Greek, so I should have been more prepared for the culture shock. But it can become frustrating not being able to understand most of what is going on around you. On the other side of that coin, there has been an amazing amount of English in the city that I did not expect. Many business have big, bold English translations on their exteriors, and some of the graffiti is written in English as well. So on the one hand, not knowing Greek has been frustrating but on the other the unexpected proliferation of English has been a welcome comfort.

Two Days to Take-Off

Two days until we board our flight from Jax>Philly>Athens, and I still have plenty to do! Packing, frantically learning some Greek, making sure everything is taken care of before it's too late. It's mentally exhausting and has had me feeling anxious all week. I know that once we land in Athens the honeymoon phase will begin and I'll be excited and happy, but the build-up has tied me in knots. I hope that the first few days of legitimate vacation in Santorini will help me unwind. Still, buried under all the anxiety, I am excited to be studying abroad. Now I just hope that bubbles to the surface soon...

Nick The Greek!

Welcome to my blog, Nick The Greek! This is my first attempt at a blog, and its purpose is to track my progress this summer as I live in Greece for 5 weeks. I feel so blessed to have this opportunity of a lifetime, it has always been a dream of mine to visit Greece. I will be traveling with a group of students, living in Athens and taking day trips to some of the most historic and iconic places in the world. Stay tuned for the many adventures that are to come!