Athens
We began and ended our tour in Athens, where we visited all the
usual sites as well as a few off the beaten track. Our enjoyment and learning
were enhanced by student reports (at nearly every site and not just in
Athens), as well as by the services of John
Ventiroso, an archaeologically trained Greek guide and our driver, John
Maros.
Of course, our first stop was the Acropolis, which we could see quite
easily from our hotel. Of course, there
is the obligatory group shot in front of the
Parthenon.
Despite having studied the Erechtheon
beforehand, we were all a bit mystified at its several levels and many
cult areas. We were also amazed at its intricate decoration.
After nearly half a day on the Acropolis, we were naturally a bit overwhelmed
and more than a little tired. We concluded
that the Acropolis is best experienced on a second visit.
As if the Parthenon wasn't big enough, we were blown away by the size
of the temple of Olympian Zeus, mainland
Greece's largest temple.
Of course, the changing of the Evzone guards
at the Presidential Palace is standard fare for most tourists, as it was
for us; but we became a bit adventurous and a group of us walked out to
Plato's academy, where student John Lee struck a philosophical
pose.
Back in the Agora, we heard a report on Socrates from Jen
Exo. On our walk through the site we marvelled at the nearly complete
temple of Hephaestus, and got up close
and personal with the (unfortunately headless) statue
of Hadrian.
Naturally, we sampled Greek food extensively, especially after those
of us who were tempted to try the McDonald's in Syntagma Square found
out that American-style fast food in Greece doesn't exactly remind you
of home. Instead we frequented tavernas, like O PLATANOS in the
Plaka, where our Greek agent, Mr. Bill Kappas, hosted a group
meal for us.
On the Road: Daphne
Leaving Athens on our "Thermobus," we first stopped at the medieval monastery
of Daphne on the outskirts of Athens. We were amazed at the church
building which reuses parts of ancient temples; the Greeks were the
original recyclers! Unfortunately, it was a cloudy day, and it was impossible
to get good photos of the spectacular mosaics inside. Eleusis
Next stop on our way south was Eleusis, where we visited the site
of the ancient mysteries. In the Museum's
afternoon light we saw one of the caryatids
of the inner propylon highlighted by dramatic shadows. Corinth
After a short ride across the Corinth Canal, where we had lunch, we stopped
for the afternoon in ancient Corinth, where we explored the ancient
fountain house and Kimberley Wendel even posed in the multi-seater
public latrine! Nauplio
Finally we arrived in one of our favorite places in Greece, the Venetian-influenced
town of Nauplio, with its balconied houses and picturesque seafront.
We spent part of a day exploring the Palamidi
fortress high above the town. The view
is fantastic, sweeping across the whole area. Mycenae and Epidaurus
On a day-trip we took in both Mycenae and Epidaurus, where
we say the glory of Bronze Age culture in the Lion
Gate of Mycenae and the grandeur of Epidaurus' great theater.
Olympia
After a long bus ride, we reached Olympia, where we wandered around
the ruins of Zeus' sacred site. Sara Black, Kimberley Wendel,
and April Millian wondered at the small size of the tubs
in the ancient gymnasium, while others wandered around the shattered
temple of Zeus. The temple
of Hera is in better shape, but we could only marvel at the destructive
passage of time. On a more upbeat note, what would a stop in Olympia be
without our own race in the stadium, won
by John Lee? Delphi
A strike by seamen made our trip to Delphi much longer than it should
have been, but we managed to keep our spirits up. We were rewarded on visiting
the sanctuary of Apollo on a clear, warm day. The vistas from the
were striking, and the little precinct of
Athena across the road wasn't bad, either.
Meteora
A visit to the monasteries of Meteora was next, where we gasped at
the Roussanou monastery perched high on
its rock. On an overlook John Lee struck a
wanderer-like pose, no doubt inspired by Fuseli. Thessaloniki
Then it was on to Thessaloniki, in the north of Greece. On the way
we stopped in Dion, the Macedonian city in the shadow
of Mount Olympus. In the National Museum of Thessaloniki we came face-to-face
with the skeleton of King Philip II, the
father of Alexander the Great. Day-trips took us to Philippi (here
St. Paul baptised his first converts on European soil), Vergina,
Pella, and Beroea. The site of Beroea is marked by a modern
baptistry. Interestingly, there is a Turkish
mosque in modern Veroia, in a sad state of disrepair. In Vergina we
met a guard who helped to excavate the site.
We were struck by the artistry of the mosaics
at Pella, and a fog at Philippi gave the whole site a
spooky air. Athens
We next returned to Athens, where we had several free days before
departure. An optional side trip to Sounion was elected by the whole
group; the wind whistling through the temple
of Poseidon was memorable. Spirits were high as we prepared to leave.
Spirits were high as we prepared to leave, no doubt inspired by the visit of four goddesses (a.k.a. April Berends, Kimberly Wendel, Katie Vegter, and Laurel Girvan) at breakfast on our last day.
Unless otherwise
noted, all photographs were taken by Mark
Williams, who also designed this web page. This site is subject to
change; it is not an official site maintained by Calvin
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