Caves of Diros and Gytheio

In the cave, with Giannis.

The coast, near the entrance to the cave.

This is Sparta!

Central Sparta, from our hotel.

Inside Mr. Donut. 

The Hotel Maniatis

The main square (plateia) in Sparta.

Dinner in the Hotel Maniatis

A Busy Week

Here's what we've done in the first week:

• Monday, May 23: Arrival in Athens (most of us, anyway); welcome dinner in the Plaka.
• Tuesday, May 24: Class meeting; free afternoon (spent at the beach and exploring Athens); walking tour of central Athens; dinner near Monastiraki Square.
• Wednesday, May 25: Acropolis Museum; Theater of Dionysus; Acropolis (Propylaea, Parthenon, Erectheion); class meeting and reports.
• Thursday, May 26: Travel to Corinth; hike up the Acrocorinth (in pouring rain); arrival in Nafplio; stroll around the town.
• Friday, May 27: Visits to Mycenae and Epidaurus; dancing at the hotel.
• Saturday, May 28: Strolling around Nafplion; hikes up to the Palamidi; arrival in Sparta; dinner and ice cream on the main square.
• Sunday, May 29: Visit to Mystras, on the anniversary of the fall of Constantinople; class meeting and reports; dinner in the hotel.
• Monday, May 30: Visit to the Caves of Diros; lunch and leisure time in Gytheio, on the coast; class meeting and reports; dinner in the hotel.
• Tuesday, May 31: Visit to winery in Nemea; arrival back in Athens.

Even the dog was tired!

At the main church in Mystras on Sunday.

Videos from Nafplio

Greek dancing in Nafplio

Days 3-5: Athens, Corinth, Mycenae, and Epidaurus

On the third day, we visited the Acropolis.

In front of the Parthenon. 

Breaking the rules to get a great photo.

The Parthenon, from the west.

On the Areopagus, with the Acropolis in the background.

Our bus and driver, Giannis, for our excursion to the Peloponnesus.

Honoring the archaic temple of Apollo at Corinth with muscle poses.

Cold and wet, but triumphant, after climbing to the top of the Acrocorinth in heavy rain.

The courtyard of our hotel in Nafplio, with the Palamidi fortress in the background.

The citadel at Mycenae.

In the theater at Epidaurus.

Forming a "W" in the orchestra.

Erin: First Impressions of Athens

My first thought of Athens was that it wasn’t what I expected. I had a picture in my head of what Athens would look like—new and modern with careful preservation of important and Classical buildings like the Parthenon and so forth. But Athens isn’t that. It’s many old buildings with a bit of a graffiti problem. But it’s more than that, too. It’s a vibrant and cheerful city, confusing with its winding roads and pedestrian side streets; its inhabitants have found ways of keeping the old while embracing the new—especially shown by an old church that occupies the corner of a modern building. The church wasn’t torn down to build the building, but neither was the new building moved or stopped by the existence of the church. It’s peaceful acceptance, or at least toleration, of the old with the new.

Athens also isn’t as tourist-oriented a city as I thought it would be. I had thought there would be one large concentration of tourist shops, hotels and restaurants in one area, like the Plaka, and normal Greek everyday life everywhere else in the city, but it’s more mixed than that.

Something different from my normal city culture was the number of stray cats and dogs throughout the city. In the States they’re considered pests that are rounded up and euthanized, but here they are accepted as part of city life. I have enjoyed their presence, and I was surprised to see them form a kind of guard around us when our class went walking at night, barking at people who approached us or were walking past us.

I wasn’t really sure what to expect for Greek food, so the delicious meals I’ve had since coming here have been amazing. There are a lot of foods that I wasn’t able to recognize but smell and taste delicious.

Overall, my first impressions of Athens are extremely favorable, and I see many parts of the city I want to explore more and I’ll be excited to return to Athens.

Andrea: First Impressions of Athens

Upon arriving in Athens the first thing I noticed was how fast paced life is here.  The traffic is hectic with multiple lanes, an abundance of taxis, cars switching lanes without blinkers, and mopeds/motorcycles driving in between cars on the road lines.  Pedestrians cross the streets in between cars and buses any time that they are stopped.  It is apparent to me that it takes skill beyond a driver’s license to successfully operate a car in Athens.

The buildings are all very tall and built upwards and the side streets rather narrow and asymmetrically arranged.  The buildings are constructed side by side down the entirety of the cobblestone-like streets.  There are literally zero spaces in between successive buildings of the same block.  Shops are off of the road and what appear to be apartments, are above.  There are always people walking out and about or having a meal on the sidewalk just outside of a restaurant or café.  Nearly every restaurant has its doors open with tables on the sidewalk under awnings.  Small shops, too, have their doors open and merchandise displayed outside.

All of the commotion of the city lies below the ancient acropolis, which is raised above most of the city.  Beyond the streets and the ancient architecture are the mountains all around you.  It is amazing to me that modern Athens has literally been built around what remains of ancient Athens, which provides the backdrop to any camera shot near the acropolis.  There are even points within the city where ancient remains are preserved and pedestrians, cars, and shops function on the site’s periphery.  Athens truly is a mixture of ancient beauty with modern buildings, and natural scenery.

A particular characteristic of Athens that is very different from my hometown of Milwaukee is the varying levels of sidewalks and streets.  By this I mean that standing at any point in the city allows you to see multiple levels of shops, houses, restaurants, etc. as they are arranged atop hills, down streets, and up stone stairways.  The city is far from a plain field construction.

Athens is roaring with life and commotion.  Anywhere you walk you will hear the sounds of mopeds, car horns, dogs barking, and conversations in Greek.  The city is full of small treasures that can be explored and discovered at your leisure.

Street scenes from Athens:

Opening Night (Monday, May 23)

Dinner at Spilia Restaurant in the Plaka.
Unfortunately, Amanda Rou., Kate, and Sam were delayed in Rome and couldn't eat with us.

After dinner, we took a walk around the Acropolis.
We paused in front of the Odeon of Herodes Atticus to look at the Parthenon ...

... we stopped to watch a dance performance in the Roman Agora ...

... then some friendly dogs walked us home.

Back in the computer lab/library/classroom
(a.k.a. the lobby of the hotel).