I just want to start by stating the number of days when my mother and oldest sister arrive in Greece. They visit me in 13 days!!! Can't wait to see them!
Okay. Got that out of my system. :)
Since I last blogged, Monica turned 24 years old, my group made two day trips, and pitchers and catchers reported for spring training!
On Friday, Feb 12, we visited Corinth and Acrocorinth. It is a little more than an hour away from Athens. Professor Guy Sanders, an expert of Corinth, gave us a lecture at the site and took us on a VIP tour. So we visited and saw a bunch of things normal visitors would not be able to see. We then got lunch at a local taverna and made our way to Acrocorinth. Acrocorinth is a medieval fortress looming above the ancient site of Corinth. My group got a little lost wandering around the site, but eventually met up with the rest of our program group. We headed back onto the bus, we were still short two kids. We jokingly said they were going to get locked in the fortress, but when we saw the guards for the site closing the gates, we panicked! We yelled to the guards and luckily the two kids showed up right at that point in time. Whew!
Last weekend was carnival time because the Orthodox lent was coming soon. On Saturday we saw many people of all ages dress up in costumes and have a great time. We wanted to take part in the festivities, so we all bought some masks. Mine was pink and sparkly and went very well with my dress. The carnival lasted the entire weekend. Monday was Clean Monday, so that meant more festivals and no school! A bunch of us headed downtown close to the acropolis to check out the festivities. There were bands, food, and lots of kites! Apparently, kites are still a big deal here in Greece and everyone, and I mean EVERYONE, was flying or attempting to fly a kite on Monday. It was great to sit down and do some people-watching.
However, we could not celebrate the entire day since we had to study for our first midterm, which was the next day.
On Tuesday, we had our first midterm on the Trojan War. I think the exam went well and I hope I got a good grade.
Then we had our second midterm on Wednesday and it was on Crete. The exam was similar to the one on Tuesday, so I think I did well, again. I hope. Wednesday was also the day when pitchers and catchers reported for spring training. Not many kids on my program are interested in baseball, or at least not as interested as I am, so they didn't understand this holiday. Oh, well. I was happy. :) Later that night, my professor was lecturing on the Philistines, so we all went out to hear her lecture and give her support. She was so happy that we were all there for her.
There was some time before our first class, so I and two other girls went shopping. I bought some black boots for a very good price because nearly every store has sales, but it ends soon, so I had to buy some sooner than later. We then had class so it was a rather normal and boring day.
On Friday, we had our next day trip and it was to Rhamnous and Marathon. The first site was cool because we saw a temple dedicated to Nemesis and an ancient fortress near the sea. Marathon was the site of a major battle in Greek and all of world history. The Athenians were able to defeat the mighty Persians and prevented them from expanding their empire westward. The battlefield itself is covered with crops, but we saw some tombs dedicated to the 192 Athenians who died during the battle. After we visited the sites, we stopped at a tavern that was next to the sea. It was too cold, windy, and cloudy for me to go swimming. Also, there was a lot of seaweed on the beach, so that was really gross. But, overall, the day was really good.
Today was a very relaxing day so far. I did some very early spring cleaning and went to a burger joint with my roommates. It was surprisingly good, but incredibly filling. I probably won't be eating until much later tonight. We might head up to St George later today because some kids have not been there yet, but I don't know if the weather will be good enough for us to climb up.
This coming week will also be very relaxing because I only have class on two days. Two of my professors are away, so their classes are cancelled. Sweet! Then on next Friday we will head south to Sounion, where the famous temple of Poseidon is located. I can't wait!
I think that's all for now folks, but don't forget to look at my pictures on my picasa webpage.
καλό Σαββατοκύριακο!
I think it's spectacular that you get VIP tours of all these neat places. Your photos make me jealous...
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