Lucy Jane Herbert & Gabriella Saputelli 12-3-14 Period 5 Ms. Reed
χαιρετίσματα από την Ελλάδα! Greetings from Greece!
BACKGROUND INFORMATION ON GREECE Greece is a large peninsula named Peloponnese peninsula. Its relative location is North of the Mediterranean Sea, and North of the Sea of Crete. Some surrounding countries include Turkey, Italy, Macedonia (FYROM), and Montenegro (1).
DAY ONE We started the day with an early flight to Athens. Athens is the capital of Greece and one of the oldest cities in the world (12)! We spent our first three days in Athens as there was much to do and much to see. We stayed in a 4 star hotel, ELECTRA HOTEL.
To our embarrassment, we slept almost the entire first day due to our jetlag! Afterall, it is an eight hour time difference. Greece is in a complete different hemisphere, the southernmost country of the Balkan Peninsula, north of the Mediterranean Sea.
We took a taxi from the airport to the hotel. Our driver’s name was Agapios Barbas and he was kind enough to teach us how to say hello and goodbye in Greek, because, as he put it, every tourist should know at least some of the language. Hello is γεια σας, pronounced geia sas, and goodbye is αντίο, pronounced antío (7). So we said our αντίοs, and checked into our hotel.
DAY TWO A gorgeous sunrise woke us the next morning. It was only 8 A.M! We took advantage of the day and went sightseeing. We saw the Parthenon, the Theatre of Dionysus, and even the Statue of Plato. Plato is a very influential figure in philosophy (6). We can thank him, Aristotle, and Socrates for laying the fundamentals of Western philosophy. Before lunch we wanted to see more historical attractions Greece had to offer so we went to the Acropolis, Syntagma Square, and The Temple of Olympian Zeus. They all reflected their amazing historical pasts and how they impact their culture (14). One that was especially interesting was the Temple of Olympian Zeus: it was one of the reasons Athens was our first city to visit. The temple was originally dedicated as a tribute to Zeus, who was, in ancient culture, the God of all gods and of the sky. When we actually saw the temple, it showed how much detail was put into the columns, a style of Greek architecture (16).
A funny thing happened to us when we ate our first meal since we had arrived. Neither of us spoke Greek so how were we supposed to tell our waitress what we wanted to eat? One of us had the idea of using “sign language” to communicate, but that plan was quickly retired as it is considered rude to do certain hand gestures (thumbs down, an extended open palm, the “OK” sign)(3).
As frustrating as it was to order it, our dinner was delicious. We both ate Gemista, baked peppers and tomatoes with rice, onion, little cut pieces of lamb, and spices stuffed inside them (9). One of us had asked for it without onion, and when it had come with onion, we didn't even care because we were so hungry!
With our bellies full, we took a taxi back to the hotel. Our new driver had a picture of himself taped to his dashboard. He was wearing a very peculiar outfit: brown pants and a black long sleeved shirt, with a red sash tied around the waist. He wore riding boots and a type of head dress (10,11).
We asked why he wore this and he said, with a thick accent, he was on his way to the parade.
"Parade? Which parade?" We asked eagerly.
"Parade every year that day. For independence."
He was talking about Greek Independence Day (8). Every year, on March 25, the Greeks commemorate the start of the War of Greek Independence in 1821. The Greek revolt began on March 25, 1821, when Bishop Germanos of Patras raised the Flag of Revolution over the Monastery of Agia Lavra in the Peloponnese (5).
"That's really great," we told him. "We have Independence Day, too, in America."
"Yes, yes, we KNOW. Very independent you Americans, yes."
And with that, we arrived to our hotel. We slept soundly to the noises of the Greek city just outside our window.
DAY THREE Our last day in Athens has come. The bus to our next destination leaves in an hour and we are excited to see the beautiful volcanic island of Santorini.
Here on the bus, we see many women and children holding rosaries. These are actually called "worry beads." They have no religious meaning; it's just a way of killing time for them (19).
It was a fairly warm day, not unusual as Greece is of the Mediterranean climate. They generally have extended periods of sunshine throughout most of the year. It must have only been about 70 degrees, but the bus seemed even warmer because it was packed with people. Santorini is famous for its beaches, calm and quiet villages, wineries, museums and breathtaking sunsets (15). Thank goodness we had packed such warm weather clothing like shorts and T-shirts (4).
We couldn't wait to experience all of this beauty. However we were going to have to wait a while longer: Athens and Santorini are nearly 200 miles away, a 9 hour bus ride. Disappointment set when we realized our first day in Santorini would be much like our first day in Athens.
The bus ride was long but we arrived to Santorini. Late at night, we checked in and ordered room service. We are staying in a villa in Fira.
DAY FOUR We woke up terrible stomach aches. It must have had something to do with the fish we ate last night. We are on our way to a local hospital now.
The hospital was horrible! Its floors are dingy, there are no English-speaking nurses, and we waited in the waiting room for an hour and a half! The travel advisory warned that Public medical clinics, especially on the islands, may lack resources, care can be inadequate by U.S. standards, and often, little English is spoken (17).
By six P.M., we were checking out of the hospital. We thought to ourselves the day is ruined… We were exhausted. We returned to our villa and went to sleep
DAY FIVE As upset as we were, we could not argue that Santorini was a gorgeous place. We obviously were not up for a whole day of “tourist-y” stuff, but we still had a lot to see before we left again.
Thira is the main island of Santorini; it is also the home to some amazing ruins. The ruins of Ancient Thira are located on a high rocky headland called Mesa Vouna, from which there are spectacular views down to the sea. The hilltop on Thira was originally inhabited by Dorians in the 9th century BCE. Today, it is home to many sacred areas and temple grounds (13).
What a day! We walked everywhere! We couldn’t wait to be in our beds.
DAY SIX After our adventures in Santorini, we decided to fly to our next destination, the island of Mykonos. Once we got to Mykonos, all we wanted to do was go and relax on the beach. Paradise Beach was a perfect place to set up camp: a beautiful heaven-on-earth, providing a perfect balance of flora and fauna with its sandy beaches and clear blue water filled with ocean life. Its plants scattered all around to add to the landscaping of the gorgeous villas and fabulous local restaurants the beach had to offer us. Also, its inhabitants are mixed peoples of Greece whether some just got out of college or have been there for many years. This is a true treasure because of how well its original inheritance from the culture in Mykonos has been maintained (15).
There were lots of fun activities to do at Paradise Beach: we saw many people fishing: it must be really popular in Greece with so much water surrounding it. (2,11,19)
By the end of the day we were wishing we could stay on that beach forever… it was the most memorable place we had visited (20), but we had more of Greece to explore.
DAY SEVEN
After exploring Mykonos, we realized we needed to stick to the schedule. So, we flew back to the mainland and planned a flight to Thessaloniki, a popular urban area in the Macedonian region (12). There were such fun shops there, but the real challenge would be maintaining our self control when it came to shopping. We were careful not to buy too many things because of how high the prices have gotten in Greece. Due to their worsening economy, they are sinking deeper into debt (18).
DAY EIGHT After our somewhat uneventful night in Thessaloniki, we moved on to another major city in Greece, Patras, which is known for being the “gate to the west,” since it is in the westernmost region of Greece. Patras is also known for being a “commercial hub” because of its urban area (12). This was our last day and night. Greece was such a great place to visit; we are so excited to have won that free trip to Greece, it is a great place to get away and enjoy some new culture. So visit Greece we guarantee you will have an experience you will NEVER forget.
αντίο! Goodbye!
We are Lucy Jane Herbert and Gabriella Saputelli from Houston, Texas. Two wildly unique girls with one common interest: We have a deep passion for travel! Morocco, China, the small island of Anguilla, Italy, Norway, and England are just SOME of the places we have seen. We love to learn about new cultures because it is different everywhere around the world. Always stay open minded to new experiences and cultures because you never know what you will find! Traveling is an adventure just like life and we are always up for the challenge.
Map of Southern Balkan Penisula
It is widely believed that the colors of the Greek flag come from the blue of the sky and the white of the waves.
Our comfy beds at the Electra Hotel, Athens
Statue of Plato, Athens
Eating delicious Gemista in Athens
Traditional Crete Costumes
Our bus for Santorini!
Brilliant colors in Santorini
The view from our villa in Fira, Santorini
Dinner in Santorini... Might have given us food poisoning.