Se agapó Greece!
Ciao a tutti!
Or should I say, kaliméra (good morning in Greek). I had to say goodbye to Rome for a little bit because the next 10 days of my life will be spent in Greece through a program run through JFRC. To be completely honest, I was very skeptical because it cost 1300 Euro to attend this trip, which was basically more than half my budget. However, all my friends were going and as much as I love Rome, I didn’t want to be alone for 10 days. So, with special help from my amazing father, I was able to go and experience this once in a lifetime trip.
*Disclaimer: By the end of this trip, I cried. And for those of you who know me, I NEVER cry. Like ever. I didn’t even cry saying bye to my mom at the airport. Crying isn’t a part of my vocabulary. So, me crying shows how amazing this trip was.*
I am going to share with you my top 3 days while in Greece. Andiamo!
FRIDAY (10/7/16): 5 AM I am forced to wake up at because our flight is at 8 AM. I am NOT a morning person in the slightest, so I was miserable. But I took the hour and a half plane ride as an opportunity to nap, and I awoke refreshed and ready to take on our first day in Greece. We flew into Athens, grabbed our checked bags, and headed for the seaside in Sounion, which is on the outskirts of Athens. Here we grab lunch, and can I just say that this set the mood for the entire trip? The view was outstanding, with the temple of Zeus on the mountaintop just across the water. It was like we stepped into a painting. The water was so blue, the sky so clear. I couldn’t believe this was my life. We sat down and were given scary looking fish for lunch, such as mussels, octapus, and calamari. Again, for the people who know me, I hate fish. Living and dead. They gross me out, and I never want them near me. But I promised myself I was going to try everything, so I did. And they weren’t bad at all! I was actually sort of obsessed with the mussels, which took me about 5 minutes to figure out how to eat. I ain’t no foodie expert, I can’t even boil water correctly, but it all tasted so fresh, and I actually felt healthy after scarfing down entire plates full of food.
Afterwards, we visited the Temple of Poseidon (that itty bitty monument on top of the hill in the picture above). We had a 360 view of the entire Aegean Sea (which I kept calling an ocean, my b). We learned about the history while walking around, enjoying the beauty around us before heading to our hotel in Athens. We were exploring Athens and it’s active nightlife, when it started to downpour on us, forcing us back to our hotel. I thought this day was overall amazing, but I was soon to find out the greatness that Greece still had to offer.
SUNDAY (10/9/16): Today, we headed for Delphi, a town situated on the side of Mount Parnassus, which in the ancient times was sacred to Apollo and the Muses. It had a temple dedicated to Apollo, an amphitheater, and a stadium that used to hold running tournaments.
After all of this, we headed back to our hotel and got ready for dinner. We had to hike up 300 stairs in order to get there, so I was dying, but my appetite was ready for some good food! Also, the wine was probably some of the best I’ve had thus far. After a bit of wine, we all decided to get up and dance, and it was the most fun I’ve had in my life. We learned how to Greek dance and just enjoyed each other’s company. I talked to people I’ve never talked to before, and we all really connected that night. We left and then went to another bar, and all 50 of us took it over. We were dancing on the tables, talking to the locals. We stayed here until the wee hours of the night, and I never wanted to leave. However, at about 2:30 in the morning, we decided to call it quits and headed back to the hotel. There, our dean of students and our tour guide, Ioanna, invited my friends and I to have drinks at the bar with them. We talked and laughed and finished off the night the right way, with Night Caps, which are dessert shots. They were so good! It had Bailey’s, whipped cream, and some other stuff, and it was so delicious. It was definitely a night to remember.
SATURDAY (10/15/16): Last night in Greece! 🙁 The best, yet the saddest day of my life. I have grown to love everything about it, and although I love Rome, I developed such a deep bond with the Greek people and its culture. I think I miss the food the most, to be honest. It consisted of some of the best meals I’ve ever had. Anyways, on this day, we spent our morning in Mykonos and walked amongst the cute little shops.
We then got on the bus around 10:45 and left for the boat, which was going to take us back to Athens. Four hours later, we docked and went to our hotel, which was AMAZING. It was called Mare Nostrum, and it was a resort spa. Yes, you read that right. They even gave us free passes to use the spa. We got ready for dinner and left for this restaurant that was about 15 minutes away. There, they had live Greek music and a DJ that was playing whatever songs we requested. Also, the dinner was beyond words. I really can’t get this saganaki covered in sesame with sweet jam out of my mind. Like I said before, I am going to miss the food so much. We spent the remainder of the night dancing, singing, and laughing. This was definitely my favorite night of the entire trip. We invited Greeks who were eating in the restaurant to dance with us, and they were so kind and having just as much fun as we were. The entire night felt like a dream, and I wish I could relive it over and over again. I made everlasting memories and friendships.
Thank you Greece for changing my life and for being so welcoming. Se agapó! (I LOVE YOU.)