Time is weird. On one hand we've done so much in such a short span of time that it's hard to believe only a week has passed, but I also can't believe that this trip is already a little over half way over. |
In these past seven days, we've dealt with a long flight delay, public transportation, and minimal sleep, but we've gotten to see the Acropolis, learn the traditional Greek dance, go to an Olive Oil Farm and eat all the gelato.
The trip started off with an extended flight delay. The air conditioning on the plane wasn't functioning properly so they had to get us a new one. They then changed our gate to one that was already occupied. It was a mess if I've ever seen one, but it was a chance to take a lot of free snacks (hello pretzels!) and to spend some of the time having a conversation with a Greek man. He was a grandpa-aged man that grew up in Greece and then traveled to America where he gained duel citizenship. He told us his life story and it was a great way to both pass the time and taste a bit of the country that we were headed to.
The first full day in Greece was in Athens were we visited the Acropolis and had the most hospitable Greek experience with Rena's family. First of all, there were so many people at the Acropolis. It makes sense, considering the significance of it, but there the crowd was insane, and there were so many different languages being spoken which was very cool. While there, we learned the legend behind the Parthenon and why is was dedicated towards Athena rather than Poseidon. Architectural design feats of the ancient Greeks were pointed out which just makes your respect for the ancients just sky-rocket, especially considering the age of the building. For example, we were taught that the columns are not solid and instead have those grooves so that from afar the sun reflects each individual column and it does not look like a wall, helping its portrayal of strength.
That night, we went to Rena's family's condo which was the grandest experience. Upon entry, her sister-in-law excitedly greeted us with a kiss on each cheek and then we gave handshakes to everyone else there. It was funny, because for a second, we were unsure if handshakes were also part of Greek culture or if we forced American culture on them...we later learned that they do it as well. We feasted on traditional Greek food and then they taught us the customary Greek dance. It was very difficult for me but it was still very fun.
The next day we went to two museums. The first really highlighted the importance of Christianity to the Greeks and explained some Christian art, and there was some discussion about not only the conversion towards Christianity but also Islam since Greece was long occupied under the Ottoman Empire. The second was a museum dedicated largely to Greek statues and the Parthenon. The floor on the Parthenon was my favorite because if you were on one side of the museum and looked to your right outside the window, you could see the actual Parthenon standing in its glory. It was also cool because that floor was designed to exactly mirror the Parthenon- it had the same dimensions and included columns for the effect. The pieces on that floor were actually mostly recovered from the Parthenon itself and place to look as it were when it was still on the Parthenon.
Then we changed location completely, leaving the mainland and going to the isle of Crete. We flew (obviously) and the water there was a color unimaginable. It was so beautiful there. Over the couple of days we spent there, we went to the Palace of Knossos and a museum. So little is known about the ancients there yet there are so many artifacts...which Kayla commented to me is so baffling, to which I must agree. My favorite parts of the trip in Crete were the Olive Oil Farm, and the beach. At the olive oil farm, we learned both the traditional and more industrial way of making olive oil, how to judge the quality of it, and that most farmers lie about how many trees they own to minimize taxes which I found very funny. We also had a cooking class where you could see, in action, the importance of...olive oil. They were sure to point out that you shouldn't actually cook with olive oil, but instead use it as more-so a dressing. At the beach, it was fun not so much for the chilling on the beach (because apparently sand flies are a thing and they loved me) since I stayed in the water (even though it was cold- still better than those flies), but because of the views there. The water was so clear and you could see other islands in the distance and the sun beautifully reflected off the water. It was just amazing there.
So much has happened already and I know that there's still much to go.