Study Abroad Week One
Hi everyone, welcome to my blog! I am currently studying abroad in Athens, Greece and this is where I'll be posting pictures and weekly updates (hopefully). I have been in Athens for about a week and a half now, and have already seen a lot of the city and traveled to Delphi! Here are some of my first impressions of Athens:
I also stopped by Hadrian's Arch and the Temple of Olympian Zeus on the way back from the acropolis:
During the weekend my friends and I took a trip to the coast to visit Astir Beach, located about 20 minutes by car from the center of Athens:
On Friday and Saturday, all of the students in the study abroad program went on a field trip to Delphi with the College Year Athens faculty and staff. We stopped in the middle of our 3.5 hour bus ride to Delphi at Hosios Loukas Monastery, a beautiful example of Byzantine architecture:
After stopping at the monastery, we continued on to Delphi. We went first to the lower archaeological site, where we saw the ruins of the Sanctuary of Athena:
Next, we hiked to the upper archaeological site where we saw the Temple of Apollo, an ancient theater, the treasury of the Athenians and an ancient stadium where the Pythian games took place. The site was littered with manumission inscriptions, signifying the liberation of different slaves.
Finally, we stopped for lunch in the picturesque town of Arachova:
It was an incredibly busy, but very exciting week! This week we start our classes in Athens. In the coming weeks, I plan to travel to the islands of Andros, Crete and Rhodes, so stay tuned! I often also post pictures here if you're interested: http://yourshot.nationalgeographic.com/profile/287046/
- amazing street art
- crazy driving
- tons of cats all around the city
- incredible coffee (Freddo espresso is my favorite)
- warm and welcoming people
- beautiful beaches and scenery
I was lucky enough to see the sunset from the acropolis (just before they kicked me out at closing time), which was incredibly beautiful!
Next, we hiked to the upper archaeological site where we saw the Temple of Apollo, an ancient theater, the treasury of the Athenians and an ancient stadium where the Pythian games took place. The site was littered with manumission inscriptions, signifying the liberation of different slaves.
Finally, we stopped for lunch in the picturesque town of Arachova:
It was an incredibly busy, but very exciting week! This week we start our classes in Athens. In the coming weeks, I plan to travel to the islands of Andros, Crete and Rhodes, so stay tuned! I often also post pictures here if you're interested: http://yourshot.nationalgeographic.com/profile/287046/
Hey Sophie (and Becca!),
ReplyDeleteCan you believe how steep the archaeological site at Delphi is? Thanks for that fabulous short of the stadium of Herodes Atticus at Delphi—subject of my long ago MA thesis. Be safe and have fun!--Dr.D