Day 9: Our ferry arrived in Igoumenitsa, Greece on time. We immediately boarded the bus and transferred to the Meteora Region. I didn't realize the Meteora Monasteries had a strict dress code. Most places expect us to cover our knees and shoulders, but it turns out women have to wear skirts in the monasteries. Luckily, they provide wrap around skirts for those who are not following the dress code.

Meteora means "suspended in the air" and is an absolutely amazing place to visit ("Meteora"). In the 11th century, monks began to make the long trek to Meteora, so it soon became a place for peaceful meditation and prayer. In the 15th century, twenty-four monasteries were built on the sandstone peaks. The shear rock columns are unlike anything I have seen before, and "chemical analysis suggests that the pinnacles were created some 60 million years ago in the Tertiary period, emerging from the cone of a river and further transformed by earthquakes" ("Meteora"). I really enjoyed this stop and would go back to hike the forested hills surrounding the peaks for sure. Once our guide finished explaining the 16th century frescoes in the monastery, we walked back to our bus and drove to our hotel in Kalambaka. We had some time before dinner for some shopping, so I bought a green dress that I ended up wearing the last night in Greece. I also bought a white shawl that goes with the dress but later found out it was made in China. For the rest of the trip I made sure to check every label to make sure I was actually buying items made in Greece. After some much needed shopping, I had dinner and went to bed.

Day 10: Our first stop for the day was Delphi- an ancient, religious sanctuary where the oracle of Apollo provided guidance to those seeking it. This site was very important to the Greeks, as it was "considered the centre of the world. [I]n Greek mythology Zeus released two eagles, one to the east and one to the west, and Delphi was the point at which they met after encircling the world" (Cartwright). We had a great guide, who taught us a lot about Delphi and what caused the oracle (the Pythia) to have visions. He explained how several studies found hallucinogenic gases rising from a nearby spring preserved within the temple rock, which explains a lot. Before heading back to the bus, we had time to walk up to the stadium of Delphi where the Pythian Games took place and stroll around the Delphi museum.

After we finished sightseeing, we went to our hotel and, once again, had some time to shop before dinner. Our dinner was great: some Greek meatballs and rice for the main course and loukoumades for desert, which resemble doughnut holes soaked in sugar syrup with cinnamon. One of my students sitting at another table poured the remaining syrup in his glass and was going to drink it, but there was a lot left over. I told him not to drink it, but he of course wasn't going to listen to me. Right when he was about to choke it down, another teacher grabbed his glass, and placed it on our table. We then continued conversing when all of a sudden the teacher who grabbed the cup of syrup from my student took that same cup of syrup and poured it on our plate of left-over syrup. He then handed me the glass that still had a sip left in it and started chanting, "Chug, chug, chug." I then pretended to drink the syrup in the glass, sipping what was left to make it look believable. Everyone thought I actually drank all of the syrup, except for the people sitting at my table of course. It was pretty funny. Once we finished our dinner, I went shopping again, and bought my father some Greek coins. He collects coins, so I bought him an assortment of the drachma. I was hoping to get a better deal on the coins, but I couldn't get a single seller to budge on the price. The Greeks find the drachma to be very valuable I guess. Once I bought the coins, I went back to our hotel for some shut-eye.

Day 11: We drove to Tolo, and our hotel was right off the beach. We only made a few stops on the way, so we had time to relax before dinner. Students went swimming in the ocean, and I went in a little ways to feel the temperature of the water, which was very warm. Cathy and I then lounged out by the pool until we had to leave for the "BBQ Dinner and Boat Cruise." This was an optional excursion my group and a few other students signed up for before the trip. I am glad that a small number of people signed up because it made the night much more relaxing. The boat ride to Kondyll Beach was very rocky, making it a lot of fun. We hit a lot of big waves, but I love crazy boat rides. Once we made it to the beach, we had an opportunity to walk around. We were the only ones there, so it was very peaceful. Students went swimming before dinner and did a little bit of dancing. We then had our bbq dinner, jumped on the boat, and headed back to Tolo. I then shopped around and had a delicious crepe with my students before heading to bed.

Day 12: We began our day by touring Epidaurus- the popular healing sanctuary where the god-physician Asklepios cured people. Our guide explained how it is considered the birthplace of medicine, and in the museum, there were a whole bunch of ancient operation tools on display. They looked pretty horrendous, so I am glad I didn't need a surgery back then. We then viewed the great theater of Epidaurus that was built for the patients of Asklipieioto. Our guide had us stand in a circle in the center of the theater while she clapped in the very center, so we could hear the amazing acoustics. She then walked away from the center to illustrate how the best sound comes directly from the center. It was very fascinating. We then had some free time before jumping on the bus to Mycenae.

I was excited for Mycenae since I teach Greek Mythology and The Odyssey every year. As I was walking around, I couldn't stop recounting Homer's epic poems that detail the Mycenaean fortified palace. Homer celebrates Mycenae "as the seat of King Agamemnon, who led the Greeks in the Trojan War. . . . [E]xcavations brought to light objects whose opulence and antiquity seemed to correspond to Homer's description of Agamemnon's palace. . . . [The Mycenaean's] palatial centers, 'Mycenae rich in gold' and 'sandy Pylos,' are immortalized in Homer's Iliad and Odyssey" (Hemingway). So, perhaps there is more truth to Homer's epic poems than some believe.

After visiting Mycenae, we headed towards Athens. We made a quick stop at the Corinth Canal, which joins the Gulf of Corinth with the Saronic Gulf. We then made it to our amazing hotel- The Metropolitan Hotel- and had the best dinner of the entire trip. It was a buffet that served only delicious food. This was by far the best hotel of the entire trip.

Day 13: The last day of our trip was spent in Athens, and we started the day with a guided bus tour. Our first stop was the Parliament building, which had two guards (i.e. Evzones) standing in front. Our guide explained how the Evzones are members of the presidential guard and wear foustanella- traditional 19th century attire worn by the Greek revolutionaries. After taking quite a few pictures of the guards- their outfits really are something- we drove to the Panathenaic Stadium. The original Panathenaic Stadium was built in 330 BC for track and field events. It was "excavated but not rebuild for the 1870 Greek Olympics and lay in disrepair before the 1896 Olympics" (Young). Luckily, Georgios Averoff, a wealthy Greek, restored the stadium with white marble. It is a replica of the original and is called "The Birthplace of Modern Olympics" since the first modern Olympic games were held at the stadium in 1896 (Young). I am really glad we were able to make this stop, but it would have been nice to view the stadium up close.

After the bus tour, we were dropped off at the Acropolis. Our guide warned us that it was going to be super busy since a cruise ship had a planned tour during our time there, and man was she right. People were everywhere! Somehow, we saw all of the major monuments, such as the Parthenon, and then had a little time on our own to explore. I went to the viewing area, as there is a great view of Athens along with Mount Lycabettos.

Following our guided tour of the Acropolis, we had free time for lunch, so I, of course, had to have a gyro. Photis showed us the best place for a gyro, and I ordered a chicken one that was absolutely life-changing. I ended up sharing a pork one with another teacher and her husband because it was so amazing. One of my students ate 4 gyros and probably could have had more because they were so delicious. Once we finished lunch, I bought an iced coffee and went shopping, specifically for the blue eye charms that are so popular in Greece. Our guide from the previous day explained the history of Mati- "the evil eye." Apparently, one casts the evil eye when wanting someone to suffer misfortune or illness. When one glances, stares, or looks enviously towards another, they are believed to have cast the evil eye, which is a curse that is difficult to lift. During ancient times, there were healers who could break the the curse through a secret prayer. Today, one can ward off the evil eye by wearing a blue bead with an eye on it, so they are all over Greece. There are key-chains, bracelets, and necklaces, so I decided to buy a few bracelets and key chains since I find the superstition to be very interesting. Our guide also explained to me that if I wear the eye, it will keep others from speaking poorly of me since it dispels all negativity. I figure this is needed as a teacher, so I bought a lot of blue eye charms. I also wanted to buy authentic Greek sandals, but we had to meet up again in order to get into the Acropolis Museum.

We all met up at our meeting place in order to get our tickets for the Acropolis Museum and then had time to walk around on our own. The museum is amazing for a number of reasons: it is air conditioned, well thought out, and not crowded. There is even a cinema area where one can view a documentary on the Parthenon. I only watched about 5 minutes of the film because I still had a lot I wanted to accomplish on the last day of the trip.

Once I got my fill of the Acropolis Museum, I went back to shopping. I was on a mission to find my Greek sandals. I truly enjoyed shopping in Athens, for the atmosphere is great and the people are really nice. After much enjoyable shopping, I found the sandals and only spent 22 Euro! That is it! Only 22 Euro for traditional, leather sandals that were actually made in Greece. What a deal! Once I purchased my sandals, I headed back towards the Acropolis. When one thinks of the Acropolis, one probably thinks of the temples of Athena at the top of the site, but there is a lot to view on the slopes such as the Theater of Dionysus- the birthplace of Greek drama. There is a different entrance for the theater and not nearly as many people. It was really peaceful actually. I viewed the theater and kept walking around to view the rustic shrines. There were several different pathways that I decided to explore, and I eventually came across some sacred caves where certain gods were worshiped. I walked through a lot of the caves by myself since there was not a single person around, not even outside the caves. I didn't have much time before having to meet back up with the group, but I decided to sit down and chill in the cave dedicated to Zeus for a while, which was very relaxing. I didn't want to leave but knew that I should head back to the meeting spot.

Once we all met up, we went back to the hotel, allowing us time to change for the "Greek Evening." Just like the "BBQ Dinner," this was an optional excursion that we agreed upon before we left. The "Greek Evening" was wonderful and a great way to end the trip. We had some interesting food and entertainment, and students even had an opportunity to dance. Overall, I can honestly say that my day in Athens was one of the best days of the entire trip.

Day 14: Our flight home went pretty well. Students were really excited about getting home, so the flights really dragged. I must have caught something on the flight back because I was really sick the next day. I sat next to one of my students who was sick, so maybe I got what he had. All I know is that I have never been that sick in my life. I actually had to go to the doctor because I wasn't getting better. I am pretty sure I had West Nile or something. I am not exaggerating. I am better now, though, and am really glad I went on this trip with my amazing students. Even though some days were more intense than I would have liked, I saw so much and am grateful for that.

Works Cited:

Cartwright, Mark. "Delphi." Ancient History Encyclopedia. 22 Feb. 2013. Web. 30 July 2015.

Hemingway, Colette and Sean Hemingway. "Mycenaean Civilization." In Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History. New York: The Metropolitan Museum of Art. 2000-2015. Web. 31 July 2015.

"Meteora." UNESCO World Heritage Centre. 1992-2015. Web. 30 July 2015.

Young, David C. "Olympic Games." Encyclopaedia Britannica. Encyclopaedia Britannica Inc., 2015. Web. 05 Aug. 2015