tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10675878251978793362024-03-13T00:32:07.496-07:00Peragro: I traversePeragro is the latin verb meaning to wander, traverse, travel to. Lacey peragrat: Lacey is wandering. This is a blog of my wanderings as I revisit past places and discover new ones.Laceyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15908504786742423161noreply@blogger.comBlogger22125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1067587825197879336.post-13641901079048507752014-02-18T22:01:00.001-08:002014-02-18T22:01:30.337-08:00On the road again...<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Well this year has certainly been a whirlwind. I am now almost 4/5 done with my master's program and this year I have had a ball down in sunny Southern California! I have discovered a new passion for Organizational Development while figuring out how to incorporate my existing love for ancient and modern Greece in incredible ways. I've started taking modern Greek language lessons at a local Greek church and have enjoyed building a community with my fellow students and hellenophiles and I'm currently working on co-writing an article with my professor addressing the Greek "Burden of Antiquity" as it relates to org development! <br />
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I have made lifelong friends as we have suffered together through a program where we were thrown off the deep end with real life consulting projects and a barrage of group projects. This year I have been blessed with way too many things to count, but my latest excitement is that I am going back to GREECE! For the very end of our program we are traveling to Ireland, DC, and NYC for corporate visits, and a couple friends and me were able to finagle a quick trip over to Athens for the week before! I can't contain my excitement, it will be so fun sharing my favorite country with friends. I will try to be better about updating this blog so I can record these crazy next few months because I'm sure I won't remember everything after the excitement passes. Crazy things to come! </div>
Laceyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15908504786742423161noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1067587825197879336.post-78184612496500074052013-05-27T21:25:00.004-07:002013-05-27T21:25:37.305-07:00Living in a freshman dorm again? <div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
As I write this I'm sitting in the same dorm that I lived in when I embarked on my Willamette adventure four years ago. This week I've have the unique opportunity to relive my freshman year as a Program Assistant for a new program at TIUA, "Window on Willamette." What's really crazy is that this is how I'm spending my last five days in this state, truly putting my last ounce of energy into this school. So far I'm loving it! It makes me wish that I'd gotten involved with the ASP (American Studies Program) students at Willamette earlier. I'm sure there will be hiccups, exhaustion, and I will become more and more overwhelmed as I simultaneously try to prepare for my move to California and participate in the program, but so far I think I've made the right decision. What a way to tie up my experiences at WU.<br />
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Conversely, after WOW commences on May 31, I will embark on a grand adventure down to Azusa on June 1!!!! I couldn't be more ecstatic. I've already plotted the nearest Trader Joe's, Jamba Juice, and of course, Starbucks. In my preparations I've also been working on my required readings for orientation. The first book is about identifying and cultivating your identity while focusing on spiritual formation as an essential aspect of leadership development. It has been so encouraging to realize that APU truly strives to focus on God as the center of all of its curricula. At this point I can see so clearly why God wanted me to go to Willamette and I am so thankful for the experiences and unique opportunities I had there, but man I can't wait for some spiritual nourishment and education rooted in faith!!<br />
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I am beyond stoked for the next year, and I hope to keep this up as a way to chronicle my adventures as I attempt to navigate the ridiculous traffic, prices, and amazing HEAT of sunny SoCal. Bring it on! :D</div>
Laceyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15908504786742423161noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1067587825197879336.post-30244625643397231852013-04-04T00:11:00.002-07:002013-04-04T00:11:28.085-07:00Study Abroad Part 3: A Weekend on the Most Famous Island<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="text-align: left;">After a whirlwind Spring Break in Crete and Rome, Morgan and I headed back to Athens to rest up for a night before the final leg of our break, on the beautiful island of Santorini!!! After what seemed like a million-hour ferry ride, we arrived on a gloomy, rainy island covered in pure white buildings. This is what it looked like: </span></div>
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We then went to our hostel, which was pretty standard, and then set out to explore the port! We stayed in Fira, which was a great choice because we were within walking distance with the main bus stop and tons of amazing little shops, as well as the big church. This came in handy later, as we arrived on the eve of Greek Easter and we decided to participate in the celebrations! Anyway, that afternoon we explored Fira, shopping and observing, even walking on one of the famous donkey trails (sidenote: the smell detracts from the romanticism just a bit) It was worth the view, though. </div>
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Even without sun it was breathtaking! </div>
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While we were out exploring, we were lured into a shop that offered free samples of candied nuts and ouzo, obviously we couldn't refuse. It turned out the owner also had a taverna right next to the big church, and he informed us that he was going to be open after the midnight service to serve magiritsa, traditional soup made with lamb intestine! An offer we couldn't refuse, we made a reservation at his taverna and went home to take a nap, setting our alarms for 11pm. We woke up and headed towards the church, where people of all ages were streaming in, but not before buying a candle outside. Cautiously we filed into the packed church, and absorbed all of the sights, sounds, and smells around us. Eventually, after hundreds of people had come in and moved to the front to kiss the main icon, the lights went out in the church, and the head priest appeared and started a beautiful chant (it was pretty hard to see, but luckily my Finnish height was no match for the Greeks around me so I could catch the excitement up at the front of the church). At exactly midnight, a flame starting with the priest began to pass through the entire church, while he proclaimed Christos Anesti (Christ has risen!). People began lighting each other's flames saying Christos Anesti, and then Alithos Anesti (He has risen indeed). And slowly the church was filled with light. It was so unreal being there! After everyone's candles were lit there was a mad rush for the door and I basically crowd surfed out of the church. We headed next door to our friend's taverna and had the famous soup! It wasn't too bad, had a solid lemony flavor, and I was so hungry at that point the texture didn't even bother me (yeah, 4th meal!). :) We had tons of fun in the taverna, as the proprietor kept filling up our wine glasses and brought us hard boiled eggs died red so we could play the traditional game that's basically "my egg is stronger than yours is". After a long day of travel and one of a kind experiences, we fell into bed around 2am, while the Greeks in Fira were just getting the party started. </div>
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The next day we decided to find the beach, the sun shone down and we headed to Parissa, one of the famous black sand beaches....can't believe I never published this post! Just came across it...guess I'll publish it as is and finish up the Spring break stories another time. I am so bad at keeping up with this thing!</div>
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Laceyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15908504786742423161noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1067587825197879336.post-80341233390283554122013-04-04T00:10:00.003-07:002013-04-04T00:10:39.916-07:00Moving: reflections on moving on, moving to a new place, and being scared to death of change<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
It's been awhile, but I'm getting ready to move again and thought it might help to process the changes that are coming my way via blog. I'm currently working on the first draft of my senior thesis, which is essentially the biggest material representation of the culmination of my four years as a student at Willamette--not a big deal at all...<br />
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My thesis also is triggering many "lasts." (And causing me anxiety about missing fun "lasts," but that's even more motivation to buckle down and git er done.) When I was about a month away from finishing up my semester in Greece, my roommates and I began making bucket lists, not a good idea. There was so much pressure to have notable experiences at all of our favorite haunts, and it was downright depressing! Not to mention the sinking feeling when you realize you're just not going to make it back to that obscure Harry Potter-themed bakery across Athens--but I digress.<br />
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Today I went to a meeting for the student committee planning our Interfaith Baccalaureate service and was forced to really consider what Willamette has meant to me and what I want to remember and be remembered for. I didn't think I'd get this sentimental about graduating, I've been trying to get out of Salem for years! I guess I am a creature of habit and I like knowing where the good water fountains are on-campus and where I study best (law library!) I'm scared to go to a completely different school in a new state and have to figure all of that out again.<br />
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I'm pretty excited, too.<br />
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As the cheesy Vitamin-C "ultra-graduation" tune goes..."As we go on we remember all the times we had together, and as our lives change from whatever, we will still be friends forever." Way too much emotion and not enough depth, but that's a typical pop song for you. That's how memories work, though. The most obscure and seemingly trivial things can bring tears to your eyes five years later as they trigger some small thought about an old friend or favorite place, smell, song, etc. Ahh nostalgia...I think I felt this way after high school, too, and I thought I would never attain that pure happiness that comes with being completely comfortable and confident in my surroundings, but I did.<br />
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And I'm pretty sure history repeats itself. </div>
Laceyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15908504786742423161noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1067587825197879336.post-27317211439027278452012-04-19T06:41:00.001-07:002012-04-19T06:43:06.568-07:00Roma, Roma, Roma: Spring Break Part 2!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Arriving back in Athens Monday morning, I had just enough time to unpack, repack, and grab a quick gyro at the local souvlaki stand, before my roommate Morgan and I hopped over to Rome for a week! A few hours later, we were checking into our hostel, which I would totally recommend for any women travelers. Papaya Female Hostel was located in a super safe, residential area just a 7 minute walk from Termini Station, which was super convenient. It was also only about a ten minute walk from the Trevi Fountain, Barberini station, and all of that good stuff. After getting settled in, we headed out to explore the area, and ended up meeting up with a friend who was also spending a few days in Rome. We got dinner, and then headed to the Trevi to make our wishes and get our first gelato of the trip. Here is a picture of us tossing our coins, the flash was a little too close, but I think you can still make out our excitement. :) The other pic is of our first Italian meal!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_RzaRAVa_Z9_Z6Dw6TCR6SZsABkujay13ZXBNamSoSOAF3-iV6NPC4FZYVSGMKm9dxFmp3dU3nXJS_t-dYJ2qupF3FwCQkUO3aBsILh3bxW42bsunysBNAunCArIO6wJzIRjspwEWVe6R/s1600/3568645646_f3a57bf73b.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="228" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_RzaRAVa_Z9_Z6Dw6TCR6SZsABkujay13ZXBNamSoSOAF3-iV6NPC4FZYVSGMKm9dxFmp3dU3nXJS_t-dYJ2qupF3FwCQkUO3aBsILh3bxW42bsunysBNAunCArIO6wJzIRjspwEWVe6R/s320/3568645646_f3a57bf73b.jpg" width="320" /></a>The next day we found the best breakfast place EVER. A small espresso cafe, the 0.70 espresso shots and 1 euro pastries were literally my dream come true. It was a typical place, with a large counter manned by baristas which kinda reminded me of the octopus from Monster's Inc. --></div>
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After yelling our orders above the din of clattering cups and saucers and shouting Italians (un latte and that pastry right there) we settled down at the counter to drink the best coffee of our lives. We decided to go back every morning after that and cycle through the drinks and pastries. After chasing my latte with an espresso shot, I was on top of the world and ready to rock and roll. </div>
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We headed off for our grand adventure, and our day was full of churches, beautiful piazzas, and a handful of famous sites! I think my favorite part about Rome was seeing Latin everywhere in the city! It was so much fun to read the inscriptions and recognize the titles that I'd seen in readings at Willamette.
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The Fountain of Four Rivers at the Piazza Nuova (where we also had the best gelato of our lives)</div>
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Oh hey, Pantheon!<br />
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I bought a really cool postcard that kinda looks like this...guess I could have just printed out the picture.<br />
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Then we headed towards the Colosseum and the ancient city center!!<br />
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Secret: It's really big in person, too.<br />
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We found a great museum area upstairs!<br />
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Yay!<br />
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Here's me in front of the triumphal arch!!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsKNhFf3WVt037lpztNZx64gaOPoMpvAkfONF9FAU93jCWG78m1iwnZBTjVplGyRPOVdDKRY5mEFd1R4obZO8onfkzS2wTeo5-7h_UZwiMMX6KbbkPwVEiujEbMh0HksqkgipQ_utHKkOU/s1600/roma+and+santorini!!+156.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsKNhFf3WVt037lpztNZx64gaOPoMpvAkfONF9FAU93jCWG78m1iwnZBTjVplGyRPOVdDKRY5mEFd1R4obZO8onfkzS2wTeo5-7h_UZwiMMX6KbbkPwVEiujEbMh0HksqkgipQ_utHKkOU/s320/roma+and+santorini!!+156.JPG" width="320" /></a>After starting out at our little breakfast place, we headed to the Vatican on Wednesday. Upon arrival, we saw a huge crowd outside St. Peter's and the Pope was on the big screens! Turns out every Wednesday in the morning they have a service and he blessed a bunch of people, so that was cool to see. We headed around the corner to the Vatican Museum and boy, that was an experience. </div>
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I am already planning my next trip because I feel like I have so much more to explore! </div>
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In the museum we amused ourselves by venturing off the beaten path to the Sistine Chapel and exploring the many empty rooms of things like the Etruscan collections and Modern Art, because frankly, this is what I felt like when we were walking through the main hall (except for I didn't have my dad to save me from the stampede of tourists).</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBdAS6TyaFQLFtdcrJiJL9jPqn05EDNZPMmSnljDYuzEIUZBl-AFhGJrRoHJXjm6ON9Z0kL1Fp3ZWDc-r497z6Q6h7ecIcuFIwjfRYlWTyQXB6h25D66wDVKxH4CS6KN0UkP7X2U92c9ZA/s1600/roma+and+santorini!!+196.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBdAS6TyaFQLFtdcrJiJL9jPqn05EDNZPMmSnljDYuzEIUZBl-AFhGJrRoHJXjm6ON9Z0kL1Fp3ZWDc-r497z6Q6h7ecIcuFIwjfRYlWTyQXB6h25D66wDVKxH4CS6KN0UkP7X2U92c9ZA/s320/roma+and+santorini!!+196.JPG" width="320" /></a>Anyway, so we had a lot of fun avoiding the crowds and did eventually make it to the big room, which was fun mostly because I liked watching all of the creative ways people found to stealthily take pictures of the ceiling. Next, we hit up the Vatican Museum Pizzeria for some much needed sustenance, and then went into St. Peter's Basilica! It was very beautiful but also full of funny people. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVbVcEK4hJUysGYRHHCAvzkpJUDUCyl9WfwJY5k3rJSzZZr72UDqq0gf51O37CHqXByEZlzJzJTdecPP8tlXiBCGVI0Df5pmggMKSn9dhBW6atojtfqr9T7oB1hXyODkh8m6kYV9MfzlU4/s1600/roma+and+santorini!!+203.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVbVcEK4hJUysGYRHHCAvzkpJUDUCyl9WfwJY5k3rJSzZZr72UDqq0gf51O37CHqXByEZlzJzJTdecPP8tlXiBCGVI0Df5pmggMKSn9dhBW6atojtfqr9T7oB1hXyODkh8m6kYV9MfzlU4/s320/roma+and+santorini!!+203.JPG" width="240" /></a>After that day of sensory overload, we needed a good nights rest to prepare us for the next day's appointment at the Borghese Museum. Luckily, upon arrival at the expansive grounds of the Borghese estate, we saw on the map a little picture of a giraffe, labeled Bioparko. Upon further examination, we realized that there was a ZOO there!! We had lots of fun unwinding at the zoo. <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXT2acaCO7GWa43NVI2LoJ_7d-_9i3BjmjVfmDmjvocLoqUwnuWiixd9oQL8nyW2Xm76tAF3Nod2AlJW-0phZz-qHhPf8UV99YTy5QMKTdfC-0iz6iGHvstLUBo3MWiluk5_57eWuDKgDX/s1600/roma+and+santorini!!+221.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXT2acaCO7GWa43NVI2LoJ_7d-_9i3BjmjVfmDmjvocLoqUwnuWiixd9oQL8nyW2Xm76tAF3Nod2AlJW-0phZz-qHhPf8UV99YTy5QMKTdfC-0iz6iGHvstLUBo3MWiluk5_57eWuDKgDX/s320/roma+and+santorini!!+221.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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The Borghese museum was very beautiful, and my favorite piece in the collection was a Bernini sculpture of David winding up with his slingshot. After the museum, we headed over to Trastevere to get some lunch!
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Yummy organic gelato that we found! Pistachio and chocolate. :)<br />
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I loved the street signs in Rome!! So fancy. After a lovely afternoon in Trastevere, we headed to the Colosseum hoping to grab a snack with a nighttime view! It was so beautiful and the perfect ending to a great few days in the Eternal City. Full of a sufficient amount of sugar and carbs, we headed back to Athens the next morning to get ready to get wild on the island of Santorini! (haha just a pun!)<br />
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</div>Laceyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15908504786742423161noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1067587825197879336.post-74705915933463265922012-04-19T05:30:00.001-07:002012-04-19T05:30:43.661-07:00Spring Break 2012 Part 1!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
It's already the end of the week after Spring Break, and time is actually flying by at this point. I received very exciting news when I arrived home after break--my aunt Karry is coming to Athens for my last week!! I am so stoked to show her around my temporary home and take her to all of the sites, because I also think it will be a great way for me to say goodbye.<br />
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I have started listening to Greek radio on my computer, and I am officially obsessed! I also think it's good way to practice my Greek because whenever there's a song I love that I want to find again, I have to listen very, very closely to the lyrics in home of salvaging a line or two to feed into Google. Also, the commercials are hilarious! <br />
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I suppose you're wondering about Spring Break! So far it seems that everyone from CYA survived their respective travels, but dang we were sure spread all over Europe! Surprisingly enough, many students spent at least a few days on Santorini, I guess that is on pretty much everyone's list. It didn't disappoint! But I supposed for my own sanity I should write about my adventures chronologically, so I will start with Crete!!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijNCdBGfthx7n53390fzvv695-woN8akN6THlyfvGHd0AJe7uce2bhLI-6fUlpsANqCDHtYnhuovMZhY0PJk4pKf6xCFB8bzuLfdMV2dxUqxr3qUibGk3YQ2xqm55UlaoDPcmigytCtV6R/s1600/538647_10150696248587075_672432074_9601562_943956513_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijNCdBGfthx7n53390fzvv695-woN8akN6THlyfvGHd0AJe7uce2bhLI-6fUlpsANqCDHtYnhuovMZhY0PJk4pKf6xCFB8bzuLfdMV2dxUqxr3qUibGk3YQ2xqm55UlaoDPcmigytCtV6R/s320/538647_10150696248587075_672432074_9601562_943956513_n.jpg" width="320" /></a>Thursday night, April 5th, a group of us departed for the CYA-led optional trip to the island of Crete. I am so glad that I chose to sign up (a HUGE thanks to the Willamette Classics Department and Center for Ancient Studies and Archaeology because without their help I never would have been able to sign up and pay for the trip back in November). We took an overnight ferry, which was more like a cruise-ship, on the right is a picture of me and one of my roommates, Morgan, in our room on the boat!<br />
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We arrived on the island at 6:30am Friday morning, and after a very fancy breakfast on-board (great coffee) we met up with our hosts, Ann and her husband. Dr.Brysbaert is a CYA professor who is currently on leave, working on super cool research for the year. They were so great, and I especially liked her husband because as a Finn, he looked SO much of my Grandpa and his brothers!<br />
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Ann was great about balancing the sites with fun breaks, so over the course of the weekend we saw Gortyna, Rethymno, Gournia, and Knossos, as well as different historical aspects of Heraklion and Chania. Our hotel was in Heraklion and it was so lovely! We were right around the corner from a plaza with tons of shops and food, as well as a street market, so we had lots of fun. There were also many different places to get Bougatsa and Loukoumades, which are two delicious Greek desserts! Saturday afternoon after being on-site we drove to a beach, Matala, for lunch time and a wonderful two hours lounging in the sand and eating lunch! Many kids also jumped in the water for a swim, but I couldn't get in past my ankles. The weather was glorious the whole weekend, and we all got a lot of sun! Saturday night we went out for a Cretan taverna dinner and it was so great. We ate tons of Greek food that we recognized, as well as a few special dishes.<br />
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It was so wonderful to have such a knowledgeable professor leading our trip, and it was the perfect recipe of loads of sunshine, great food, and amazing sites. I can't wait to go back!<br />
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<span style="font-family: arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12px; line-height: 20px;"><b>Here are some more pictures of Crete!</b></span></span></div>
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the market in Heraklion<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQEWHlBkpvj57Z3-qFX8rcPeioaN3lszwHUJcX_SNYq1foIkbyD3iyL5mQBx708AoaYuqFX6GsRu4uJMsW9khoDcuCQtSXwQrlY5RCVJzXl0Pr0q1OB6USVu_6PfrUWuaLZ0YX6KyLlDvH/s1600/Crete!+115.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQEWHlBkpvj57Z3-qFX8rcPeioaN3lszwHUJcX_SNYq1foIkbyD3iyL5mQBx708AoaYuqFX6GsRu4uJMsW9khoDcuCQtSXwQrlY5RCVJzXl0Pr0q1OB6USVu_6PfrUWuaLZ0YX6KyLlDvH/s320/Crete!+115.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
A beautiful view from Rethymno!<br />
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This is what we saw our first morning at Malia, one of the four palaces of the Minoan civilization, it was incredible how much of the foundations were actually still standing!<br />
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Knossos!!</div>Laceyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15908504786742423161noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1067587825197879336.post-66918642718409787012012-04-04T08:44:00.000-07:002012-04-04T08:44:20.925-07:00The land of marble: a Weekend in Paros<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjO8eDQTrTlzmsBOm42geHyG6ZrN-FTkIppUXg6ngWJOp9cCcN9K7XK7Mi2-__1zykSXZongUAgPNgsqQRPKs1N4NFlhdzDqJmfxT2SZlU0_KYi1hl65GpR5LHW02JvWUx68HwafrMfmQMB/s1600/White+and+Yellow+049.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjO8eDQTrTlzmsBOm42geHyG6ZrN-FTkIppUXg6ngWJOp9cCcN9K7XK7Mi2-__1zykSXZongUAgPNgsqQRPKs1N4NFlhdzDqJmfxT2SZlU0_KYi1hl65GpR5LHW02JvWUx68HwafrMfmQMB/s400/White+and+Yellow+049.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br />
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Last weekend I was transported to another time. Wandering through white-washed villages and flying down country roads on an island I barely had heard of before Friday, I had the luxury of experiencing something that most people never do--a Greek island in the off-season. The island of Paros is known for its marble quarries which have been used for constructing monuments since Ancient Athens. Besides the marble, Paros is also known for its beautiful villages, perfect beaches, and warm breezes. Only a four hour ferry ride from Athens, it also sees a lot of visitors in the summer months. Our guide informed us that the island booms from a mere 8,000 inhabitants to 80,000 in the summer. I personally can't even imagine what the island must be like with so many people in the narrow streets. Luckily, we were able to walk through the quiet villages of Lefkada and Naoussa with not a tourist or tourist shop in site. The beaches were completely vacant, but it was a beautiful weekend, especially for this Pacific Northwesterner!! Our first excursion when we arrived was a mild hike up to a monastery which was unfortunately closed, but that didn't stop us! We actually climbed over a low stone wall and then saw a perfect birds-eye view of the island. Here are a few pics:<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfiVkNu42FpN-uUKrI6zRGdejkNeP3bgBlpla-bXfYGBTleO0Wg7Q5C44kvrDLxSq4XVKitIvqnrmLtqLYcP2lDzWK4-0RDTzKXgB_dMsSRBfzWOAjgl3w1se6ZsjlK1Ue5DbSxC8IdVdQ/s1600/White+and+Yellow+046.JPG" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfiVkNu42FpN-uUKrI6zRGdejkNeP3bgBlpla-bXfYGBTleO0Wg7Q5C44kvrDLxSq4XVKitIvqnrmLtqLYcP2lDzWK4-0RDTzKXgB_dMsSRBfzWOAjgl3w1se6ZsjlK1Ue5DbSxC8IdVdQ/s320/White+and+Yellow+046.JPG" width="320" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8Eb2-grgU8ivSl1QVNmqiGGAL81HjvpJxqITRD_6qpjbAJs5rfsRyMjb1DFM3ZsLqrh2aU28DuLhcX5-cPOIESfKMhIk2LOoq9qd0yU4m3z8TYbwp2BN0atv6yQth7KLxpg8hZ7LPiZDp/s1600/White+and+Yellow+052.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8Eb2-grgU8ivSl1QVNmqiGGAL81HjvpJxqITRD_6qpjbAJs5rfsRyMjb1DFM3ZsLqrh2aU28DuLhcX5-cPOIESfKMhIk2LOoq9qd0yU4m3z8TYbwp2BN0atv6yQth7KLxpg8hZ7LPiZDp/s320/White+and+Yellow+052.JPG" width="320" /></a><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">After that we went to our hotel which ended up being a small cluster of traditional, white-washed homes accented with different bright colors. Our little house had a bright yellow door and shutters, which was so adorable! It was probably one of the coolest places I've ever stayed at. Here is our little home: </div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjecZCRiwppzJ_YNg7YOXsnite0tR3f2V1maqCXyRgPL9zQHWgDZLs2AV9hVE7tPKXWr1zlK_FK64CDDJSkG8tRqFULe2vqUWnoV_HDSF0bCNj5o0Vzwe1XC_7iu1WClY7wBW8g1mqncmEh/s1600/White+and+Yellow+185.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjecZCRiwppzJ_YNg7YOXsnite0tR3f2V1maqCXyRgPL9zQHWgDZLs2AV9hVE7tPKXWr1zlK_FK64CDDJSkG8tRqFULe2vqUWnoV_HDSF0bCNj5o0Vzwe1XC_7iu1WClY7wBW8g1mqncmEh/s320/White+and+Yellow+185.JPG" width="320" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPC0tbAkrTYg-Zr2S66nqwdtJxvgXUw8LSY7_tBVV5TNX5CeJvRDti7-l5bAwgN9LXRBPQQCpkZPraPVRX3K0dTAh6wpTvwEORBnYyG_B_T8xG5WMrrkrrbrtCqlViCbnPzf8rzsMiPyGW/s1600/White+and+Yellow+102.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPC0tbAkrTYg-Zr2S66nqwdtJxvgXUw8LSY7_tBVV5TNX5CeJvRDti7-l5bAwgN9LXRBPQQCpkZPraPVRX3K0dTAh6wpTvwEORBnYyG_B_T8xG5WMrrkrrbrtCqlViCbnPzf8rzsMiPyGW/s320/White+and+Yellow+102.JPG" width="240" /></a><br />
Above: Peek-a-boo!<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRlMcx6zgaQyvMtKDfnBQWWdkVonG7bmzhc9qGg-DTQiqGsS-akTukd3KWr6nYhCeAVZL0SvXJyyLBFTdmkA-1nSA50mQNqcN3Rq3NLVA-3Fg81lIe1cc5qJ9PHQkWu6h50-j2atXm13gL/s1600/399056_10150940430118636_511738635_13155049_1688416076_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRlMcx6zgaQyvMtKDfnBQWWdkVonG7bmzhc9qGg-DTQiqGsS-akTukd3KWr6nYhCeAVZL0SvXJyyLBFTdmkA-1nSA50mQNqcN3Rq3NLVA-3Fg81lIe1cc5qJ9PHQkWu6h50-j2atXm13gL/s320/399056_10150940430118636_511738635_13155049_1688416076_n.jpg" width="320" /></a> <br />
Allie and I in front of one of the adorable little houses at our hotel!<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqhg8JVqWvh45kSB9ZLd196fbopKeKT107F4Xc6HBsVFYgs9NDDWLvczwoIviO-p3wKDW7ruKOkTxi9H71qfYg5xFErxySTXCMEWGqpC1UQq4w3CRDe67tXr5huIT2GLVghUOubVL4KuU_/s1600/White+and+Yellow+184.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqhg8JVqWvh45kSB9ZLd196fbopKeKT107F4Xc6HBsVFYgs9NDDWLvczwoIviO-p3wKDW7ruKOkTxi9H71qfYg5xFErxySTXCMEWGqpC1UQq4w3CRDe67tXr5huIT2GLVghUOubVL4KuU_/s320/White+and+Yellow+184.JPG" width="320" /></a> <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSaY1-epotOho37Wy7pHwIkrh6yzEEzZeRVz3AEhe4hA2_6K8028LO5XT7LmB1nSLuXTciVaA5BBsdv7EWE0HBgmZ9aXS8epAT_uVSOj5F-kLVlsglceu4nBGoxb8Ecz6lyMBzbeBwTQgo/s1600/White+and+Yellow+087.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSaY1-epotOho37Wy7pHwIkrh6yzEEzZeRVz3AEhe4hA2_6K8028LO5XT7LmB1nSLuXTciVaA5BBsdv7EWE0HBgmZ9aXS8epAT_uVSOj5F-kLVlsglceu4nBGoxb8Ecz6lyMBzbeBwTQgo/s320/White+and+Yellow+087.JPG" width="240" /></a>Later that night after a quick siesta we all met in the dining room to have a cooking lesson! This mostly consisted of me watching and drinking wine while others made stuffed peppers and tomatoes, mousaka (a true feat), chicken fricasse, homemade bread, octopus, potato salad, and orange cake! Here is a picture of the preparations and the dining room of the Anezina Village Hotel. <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhq5QGRLyRXdBLpXD3OGQ2NpA6chmBp1VCc8hDQDN1nvoi8URxsK4kHb5Nxlf8VyS55eonPC5qkQlae2g2tc__FFxlRq5AXdvdMn4ZQj1Vh-Ho7f7jiyhXHwRVF6I40pbkBrUwWUe2RU2ap/s1600/White+and+Yellow+175.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhq5QGRLyRXdBLpXD3OGQ2NpA6chmBp1VCc8hDQDN1nvoi8URxsK4kHb5Nxlf8VyS55eonPC5qkQlae2g2tc__FFxlRq5AXdvdMn4ZQj1Vh-Ho7f7jiyhXHwRVF6I40pbkBrUwWUe2RU2ap/s320/White+and+Yellow+175.JPG" width="320" /></a><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkhUZXNQco-XjUzpES10xjW2bnwH9V3DoWOXnVZF4xya14-LCnQDu2YRk1hWQGV_Lje9CyeRVC26O9UfZQU_pgcBnGA04J2H3dWSrOwe2J0Q92IyIDtu3RftEf3uZ0FkzMP_wpjYJ2H2PZ/s1600/White+and+Yellow+126.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkhUZXNQco-XjUzpES10xjW2bnwH9V3DoWOXnVZF4xya14-LCnQDu2YRk1hWQGV_Lje9CyeRVC26O9UfZQU_pgcBnGA04J2H3dWSrOwe2J0Q92IyIDtu3RftEf3uZ0FkzMP_wpjYJ2H2PZ/s320/White+and+Yellow+126.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>The next day we met bright and early (as in breakfast at 10:30) and headed out for a day of beaches and hiking! First we did a nature walk up to this beautiful lighthouse with a gorgeous view of the island. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtXN-SAPprnGNaKWLx0_jZQmpLLjRZb3AUpgh7KAi8d1F2htB_U4aY9S5U_4gY0KDxqJGSLzOqIqaKwwtIz_ZsohZC83G8FYnwjiIBBEtJJu_2v5eedbHwrAMb4m30bsxMfWwflUQra7Ki/s1600/White+and+Yellow+170.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtXN-SAPprnGNaKWLx0_jZQmpLLjRZb3AUpgh7KAi8d1F2htB_U4aY9S5U_4gY0KDxqJGSLzOqIqaKwwtIz_ZsohZC83G8FYnwjiIBBEtJJu_2v5eedbHwrAMb4m30bsxMfWwflUQra7Ki/s1600/White+and+Yellow+170.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtXN-SAPprnGNaKWLx0_jZQmpLLjRZb3AUpgh7KAi8d1F2htB_U4aY9S5U_4gY0KDxqJGSLzOqIqaKwwtIz_ZsohZC83G8FYnwjiIBBEtJJu_2v5eedbHwrAMb4m30bsxMfWwflUQra7Ki/s200/White+and+Yellow+170.JPG" width="200" /></a></div>After that we went to a beach for a spa treatment that consisted of grinding the rocks to form a muddy paste. Everyone covered themselves in the mud and waited 15 minutes for it to dry. According to our host, after the treatment you should be ten times more beautiful! Unfortunately, I could not imagine submerging myself in the freezing cold water so I refrained from the treatment. But it was sure funny to watch! <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhw8blrjpIKhyLs4aJpSNdC5OS7nGlPKbYBnRZFV2LVsHUGEtwkC4cZsnsT9czDPVvysdWk2i0xsTuRmtprLJyZzpIfKLPGPpsrovXukzgpaioIAZwO-FR4JWL7_kvKeqpFsLSnQ4XkZMoL/s1600/White+and+Yellow+086.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhw8blrjpIKhyLs4aJpSNdC5OS7nGlPKbYBnRZFV2LVsHUGEtwkC4cZsnsT9czDPVvysdWk2i0xsTuRmtprLJyZzpIfKLPGPpsrovXukzgpaioIAZwO-FR4JWL7_kvKeqpFsLSnQ4XkZMoL/s320/White+and+Yellow+086.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguaTSUoRmHKiY_i3peWbCosA8xjgIl5J0Jdu7cL_c2ZObU4Cq5LwHtntl5SiSX-LpkIJ6EZzcMkm6Fk2zSgf64radwP0oczDv4gGuNGRKHfR8eupw4iBqjW0dIYMP_AzGQA-Ju-kT7LSK7/s1600/White+and+Yellow+070.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguaTSUoRmHKiY_i3peWbCosA8xjgIl5J0Jdu7cL_c2ZObU4Cq5LwHtntl5SiSX-LpkIJ6EZzcMkm6Fk2zSgf64radwP0oczDv4gGuNGRKHfR8eupw4iBqjW0dIYMP_AzGQA-Ju-kT7LSK7/s320/White+and+Yellow+070.JPG" width="240" /></a>Later in that day we explored some of the picturesque villages of Paros. The houses and views were breathtaking!<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAEv1iw2ybg3lpxJ5wsRTwFamHpXZJw6BOFs13-hJLIrxKwDpN05WaIVqiE3UUKNsLkCzLpMUNWxAW9nXfn2Lj2mWkorBFZjs83EW4PbUrb7mY19Mn8QAA3oP2u8Mp3Gohn-wFFL6isgJE/s1600/White+and+Yellow+164.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAEv1iw2ybg3lpxJ5wsRTwFamHpXZJw6BOFs13-hJLIrxKwDpN05WaIVqiE3UUKNsLkCzLpMUNWxAW9nXfn2Lj2mWkorBFZjs83EW4PbUrb7mY19Mn8QAA3oP2u8Mp3Gohn-wFFL6isgJE/s320/White+and+Yellow+164.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div>The next day we visited the adorable town of Naoussa!!<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEid5Q2KvXVfHRdjKXXYpHvPhKnz04OGr8oxMGDX9g6j-X-biL-ueYJzSj8UjNZGQFeu03S-H-O_jBG957ipafxI6BAVQV-woI1YjqMI4s4xN1xUlFN5qZmQIR2leEVrES4AVypn-p4hIeRu/s1600/White+and+Yellow+144.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEid5Q2KvXVfHRdjKXXYpHvPhKnz04OGr8oxMGDX9g6j-X-biL-ueYJzSj8UjNZGQFeu03S-H-O_jBG957ipafxI6BAVQV-woI1YjqMI4s4xN1xUlFN5qZmQIR2leEVrES4AVypn-p4hIeRu/s320/White+and+Yellow+144.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7DmKUDhogFSKroa0sWOT3xnGnare8kddAuYb3XaVzFEX3R1krLJTTq51MIiax5S8vqhuaVmw03TJgwLAjT-WaZdXbYLiA6xKIC0qXAPZoXd-dpKAI0s1z5f6FYUMEYpp9cOU25l3hfEG2/s1600/White+and+Yellow+148.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7DmKUDhogFSKroa0sWOT3xnGnare8kddAuYb3XaVzFEX3R1krLJTTq51MIiax5S8vqhuaVmw03TJgwLAjT-WaZdXbYLiA6xKIC0qXAPZoXd-dpKAI0s1z5f6FYUMEYpp9cOU25l3hfEG2/s640/White+and+Yellow+148.JPG" width="640" /></a> <br />
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After what was most likely our best weekend so far this semester, we tearfully rode away on Sunday night, determined to return to Paros someday. <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdSbMOLVrnXtEXVP3Jev8PJD95-B-AHJpXyeuNvyDPYTjdc8p-yeEmOl2qK8e8MTqBZygakKS1Et4lX-48JF0Anz4ctPp0Az0ML9DNac_6S2Qhc0nyW57Utnpe6Oc222a3vWEj5BfHtFXq/s1600/White+and+Yellow+208.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdSbMOLVrnXtEXVP3Jev8PJD95-B-AHJpXyeuNvyDPYTjdc8p-yeEmOl2qK8e8MTqBZygakKS1Et4lX-48JF0Anz4ctPp0Az0ML9DNac_6S2Qhc0nyW57Utnpe6Oc222a3vWEj5BfHtFXq/s320/White+and+Yellow+208.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
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</div>Laceyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15908504786742423161noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1067587825197879336.post-65591595235131958302012-04-04T07:56:00.000-07:002012-04-04T07:56:20.537-07:00Springtime in Athens<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">Whew, time is flying by! I am just about to depart for Spring Break and I realized I have quite a bit to catch you up on. I was telling my Ancient Greek: Homer professor today that I'm hardly excited for Spring Break yet because I feel like this entire semester has been one big Spring Break adventure! Every couple of weeks I've taken either an extraordinary weekend trip on my own or a week-long trip with school to explore other regions of Greece. Let me break down the schedule of what I've been doing the last few months. I arrived on January 22nd, what followed was a whirlwind of adjustment, exploration, and adventuring around Athens and particularly my neighborhood. My first trip was to the Peloponnese the third week of February. The next weekend I went to Paris with three of my friends. Three more weeks later we took yet another week off of school and all went to Delphi and Northern Greece, where we stayed in Thessaloniki for five days exploring Roman and Byzantine Salonica as well as various sites of Ancient Macedon. The next week was midterms and that weekend I took a weekend trip to the island of Paros, which brings me to this week. Can you see how I feel as though every weeks is Spring Break?? I am so blessed to be in this country of so much culture and life. In between my travels I have been able to examine the most minute of details on the Acropolis, get a solid grasp on a completely new language, and learn about the horrifying yet inspirational history of one of the most fought-over regions of the world. This week my challenge has been figuring out my class schedule for next term, which is officially the last stressor before I sail away for the best Spring Break of my life! Also, as I'm sure you are all wondering, it has officially become warm here! As an Oregonian accustomed to a long, dreary, and incredibly rainy season, the 65-70 degree weather is toasting me to the core! I couldn't be happier about it. My thoughts and prayers to all my family and friends back home, hope the sun comes out soon as you celebrate the last few weeks of school!</div>Laceyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15908504786742423161noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1067587825197879336.post-91748367568884786742012-03-07T12:15:00.000-08:002012-03-07T12:15:48.277-08:00Paris Ooh-la-la!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">Since I've been hopelessly behind on blog posts, I'm not going to attempt to remember all of the beauty that was Paris. I actually was shocked at how much I loved the city. I had all of these horrible expectations of smoke everywhere, rude people, and bad food; boy was I wrong!! I had the best meals of my semester so far in Paris, every person we encountered was wonderful, and there was NO SMOKE. I don't even know. I'll run through our schedule: We arrived on Friday in the afternoon and took a cab to our hostel in Montmartre (now that cab did smell). After we settled into our room on the <u>5th floor</u> we headed out to explore our neighborhood. After stopping in at a little bakery and getting olive bread, we went to get crepes--can you already see what the main objective of our trip was?? :) The place ended up being a hookah bar which provided ceaseless entertainment through the form of Hindi rap and I ended up getting a banana/nutella panini and an espresso. After that we took the metro to the Louvre to take advantage of a <b>free ticket night!</b> The Louvre is absolutely better when it is free. But in all seriousness, it was spectacular. I'm definitely not a museum person but I was certainly impressed and could have spend probably four hours there. <div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0bE1wBTo7K_SMxlidm07n5zd3pgNnMe7xkRwzTUd7VtcZE2KqUTL2X5FXIWlk7BXKEl1T8yivbVxyWdOEJSy7nB_CQ1KiJ0EWnEn6AOrRI9iBwdYzqvWgp98J0E0WmPzyMsvTWCjr0yjT/s1600/419514_10150854346288636_511738635_12838345_1837530175_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0bE1wBTo7K_SMxlidm07n5zd3pgNnMe7xkRwzTUd7VtcZE2KqUTL2X5FXIWlk7BXKEl1T8yivbVxyWdOEJSy7nB_CQ1KiJ0EWnEn6AOrRI9iBwdYzqvWgp98J0E0WmPzyMsvTWCjr0yjT/s320/419514_10150854346288636_511738635_12838345_1837530175_n.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><div>When it closed at 9pm we walked down the Seine toward the Eiffel Tower, hoping to get a glimpse. Here's our glimpse!</div></div><div><br />
</div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3MBGpU37vfWduDd5v-e1omjO5i0O9_hFBXCFPqqril31v2yYEPMdBmCTJ1sxBHrqLfFzRiLah-1DhmZmDoUBHKjl_0gt8z0gxlC7LwiM_vA3afNO8qIR6LJFuy8gCx8iLnqiWNrIn9X54/s1600/die_rote_boje_saint-tropez.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3MBGpU37vfWduDd5v-e1omjO5i0O9_hFBXCFPqqril31v2yYEPMdBmCTJ1sxBHrqLfFzRiLah-1DhmZmDoUBHKjl_0gt8z0gxlC7LwiM_vA3afNO8qIR6LJFuy8gCx8iLnqiWNrIn9X54/s320/die_rote_boje_saint-tropez.jpg" width="258" /></a>After that we ate dinner at a rugby bar we stumbled upon (my roommate freaked out because she's a rugby player--she the one on the right in the picture) where we had an amazing meal of hard -boiled eggs, chicken, french fries and wine, nothing better. Somehow we didn't leave the restaurant until well after midnight, it must have been the magic of Paris. :) After that I think we walked around a bit more and then headed back to our hostel. The next morning we woke up and headed to the Musee d'Orsay! That was also beautiful, I particularly enjoyed the Manets and Monets as well as a new guy I found, Paul Signac who was one of the first neo-impressionists. This was my favorite painting, although the colors were much more brilliant in real life. :) </div><div><br />
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</div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizzRnV4XJHyq3E7uNlm2Yj3VmeA321PMtRsWrVvPQ5lExYvZ8TdN4EfZMnEz07jQsWH2-7ulrVO_Az4eeZ7kYrD__Vgn0T7MzeOOOMHCrIFspD7YCaqF6MX0PTZOr56AXXlXwMOHM5hac1/s1600/un+petit+paris+225+redo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizzRnV4XJHyq3E7uNlm2Yj3VmeA321PMtRsWrVvPQ5lExYvZ8TdN4EfZMnEz07jQsWH2-7ulrVO_Az4eeZ7kYrD__Vgn0T7MzeOOOMHCrIFspD7YCaqF6MX0PTZOr56AXXlXwMOHM5hac1/s320/un+petit+paris+225+redo.jpg" width="240" /></a>After that we went to the Eiffel Tower, and thus started my favorite afternoon probably of all time. It was slightly drizzling and started off at Starbucks and then walked right towards it! We had so much fun taking pictures and walking all around the tower. We stopped for a snack at a vendor under the tower and shared waffles with nutella on them which were perfect for the drizzly weather. Then we walked across the Seine and found a great location for some perfect pictures. Here's my favorite. </div><div><br />
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</div><div>After that lovely afternoon we headed back to our hostel and took a nice nap. For dinner we stopped at this amazing little restaurant in Montmartre and then went to this Irish pub/nightclub the girl at our hostel had recommended. There we danced all night long. :) </div><div><br />
</div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5bqkL6Zda6LQWxegtk9wIO8GUTXlOkjHkgNEzyX7drQDV8fP5R0r_FlP-P_iEzzM5Sakns9a7oQIhrkskTtiALOQQgvg26cthrdePncbO6O4w9Fq4k6o0x9sNW-lhouXGqHiwoCqibgbn/s1600/un+petit+paris+315.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5bqkL6Zda6LQWxegtk9wIO8GUTXlOkjHkgNEzyX7drQDV8fP5R0r_FlP-P_iEzzM5Sakns9a7oQIhrkskTtiALOQQgvg26cthrdePncbO6O4w9Fq4k6o0x9sNW-lhouXGqHiwoCqibgbn/s320/un+petit+paris+315.JPG" width="240" /></a>On Sunday we headed over to a flea market in our neighborhood where we spent a couple hours looking over the wares and then stumbled upon the most amazing antique row! I wish we'd had hours to spend there; store after store of beautiful mirrors, jewelry, old clocks, and anything else you could think of. We also found a little street vendor who was roasting peanuts and bought some delicious snacks for the plane ride home. He was so cute, when he saw my friend taking a picture of his cart he asked her to e-mail the pics to him so he could use them! After that we saw Notre Dame, which was was so spooky, I wish we could have gone inside but unfortunately we were there too late. I'll have to go back! Here's one of the more scary pictures I took. </div><div><br />
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</div><div>We ate dinner at a restaurant right across the river and had an amazing meal! I had Croque Madame (kinda like grilled ham and cheese with an egg on it, but way better) and shared a Tiramisu with my roommate for dessert. After that we rushed back to the metro hoping to get to the Arc d'Trimph before the station closed at 12:30 and just made it! After an epic night of running around trying to see everything on our list, we collapsed back at the hostel and had little snoozes before leaving for the airport at 4am for our 7 o'clock flight. </div><div><br />
</div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaliujXPcpj-wvGkTCmk_EvENIoy6SDwrgHC98CDaj-8QEZaBU3CHEi8C3cEp2JXbS-HLi1SUQbDr9CocPP0Q4aF0Ub4rW9G6Pvt3nE-FaGMuPP4eRz69iHhY179ZbiQrazSTB2jcXu-OJ/s1600/un+petit+paris+212+redo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaliujXPcpj-wvGkTCmk_EvENIoy6SDwrgHC98CDaj-8QEZaBU3CHEi8C3cEp2JXbS-HLi1SUQbDr9CocPP0Q4aF0Ub4rW9G6Pvt3nE-FaGMuPP4eRz69iHhY179ZbiQrazSTB2jcXu-OJ/s320/un+petit+paris+212+redo.jpg" width="240" /></a>It was an epic weekend, chock full of adventures and beautiful sites, and it only made me want to go back again very soon. :) One more picture...</div></div>Laceyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15908504786742423161noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1067587825197879336.post-15491052086293151372012-03-07T11:34:00.000-08:002012-03-07T11:34:15.097-08:00Update on Classes!!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">Hello everyone! Some very exciting things have happened lately in my classes that I thought I should share. I believe I've talked a little bit about my Ancient Architecture class already , but it has gotten really exciting lately. Last week we made it up the Acropolis but it was too windy to have class so our Professor took us into the employee offices and we sat around this big old wooden table surrounded by guys speaking Greek who shoved food and shots of raki at us. This was at 11 in the morning! Our Professor disappeared during this time searching for books and by the time he came back we all had eaten loads of bread, "giant beans", amazing olive oil with spices in it, and radishes. For the rest of the class he alternated between showing us pictures of different monuments and lovingly yelling at the guys in Greek. Definitely a cool experience. The next time our class met we were able to stay outside because the sun was out, but towards the end he took us inside, saying, "You probably want to go sit inside and have a snack". During our lecture time outside on that same day, we also witnessed our professor getting into a shouting match with a newbie guard who didn't know who my professor was. Apparently they've been recently tightening up on security so they hired a new batch of guards and my professor is used to just walking over all ropes, out onto any scaffolding, etc. It seems like every day is an adventure up on the Acropolis, I can't wait to see what tomorrow brings!<br />
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On another note, I just received a call from the cousin of my grandparent's friend, Vali, whom they met when they lived in Greece over 35 years ago. They have a small school where they teach Greek to foreigners and have been waiting patiently for me to come visit them. I am all set to walk over there tomorrow afternoon and I am so excited! This weekend a few of my friends and I are planning to take a ferry to the island of Aegina for a day trip because it's supposed to be a beautiful, sunny day in Greece. Last weekend we also had a few sunny days and I bought some handmade leather sandals from the famous "Poet Sandalmaker", who's made sandals for the likes of Jackie O, John Lennon, Sarah Jessica Parker, and even Bob Saget! ;) While out and about on Saturday we also took a walk up to Anafiotika, a tiny little village built up against the base of the Acropolis that has an amazing history, which I will share in my next blog post!<br />
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Until next time,<br />
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Lacey</div>Laceyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15908504786742423161noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1067587825197879336.post-70796114239672926322012-02-23T07:59:00.000-08:002012-02-23T07:59:54.899-08:00Some Peloponnese pics<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhj3Nbv9oVaCqmGd4UES60GwtPOEv52RQH2gp4FBg2hyphenhyphenOerGIAx7T9aUr4NfWVSi1CBehkCLNr7mU1ctVahtAJaJiOpjqllZISIbjN6Y28pOFcgpKaWo_adDdY9e5iH8Cas4x-GMcmhGl_V/s1600/Peloponnese!!+025.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhj3Nbv9oVaCqmGd4UES60GwtPOEv52RQH2gp4FBg2hyphenhyphenOerGIAx7T9aUr4NfWVSi1CBehkCLNr7mU1ctVahtAJaJiOpjqllZISIbjN6Y28pOFcgpKaWo_adDdY9e5iH8Cas4x-GMcmhGl_V/s320/Peloponnese!!+025.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Temple of Zeus at Nemea</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9doje8gHzpWVh5qvuierA2eaDd4xazz-Y3_Ru4Tejch4EUqiwQyIBGogd9jdibFsWT_qylahCVVgcQk44p-KBzEqg8YscW8x_MRnY8NSpUsk-O6cauZcfVs5SJBJ4KgcdA3pKJjWtOrpj/s1600/Peloponnese!!+356+redo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9doje8gHzpWVh5qvuierA2eaDd4xazz-Y3_Ru4Tejch4EUqiwQyIBGogd9jdibFsWT_qylahCVVgcQk44p-KBzEqg8YscW8x_MRnY8NSpUsk-O6cauZcfVs5SJBJ4KgcdA3pKJjWtOrpj/s320/Peloponnese!!+356+redo.jpg" width="320" /></a></div> A beautiful church I found in a seaside town we stopped at for lunch.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaGWQqZq5-siDklFvqkAK1eTPeY61cBiW2tVO13bGTA4TJ4zAAqeQKhVj-3YLkrvcYvxfstVoVK1XffaeAjHC6sHQFnEEndt9hWzriM0Y_GSDMuT2I_3ZSU74P9Dbv_EIpHBCzemcRPfLM/s1600/Peloponnese!!+406.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaGWQqZq5-siDklFvqkAK1eTPeY61cBiW2tVO13bGTA4TJ4zAAqeQKhVj-3YLkrvcYvxfstVoVK1XffaeAjHC6sHQFnEEndt9hWzriM0Y_GSDMuT2I_3ZSU74P9Dbv_EIpHBCzemcRPfLM/s320/Peloponnese!!+406.JPG" width="320" /></a></div> Some ruins from the Olympic Temple of Zeus. Hard to capture the scale of these column fragments but they were HUGE!<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghXcSj9-YuWa5AB2IqaVZ1W4C5W9g3STyOYyNHk9Licghct84VVg1FXdY9P4PcCKiyjlrrBYvtAQRdEALXcMaKn6g1aLJ-y7mpDEKCvyh2qwgh2RVgyEYAZfcNBk_1J54ZRwfnNI7EZoxt/s1600/Peloponnese!!+158+REDO.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghXcSj9-YuWa5AB2IqaVZ1W4C5W9g3STyOYyNHk9Licghct84VVg1FXdY9P4PcCKiyjlrrBYvtAQRdEALXcMaKn6g1aLJ-y7mpDEKCvyh2qwgh2RVgyEYAZfcNBk_1J54ZRwfnNI7EZoxt/s320/Peloponnese!!+158+REDO.JPG" width="320" /></a></div> View from Mycenae!<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEif86H-xmRJU7tcqbM44OI9PtYRLfSzjqlrXlukVK3oHRleESmatDHgkikO8pbrXYRyaS0NCSEeGip0j75XUzNQlj89ZGT_e5y1YOBAxqkm3qoFiLKbDwjbWsuRq3qYeRWkUwHk3gekj-g0/s1600/Peloponnese!!+179+REDO.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEif86H-xmRJU7tcqbM44OI9PtYRLfSzjqlrXlukVK3oHRleESmatDHgkikO8pbrXYRyaS0NCSEeGip0j75XUzNQlj89ZGT_e5y1YOBAxqkm3qoFiLKbDwjbWsuRq3qYeRWkUwHk3gekj-g0/s320/Peloponnese!!+179+REDO.JPG" width="320" /></a></div> Another view from Mycenae.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj04xcxSteTuzraOSyWAP1LXggeCTeS0nHR3Nnjy7223crOb1WJJ_VSQUy53teSd3aXk4gBAPbByuAPXJ9VHjVFc0J77ERpwSI8CG7sY0SA655cIGx7MlFlz5QJSRbo6afOzfxHuUb7d2Sa/s1600/Peloponnese!!+427+redo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="261" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj04xcxSteTuzraOSyWAP1LXggeCTeS0nHR3Nnjy7223crOb1WJJ_VSQUy53teSd3aXk4gBAPbByuAPXJ9VHjVFc0J77ERpwSI8CG7sY0SA655cIGx7MlFlz5QJSRbo6afOzfxHuUb7d2Sa/s320/Peloponnese!!+427+redo.jpg" width="320" /></a></div> This is what we saw from the bus on our drive home! Absolutely breathtaking.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPGT8CpwEWBU3aAVWqQb6epdau0cWqEP1jclYHtnhTbSsdt06zX2WHBLcl2lCqY9QqvPjMMA9vo35mIVpyBfIcuDdAdffkKOd7KQYrrTqG_4W7uRmG7XywuhWGdT25sbO0ISX5P2YxtL19/s1600/Peloponnese!!+003.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPGT8CpwEWBU3aAVWqQb6epdau0cWqEP1jclYHtnhTbSsdt06zX2WHBLcl2lCqY9QqvPjMMA9vo35mIVpyBfIcuDdAdffkKOd7KQYrrTqG_4W7uRmG7XywuhWGdT25sbO0ISX5P2YxtL19/s320/Peloponnese!!+003.JPG" width="240" /></a></div> The Corinth canal.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCDMGA9WVgI3k7PeZa0lhMky6wVQ63BAlIzy6mIsQB15-GNUn044qW93qmdGO-lJRLZc3O3UUjyoFUbrT_ij7nBWC_iJyDgHeisP7uLVkfesApzwktEB-eK7hOqFgQd2jAFngnVswGE7Xf/s1600/Peloponnese!!+192.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCDMGA9WVgI3k7PeZa0lhMky6wVQ63BAlIzy6mIsQB15-GNUn044qW93qmdGO-lJRLZc3O3UUjyoFUbrT_ij7nBWC_iJyDgHeisP7uLVkfesApzwktEB-eK7hOqFgQd2jAFngnVswGE7Xf/s320/Peloponnese!!+192.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>Me and a friend trying to read the ancient inscriptions on this block in Epidaurus! We sat there for a good half hour going line by line, trying to get fragments of the words. It was very exciting!!</div>Laceyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15908504786742423161noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1067587825197879336.post-10715920074524003072012-02-23T07:24:00.000-08:002012-02-23T07:24:12.003-08:00The Peloponnese and Paris!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div style="text-align: -webkit-auto;">I'm sorry for not writing in awhile, I've been in the Peloponnese!! Last week we loaded into two coach buses and traveled across the Corinth canal and from there visited the sites of Nemea, Isthmia, Mycenea, Olympia, Mystras, Messene, and Epidauros! It was a whirlwind trip full of many photo ops and fun times, as well as the opportunity to visit my favorite town of Nauplion again. We had fun but it was nice to come back to our little apartment and settle in for a normal week of school. I'm still really enjoying Modern Greek and feel like I'm learning more and more every day. A lot of the employees at my favorite places in Pangrati only speak Greek, so it's fun to order my coffees and loaves of bread in Greek, as well as surprise the English-speaking shop-owners with an ευχαριστώ (thank you) or Υασας! (hello/goodbye) I want to research whether any colleges in the Willamette Valley offer Modern Greek, because I don't want to come back home and lose all of my Greek! I suppose everyone who studies or lives abroad for a short period of time struggles with the same thing. </div><div style="text-align: -webkit-auto;"> Today I had a really amazing morning with two on-site classes in a row. For History and Culture of Modern Athens we met in front of the Parliament building in Syntagma Square to begin our exploration of the Neoclassical buildings of downtown Athens. Of course, I used the opportunity to leave a little early and grab a take-away coffee at Costa, where I finally found coffee cups the size of what I'm used to! Feeling sufficiently caffeinated with a 20 oz. americano, I walked around the city and saw King Otto's palace (which now houses a museum of Modern Athens) and the trilogy of neoclassical buildings; the National Library, the National University of Athens, and the Academy of Athens. Also on our tour we passed by the charred exterior of the beautiful old cinema which was set on fire during the rioting last week. Following that class, I headed to the Acropolis to meet up with my Ancient Architecture class! After we entered the site the Professor veered off the path, across a rope and started to take us to the exit. He then proceeded to lead us around the western side of the Propylaea and we climbed up next to the temple of Athena Nike where we were able to walk around the construction area and get a close-up look at some of the pre-classical foundation. It was so amazing to be able to cross all of the ropes and walk over to the ledges of the Acropolis. At one point my professor had us walk out along the cliff next to the Erechtheion and look down at a piece of temple jutting out which hasn't been fully excavated yet. My professor has been working on the Acropolis for many years, and is still an active member of the technical team for the Preservation of the Acropolis Monuments as the architect in charge of the preservation of the Propylaea. If you can't tell, the class has definitely picked up after the last two weeks of architectural theory and drawing we've had. I can't wait for the rest of the semester, because if on the first day we were able to go in the staff rooms and climb along planks connecting ancient walls from active restoration projects, I can't imagine what the next few months hold! </div><div style="text-align: -webkit-auto;"> After that exciting morning, I am now packing for my flight to Paris in the morning. We are staying in Montmartre and on our itinerary we have the Louvre, Musee d'Orsay, Arc de Triomphe, Notre Dame, the Catacombes de Paris , Versailles, and the Eiffel Tower, of course!! We will return on Clean Monday, and hopefully make it in time for some of the festivities and the Kolouma meal in Athens. Apparently the Municipality of Athens hosts an event near the Acropolis where they serve free olives, wine, halva and lagana (special Clean Monday bread) and fly kites and have Greek dancing! I will post some pictures of my trip to the Peloponnese in a minute; I took probably 400 pics but will spare you all and just choose some of the good ones. :) Hope everyone is doing well!! </div></div>Laceyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15908504786742423161noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1067587825197879336.post-2829930342345725122012-02-12T09:35:00.000-08:002012-02-12T09:35:35.953-08:00In the eye of the storm...<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDlisFBjVtmCpRD6Sgu55VhBJ5rsGnUGQ4IMKjoMnAYWaFNtaDqU73bnIwxgKzY1QxugP2gQ09DXWKDBMBrpJaOjHWit5ytW-zIT6FpYJlbZrV2JQt_UxjgWl9Lagy0Aw5IHD5mYJXtF3I/s1600/athens+024.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDlisFBjVtmCpRD6Sgu55VhBJ5rsGnUGQ4IMKjoMnAYWaFNtaDqU73bnIwxgKzY1QxugP2gQ09DXWKDBMBrpJaOjHWit5ytW-zIT6FpYJlbZrV2JQt_UxjgWl9Lagy0Aw5IHD5mYJXtF3I/s320/athens+024.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>Even though I posted just yesterday, I felt that I had to write more on the state of Athens as at this very moment there are 284 members of Parliament in the midst of a great debate inside the Parliament building in Syntagma Square. The vote is set for midnight and the square has been filled with protesting Greeks all afternoon. While I was out at the base of the Acropolis today going to the metro station, I ran into an assembly which escalated into a full-scale march; the main street towards Syntagma was closed and motorcycles were zooming by as people of all ages and demographic drifted toward the square. The air was smoky and filled with the boom of what were either stun guns by police or homemade fire bombs by anarchists. As I was riding the metro away from the city center around 3:30, it was eerily silent even though completely filled with people. I've already heard of a few students from my program who were tear gassed later in the afternoon as they went too close to the action in Syntagma. The news reports indicate that roughly 6,000 police have been stationed in the center of Athens for the purposes of holding back the anarchists' bombs and blocking the chunks of marble being hurled at the Parliament building. What is so fascinating to me is how strong the national unity and pride is in Greece. It is so different from in the USA where patriotism is associated with specific stereotypes and political stances. In Greece, everyone marches, everyone participates, and everyone is affected. As we wait for the verdict from Parliament, I'm torn. I don't have enough of a background in economics to truly understand the entire scenario, but from the limited news reports I've been following since in Athens, it seems that either way, Greece is in for a world of pain. I think a consensus is that they need new political leaders, and I wonder if the austerity measures do pass tonight whether the EU advisers will encourage Greece's next Prime Minister to be a non-Greek, as their first President was when Greece was liberated with the help of France, Russia, and Britain in 1833. This could be a long shot, but it seems to me that if Greece is going to stay in the euro zone, they need a leader who is objective and who will see the big picture with Greece as a member of a larger body of countries. Every day Greek culture fascinates me more and more, and today was a terrifying, surreal, and very touching experience. One thing can be said for the Greeks, they know how to assemble and they are very passionate. You have to admire that. </div>Laceyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15908504786742423161noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1067587825197879336.post-15436862134133798252012-02-11T01:13:00.000-08:002012-02-11T01:13:48.359-08:00Athens is heating up!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAH1Y8OmXJdZjdJ3zEEfdSMJr2SxorotLgU4YI1QWzcdyXacqBw2WkA7IaWkHD45i9qR7T8uTuK-R8AoC-XfEAUxw55Dm57P3PcIGd8wiYSdTd5upkbmZGycUCgBzixwdI7pHt_5hepM5y/s1600/Athina+091+redo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="235" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAH1Y8OmXJdZjdJ3zEEfdSMJr2SxorotLgU4YI1QWzcdyXacqBw2WkA7IaWkHD45i9qR7T8uTuK-R8AoC-XfEAUxw55Dm57P3PcIGd8wiYSdTd5upkbmZGycUCgBzixwdI7pHt_5hepM5y/s320/Athina+091+redo.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>View of the Parthenon from the Acropolis.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEja4Kt028dBhouQM231dBCQ5vMbo77uWBK1MhsrxyS6snvbsommj5GuXXZdZpV9YdrC5-p549ZPkO04y_JRMuCtHl4_UjB9f984SXEOQy2qtooyD5gLqHL43X5biMqfFtHXGpvncbEfBPEz/s1600/Athina+098.JPG+redo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEja4Kt028dBhouQM231dBCQ5vMbo77uWBK1MhsrxyS6snvbsommj5GuXXZdZpV9YdrC5-p549ZPkO04y_JRMuCtHl4_UjB9f984SXEOQy2qtooyD5gLqHL43X5biMqfFtHXGpvncbEfBPEz/s320/Athina+098.JPG+redo.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhw1DziEVKEIbxjJDbkpNcaMcn8yW6Vx0trVJr5wuW1PFtivwRR4duri4gCe9smTfyf0e8ImDTJycqLwsgvOi89GxbpVMC9d26LQ2_kwCMifhRv9weZ2e4d2teyqtwPt4nmZbbyyPPR0rOo/s1600/Athina+001+redo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhw1DziEVKEIbxjJDbkpNcaMcn8yW6Vx0trVJr5wuW1PFtivwRR4duri4gCe9smTfyf0e8ImDTJycqLwsgvOi89GxbpVMC9d26LQ2_kwCMifhRv9weZ2e4d2teyqtwPt4nmZbbyyPPR0rOo/s320/Athina+001+redo.jpg" width="320" /></a></div> The church right on my street in Pangrati!<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhI_o-cZdNUEQUByFf5RrMg6AvsdKCErwfA4da0o7nP7oIk3U4GSVSti6cTm0bwPbeiHNAsZNikTq09J6E_tOfoN5jHQcRU5rhul5mH8fB7Yrmly0YU2sVXY1m_zRBgO-dKQLAt5DEzRlZA/s1600/Athina+101+redo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhI_o-cZdNUEQUByFf5RrMg6AvsdKCErwfA4da0o7nP7oIk3U4GSVSti6cTm0bwPbeiHNAsZNikTq09J6E_tOfoN5jHQcRU5rhul5mH8fB7Yrmly0YU2sVXY1m_zRBgO-dKQLAt5DEzRlZA/s320/Athina+101+redo.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>Quite a lot has happened since I last posted. I'm sure if you're following the news you've seen television footage or read articles concerning the latest proposed austerity measures in Greece as well as the severe discontent. The violence that erupted yesterday was surreal for me. I awoke to the sound of chanting and shouting from Syntagma Square, and later that day, when I got out of class, there were hundreds of videos online of the violence happening just eight minutes away. My roommate's teacher took her class on a walk through the demonstration in the morning at 11, and I guess it was a very cool experience for them. Apparently protests are a natural way of life in Greece, and the old and young showed up. Unfortunately, this demonstration inevitably escalated in the afternoon to something I would imagine is similar to Modern Warfare 2. The one thing that is so interesting to me here is that the police have almost no authority. They cannot legally use their guns unless they are shot at first, and you can imagine how this rule has affected how the anarchists view the police. What results is what we see on the news in the states, Molotov cocktails being thrown by men and women in all black, gates being broken, etc. Although yesterday I was pretty freaked out, most of my fears have been subsided. While it seems from the video footage and news articles that the whole city is in flames, in reality, the very small area of Syntagma Square is the only area affected by the violence. When there are marches through the other large areas of the city small things might break out but most groups reserve their big ticket demonstrations for Syntagma in front of the Parliament. In my Modern History and Culture of Athens class we've been talking about how national identity was formed when Greece became independent around 1831. It has been so amazing to be in a class where we are actively studying the history and culture of a nation which is experiencing such extreme changes in the present. It has been especially valuable for me as a student of the Classics, because I never realized how much the Modern Greek identity has been affected by their classical past. This week on Tuesday the whole school is going on a four day trip to the Peloponnese, which is the southwestern region of Greece, including Kalamata, Corinth, Nauplion, and Olympia. I'm really excited to revisit some of the sites and towns I went to through the Willamette Post-session like Mycenae, Nemea, and Nauplion. When I return I'll post about how the trip went and give an update on the state of Athens!! </div>Laceyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15908504786742423161noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1067587825197879336.post-53903109934286871402012-01-31T07:50:00.000-08:002012-01-31T07:50:02.304-08:00Ancient Architecture<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrcRpP_hbWMjmmVu1sNOvSvUQiYlZBoCK-s1lJ-IJOHywAxyvSQQ2QTvW4YnPqgsyNVtvGGoUXLfTkIdJuqsO3I7deI_4rWyZoRfpZcrHgueE4k17pKUiXrqwNZ0ZXs0xDDiYTBzOy0IRv/s1600/photo+(1).JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrcRpP_hbWMjmmVu1sNOvSvUQiYlZBoCK-s1lJ-IJOHywAxyvSQQ2QTvW4YnPqgsyNVtvGGoUXLfTkIdJuqsO3I7deI_4rWyZoRfpZcrHgueE4k17pKUiXrqwNZ0ZXs0xDDiYTBzOy0IRv/s320/photo+(1).JPG" width="240" /></a></div>This is a page from my notes in Ancient Architecture today!<br />
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</div>Laceyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15908504786742423161noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1067587825197879336.post-57689679143730662652012-01-31T07:45:00.000-08:002012-01-31T07:45:07.478-08:00SNOW!!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">It is snowing in Athens! All day it was deathly cold and partly sunny with little flurries floating around. We had our second day of classes, so now I have officially seen every class I'm enrolled in, and so far so good. My Culture and History of Modern Athens class sounds like it's going to be fascinating, but quite depressing, as it is all about the development of Athens as a capital city from the late 1800s to present day. This includes social activism as seen in demonstrations, riots, graffiti, and art around the city. My teacher is very passionate; she got her degree from NYU and is half Indonesian, half Athenian, so she has a very unique perspective on the culture and city. My other class today was Ancient Architecture. I absolutely loved it! I can already tell that it will mostly be over my head since I've never taken an official architecture class before, but I'm hoping that I inherited some of the engineering genes which are so abundant on the Polvi side of my family. We immediately delved into drawing the two main orders of columns from the time period we're studying, Doric and Ionic, and so far it's really fun! I've never been much of an artist, but I think I'll be able to handle this because they're mostly just sections stacked up and semi-straight lines. The professor is great, he is kind of soft spoken with a very thick Greek accent, but seems to really love architecture. He also gave us every term first in English, and then in Greek, following the English term with "--which comes from the Greek word...", immediately reminding me of the father from My Big Fat Greek Wedding. A very entertaining way to pass the time when the lecture gets a little monotonous. I just can't wait to get on-site! He mentioned touching the ruins and going up on scaffolding to see all of the angles, which means that the rumors that I heard are true. I just wish it would stop snowing and get warm already, because as long as we have record lows, my Athenian teachers will never take us outside, they think it's the end of the world when it's 35 degrees! I'm feeling a little overwhelmed with my amount of homework from only two days of class, but I just have to remember why I'm here and try to get the most out of the whole experience. I also think that once I get the hang of the classes, it won't be as hard as Willamette. Until then, off to finish my Homer translation for the night!</div>Laceyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15908504786742423161noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1067587825197879336.post-23196655396642743662012-01-30T10:49:00.000-08:002012-01-30T10:49:46.313-08:00Some pictures<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2BCH5PR0j4IKn472AVfvxQ4mbrOgjCLNvCG_Mm14LINsqUnmJTDuYz6LKZOJetDxG6L7qr_cjr5FyUdrAx1rgddJhZSY3Lm3gYknz3u2XgTUhZriNPn3jstTgkuxnoelZDXWqXGizdf3c/s1600/athens+adventures+034.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2BCH5PR0j4IKn472AVfvxQ4mbrOgjCLNvCG_Mm14LINsqUnmJTDuYz6LKZOJetDxG6L7qr_cjr5FyUdrAx1rgddJhZSY3Lm3gYknz3u2XgTUhZriNPn3jstTgkuxnoelZDXWqXGizdf3c/s320/athens+adventures+034.JPG" width="320" /></a></div> the Zappion, a building right near CYA, built for the first Modern Olympic games in the late 1800s.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNra0GT8dnBsfZm4QU956SxIadefp323pUwxOng1ZsMG0_cGJ8U4Uav6QHdSS_KmO62UPhebkOjEnRUhecON2dkcIP_ohgSeewy5eH090oLPxdcT7m7WtnwaMxEYY1Wo1YmSqLkIwR1Juq/s1600/Saturday+shopping!!+006.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNra0GT8dnBsfZm4QU956SxIadefp323pUwxOng1ZsMG0_cGJ8U4Uav6QHdSS_KmO62UPhebkOjEnRUhecON2dkcIP_ohgSeewy5eH090oLPxdcT7m7WtnwaMxEYY1Wo1YmSqLkIwR1Juq/s320/Saturday+shopping!!+006.JPG" width="320" /></a></div> the Kallimarmaro (beautiful marble) stadium<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwF_t9cyLXNmZonokNkkiwzZao3WJRWmPtjQCPqLY5vAhGS-vOuUj2aSjLpG8sOu84r4J_Iz12Tql4AxQ22miiKfrl3JrwEodFJVIlkhTNrbaUaR60pludgc5QpPggSbZ5dXUm171xAr1r/s1600/athens+adventures+008.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwF_t9cyLXNmZonokNkkiwzZao3WJRWmPtjQCPqLY5vAhGS-vOuUj2aSjLpG8sOu84r4J_Iz12Tql4AxQ22miiKfrl3JrwEodFJVIlkhTNrbaUaR60pludgc5QpPggSbZ5dXUm171xAr1r/s320/athens+adventures+008.JPG" width="320" /></a></div> My first greek coffee in Athens!!<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOJ1utxqqM5w1jcdmPy3Mv6qsy3lJZEfBZwGUji7lWb4g7zNU-s_rgiqDdghuSUk-U1_TVZN1Bqs9oLLxrRKq-m7F07pcaIpEhBsXSUIwipOeRJnKz9stLDKfD5ArARayJDr4k0WZnxGOW/s1600/athens+adventures+014.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOJ1utxqqM5w1jcdmPy3Mv6qsy3lJZEfBZwGUji7lWb4g7zNU-s_rgiqDdghuSUk-U1_TVZN1Bqs9oLLxrRKq-m7F07pcaIpEhBsXSUIwipOeRJnKz9stLDKfD5ArARayJDr4k0WZnxGOW/s320/athens+adventures+014.JPG" width="320" /></a></div> View of the acropolis from Monastiraki!<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQwtp-EZ-0U8gMNYroB9r8Uaeh2yktQ4CtnYfG-P-0qftKGokFKYrpK_QzZNPdzmqAxfwfLX4Ojb9CrXtNh23_nmZVi5aQMgkJvVMkNqnKBEgC0pynXYDIscf4hqQRVzHQWdw2q3NQWvLS/s1600/athens+adventures+013.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQwtp-EZ-0U8gMNYroB9r8Uaeh2yktQ4CtnYfG-P-0qftKGokFKYrpK_QzZNPdzmqAxfwfLX4Ojb9CrXtNh23_nmZVi5aQMgkJvVMkNqnKBEgC0pynXYDIscf4hqQRVzHQWdw2q3NQWvLS/s320/athens+adventures+013.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>A gorgeous church plopped in the middle of Monastiraki. </div>Laceyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15908504786742423161noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1067587825197879336.post-83690430155930885542012-01-30T10:41:00.000-08:002012-01-30T10:41:56.131-08:00my list: feta, bread, salami, nutella, and mythos...<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">Today was our first day of classes and I had two; Modern Greek and Ancient Greek: Homer. They cancelled my accelerated Modern Greek for Classical Greek students so I was randomly placed into a 101 class. I think the basic class is going to be much more simple but it is nice having a larger class to make friends with. Already the teacher is moving quite slowly and talking about how hard conjugating and declining is going to be for us. I will just try to use that extra time to study my vocab because at least that will mostly be something new for me. I think I want to try to find a place to continue with my modern greek when I return to Oregon because it is so fun speaking a new language! My Ancient Greek class seems really interesting as well. The professor is this crazy British man dressed in tweed with a gold pocket watch and matching ballpoint pen. He made us read aloud in dactylic hexameter the first class and gave us a goal of 39 lines translated of the Iliad by Wednesday. I'm really glad I bought a special Homeric Lexicon to help me through the first few classes! Tomorrow morning I have Modern History and Culture of Athens and Ancient Architecture as well as Modern Greek again. I'm really excited for Ancient Architecture, although on the syllabus it says we will have to freehand draw once in awhile which will be an interesting experience for me! <br />
Besides my first day of classes, I also went grocery shopping. It's definitely not looking like I'm going to become a master chef while I'm here (I know, big surprise). So far my big ticket items are: feta, salami, cucumbers, olive paste, bread, and yogurt. Not a bad diet if I do say so myself. There is also a killer bakery down the street that my roommate and I have already hit up a couple times for these amazing fudge-y chocolate cake bars. Enough about food, let me talk about my location for a minute. My school, called Dikemes in Greek or College Year in Athens in English, is located literally on the street of the Panathenaiko Stadium, or <span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: x-small; line-height: 16px; text-align: -webkit-auto;">Καλλιμάρμαρο</span> Stadiou which is this huge stadium that was the site of the first Modern Olympic games in 1896. My favorite spot in the CYA building is on the third floor where there is a floor to ceiling window with a gorgeous view of the parthenon and the national gardens. It's been bitter cold here since I got here and we're supposed to have a cold snap this week (we actually got a warning e-mail that temperatures are supposed to get down to 35). My poor flatmate from Florida is freezing all the time but luckily the heater in my room works beautifully and we have kept it at a toasty 27 degrees Celsius. I'm now going to try to post some pictures on here since I finally figured out how to make all the headings in English instead of Greek!<br />
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<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969); color: #222222; font-family: Arial; font-size: 16px; text-align: -webkit-auto;">ΚΑΛΗ ΕΒΔΟΜΑΔΑ (have a nice week!)</span></div>Laceyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15908504786742423161noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1067587825197879336.post-15858670896766285792012-01-27T09:25:00.000-08:002012-01-27T09:25:59.018-08:00Day 5: the amazing Athenian race<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">Today we were split into groups and given a map and directions for a scavenger hunt across the city. There were professors posted up in various districts to talk to us about history, current events, and hot spots. My group made it to Monastiraki, Exarchia, Gazi, Psyri, Syntagma, Ermou, the National Garden, and the Zappeion from about 11:30am until 4 pm. I'd already been to Monastiraki (this amazing flea market) and Syntagma square, which is where my hotel was when I was in Athens two years ago. Zappeion was a huge beautiful building which was the spot of the first indoor Olympic event in the 1896 Olympics. Gazi is pretty much all bars, nightclubs, tavernas, etc, but I'm excited to go back to see the old gasworks which is what the district is named after. Exarchia Square was a really cool area, described as "alternative" and "artsy" with lots of students and artists but not as many anarchists as Omonia, a district we're strongly discouraged from visiting, especially after dark. I ducked into this great cafe and bookshop which was just filled with smoke and people doing important things, whether it be homework, writing, or participating in passionate discussions. There I ordered my very first Greek coffee EVER. I know, how have I not had one before?? Luckily, today in Modern Greek class we learned how to order Greek coffee (w/ sugar, medium, or black). I definitely want to go back to this area to explore the bookshop awhile and sit and pretend like I too have something important to write or read. I had an amazing and overwhelming first week but I am very excited for this weekend because we have absolutely nothing planned! As I'm meeting different students, I'm getting excited for classes to start, but I also expect to fully enjoy my last weekend before school begins. Dikemes (the Greek name for my program, College Year in Athens) is doing a great job so far of welcoming us and helping us acclimate. So far I feel very at home in Athens and the more I get to know the Greeks the more I fall in love with them. I can't wait to improve my Greek and meet more locals. Have a good weekend everyone!! </div>Laceyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15908504786742423161noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1067587825197879336.post-32294166393266449192012-01-25T07:28:00.000-08:002012-01-25T07:28:13.220-08:00Με λένε LaceyHello friends!! I feel like I've been in Athens forever but really it's only been two days. So much to tell...orientation has been going well. We have loads of free time (which is aided by the Greek siesta every afternoon where everything shuts down from 2-5). The highlight of my last two days has been my survival Modern Greek class, I love speaking it! There is so much expression and passion in the language. Tonight we are all going out to a ταβερνα or taverna to have a huge greek meal, I am VERY excited. As you all know, I am a huge fan of Greek food, and while our two cafeteria lunches we've had so far have been exciting and new, I still feel like I haven't had a good Greek meal yet. Last night the school hosted two traditional Greek dancers who came to show us some moves, it was really fun! This week's itinerary includes a huge scavenger hunt around the whole if Athens, Amazing Race style, and a visit to the U.S. Embassy to learn about emergency procedures and what not. Another fun fact about my new home: Shortly before I left Oegon, I made an interesting discovery, the makeup brand Korres which is sold at Sephora is hased in Athens! What I did not expect was that a Korres store would be right next to my school! Trouble...I did some damage there today but it was worth it. Who needs to eat right? Oh, I suppose I should write a bit about my apartment and new friends, i think I've been extra scatterbrained lately since I don't have school to keep me in line...o am living in Παγκράτι (pronounced Pangrati) about two minutes from school. It is very European, with tiny streets and old buildings and a huge church in the middle of it all. My apartment is tiny but it's quickly becoming home. My flatmates are so great, I'm quickly making many friends. There are students from all over here, especially the east coast! I will let you all know how my dinner is tonight. ;) <br />
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Until next time, καλησπέρα!<br />
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LaceyLaceyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15908504786742423161noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1067587825197879336.post-15724508671000630422012-01-05T11:59:00.000-08:002012-01-05T11:59:36.445-08:00Essentials: Visa and Course selections!About ten minutes ago I received a nonchalant call from my Dad in Salem, "There's an express package here I just had to sign for..." Gee, Dad, maybe my VISA. Collective sigh of relief from the audience, it was! As the day of my departure draws near, (17 days) I am perfecting my 8 page packing list (don't worry, I'm just very thorough) and anxiously awaiting my flight back to Oregon so I can actually start putting things together. I've also been working on a document full of easy recipes as my culinary repertoire is currently dependent on the availability of a toaster and microwave, two things I will not have in Athens. Anyway, my cooking adventures should make for humorous blog posts later but I thought now, before the grand excitement of arrival, would be the perfect time to give you all some background on my program and the courses I've selected. <br />
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My program is a relatively small American school in downtown Athens. I'm not sure about the total number of students this term, but usually it averages around 100 per semester I believe. The school offers courses in a variety of disciplines such as religious studies, philosophy and political science, all within Modern Greek studies, Byzantine studies, and the Classics (which is my bag). I am taking a wonderful assortment of courses, which I am quite proud of. First, I am taking Intermediate Greek: Homer, a natural progression which will also most likely be read at Willamette, but how much cooler is it to translate Ancient Greek in Greece? My next class is Advanced Modern Greek for Classical Greek students. I think this will be invaluable because it is very helpful and more rewarding to know the language when living in a foreign country for a substantial amount of time. (When I was in Greece for three weeks two summers ago, I never felt like I was out of the loop as most people we encountered knew English, but I know that my experience would have been even better if I'd known how to at least read the street signs). My third class is Ancient Greek Architecture from Archaic to Roman Times as Reflected in the Monuments of Athens, probably the longest title of any class I've ever taken, but I'm really excited for that one! My last class is Modern Athens: History and Culture of the Greek Capital. I'm happy with the variety of classes I chose and can't wait to let you know how they're going!Laceyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15908504786742423161noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1067587825197879336.post-15050883732791706102011-12-31T11:46:00.000-08:002011-12-31T11:46:53.023-08:00Packing, h&m, and tear gas oh my?<div style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: 'Adobe Caslon Pro', Cambria, 'Adobe Garamond Pro', Garamond, Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; line-height: 1.33; margin-bottom: 0.66em; margin-top: 0.66em; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">Well, it’s beginning. My obsessive list-making trait has always been something I valued, and it’s about to pay off. Last night I began the first draft of my packing list for the ultimate semester abroad experience, to ATHENS, GREECE (countdown 26 days).</div><div style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: 'Adobe Caslon Pro', Cambria, 'Adobe Garamond Pro', Garamond, Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; line-height: 1.33; margin-bottom: 0.66em; margin-top: 0.66em; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">Now I know what you’re thinking; isn’t everything falling apart over there? Isn’t everything closed and everyone on strikes and dish soap horrendously expensive?? Yes, yes, and pretty much. But what you should be asking is: Isn’t that one of the most beautiful places in the world? A city where old meets new in a brilliant way, where you can shop in H&M (materialistc) and then look up and see the Acropolis crowned with 3,000 year old structures? Why yes, it is. And I’ll admit, I’m a little scared about all of the excitement over there, (I am from Salem, OR, after all). But honestly I hope that I have at least a grain of common sense and I’ll know how to respond if I see tear gas bombs being tossed around. We’ll see. </div><div style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: 'Adobe Caslon Pro', Cambria, 'Adobe Garamond Pro', Garamond, Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; line-height: 1.33; margin-bottom: 0.66em; margin-top: 0.66em; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">When faced with worried inquiries about the state of Greece and what I would do if everything completely blew up while I was over there, I’ve decided to go the comedic (and comforting) route: “Why, I’ll just go relax on the beach with all the Greeks and ride it out.” </div><div style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: 'Adobe Caslon Pro', Cambria, 'Adobe Garamond Pro', Garamond, Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; line-height: 1.33; margin-bottom: 0.66em; margin-top: 0.66em; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">Anyway. This is my blog which I will use to update all of my friends and loved ones while I’m on my great adventure. I will also use it to whine about the things I miss and wish I had (hint, hint: Pi Phi abroad package) and brag about the amazing things I’m experiencing. Hope I’m not too boring, I’ll also probably throw a couple pictures up of ancient stuff here and there. I’ve heard rumors that in my Ancient Architecture of Athens class we get to climb around inside and on top of the Parthenon, so I’ll probably try to snap a pic of that.</div><div style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: 'Adobe Caslon Pro', Cambria, 'Adobe Garamond Pro', Garamond, Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; line-height: 1.33; margin-bottom: 0.66em; margin-top: 0.66em; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">I’M EXCITED!! <3</div>Laceyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15908504786742423161noreply@blogger.com0