This past summer, I had to opportunity to live and learn in Greece for a month under the study abroad organization AIFS: Abroad. I studied at the American College of Greece-Deree in Agia Paraskevi, a suburb of Athens. Along with my studies, I was able to explore Athens, the Greek mainland, and a few of the Greek islands. Here are some of some of my favorite things from Greece!
- The Acropolis in Athens
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Visiting the Acropolis in Athens is a must-do if you visit Greece. This iconic monument is the most famous and most complete ancient Greek temple complex. Every ancient city in Greece had an Acropolis; “Acropolis” simply means the highest point in a city. The Acropolis in Athens, though, is the most famous, with the Parthenon and numerous other temples and monuments.
The Acropolis is a giant hill, so be prepared to get a good workout in. As you walk up the hill, you’ll pass the Theatre of Dionysus, which is considered to be the world’s first theatre. Ancient Greek plays by playwrights like Sophocles, Euripides, and others would have been first performed here.
Next, there is the Odeon of Herodes Atticus, which was built for music contests. This venue is still in use today. In fact, only a few days after I visited, Coldplay shot the official music video for their song “feelslikeimfallinginlove,” here.
After some more walking and steep, slippery marble steps (everything is made of marble here… even some sidewalks), you’ll reach the Propylaea, the monumental entryway. You’ll then see the Temple of Athena Nike to your left (yes, like the brand Nike. Nike is the Greek Goddess of victory). Walk through the Propylaea and the Erechtheion, a smaller temple dedicated to Athena Polias and Poseidon-Erechtheus, will be to your left. Finally, you can’t miss it, the Parthenon.
All of my nerdiest dreams came true when I saw this temple dedicated to the goddess Athena. It towers over you, in an intimidating yet mesmerizing way. There is scaffolding all around the temple as restoration efforts continue, but this does not make it any less beautiful. From the top of the Acropolis, there is a once-in-a-lifetime aerial view of downtown Athens.
If you are ever in Greece, make time for the Acropolis. It is truly a life-changing experience.
Original photo by Mikayla Bunnell - Ancient Delphi
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Have you heard of the Oracle of Delphi? Well, this is where she did her magic. Ancient Delphi is nestled in Mt. Parnassus, a mountain in Central Greece, about two hours from Athens. I took a bus to the large archeological site, and on the bus, we had a tour guide who gave us the history of Delphi and told us the story and significance of the Oracle, who was a servant of the god Apollo. Ancient Greeks believed that Delphi was the center of the world.
The main archeological site of Delphi is the Temple of Apollo. I was about to walk around the ruins where the Oracle would have met her visitors. I walked past the Ancient Theatre of Delphi, which was a similar design to the Theatre of Dionysus at the Acropolis. I also saw the ruins of the Treasury of the Athenians. The city of Athens would have kept their war loot and their offerings to Apollo here.
Walking out of the main site and further down the road is another, smaller site. To get into this site, you have to brave a steep decline on the side of a dizzyingly high mountain. This is the first thing we saw when we arrived at Delphi; it was built to be a gateway into the city. It is the sanctuary of Athena Pronea. Those wishing to see the Oracle would first stop here and make an offering to the goddess Athena.
Original photo by Mikayla Bunnell - The island of Aegina
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The Greek island of Aegina is the closest to Athens, and thus an easy day trip. I got to the island via the ferries, which are the preferred methods for island-hopping.
Aegina is well known for the Temple of Aphaia. This temple, dedicated to the goddess Aphaia, actually forms a triangle with the Parthenon in Athens and the Temple of Poseidon at Cape Sounion. Looking out from the top of the Temple, you can see much of the Greek mainland, including Cape Sounion.
Aegina is well known for its pistachios, which are considered some of the best in the world. This was perhaps the best place for me to have my first pistachio. I also tried pistachio ice cream for the first time here. It was all incredible, but now I’ll never be satisfied with grocery store pistachios. I guess this means I’ll have to go back and get more!
Original photo by Mikayla Bunnell - CATS!
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I had to save the best for last: Greek cats. There are so many stray cats in Greece. They are all over the mainland and the islands, and wander freely through streets and archeological sites alike. They survive mostly off of tourists feeding them, though locals are kind to the cats as well. My residence hall had its own “adopted” stray named Cookie. She liked to break into our apartment and hang out with us. Occasionally, we saw stray dogs, too.
The cats were adorable to look at and take pictures of, but I avoided petting them for fear of what potential illnesses they might carry. Remember: they are cute, but they are feral! If you do pet a stray cat, make sure to wash your hands.
Original photo by Mikayla Bunnell
These are just a few of the things I did during my month in Greece. I had the chance to explore more of this beautiful country, but these were some of the highlights. If you ever get a chance, I highly recommend going to Greece. You can get a great history lesson, try some amazing food, and see some cute cats! What more could you ever need?