Orientation/Mount Lycabettus

Today, we had our orientation bright and early at 8:30 AM. Afterwards, we walked from the Arcadia center towards Mount Lycabettus. On the way, we saw what little remains were left of Aristotle's school where he taught his philosophy and a facade of the emperor Hadrian's reservoir. After ascending up Mount Lycabettus, we enjoyed a beautiful panoramic view of Athens. Class was dismissed so we all grabbed some lunch. I ordered the "veal with beer", which was exquisite. Afterwards, I proceeded to Syntagma Square, which is the location of the Greek government building, to watch the Changing of the Guard. Two soldiers stand completely still for a half-hour guarding the Tomb of an Unknown Soldier, which is a symbol for all those who died in Greece's fight for independence against the Turks. Every half-hour they are relieved from their post and perform a ritual movement to pass the duty to a fellow soldier. This is considered to be a very honorable duty for the Greeks. Anyways, after watching this ritual unfold, I was attacked by a swarm of pigeons, which gather around the square in large numbers, because some guy thought it was funny to throw bird seed on me. Then, I walked through the National Gardens, which houses beautiful trees and animals. We stumbled upon some ancient Roman baths and colonnades in the National Gardens as well. Finally, as I was making my way back to my apartment, I realized that the stadium was, in fact, open to the public. Thus, I entered and walked through the Panathinaiko Stadium, which was originally used during Roman times and then reconstructed to house the first modern Olympic Games in 1896. Getting back to the apartment was a breeze. I was surprised at how quickly I was able to get my bearings straightened out.

The Whirlwind that was Day 1

Yesterday was absolute madness. The plane ride was extremely uncomfortable but I expected that, especially when one considers the cheap price I paid for the ticket. I couldn't maintain a successful sleep on the 10 hour flight but I did continuously doze off enough that my contacts gave me a killer migraine. Anyway, we landed in Athens at about 10 AM (3 AM EST). To say I was feeling jet lagged would be an understatement. Thus, I went to a Cafe and succumbed to one of my addictions; Iced Coffee. Now the Greek's version, called φραπέ (or Frape using the English letters), is much stronger than its American counterpart, so I almost instantly was wired and ready to tackle Athens. After meeting with the others in the program, we took a bus back to our own apartments. I'm living with three other guys in a suite-like style apartment amongst locals that overlooks the street called Χρεμωνίδου, which is in the Pangrati District of Athens, south of the government building and the eastern part of the city. At this point, we dropped off our stuff and went out exploring. Quickly, we found ourselves lost in the winding streets of Pangrati. So we decided to christen our new experience together the Greek way; with a large glass of Ouzo, which is a licorice-flavored liquor that is a common element amongst Greek meals. Later that evening, we had an orientation dinner at the Arcadia center, the place where my classes will be held. Here, the entire group met for the first time and exchanged pleasantries over one of my favorite Greek entrees; the Pita Gyro, a flatbread Pita stuffed with either pork, lamb or chicken with tzatziki sauce, tomatoes and french fries. After dinner, I was tired but not yet ready to call it a night, so I decided to head east and view the 2004 Olympic stadium. The stands were made out of stone, harping back on Athens ancient roots. Much to my disappointment, there currently is construction going on, so alas, I was unable to walk inside the stadium. A picture from the outside will have to suffice. It was truly a beautiful stadium. Getting back to the apartment was quite an adventure. I'm not sure if three weeks is long enough to get me completely comfortable with my surroundings. Thus, I had to succumb to the number one tourist tip-off; a map. Hopefully, tomorrow will better my ability not to get lost! If not, well I will have to take solace with the fact that man's natural state is one of confusion, where their greatest achievements derive.

T-Minus Four Days Until I Travel Back to Antiquity

The purpose for this blog is so that I can keep a travel journey and doing so will keep my family and friends up to date with my travels. I plan to update it at least every other day or so while I have steady internet connection in Athens and Rome. With Syracuse, though, there are no guarantees! Also, if anyone would like for me to send them a postcard from any of the locations I will be visiting, send me your address in a Facebook message or in an email at rmstitt@crimson.ua.edu. My planned itinerary is as follows:

May 29: Departure Philadelphia airport at 4:20 PM for Athens, Greece.
May 30: Arrive in Athens at 9:10 AM (1:10 AM EST). I’ll proceed to my apartment which is located in the Pangrati district, on the eastside of Athens. Later that evening at 6 PM, there will be an orientation dinner at the Arcadia center.
May 31-June 17: 3 week program on the Archaeology of Ancient Athens
June 4-5: I am hoping to meet up with the AL in Greece folks, who will be in Athens during this weekend. Since the tornado abruptly ended my last semester at Alabama, it will be nice to see everyone one last time and say goodbye. Also, I plan on hitting up a few of the Athenian museums which are not part of the itinerary, such as the Byzantine, Cycladic Art or Numismatic museums.
June 11-12: My second free weekend in Athens will not be spent in Athens. I plan on taking a ferry from Piraeus to Heraklio, Crete (about 8 hours) to see the ruins of the ancient Minoan palace at Knossos and explore the archaeological museum as well. Afterwards, I will catch a ferry from Crete to Santorini for a day and then catch a ferry back to Piraeus. I had so much fun on the island of Santorini last summer that I must go back, albeit for a day!
June 17-29: 2 week program on the Archaeology of Ancient Rome
June 18-19: Although this is a Classical program, there is no way I could go to Rome and not see Vatican City, arguably housing some of the most iconic buildings and artwork of western civilization. Thus, I have scheduled myself to be part of a group tour of the churches and museum at 9:30 AM, which eliminates the two-hour long lines!! The rest of the free weekend will be spent taking in the glory that was Renaissance Rome and viewing some of the Roman museums not on the itinerary, such as the National Museum of Rome and National Etruscan Museum.
June 25-26: My second free weekend in Rome will be spent throughout Campania. First, I’ll arrive at Naples via train to visit the archaeological museum which houses the remains of Pompeii and Herculaneum…and also to enjoy the birthplace of Pizza! Then, I will visit to the ancient cities of Pompeii and Herculaneum, which and eruption of Mt. Vesuvius in 79 AD has preserved, giving us a glimpse into Roman city structures. Also, I will climb up Mt. Vesuvius (an active volcano) and peer over the Bay of Naples. Then, I will visit the ancient site of Paestum, which has some of the oldest and well-preserved Greek temples. Finally, I will catch a train back to Rome.
June 30 – July 23: 3 week program on the archaeology of Ancient Sicily
July 23-26: My independent travel continues, as I head back to Campania to spend a few days on the beautiful island of Capri and explore Naples a bit further.
July 27: I leave Naples at 6:40 AM to Munich, Germany, where I will have a 4 hour layover and then arrive in Philadelphia at approximately 3:30 PM EST