Days Two and Three in Athens have been a whirlwind of food, new friends, and running around!

Day two welcomed more walking, a bit of shopping, the rest of the students arrival, and a beautiful trolley ride through the city. The morning walk took Nazana and I to the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, gloriously situated in front of the Parliament Building. I visited the one at Arlington Cemetery in Washington, D.C. a few years back with my wonderful family. There, I learned that the American Tomb of the Unknown Soldier is guarded by U.S. Military personnel who rotate on a schedule according to military branch. So one day it could be guarded by a marine and the next, an army captain. In Athens, two guards stood stark at either sides, silent and serious as can be. Their solitude made me double take for a well due moment of silence. After a bit of research I found that there are many Tombs and Monuments of the Unknown Soldier in 41 countries!

Tomb of the Unknown Soldier at Parliament

The trolley picked four of us (Nazana & I plus two students, Galina & Vianca) up in Syntagma Square at the top of Ermou Street, the city’s hippest shopping district. Ermou can possibly be equated to Times Square with a few exceptions: No neon signs, no where near as many pedestrians and cars, and MUCH more expensive shopping! The tram took us past the Parliament Building (again!), The President’s Palace, an Olympic Stadium, The Agoras (market places), many ruins, about a million cafes, the Acropolis, and through the Plaka. Most of the group had dinner at a great authentic place with the program coordinators. We learned that we could eat dinner there every night with meal vouchers (provided with the trip). Heck yeah, “free” food! The dinner, needless to say….was delicious in every way. Savory, sweet, salty, tangy-kebabs, other meats, greek salads, fries, feta cheese…my goodness gracious. Feeling sleepy, we headed back with our bellies full only to go back out and check out a bit nightlife. Athens is pretty hopping on Tuesday nights! Tonight’s dinner was just as exceptional!

Me with a fire breather!!

Today (Wednesday the 5th) brought the first day of class. The class is entitled “Greek Culture and Civilization.” We will learn about the past and present of life in Greece from many angles: sociological, political, and anthropological. The professor is Dr. Constance Tagopolous of UIndy Athens. She taught at CUNY Queens College for many years. The class seems to be very interesting-right up my ally! I’m looking forward to learning more about this amazing country. After class, the professor told us that this weekend would be the best bet for out-of-Athens travel. We had all been talking about Santorini. Nazana and I were planning on going there the last weekend of the trip, but due to a the Epiphany Day holiday tomorrow, class is canceled. Our best bet was to go this weekend! So I ran to Ellie Despotaki
(Coordinator of Institutional Advancement, Alumni Affairs and Special Programs) and she hooked us up with a fantastic trip package!

So tomorrow, in the early morning hours we will all be headed to the true paradise of Santorini Island, a place I could only dream I’d ever visit. I’ll keep you posted from there.

Peace, Love, & Greece!

P.S. Don’t forget to check out my photos-updated almost every day: http://picasaweb.google.com/kathleenmodonnell7/GreecePhotos?authkey=Gv1sRgCKbhzPbJ1ZXFQA#