Hello!

This past weekend (Jan. 14-16) was one of the most interesting and spiritual experiences of my life. In class we’ve been learning about Ancient Greek history, and to finish the subject, we traveled to the places where ancient peoples have walked, glory has been won and gods have lived on- Mycenae, Olympia, and Delphi.

We began our journey at 9am Friday on a private charter bus with our professor. We drove through the Peloponnese (the large peninsular part of southern Greece) with stops at the Corinth Canal, Epidaurus, and Nafplion. The Corinth Canal, constructed in 1893, technically cuts off the Peloponnese from the mainland, making it an island. It’s a pretty spectacular sight to take in. Epidaurus is the site of an ancient small city with two main attractions: the Asclepieion and the theater. The Asclepieion is an ancient healing center, one of the most advanced of its’ time. The theater at Epidaurus is a wonder for both the eyes and ears. The acoustics are astounding, and standing in front of the stage transports you back in time.

The class was asked to prepare presentations this week. Most of us presented information about the great sites we visited over the weekend. Our next stop was Nafplion, the subject of my presentation. Nafplion was the first capital of Greece after the Greek Revolution and it’s main attractions are 3 huge fortresses. Two fortresses dangle off the side of cliffs over looking the city and one is delicately dropped in the harbor. The fortresses were used for the military and also as prisons.

Next stop: Ancient Mycenae. We didn’t have much time at Mycenae, but we were able to check out the museum there are walk around Agamemnon’s tomb. The short time there was definitely interesting and fun!

The following day took us to Ancient Olympia. The ruins at Olympia are fascinating monuments to the gods. Olympia was Zeus’ ground and his temple, the largest ruin, is situated just in the middle. The large stadium where Olympians once took victory laps was laid out in front of me like a giant green carpet. Olympia was a journey of the mind and spirit.

Next stop: Ancient Delphi. Delphi is Apollo’s territory. The small city was built into the side of a mountain that overlooks the most breathtaking mountain view I’ve ever seen. An intense hike up the mountain took us to the treasury, Apollo’s temple, a theater, and at the very top, a stadium. The sites at Delphi were truly breathtaking.

This weekend was incredible. I’m so happy that we are having the opportunity to travel throughout the country. More updates to follow!

Peace, Love, and Greece!
P.S. Photos are updated: http://picasaweb.google.com/kathleenmodonnell7/GreecePhotos?authkey=Gv1sRgCKbhzPbJ1ZXFQA&feat=directlink