All Greeced Up

Today was the Michael Matera show, and I was happy to bear witness. Michael is an experienced traveler of European nations, so when he said he'd like to split off from the tour group and see some sites of historical value that we had missed, I eagerly signed on. I was not disappointed.

We boarded public transportation at 7:30 am for a 90-minute bus ride to Sounio to visit the Temple of Poseidon (pictured at left). It has been my goal on this trip to be photographed at as many temples of the Olympians as possible. As stunning as Apollo's temple at Delphi and the Parthenon in Athens (dedicated to Athena) are, Poseidon's temple takes the proverbial cake. It is situated on a promontory overlooking the Aegean Sea. It was peaceful and isolated and massive - everything a temple to a god should be.
We spent about an hour there, including waiting time for the next bus to come around. Then another 90-minute bus ride back to Athens. Half the day gone, right? How productive could the day be?

The bus stopped three blocks north of the Temple of Zeus in the shadow of the Acropolis. Hadrian's Arch showed us the entrance to this tribute to the King of the Gods. If Poseidon's temple was large, the Athenians definitely knew who was boss and made this temple so large and impressive, one couldn't help feeling humbled. A quick tour led to photos of the temple itself and the remnants of the foundations of temples to Cronus & Rhea and Apollo & Artemis. Mission accomplished, we hoofed it several blocks and found ourselves back in the Plaka, our trip's first excursion destination last Thursday. A quick stop for a gyro at a street-side taverna and we were refueled for the afternoon.

Michael, who teaches history, has been jazzed to get to the Roman and Greek agoras all week long. The Roman agora was just on the other side of the taverna, so we hit that first. Michael toured Hadrian's library and I scoured some shops just outside for additional gifts for the family. I struck out, but Michael struck gold - historical gold that is. A few blocks over we found the Athenian agora, a place renowned as the birthplace of democracy. There were several temples on the site, so I armed myself with my camera and we toured the grounds. We hit the temple of Hephaestus (still remarkably well preserved - not surprising since he is the God of the Forge) and the temples of Ares, Zeus, and Apollo, the Alter of the Twelve Gods, and the Eponymous Heroes building.
(The Parthenon as seen from the temple of Hephaestus to the right.) We perused the agora museum, highlighted by a bronze Spartan shield and some of the earliest Athenian technology (a machine the could randomly pick a jury and a water clock for timing political speeches - 6 minutes only, sounds like something we should employ back home). Then Michael spotted the one place he's been hoping to visit the entire trip - the Areopagus Rock - the actual birthplace of democracy. The picture below shows him soaking in the history of the rock itself, on which the seeds of our way of life were conceived, with the Temple of Hephaestus in the background.

After a brisk 1.5 mile walk back to the hotel, we have showered and are headed up to dinner. One last look at the Parthenon all lit up. It has been an outstanding, once-in-a-lifetime trip. I have to thank USM for granting me the opportunity to experience some of the history and mythology behind the subject matter than I teach.

We leave for home at 4:30 am CST (12:30pm Athens time) and expect to be back in Milwaukee around 11pm CST. It's a long day. Looking forward to seeing Julie and the girls - not looking forward to the travel. Good night, Greece.

Sunset Over Athens

I don't have the words...

Ladies, Grab Your Wallets

The day started in Napfilo (coincidentally the same city in which the previous day ended) with a climb up the 999 steps to Fort Palamidi - for the high school kids. Those of us with knee problems or the smarts not to climb all those stairs were chauffeured in air-conditioned comfort to the top of the hill by bus. The fort overlooks the town and harbor and is a testament to engineering and construction in the 16th Century. Nice view, unless you were a prisoner there - in which case you would most likely go blind in the windowless cells.

From there we re-boarded the bus and headed for the ancient ruins of Corinth. Renowned for it's luxuries and lavish lifestyle, the city was once considered the pleasure capital of Greece. The city rests on the isthmus between the Aegean and Ionian seas and it's founders were smart enough to build a port on both sides. Merchants from all over the world would come to sell their goods to Greece's jetsetters, other merchants, and travel-weary sailors.

The patron goddess of Corinth was Aphrodite, the Goddess of Love. As such, she had a sacred temple just outside the merchant market where her priestesses would practice (and were proficient in) the art of, as our guide explained it, sacred prostitution. One would expect no less from the Goddess of Love. An interesting side note and a footnote in the history of advertising: these priestesses would wear sandals with symbols on the bottom that read "follow me" that would point the way on the dusty roads to where their sacred rituals could be performed.

We saw the sacred Bema where St. Paul gave his sermon, his gospel, on love. "Love is patient, love is kind"...I thought these were just words written in the Bible and chosen by my wife for our wedding. Turns out this was the place where this sermon was delivered, specifically to inform the wayward merchants and sailors that the kind of love being ritualized by Aphrodite's priestesses was in stark contrast to the kind of love as outlined by the one, true God. I understand that part of my wedding ceremony a lot better now.

The highlight of Corinth is the ancient Roman mall complete with a marble-paved street, vendor shops, a fountain, and even a public restroom. One can imagine the kind of commerce that happened on this street and the number of people that came from all walks of life and cultures that bought and sold and shopped here. It is humbling to walk the same street...especially when you're running low on Euro. Clearly, no longer are there stores here and I couldn't have bought anything if there had been. Hey! It's just like being at home...only with ancient ruins.

We crossed over the canal that was built in the early 20th Century to connect the two bodies of water - we actually got out of the bus and walked across the bridge. You have to see the color of this water to believe it. Technically it has no color - it's water - but it takes on the appearance of the most brilliant electric blue you can imagine. It makes you want to jump in - not a good idea from 300 hundred feet.

We stopped for a nice meal on the Aegean side. Calamari. Big calamari with creamy french fries. On the water. In Greece. Pinch me.

From there it was back to Athens. Tomorrow should prove a grand adventure. The group is heading to the island of Hydra for a beach day. Michael and I are splitting from the group to pursue some personal interests for our classrooms. Michael is really interested in seeing the agora - the birthplace of western democracy - and the museum on the grounds below the Acropolis (this was not on our tour back a hundred years ago - or was it four days ago? - hard to keep track). I am trying to get photographed at as many temples as possible. If we take some public transportation tomorrow, we should be able to hit the temples of Poseidon, Zeus, and Hephaestus for me.

It has been a whirlwind of exciting places to visit and food to sample. Only one day left and it's going to be jam-packed. I'll let you know how it turns out. Thanks for following the blog. Good night, Moon (Good night, Selene).

Early Wake-up, Earlier Greece

Early wake-up call for breakfast. I was spoiled by our first hotel. The last two hotels have had more traditional European morning fare. Slim pickins for me the last two days – probably okay considering the other meals we’ve had in the last few days and the gelato place we found last night on our walk back to the hotel. I know where we’re going for dessert tonight.

On the bus at 8am to head to the Theater of Epidaurus. This theater is still being used today. In fact, it was used last night, so the ambience was ruined a bit by the lighting equipment and section signage that had not yet been struck. Even so, it was interesting to see how similar this facility was to the Theater of Dionysus on side of the Acropolis in Athens. Both carved into the side of mountain/hill, both with dignitary seating, both with large stage areas (orchestras). The theater, in antiquity, was believed to have healing powers – it was the genesis of modern-day art therapy. So people from all over Greece would be “prescribed” a day or days of theater to cure certain maladies. Performances consisted of three tragedies followed by a comedy (so as to leave the audience with a sense of relief after all that death). It was a day-long adventure. Our adventure was cut short by a brief rain storm that made climbing the marble stairs treacherous.

Back to the bus.

Forty-five minutes later we arrived at the ruins of Mycenae and the supposed tomb of Agamemnon. The ruins lay on the acropolis which, in reality, is not the acropolis, or high point of the city. In this case, they choose a smaller hill that gave them the tactical advantage of being able to see invaders from the sea and the mountains without being seen. Driving in from the sea and through the mountains, we literally could not see the ruins until we pulled within a quarter mile of them – but from the ruins we could see our path all the way back to Nafpilo.

We walked through the Lion Gate and viewed the supposed tomb of King Agamemnon (it most likely is not, but the archeologist who found this site was absolutely convinced of it). We traveled a half-mile back down the road to find another burial site built into the side of a hill. It was positioned purposefully so that sunlight streams into the chamber on the summer solstice – very Indiana Jones!

From there, we dined at King Menelaus restaurant. Lamb and potatoes and mousaka and Greek salad and the traditional beverage of Greece – Pepsi. The owner was so pleased that we enjoyed the meal, he smashed two plates on the marble floor, earning cheers and cries of “Opa!” from the American yokels. Best meal in two days.

The final tour stop of the day was a little family-run gift shop and pottery workshop just down the road. We received a demonstration of how they make some of their pieces, although we were not shown some of the more advanced (i.e. – ancient) techniques they use to reproduce museum-quality pieces. They are one of two shops left in Greece that continue to use these ancient techniques – I checked out their work in the front of the store – a touch out of my price range…by several hundred Euro.

Oh well…next time I’m here…

We have been given the rest of the day off. The high school kids have all meandered down to the beach. The rest of my party has skedaddled into the town square market for some window shopping. I’m down to my last 40 Euro with three meals still left to pay for, so I’m going to wander the street with my camera. Michael and I have entered into a surprisingly fun photo contest – I am learning from the master and hope to have some shots to prove it to you in future posts.

Opa!

Sun-Day

Michael - and a pedestal of the Zanes


Sorry for the delay in posting - explained below:

Yesterday - We survived the climb to the top of Delphi in sun-soaked 105-degree heat. We took the opportunity to cool off in the Mediterranean (not the kind of beach we’re used to – all rocks, and not worn smooth like the marble we’ve been walking on – but some concessions must be made, I guess). We witnessed a brilliant sunset over the mainland-mountains from our Peloponnese seaside hotel in Patra.

Today - After a quick 2-hour drive to the site of the Olympics of antiquity, Olympia, we found ourselves once again enduring the sun and heat. The heat was as much a competitor in ancient days as it was today. According to my good friend and history teacher colleague, Michael, many competitors in antiquity dropped dead from heat stroke after competing. Michael was witness to a historical equivalent today when the high school kids we’re traveling with decided to re-enact an Olympic footrace in the stadium. One of the kids, Mike, was overcome shortly after the race and had to take nearly half an hour of rest and fluids before he could rejoin the group. Michael plans to add this experience to his classroom teaching for decades to come.

Olympia was amazing. The area was completely covered by a flood a thousand years ago and laid under 20 feet of silt until it was excavated a few decades back. Now you can walk the grounds of ancient athletes – through the gymnasium, the stoa, the temples to Zeus and Hera, and one of the four round buildings of antiquity (these buildings are still a mystery – there are only four in all of Greece – there must be some significance, but it still eludes archeologists and historians today).

My favorite part of the grounds, besides the tunnel into and the stadium itself, was the pedestals of the Zanes. These pedestals hosted the statues of those athletes caught cheating, paid for by the cheaters themselves, to bring shame on the individual, his family, and his city-state for generations to come. The steroids of the ancient Greeks? Rooster, because of the testosterone. The Greeks certainly valued honor and knew how to deal with the cheating cheaters of their era. Barry Bonds and Roger Clemens beware!

We stopped for a quick lunch of stuffed tomatoes (plump, roasted tomatoes filled with rice) and a Coke (soda is expensive here – good thing I’m drinking 2-3 liters of water to deal with the heat and sun - soda is a luxury best bought sparingly).

We were able to escape the relentless rays of Helios and were whisked away on a four-hour jaunt through the heart of the Peloponnese to the small coastal town of Nafplio. We are spending two nights here. There was a small earthquake shortly before I tried to post this. Soon after we lost wi-fi. Don’t know if the two are related. Tomorrow we will hit the Theater of Epidaurus (our science teacher and former theater-major, Kamie, is really excited about this) and the city of Mycenae before returning to our hotel. More then.

Entering the Olympic stadium. And yes, Wolverine made the trip, too.

I'll have Mondays antics posted in a couple of hours.

From Old to New in One Day

The sun rises over Marathon


Some of the cool things that we saw in passing: The sun rising over Marathon on our way out of Athens this morning. That lake is still used today to provide fresh water for Athens. Passing by Thebes, and being regaled with the story of Oedipus - a story that made some of the high school students on the trip a bit uncomfortable (you should see them squirm when we're in museums looking at sculpture in various states of undress). Our bus driver, Kyriakos, squeezing past a tour bus headed in the opposite direction on a street barely designed to hold two Smart cars, let alone two monster buses. The one hundred miles of the Corinthian coastline. Sunset in Patra.

Okay, now some more details. Our bus driver is freakin' phenomenal. The guy looks like a member of the Special Forces and drives better than James Bond. These ancient cities and coastal villages were never meant for this kind of traffic, but the guy whips that bus around like it's a high-performance Ferrari. We've had moments when the bus has erupted in applause and concerted whooping.

I brought six movies to watch on the trip. The plane was so miserably uncomfortable that I never got the chance. The scenery from the bus has been so spectacular that I haven't even wanted to get the computer out, lest I miss the next great picture. We have a four-hour ride tomorrow - the over/under on movies watched during that trip is 1/2. Smart money is on the under.

There is a huge new bridge from the mainland to the Peloponnese island - the name escapes me. However, tonight as we ate dinner they lit it up all blue and gold in honor of USM, the institution that granted this trip (okay, they do this every Saturday night, but it sounds good, right?). The idea for this bridge has been in the works for over 100 years. They were finally able to open it in 2004 (btw - it cost 60 Euro to cross it - that's around $75). It now stands as the symbol of modern Greece. It was a great bookend to the day after beginning the day with a view of the Acropolis (nice way to eat breakfast) and a tour of an 11th Century monastery and a 3000 year-old temple to Apollo.

Enjoy pics of sunset from our hotel in Patra. Sea you tomorrow. :)

OMG (Oh, my gods)

We started the day with a 5:30 wake up call. Good idea for people coming off of jet lag and those of us who stay up until 1am blogging. I had every intention of sleeping on the bus, but the scenery was just too stunning. Stayed awake and took pictures the whole way.
Arrived three hours later at a mountain-top monastery of Holy Lukas (careful to point out that he was not Saint Luke) built in the 11th Century. "Beautiful", as a word, doesn't do it justice...nor does peaceful, incredible, or humbling. Fingers crossed: here's a pic...

A quick stop for lunch (vine leaves and cabbage leaves stuffed with minced beef and rice - dolmades) and then off to Delphi to visit the temple of Apollo and the legendary oracle there. Couldn't ask for anything more. It is easy to see why this spot was chosen as "the center of the world" and why the oracle there was never wrong. If my words couldn't do the monastery justice I'm not even going to think about attempting Delphi.

We then had another two hour bus ride to Patra. I fully intended to sleep, or read, or watch a movie on the way, but every time we turned a corner (and there were lots to turn since we followed the Corinthian coast for 2 hours) there was another picture-perfect landscape. We've just arrived at our hotel. We'll only be here for about 14 hours, but I am about to head out to the sea for a quick dip. I'll try to describe all of these things better after dinner.

(view from our new hotel room)

Sea you soon.