Kayla Bartok- last post

Kayla Bartok

Blog #3

  Yesterday was our last day in Greece and it was a great last day.  We didn't have to wake up super early like all of the other days, which was nice.  We first went to the Olympicos soccer stadium which I was really interested in because I love soccer and I play for LaRoche.  We got a tour of the museum and we were able to learn about the history of the team and see all of the trophies that they have won.  We also learned about gate 7 where 21 fan died at the stadium.  Then after the tour of the museum we went to the stadium and got to walk down by the field.  The field was amazing because it was all grass and not turf.  I took so many pictures with the other soccer girls that came on the trip.  

    After seeing the stadium we were able to see the home teams locker room but we could not take any pictures.  It was amazing, with the really nice seats, hot tub, and lockers that the players used.  Then we went to the soccer store and I wasn't planning on spending any more money but I had to get stuff because everything was buy one get one free.  I think touring the stadium was one of my favorite parts of the trip.

   The rest of the day we had some free time and got a tour of the acropolis which had a great view.  The tour guy told us so much information that it was hard to keep up but I still learned a lot about the acropolis and the city of Athens.  During our tour we saw some teenage soccer players doing tricks and they were really good.  It was nice to see kids about my age that have a common interest as me.

   Now we are on our way back to Pittsburgh.  I wish we could have stayed in Greece longer but it still feels good to come home to see my family and friends.  This was a once in a lifetime trip for me and it was an amazing experience.  I am so great full that I was able to go on this trip and that LaRoche college made it possible and we had a great instructor to come with us on the trip.  Thank you :)

Celeste Reed - last post

Celeste Reed

From the beginning of the school year I was counting down the days till our Greece trip. Right now, I am sitting on the floor of Newark airport outside of our gate feeling sad. I knew our trip would be the experience of a lifetime, but I underestimated how much I would fall in love with Greece.

Eating gyros, jumping in the Mediterranean, standing on top of Mycenae dangling my feet off the edge of a cliff, taking an island cruise were among some of my favorite moments and viewing the sights of the Golden Ages of Greece on the Acropolis. However, if I had to pick one moment that made my trip special it was riding my donkey, "Diva" up the island of Hydra. My bucket list for our trip was to ride a donkey (which I made extremely clear by announcing it to everyone repeatedly for months). This experience was breathtaking. I told Dr. Jean that the birth of my first child may not top this experience for me. I wanted to stay in that moment for the rest of my life.

I cannot express how many times I looked around during my time in Greece and thought how blessed I was to be able to experience it all. I want to thank my "sorority sisters" aka the girls on the trip for all the laughs, Dr. Jean and "Dr." Julie for being perfect and La Roche study abroad for designing this amazing opportunity.

"I ain't lucky I'm blessed."

Nick Work last post

Nick Work

Today I am very sad to depart to Pittsburgh because I do not want to leave. It has been a wonderful trip with great people. We have had a crash course on Greece history and I tried to retain as much as I can. My plan is to go back and research more about where I have been. While I'm doing so I am blessed I can I say that I was there. My favorite part of the trip has to be when we took a boat to three different islands. One being Hydra, which was my favorite. It is a different way of life there, for they have no means of transportation besides donkey and boat. Although I did not ride a donkey, after a little bit of convincing by Phil Ross I decided to jump in the freezing water.  The water was crystal clear blue and you can see straight down to the bottom. After we jumped in the water we only had about a half hour to see as much of the town as we could. Therefore me and Phil jogged to the city trying to get up the mountain to capture the best picture. The whole time I had a judge smile on my face because the town was more than I could ever expect, with white houses with blue shutters, just like a postcard.

But coming over seas is so amazing to me to because meeting people from different culture is a learning experience in itself. I hope one day to come back! Overall rating 10/10!

Philipos Ross. Last post

Philipos Ross

Well, the day has finally come, the departure from Greece back to the states. I am a little delirious because of the fact that I received minimal sleep the whole trip, and we received our wake up call at 3am today to go to the airport, so don't judge this post. Overall, this was the experience of a lifetime. Everything happened so fast in a little amount of time. I believe that everyone as a whole learned a good amount of knowledge on the trip, due to our informational tour guides. The trip as a whole was phenomenal, and our cruise ship to the three islands had to have been my favorite part. I jumped in the glass-like water of the Mediterranean at Hydra, the first of our island tours. I went in a second time because Nick being Nick, dropped his passport in the Mediterranean and I had to dive in to get it, which worked to my advantage because he bought my beverages the rest of the time on the ship. My favorite part about the trip were the views from various parts of Greece. From the mountain ranges to the islands, the views were truly breathtaking. Again, the pictures don't do it justice. It was truly something sensational. What an experience, I can't thank our institution enough for this opportunity. If I ever find a wife, I can almost guarantee I am coming back to Greece for my honeymoon to continue the tour of the islands, they are that beautiful. 

Joe Illig The Acropolis

Joe Illig

Yesterday we explored the city of Athens. We had already looked at the modern part earlier in the week. We saw that all in all it was a nice city, but as many do it had some less nice areas. We saw in the shopping square many Jamaicans, who were hustling people (they got Phil). Later, we learned that they were trying to get to Germany for asylum. Unfortunately, Germany pays Greece and other countries to not let them through customs. Hence, the cycle of poverty continues. On a brighter note we got to see the ancient city of Athens. The most amazing part was the Acropolis. It was truly amazing to see the Parthenon and how the Greeks were able to build such buildings without modern technology. The Greco-Roman antiquities were breathtaking, the architectural influences were absolutely crucial to the establishment of our modern age. Overall I give Athens 8/10, still would recommend.

Olympiacos stadium

Leaving Greece

The day has come-- we are leaving this beautiful country. This has been the best week I could have ever imagined. Greece exceeded all expectations I had before arriving. We had an amazing group of people and I felt like we all meshed really well. Dr. Forte was the best instructor for this trip-- we lucked out big time! I think that my favorite part of the trip was visiting Delphi. The view from the top was by far the most beautiful thing I have ever seen. I am really sad to be going home already, but I am so grateful for this opportunity I have been given! 

Holly-Last day/flight day!

Good morning from Greece! Today is our travel day back to the states. We got a wake up call at 3 AM and naturally we slept until about 3:45 to squeeze in in as much sleep as possible. I have learned a lot over the course of this week. To say that I am blessed is probably an understatement. I enjoyed all of the experiences this week provided and I can't thank La Roche enough for allowing me the opportunity to study abroad. I would also like to thank Dr.Forti and her sister for being absolutely wonderful chaperons. 

Until next time, Greece!! 

Christine Chiodo

It's currently 3:48 am on March 13th and our trip is officially coming to a close. We all are just strolling down to the lobby with our eyes still shut and that weird feeling of excitement and dissappintment in our stomachs. I'm ready for home, my bed and my family but there's no way that I'm ready to leave the trip of a lifetime.

Coming into this trip I really had no idea what to expect, and in all honesty the beginning of the trip was sort of slow, but by the 4th day or so, in Tolo, it was in full swing. In Tolo we woke up to the prettiest view outside of our balcony and then headed off to see Myceanic Acroplolis, Corynth Canal and said goodbye to our amazing tour guide Andy. The next day we headed back to Anthens and took our boat tour to 3 islands of Greece. Those islands were by far the most beautiful thing we saw during the entire trip. When you picture Greece, this is what you picture. We took a donky ride in Hydra through the white houses with the blue windows, climbed to the clock tower in Pyros and sat by the water in an open cafe while drinking coffee in Aegina. I don't think we could have had a better day. Yesterday, our final day in Greece, was full of Athens. The Acropolis, Parthenon and an amazing soccer stadium! Everything surpassed all expectations that I had and I am so excited to have had such an amazing day in Athens 

Overall the trip was far greater than I could have imagined and I learned information that will stay with me forever. Thank you to everyone that worked to great measures to get our group here. A special thanks to Nicole Gable, our coordinator, Dr. Jean Forti and her sister Julie, our instructors on the trip and lastly, La Roche College as a whole. As students to be able to experience this you truly realize how lucky you are to be apart of such an amazing college. 

Holly-Parthenon

Today we got to sleep in a little bit (yay!) and visit around the the city of Athens. First thing this morning we went to tour a soccer stadium very close to Athens. That in itself was insanely cool. The team, since 1925 has won 41 championships. The field was very nice and our tour guide had a lot of info to share. After we finished our tour we got to go back to the city and shop and have lunch. Then we met up with another tour guide that took us around and talked about the ancient ruins. This by far was my favorite thing we had done all week. They were high up on the hill overlooking the city and the weather even cooperated and was warm and sunny all afternoon. I think all of the info the tour guide gave us (which was A LOT!) was all very interesting. I had been looking forward to walking around these ruins all week and it didn't let me down!! I attached a picture below of the view as we walked into the ruins. 

Christine

Shane Healey

Shane Healey

With the Greek trip coming to an end, looking back on it, it was an amazing time. We went to 3 Islands today: Hydra, Poros, and Aegina. The views coming into the port of all the islands were awesome. My favorite by far was Hydra. They had donkey rides, clear water and great ice cream! Poros has the clock tower with the Greek flag positioned next to it, it was a sight for some good pictures and the view of the water and Southern Greece was pretty cool.

Through this entire trip, I have met some good people from Greece. They all did their best to help me and the others. They spoke proudly of their country and taught us Greek mythology, customs, traditions and even gave us some tips when shopping or trying out different foods. I am really looking forward to touring the Acropolis and wrapping up the trip with the soccer stadium tour.

I would like to thank my parents, Dr. Jean Forti, her sister Julie, Nicole Gable, La Roche College and all of the students with me to make this trip the best experience I could have. I am very grateful for this opportunity and am hopeful to travel to another country sometime in the near future!

Cassie Nadzam

Cassie Nadzam 

Today, Wednesday March 11th, we took a cruise touring 3 of the gorgeous islands of Greece. We saw Hydra, Pyros, and Agena. My favorite was Hydra because we rode donkeys to the top of the large island and oversaw all the beautiful scenery surrounding it. We then visited some quaint little shops and talked to the lovely shop owners. It was heartbreaking to leave there!! 

Philipos Ross - Wednesday, March 11

Philipos Ross

Out of the whole trip, today was my favorite day. We traveled to Poros, Aegina, and Hydra islands via a mini cruise ship and were blessed with nice weather. The weather was so nice that I dived into the glass-like water of the Mediterranean Sea at Hydra,  even though the locals thought I was insane because of how cold the water is. Hydra was as beautiful as a post card, tiered with white houses with blue windows on the mountain. I took a plethora of pictures on the island but they simply do not do it justice; you have to be there to witness it for yourself. I had the best fish of my life today, probably because of the fact that the fish was hours fresh out of the Mediterranean. Again, I cannot stress enough of the beauty of the islands, they were truly breath-taking. What an experience we have all had today, I feel truly blessed and am thankful for the opportunity to travel abroad. 

Hannah Bevington Wednesday, March 11

Hannah Bevington 

 Today is Wednesday March 11th. Although it is hard to pick a "favorite" day I might have to say today might be my favorite so far. We visited three different Greek islands. I feel like we covered so much and got to see and explore a variety of places. We were able to explore shops. Try and buy local foods: like pistachios. Also I have waited this whole trip to ride a donkey! It was even better then expected we went to one of the highest points of the island and got to oversee everything. It was absolutely breathtaking and I almost didn't get back on the boat! I wanted to stay forever! 

Joe Illig. -islands

Joe Illig

Today we went on a cruise. It was absolutely stunning. The cruise was a tour of the islands of Greece. These aren't your typical islands, They were the islands that you see in movies... real good stuff. Not only were the islands beautiful, they also had a rich history in antiquity. We got to witness Greco-Roman architectural influences at their finest. The isle of hydra was one of the most gorgeous places I've ever seen, you could see right to the bottom of the sea, as the water was crystal clear. I would rate the Greek islands a 10/10, Absolute Recommendation.

Mareya Justice

Today we took a cruise to visit the islands of Hydra, Poros and Aegina. The cruise was amazing and the weather was beautiful. Each of the islands were beautiful in their own way. My favorite of the three was Hydra. Hydra was our first stop on the cruise. At this island we got the opportunity to ride on a donkey. While traveling through the streets the tour guide had informed me that my donkey was a rescue donkey. Her name was Melina and she was found starved and beaten. The tour guide had rescued her and had given her a second chance at life. She is now very strong and healthy, just like the others. She was a little timid and did not like to be petted but was very well behaved during the tour. The donkeys had carried us to the top of the hill where we got to embrace the view around us. The second stop was Poros. At Poros we climbed the hill to the clock tower. The view was breathtaking. After shopping at the stores we then traveled to our next destination, Aegina. At this island there was sand surrounding the water, which had very interesting shells. I captured some of the sand and shells in a bottle. I will now always have a little piece of Greece with me! We are now on the cruise headed back to meet the bus. While traveling back to the bus we are enjoying Greek music and dancing!  

Shelby Novak-Cruise and Islands

Today was by far my favorite day on the trip! We had an amazing day full of sunshine as we cruised the Saronic Gulf Cruise tour. We visited the islands Hydra, Poros, and Aigina (in that order). Hydra was my absolute favorite! I decided to take a thirty minute donkey ride to sight see the island. I've never rode a donkey before, and it just made it 100 times better to ride a donkey on an island in Greece. I love looking at houses and doors in different countries. I took hundreds of pictures of all the sights I saw. My donkey's name was Dennis and he was such a sweetheart. After the donkey ride I walked around to get a closer look at the water and the shops along the island. Shane and I work for Reaction Nutrition, so I thought it would be an awesome idea to get a picture together in front of a beautiful landscape in our Reaction shirts. It's really cool to show us representing the company all the way from Greece. I also took a few pictures on each island in my Reaction shirt while I was doing a bodybuilding pose, which is perferct since the company plays a role in the fitness world. I think one of my favorite favorite pictures is when Shane and I are standing in front of the clock tower located on Poros, with the Greek flag waving, I'm doing my pose and he's pointing at me. It turned out perfect. This day turned out perfect and it is a great way to spend one of the last few days here. 

Shane Healy March 10

Shane Healey

The past couple days we have been to Delphi, Olympia and Tolo. Delphi had a great view of the mountains and had the most ancient sight in Greece. We had met a shop owner who was very nice and bartered prices with us (bartering is accepted in Greece). He talked a lot about the Greek culture and the economy.

In Olympia, some of us raced on the same track as the very first Olympic Games. I ended up winning the race and received a crown (made out of branches) by the guard of the Stadium, it was an awesome experience! Finally, our hotel in Tolo was right on the water, 20 feet away to be exact. The view was great, especially when the sun was coming up! We are back in Athens and are excited to explore what it has to offer even more.

Nick

Nick

Yesterday we visited the Olympic stadium, and it was not as you would expect it to be. Because the Greeks do not believe in reconstruction. Therefore, you must use your imagination to picture what once was there. Even though little still stands it's easy to see that there were once massive and important buildings and statues. After many hours on the bus we got to our hotel that was located right on the beach on the Ionian Sea. Even though it was around 50 degrees, a group us ran into the freezing water. The next morning we woke up to a beautiful view right out our balcony. And we departed Mycenae acropolis. And the tomb of Agamemnon.  Rating 10 / 10! 

Joe Illig

Joe Illig

Yesterday we went to the site of the first Olympics in Olympia. We got to learn about the Greco-Roman architecture and the Mythological influences that helped shape the Olympics. It was intense to see all the old buildings, and think that they've been there longer than America. It was amazing to see many of the statues that were crafted back in the day. This was especially amazing to me, as someone who has trouble drawing a circle well. One of the coolest things was the way they dealt with cheaters in the Olympics. They were forced to make a huge statue of Zeus that was inscribed with the fact that they cheated and their name. I would give Olympia 9.5/10, highly recommend.

Shelby Novak-March 10

Shelby Novak 

After a day full of rain we finally arrived in Tolo. Our hotel was right by the water, which was crystal clear. Thankfully after dinner the rain stopped and we could go walk around and see the shops surrounding the hotel. I think the best part of our hotel stay in Tolo was being able to wake up and walk out on to the balcony.  You saw an incredible view of the mountains, the water, and all of the boats that were docked. It was nice to finally be able to see the sights we missed when we arrived in the dark. We packed up and headed off to the 4th century b.c. theatre and archaeological site at Mycenae. We saw the lion gate, the tomb of Agammemnon, and the Cyclopena wall. The tomb was really interesting. It was a dome made of stone where famous Greeks were placed once they died. They were covered with gold, due to the great amount of gold they had. It's interesting to learn that these people weren't buried or wrapped up in a mummy state like many other counties do to the dead. 

Celeste Reed - Tolo, Greece

Celeste Reed

Last night, our little group had an adventure. Before the trip started, we made a pact that we would jump into a body of water despite how cold it might be. During our free time in the evening at Tolo, we decided it was time to do it. Our hotel was directly on the beachfront making it the perfect place to carry out our pact. After spending a little time out on the town getting crepes and exploring, we put on our bathing suits and braved the Aegean Sea. Tori, Cassie, Nick, Phil and I were the only ones brave enough. I was the first one in after sprinting from the shoreline. Surprisingly, it was not as cold as I thought it would be, however the wind did not help. After dunking my whole body under a couple times and posing for some photo-ops, my warm towel was very inviting. The water had to be somewhere near 50 degrees, but how many people can say they had the experience of jumping into a freezing Mediterranean!! It was truly an experience that I will never forget and I am glad that I got to be a part of it.

Lindsey McKay

Lindsey McKay 

Our night in Tolo included walking through the town in the rain and walking on the water line and pier. Some of my fellow classmates jumped into the freezing cold water. It was funny. I couldn't wait until the morning sunrise view. When I woke up at 7am I quickly went out onto the porch and took am amazing picture. It was breath taking. We had to pack up and head to the Mycenae acropolis. We hiked all he way up to the top and got to stand where the castle used to be. We got onto the bus and went to see a tomb, which looked like a bee hive inside. Then we drove to a canal and it was so steep!! We got to eat lunch and I enjoyed a spinach pie and cinnamon roll. We now get to travel to Athens and I can't wait to explore the city in more detail. Along with shopping.

Mareya Justice - Tues March 10

Mareya Justice

This morning we woke up in Tolo to a beautiful sunrise. Our hotel rooms had balconies which overlooked the Aegean Sea. There were boats docked along the water which was very clear. After taking many photographs and capturing the view we then gathered on the bus and headed out for the day. The day consisted of touring two archeological sites. The first we visited was the the Theatre of Antiquity which was the place where comedy and tragedy theatre was held. Andy, our tour guide gave us some background information and demonstrated how the sound of the performance traveled throughout the theatre. Our next stop was the Acropolis of Mycenae, known as the top of the Mycenaean village. This was once considered a religious center because the Greeks believed that the higher up you were the closer you were to the Gods. After touring the two sites we drove into the city of Corinth. We ate lunch at the canal which was the body of water that connected the aionthian sea and the Corinthian Gulf. We are now headed to check in at our hotel in Athens. 

Philipos Ross

Philipos Ross

Today we went to visit the historically famous Olympic stadium. The weather wasn't the best, but the history and scenery overcame that. A little bit about the history of Olympia: Fedias created the sacred statue of Zeus, which is considered one of the seven ancient wonders of the world. The Olympic Games were created to be a sign of peace of Greece. They were significant because when the Olympic Games were being held, the cities of Greece stopped fighting, or else the oracle of Delphi would not communicate with them. Now, the athletes who competed were considered amateurs, common folk. The professionals were the coaches for these athletes when training for the games. Women were not allowed to compete in the Olympic Games, or even spectate because of the fact that the men competed naked. If women were seen spectating the events, they were condemned to death. The reason for competing naked was because the games were held in July, and temperatures reached  upwards of 120 degrees Fahrenheit. If you won, you received no money, but pride a statue of you in your city. The games were in honor of Zeus, and the 5 Olympic Rings represent the 5 uncles who protected and raised Zeus before he went to overthrow his father, Cronos. It's hard to fathom what the ruins looked like, because now everything is destroyed due to the various earthquakes throughout thousands of years. You really have to use your imagination to piece together in your mind what it looked like back in the 4th century BC. The last part of the tour we were able to actually run a hundred meter dash in the stadium, which was a great experience, even though Dr. Forti smoked me rather effortlessly.  

Kayla Bartok - Days 1&2

Kayla Bartok

Blog#1 Days one and two

    The first day that we arrived in Athens, we went to a basketball game. It got pretty intense with the fans cheering and yelling.  I was pretty exhausted after the day because we were on the planes for such a long time, but we still made the best of it.  We had pie, chicken, potatoes with gravy, salad and chocolate ice cream with Carmel.

    I learned the people seemed to drive anyway on the streets and we had to watch crossing the street because people were driving pretty fast.  There was a lot of graffiti in Athens and low buildings.  The city of Athens is surrounded by three mountains, which was really cool to look around and see.  

    On day two I accidentally woke up my roommates an hour early because my time wasn't set correctly, oops.  We had breakfast then traveled three hours to Delphi to see the ruins.  The view of the mountains was amazing and it was interesting to see the ruins and different artifacts in the museum.  After the ruins we had lunch then went to our hotel in Delphi.  Our view from our hotel room was incredible because we were up high and could see the water from our room. 

   Then a small group of us walked around the village and found a cemetery and a huge hill to hike on.  We also found a school and I was able to look in the window to see what their classrooms looked like.  I was even able to take a picture that I will showing to my education professors.  We had a nice dinner at a small place in the village, then we all went out for the night after.  The first two days were fun but I wish it would have been a little warmer.

Holly Yurek

So I want to start out saying that the first 3 days here in Greece have been nothing short of amazing. Andy our tour guide has given a lot of interesting details and stories during our bus rides and tours. 

Today we visited Olympia, the home of the first Olympic games. I couldn't believe I was standing among ruins that have been there since 776 B.C. Andy explained to us that unlike some other sites we have seen this one was very different. While other areas we have seen had a heavy concentration of theatre and religion, the Olympic stadium is much different. It is sectioned off into a square. Inside the square was the Temple of Zeus and the Temple of Hera (Zeus's wife). Outside of the square was a workshop to create statues and pieces of art, a gymnasium, agricultural building, a market, and so on. This site never contained anything religious nor anything to do with the theatre. 

The Olympic Games first started in 776 B.C. as mentioned above. Greece always had civil wars among each other; so the Oracle at Delfi (a priestess that would answer questions for consultants through the use of priests) said that in order for the fighting to take a pause for a little while, the different counties or states needed to come up with a way to resolve them peacefully without the use of weapons. Therefore because the ancient Greeks liked athletics, they decided that in order to help ease some fighting they would arrange Olympic Games for every July. The athletes (who were never professionals, unlike today) along with their coaches, parents, and official from their city would arrive a month early to prepare. 

An interesting fact I learned today was that if those athletes that cheated (paid off the referees or whomever accepted that money) had to make a statue of Zeus, and below carve their name and the city in which they were from, and place it outside the stadium to be on display for all to see. Another interesting fact I learned was that woman were not allowed to participate in the games. 

The whole site was magnificent and I loved seeing all the ruins and the museum afterwards with some statues in it. Now we are in Tolo and I can't wait to see what tomorrow holds! 

Christine Chiodo March 8

Christine Chiodo 

As day 3 comes to a close it's nice to have a long bus ride (4 hours to be exact) to sit back and reflect on everything we have learned all day. 

Today was our day in Olympia which has been my favorite day so far. As an athlete it was really amazing to see the site of the very first olympic games. We sat right in the middle of The Gymnasium, The Temple of Zeus and The Temple of Hera and listened to the whole story about how the games started, why the games started, about the five rings and why there are five, about the torch being passed and so much more. All I could think about was, the excitement in my stomach each time the open ceremony begins while I watch the Americans March in with the American flag and how I was sitting in the very spot that that tradition, the ceremony, began so many years earlier (776 BC). 

After the ruins we took a tour of the museum that was right next to the ruins where we saw many of the statues that had been preserved and brought inside to keep safe. The one that stood out to me the most was the statute of Hermes from 4th century which was completely together except for the legs which had been fixed. 

The final part of our tour in Olympia was lunch. For lunch we had gyros! My first one in Greece, and it was amazing! Lamb, french fries and all the normal fixings on top made for a perfect end to a long morning! 

The rest of our night is filled with a long bus ride to our second to last hotel in Tolo. I hear this hotel is right along the water so I cannot wait to see it and possibly take a walk on the beach! 

A big thanks to our tour guide Andy for making this such a great experience! Here we come Tolo!

Tori Pernell. Sunday, March 8

Tori Pernell

We are currently a little more than halfway through our 4 hour bus ride home. It has been a long day, but nothing less than amazing. We had an early start this morning so that we were able to visit Olympia. As one might have guessed, we were able to set foot on the land where the very first Olympic Games were held! A few years ago (give or take a couple thousand years), the Olympic Games were held to try to bring peace among the people. I had no idea that women were not allowed to watch the games; if they were caught watching, they would be killed. It is much different today, but it was so exciting to see the true beginning of where it all began. After walking around Olympia, we went to lunch and I had my first gyro ever! Greece is a decent place to have your first gyro, eh? It met every expectation I had, and then some. It even had fries on it... I felt like I was at Primanti's!

 It has been an awesome day so far. I can't wait to see what is next! 

Shelby Novak

Shelby Novak

The first night in Greece a few of us (me, Celeste, Joe, Phil, and Nick) decided to go out and explore the town and we came across a few awesome discoveries. It was kind of strange that there were hardly any other people walking the streets. First was a bakery that had all types of delicious looking pastries. Celeste ended up getting some baklava, which I was able to try. It was amazing! The second discovery was a biker bar. I wasn't expecting to see a large group of bikers in their leather jackets outside of the bar. We could hear the 'hardcore' music that was playing inside. It's pretty cool that people in Greece listen to American music. The third discovery was a shop were we could get gyros. I've never had a gyro before, and what's better than having your first gyro in Greece?! Lastly, we came across a small bar were we could listen to some Greek music. I'd say it was a pretty successful night. I look forward to going back to Athens so we can explore again. I'm curious about what else we will come across. 

Celeste Reed - Monday, March 9

Celeste Reed

Today we traveled to Olympia, Greece. After a long bus ride from our hotel in Delphi, we visited the ancient ruins where the Olympic Games began. It was so beautiful traveling down the mountain toward the bridge to Patras and along the coast. This was probably one of my favorite parts of the trip thus far. When we arrived at Olympia, our tour guide Andi gave us a brief history lesson about the games. We learned that women were not allowed to compete (which would have made me angry had I lived in Ancient Greece). This was because the men ran naked. Overall, we learned many interesting things about the games, and we wrapped up our tour by racing in the stadium. Shane, Cassie, Phil, Dr. Jean and I competed; I came in second after Shane and was crowned with a branch headpiece. It was an informative and exciting day.

Laura Weider Tolon

         Today we had to wake up very early and drive to Olympius where the first Olympics were held, and where they light the Olympic torch. We walked around and took a million pictures of the temples of zeus and his wife Hera's temples. A couple of students, and Dr Forti, ran the final dash to the official finish line! We walked around the museum and saw many authentic sculptures and how Olympus used to look like when it held the Olympic Games. For lunch, everyone was excited to eat gyros from Greece, and they were so big they hung over the plates. While we were driving to our next hotel in Tolon, we took a wrong turn and our bus driver pulled out some amazing skills and got the huge bus around these extremely narrow streets. It seemed impossible, but he did it! Our hotel is right on the water and has a small beach that we all look forward to waking up to in the morning. It was another successful day in Greece! 

Laura Weider Athens and Delphi

      When we arrived in Athens, we were all very tired, but we pushed through. The first night we were in Athens we went to a basketball game and it was so fun! The two teams that played were rivals, and the entire crowd was routing for the home team. They chanted the whole game, never stopping. Unfortunately, the home team lost and we had to leave early because of expected riots and fights. When we went outside to wait for our bus, there were police officers standing outside with shields and batons waiting for what ever was next. We were clear out of sight when the crowd left the building. The second day of Athens we woke up very early and took a three hour bus ride to Delphi. I could not stop looking at the numerous beautiful mountains and villages along the sides of the roads. We went to Mount Parnassus, and we got to see the amazing ruins of the sanctuary of Apollo Pythios. We all took thousands of pictures, and got to see parts of temples and walls with ancient writings on them. After the adventurous tour, we ate at this great restaurant. Most of us ordered the mixed plate which was filled with six different authentic Greece foods. This was nice because we could try various foods in one sitting. Our tour guide Andy is the best, she teaches us so much about the history of Greece. 

Cassie Nadzam

Today on our trip from Delphi to Tolo we stopped at a cute little shop which sold a variety of souvenirs including the most delicious olive oils I have ever tasted. There were 19 different kinds and a bunch of other products produced from the local olives. Everything was amazing and it was so hard to decide which ones to buy to bring back home for my family and friends to try! 

Lindsey McKay

Lindsey McKay

Today, we woke up around 7am and got ready to leave Delphi to start our journey to Olympia. The drive was pretty extensive. Slept a ton on the bus ride. We made one pit stop before we stopped at an olive and olive oil place famous for having very delicious products. Here we got to sample different oils and olive, along with a little wine. After the demonstration we got to walk around the store and shop. I bought some oils and olives to bring home. Then we got back onto the bus and made our way to the Olympic stadium ruins. When we got to the ruins, it was amazing to see how little was left, but how much they could keep restored. We saw where the gymnasium was, where they lit the torch, and the old track. Our tour guide Andy told us so,ex facts like how when Zeus was born there were 5 gods that kept him safe from his father killing him and that this is why there are 5 rings that represent the 5 rings in the Olympics. Some if the kids in the class raced on the track, but I just watched. It was funny. While they raced I took the opportunity to take a picture under the arch that lead to the track. After our exploration, we walked to the museum and saw some statues of Zeus and Hermes. The statue of Hermes showed him carrying Dionysius who is reaching out for grapes and just so happens to be the future god of wine. What a surprise, haha!! We then proceeded to a small restaurant to eat lunch. I got a gyro and it was amazing. We then got onto the bus and started making our way to Tolo. Overall, the day was a huge learning experience. I am very exhausted for the long bus drive. 

Hannah Bevington

We just got to our hotel in Tolo! Freshened up before dinner since we have been on a bus for over 7 hours today, and we just now finished dinner. It was great. Our hotel is right by the water so this was our first meal with fresh fried fish and it was delicious. Also, today for lunch a bunch of us got the greatest gyros. Definitely one of my favorite parts of the trip. FOOD. 

Shane Healey

Coming into Greece I did not know much about the culture or the country overall. Since the first day here until now, it has been an amazing and eye-opening experience. Through the first day in Athens, we saw a lot of flats and no houses. A lot of people from Greece want to live in Athens and it was easy to get an apartment a couple years ago. In one of the wealthier areas we drive through, a couple years ago people could buy an apartment for 3,000-4,000 euros per square foot.

The parking and driving in Greece is so different compared to the U.S. People park anywhere they want and motorcycles on the road drive how they want. Motorcycles drive by cars and through a bunch of traffic, weaving in and out of cars and buses. You definitely have to be more cautious on the streets of Greece!

Tori Pernell

Today is our third day in the lovely Greece. I keep picturing My Big Fat Greek Wedding everywhere I go and I am almost positive that's why they do not like Americans. ;-) The weather is a little colder than I had expected, but I feel right at home! Our hotel for the night is by far my favorite so far-- out of the 2 we have been in. Ha! Delphi is absolutely the most beautiful city I have ever seen. The scenery on the Ruins is phenomenal. I am feeling very blessed! 

P.S. When we were flying to Greece, Celeste referred to the Swiss Alps as the Appalachian Mountains. That is all. 

Nickolaus Work

Today we traveled to Delphi from Athens by bus. We arrived at the ruins in amazement of how large the mountains around us.  We explored though the ruins and took hundreds of pictures. I had my first authentic Greek dish of lamb with lemon sauce that was delicious! We than got to the hotel to find an amazing view from our balcony that overlooks the Corinthian Golf. We left the hotel to explore the town. I walked into a shop to find a friendly clerk that I bartered a oil painting from.  I got the price from 60 euros down to 15. We also found a coffee shop that had great coffee and wonderful desserts. All in all a great day in Delphi! 

The temple of Apollo. Delphi, Greece Sunday, March 8, 2015

Christine Chiodo

First and foremost boy am I lucky. To think in 3 days I've been in 2 states, 3 airports, 3 countries and many many cities.

We started this amazing excursion on March 6th in Pittsburgh International at 12:00pm. From there we went to Newark Airport and onto Zurich then Athens. In the air on the way to Newark we saw the New York City skyline and from Newark to Zurich we saw the Swiss Alps.

Our first stop, Athens, was actually surprising. It wasn't anything like you see in "The Sisterhood of the Teaveling Pants." It was dirty and dark and surprising, but regardless we are in GREECE! It keeps hitting me at different times of the day that I am actually in a place that I've been dreaming about all of my life. In Athens we saw a basketball which was out of control. So many fans in a gymnasium smaller than my home high school gym. The cool thing about this game was the fact that if the home team lost their team and program was cut...and they lost. We left early because there was said to be a riot. Police were lined on the streets with shields and helmets. After the game we had dinner in the hotel. Dinner was bread, cabbage salad, chicken and potatoes. One of the most interesting/ different things about the city of Athens was the parking. People park all over the roads, double and triple parked on both sides of the street. Basically, our bus driver is a saint for getting us through it all.

Today for day two we started off with breakfast which was fresh peaches, Italian meat sandwiches and bacon. As for traveling we were in Delphi. We saw the ruins here which were up on a mountain which they call hills here. The "hills" were bigger than most of the mountains back at home.We saw a theater, many columns, the aqueduct and amazing landscapes. For lunch, it was the best meal so far, I had grilled lamb chops (my mother would have been in heaven). They were amazing and for the first time ever I've had lamb that rivals my moms.

I can't wait to see what the rest of this amazing trip has in store for me and the rest of the crew.

Thanks Mom and Dad for helping me get here...hi if you're reading!!

I don't think I could be any luckier. 

Lindsey McKay Delphi

Today, we left hotel Oscar in Athens this morning at 8:30. On our way to Delphi, we got to sight see on the bus drive. Here we drove past Attica and saw many mountains (which they call hills haha!). It was a very dreary day with a little rain. The drive took about 2 hours to Delphi. We made one out stop to a small shop on the side of the road. The. Finally landed in Delphi. It was beautiful. We passed Castillo springs where our tour guide Andy told us that it where people "purified" themselves before going to the oracle. The oracle we visited was apollos and it was amazing. Unlike the Romans, they kept restoration of the many historical sites. Even if they weren't perfect, they were practically the real deal from past times. She also spoke about how orscles gave advice to people and sometimes the people's eould over look what the oracle would say. The Greeks always looks at the good and bad side of things in life. The overall experience was amazing. It was a slightly chilly day. I learned so much from today, even if I can't remember it all forever. We then ate lunch after exploring where I had a sampler plate of different Greek food. After, we visited the tholos which is a snake pit. Then we finally landed at our hotel in Delphi. Having a blast!

Cassie Nadzam. Travel and day 1

We began our journey on Friday March 6th with a delayed flight from Pittsburgh but eventually left around 3:30 pm and headed to Newark, New Jersey  from there we caught our 7 hour flight to Zurich, Switzerland! The flight went very quick but finding a comfortable sleeping position was quite difficult. We got dinner and breakfast on the plane and it wasn't as bad as I expected it to be. From Switzerland

we boarded our final plane and headed to Athens, Greece. We arrived at 1:20 pm on Saturday March 7th. At the airport we were greeted by our tour guide Andy and headed to our first hotel, oscar, after freshening up we embarked on our first activity. We went to a basketball game between 2 Greek teams! Afterwards we left for dinner at the hotel which was delicious!! Can't wait to see what other adventures we have in store.