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.