Day Trip Out of Athens!
Posted by Ashley | | Posted On Friday, May 3, 2013 at 8:32 AM
We crammed so much into today that it might be a bit of a struggle for me to remember everything that happened, but I will try my best!
We had an earlier start this morning than yesterday due to the fact that today was our day trip out of Athens. We fit in four distinct and separate stops: Nafvlion, Epidarus, Mycenae, and Corinth.
Nafvlion was not originally on the itinerary but Heather and James (our two professors, we are a pretty casual group :) decided last minute to add it in; we were all thrilled they decided to do that because it was a town that most of us considered our idealized version of a Greek town. Athens, as a city, is really neat but this town was what I was looking to experience. It is a water-front town with this fantastic fortress on a hill that overlooks the entire area. I spear-headed a group of students who wanted to claim to the fortress. Everyone was rather surprised how quickly I booked it up the 900+ stairs (which were made of really slick marble), but I was intent on getting to the top AND still having enough time to explore the town below for a bit (we only had an hour). The view was fabulous and I found myself just feeling overwhelmed with how beautiful our world really is, especially when seen from above (see previous post about my love of the lofty vantage points).
Afterwards we did explore the town a little bit and fell in love with how cute and tiny it felt. The water that surrounds the town on two, almost three, sides is that shocking shade of blue that seemingly only exists on postcards. It was pristine. The smell of the saltwater was not overpower but just enough to make us all wish we had brought swimsuits and had more time.
The next stop was Epidarus which blew my mind. I had been excited for this stop from the day we first saw it on the itinerary but I really didn't expect to adore it as much as I did. The main attraction at Epidarus (which was a site dedicated to Asklepios, the god of healing) is the massive Greek-style theater. First of all, it is huge! Even bigger than I imagined it based on the photos I had seen in my art history classes. The acoustics of the theater are mind-boggling and even experts are unable to explain exactly why the sound carries so well. One of the cool demonstrations presented was the dropping of a coin on a small stone slab in the center of the orchestra (the central circle that serves as the performance area in a Greek-style theater), the sound of which I could clearly hear at the very top of the seating section.
The most impressive aspect of the theater though was its location. It is nestled in this mountainous area and the view from the top of the seating is stunning. It was yet another contemplative moment for me, sitting at the top and looking out over the surrounding landscape, just imagining how many hundreds of thousands of people had experienced the joys of a live performance over the years. Greek theaters are known for their desire to incorporate the surrounding landscape as a backdrop for the theatrical presentations and this place successfully accomplished that goal. I loved every moment I was able to sit there and just think.
Next on our to-do list was Mycenae, which is famous of the Lions Gate, the entry way into the supposed palace of Agamemnon (think Trojan War). The Lions Gate was so much larger than I expected. The boulders are almost as tall as I am and some are said to way more than 18 tons. Scholars still cannot explain how the ancient society was able to move, let alone stack, such massive rocks. It was mind-blowing to see up close. The myth is that the cyclops or the giants actually constructed the palace, hence the architecture is know as Cyclopean masonry. I almost believe it! I cannot think of another explanation.
At the same location, a group of us braved the dark and deep cavern (with a stair case again made of ridiculously slick marble) to go and see where the emergency water supply was stored in case of a siege. It was really dark, really slick, and REALLY spider-infested. I have no doubt I will be finding about a million spider bites all over myself the next couple of days. But hey, adventure is always worth a little pain!
The last stop was at the ruins of ancient Corinth where we were able to see the area in which Paul (the apostle) would have worked and lived. It was really neat. We also saw the location where Paul was brought before the magistrate because of his preaching. James pointed out that this is where our personal history and ancient, church history intersects. I thought that was a lovely way to put it and it made the visit that much more meaningful.
Later tonight we will hopefully be catching an Easter, Good Friday procession in Athens, but I will probably have to post about that tomorrow, as I fully expect to pass-out shortly after we conclude that experience.
.......
And we made it to the procession! I was rather surprised but there were several distinct and separate processions around Athens. They were all very similar since every one of them was connected to the Greek Orthodox Church but they also had some differences as well. Nate and I went the extra mile and stayed out a bit later than most of the group to watch the largest procession, which was really neat. Every branch of the military was represented alongside the religious leaders. Nate pointed out to me that it was like a symbol of the national identity the Greeks affiliate with the Greek Orthodox Church. While religious freedom is very much a part of the society, most Greeks proudly recognize the cultural heritage present within their nationally recognized religion. It was a wonderful and once-in-a-lifetime chance to be able to witness such a cultural event inside Athens.
After this, Nate and I were still pretty energetic and decided to enjoy the night life just a little. Okay, a Mormon version of the night life...which meant purchasing a way cool light-up sling shot toy and launching it repeatedly into the sky, while the other person darted around and tried to catch it before it hit the ground. We were almost embarrassed by how much fun we were having. Almost. By the end of our play-date, we actually had a little crowd of maybe six or seven people watching us and taking photos. I am fairly certain we just became a tourist attraction in our own right! Seems like a really good way to spend our last night in Athens.
We had an earlier start this morning than yesterday due to the fact that today was our day trip out of Athens. We fit in four distinct and separate stops: Nafvlion, Epidarus, Mycenae, and Corinth.
Nafvlion was not originally on the itinerary but Heather and James (our two professors, we are a pretty casual group :) decided last minute to add it in; we were all thrilled they decided to do that because it was a town that most of us considered our idealized version of a Greek town. Athens, as a city, is really neat but this town was what I was looking to experience. It is a water-front town with this fantastic fortress on a hill that overlooks the entire area. I spear-headed a group of students who wanted to claim to the fortress. Everyone was rather surprised how quickly I booked it up the 900+ stairs (which were made of really slick marble), but I was intent on getting to the top AND still having enough time to explore the town below for a bit (we only had an hour). The view was fabulous and I found myself just feeling overwhelmed with how beautiful our world really is, especially when seen from above (see previous post about my love of the lofty vantage points).
Afterwards we did explore the town a little bit and fell in love with how cute and tiny it felt. The water that surrounds the town on two, almost three, sides is that shocking shade of blue that seemingly only exists on postcards. It was pristine. The smell of the saltwater was not overpower but just enough to make us all wish we had brought swimsuits and had more time.
The next stop was Epidarus which blew my mind. I had been excited for this stop from the day we first saw it on the itinerary but I really didn't expect to adore it as much as I did. The main attraction at Epidarus (which was a site dedicated to Asklepios, the god of healing) is the massive Greek-style theater. First of all, it is huge! Even bigger than I imagined it based on the photos I had seen in my art history classes. The acoustics of the theater are mind-boggling and even experts are unable to explain exactly why the sound carries so well. One of the cool demonstrations presented was the dropping of a coin on a small stone slab in the center of the orchestra (the central circle that serves as the performance area in a Greek-style theater), the sound of which I could clearly hear at the very top of the seating section.
The most impressive aspect of the theater though was its location. It is nestled in this mountainous area and the view from the top of the seating is stunning. It was yet another contemplative moment for me, sitting at the top and looking out over the surrounding landscape, just imagining how many hundreds of thousands of people had experienced the joys of a live performance over the years. Greek theaters are known for their desire to incorporate the surrounding landscape as a backdrop for the theatrical presentations and this place successfully accomplished that goal. I loved every moment I was able to sit there and just think.
Next on our to-do list was Mycenae, which is famous of the Lions Gate, the entry way into the supposed palace of Agamemnon (think Trojan War). The Lions Gate was so much larger than I expected. The boulders are almost as tall as I am and some are said to way more than 18 tons. Scholars still cannot explain how the ancient society was able to move, let alone stack, such massive rocks. It was mind-blowing to see up close. The myth is that the cyclops or the giants actually constructed the palace, hence the architecture is know as Cyclopean masonry. I almost believe it! I cannot think of another explanation.
At the same location, a group of us braved the dark and deep cavern (with a stair case again made of ridiculously slick marble) to go and see where the emergency water supply was stored in case of a siege. It was really dark, really slick, and REALLY spider-infested. I have no doubt I will be finding about a million spider bites all over myself the next couple of days. But hey, adventure is always worth a little pain!
The last stop was at the ruins of ancient Corinth where we were able to see the area in which Paul (the apostle) would have worked and lived. It was really neat. We also saw the location where Paul was brought before the magistrate because of his preaching. James pointed out that this is where our personal history and ancient, church history intersects. I thought that was a lovely way to put it and it made the visit that much more meaningful.
Later tonight we will hopefully be catching an Easter, Good Friday procession in Athens, but I will probably have to post about that tomorrow, as I fully expect to pass-out shortly after we conclude that experience.
.......
And we made it to the procession! I was rather surprised but there were several distinct and separate processions around Athens. They were all very similar since every one of them was connected to the Greek Orthodox Church but they also had some differences as well. Nate and I went the extra mile and stayed out a bit later than most of the group to watch the largest procession, which was really neat. Every branch of the military was represented alongside the religious leaders. Nate pointed out to me that it was like a symbol of the national identity the Greeks affiliate with the Greek Orthodox Church. While religious freedom is very much a part of the society, most Greeks proudly recognize the cultural heritage present within their nationally recognized religion. It was a wonderful and once-in-a-lifetime chance to be able to witness such a cultural event inside Athens.
After this, Nate and I were still pretty energetic and decided to enjoy the night life just a little. Okay, a Mormon version of the night life...which meant purchasing a way cool light-up sling shot toy and launching it repeatedly into the sky, while the other person darted around and tried to catch it before it hit the ground. We were almost embarrassed by how much fun we were having. Almost. By the end of our play-date, we actually had a little crowd of maybe six or seven people watching us and taking photos. I am fairly certain we just became a tourist attraction in our own right! Seems like a really good way to spend our last night in Athens.
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I just can't get over all the incredible views!