Submitted by Christine Zeszut on the 2016 winter session program in Athens, Greece sponsored by the Department of English…
The first day we arrived in Greece was a blur of excitement and sleep deprivation. After 17 hours of non-stop traveling, we finally settled into the downtown apartments that we would call home for the rest of the month. Some of the staff from The Athens Centre, our hosts, spent the rest of the evening orienting us to our neighborhood in Athens, called Pangrati. In the evening, we had a delicious multi-course welcome dinner consisting of traditional Greek cuisine. First, we were served fresh bread with tzatziki spread and a salad of tomatoes, feta, onions and capers. The next course was falafel, which is deep-fried chickpeas. We were able to choose our main course from four options: pork, chicken with mushrooms in wine sauce, lamb, and a vegetarian eggplant dish. Feeling adventurous, I chose the pork, which I had never really eaten before. At home I’m known to be very picky with food, but while abroad I decided to expand my horizons and try everything that I can. The meal was such a pleasant surprise! Although simple, the pork was flavorful and tasty. The meal ended with a fresh fruit medley.
Our group spent the second day exploring The Athens Centre and the heart of Athens. The Athens Centre is a small collection of classrooms, and a courtyard, as well as a rooftop terrace. From the rooftop terrace, we caught our first glimpse of the Parthenon, the iconic symbol of Athens. In the heart of Athens, we saw some of the major Greek Orthodox churches, several town squares, a few pedestrian-only streets and the Parliament.
For lunch, we sat outside in the beautiful sunshine and enjoyed gyros, another food I hadn’t yet tried. Chicken gyros consist of pita bread folded in half like a sandwich and filled with chicken, tomato, lettuce, french fries and tzatziki spread. I absolutely fell in love.
Following lunch, we had our first class, an intro to the subject matter we’d be studying for the next month. My roommates and I enjoyed a quiet evening of reading course materials and getting to know one another, attempting to recover from the jet-lag. I decided to go down to the closest city square with my roommates to search for my favorite Greek food, baklava, a dessert made from flaky philo dough, nuts and honey. It was much more delicious and fresh than any baklava I had ever had in the States.
The third day began with touring the iconic Acropolis, an area atop the highest peak in the Athens region. Within the Acropolis, there are the remains of several buildings, the most famous of which is the Parthenon. Our tour was guided by an archeologist, who was impressively knowledgable and insightful. We spent the better part of the day exploring the various buildings and amphitheaters of the ancient Acropolis site. I was awestruck, unable to believe how beautiful the structures were. Each building was stunning, constructed entirely from local marble and amazingly detailed. From the Acropolis, I had a full 360 degree view over the area of Athens and surrounding mountains. In that moment, I honestly felt like I was on top of the world.
After spending hours at the Acropolis, a group of students and I grabbed lunch in a local cafe and walked about the heart of Athens, before heading off to class to learn some of the Greek language. Learning the pronunciation of various words and phrases was quite a challenge, as the Greek language is extremely different from English. As an engineer, however, I’ve been thoroughly exposed to the Greek alphabet in my science and math courses, so at least the symbols were familiar to me.