This weekend, Nadia and I went to Korinthos-- where we saw a castle at the top of a mountain and the archaeological site. I originally didn't know that this castle existed, let alone planned on visiting it. But on the train ride over, I heard the most innocent American voice from behind me. I turned around and started talking to these two old ladies that were from Indiana. After about 5 minutes of talking, we decided that we would share a cab to go see the Archaeological site of Corinth, including the Temple of Apollo. 

The four of us climbed in a taxi, with Nadia as our translator. Nadia, not knowing a thing about Corinth or what we were trying to see, said take us to ancient Corinth. The driver said something back and Nadia was sure that he was taking us in the right direction. After 12 euros worth of driving and the car stalling out twice, we ended up at the base of a mountain with no Temple of Apollo in site. But who am I to complain about a new adventure to a place I haven't seen.

So there we were, right in front of the gates to the fortification of this castle that I never knew existed. I stood there, staring up at this mountainside in disbelief. There was something bigger than me in the picture, and it wasn't only the fortification of the walls nor the mountain peak that we were going to ascend up to. 

After about 30 minutes of climbing up rough trails, we made it to the top. I did my best not to look at the view on the way up because I didn't want to spoil the surprise. When I finally turned my head to peak, the view was absolutely breathtaking. You could see the rolling hills full of vegetation being interrupted my a sharp rocky mountain. The land directly below us was patchwork, art done by God's left hand, showing all sorts of colors and combinations of geometries. Further in the distance is where I could see the harsh Greek Mountains. 

After we reached at the top, we carefully trickled across the mountain to see some of the architectural ruins, including the baths and the wall fortification. Everywhere around me was magnificent-- not only the views, but the creepy flowers, the building materials and quality-- all of which could only have been created by something bigger than humans. 

Looking up the site now, I realized that we were 575 m high walking through the oldest and most 
imposing castle in the Peloponnese. 


After seeing the castle, I didn't know how our day could get any better-- but we hiked down the mountain and 30 minutes later, we reached the ancient site of Korinth. 

This site was full of so many fun artifacts and I can't help but share them!!! Check out the captions below the pictures...

Temple pediment with original paint

Roman fountain

Engaged Caryatid columns

An ivory comb

I love going to places like this where I can unravel the strands the many layers of history. It's amazing the things that people left behind for us to discover.

When I went to work today, I decided to make it an interesting day, full of excitement, and work hard to finish my project. It was not a problem to get a lot done on my AutoCAD drawing, since my co-worker, Yiorgos, burned me a CD. I turned on the music, got in the zone and buckled down on my work. But what I didn't see coming was how in one instant my day could become so interesting.

Around 2 pm, I was interrupted by a few people from the office running outside after some Greek words were exchanged. I followed the crowd to see what all of the fuss was about.

At the east end of the Acropolis, a man was standing on top of the wall shouting at the top of his lungs. It took me a minute to realize what was going on, but with the help of my friend translating, I understood. The grown Greek man was about to commit suicide. He was going to jump off of the Acropolis and crash down hundreds of feet below on the rocks of the wall.

I don't know why I watched the whole episode, but I couldn't take my eyes off of him for what felt like 20 minutes. I was so nervous, but curious at the same time. I prayed for him and stood from afar  watching intensely as my coworkers pulled him down and did their best to settle him down. 

What on earth could be going wrong in his life for him to act in such a way? Could it possibly be the Greek crisis or the outcome of the elections this past Sunday? 

Needless to say, I saw God work in strange ways today. Not only with helping me be productive with work and making the day interesting, but he also overcame this man's willingness to end his life. 

Right near the Greek flag was where this man was standing... The height of the Acropolis ranges from 60-100 m above the ground.

A conversation in struggling Greece is, often as not, about the superlatives of doom: The country is on the edge, the people are headed toward catastrophe, and the state, drained of cash and lasting political consensus, has effectively ceased to function. Yet in Athens, home to nearly half the population, the garbage trucks make the rounds at night, traffic police in smart blue uniforms pull over motorists and tourists stroll around the ancient sites or lug suitcases on wheels through the heat-soaked side-streets.

For a country where crisis has become an intimate state of mind, there is plenty of benign normalcy around, lots of reminders of the rules and infrastructure and hygiene standards that define what it is to be a Western European country, imperfections notwithstanding.

Many of you have been asking about the crisis in Greece and whether or not I have experienced anything unusual. The answer is-- no. Every morning, I wake up at 8 am to make the 45 minute walk to the Acropolis. I stop by the local bakery, Beneth, and wait in line for a good 10 minutes to pick something up for lunch, most likely a Koulouri. Then, I continue walking down the busy streets, dodging the countless number of scooters and cars into the Plaka neighborhood. In Plaka, millions of tourists come per week to experience Athenian life and to climb to the top of the most sacred hill, the Acropolis. The city seems bustling, with money flowing.


However, I am an English-speaking student doing my best to avoid all dangerous situations. I have heard about a lot of incidents that have been going on in Greece.


Watch this video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xi6TbLmeFoQ
I have plenty to say about that, but I'm sure you are all thinking the same thing..




Besides all of the politics and crisis talk, I have been busy working!! I have been working at the Parthenon for a little bit over 2 weeks now. My current project is taking a hand drawing of one of the cornice blocks and redrawing it in 2D and 3D AutoCAD. After I am finished with my drawing, I will take Orlandos' dimensions done from the 1940's and compare them to the material that is left in the cornice block today. From those calculations, the restoration team can determine the percentage of new material they will need in order to restore the cornice block.

According to Aristotle, "All paid jobs absorb and degrade the mind." So far, that has been the most true statement.

Working on the Parthenon has been a dream come true. The first week of work was full of surprises and firsts. Every time that I go into the temple, I discover something new.

The only lion's head that still exists

The medieval staircase in the opisthodomos of the Parthenon

Original paint from the Parthenon

Original metopes from the southwest corner

When i'm not off exploring the Parthenon, I am working at my desk doing AutoCAD drawings. So far I have done two projects-- drawing 3d blocks of the north cella wall and making a 2D drawing of a cornice piece on the west end of the temple. I also have the chance to do read some of their books that they have, which helps me a lot on my temple research.
The desk work gets very boring after a while, so whenever i'm feeling unmotivated, I just swivel my chair around and look at the massive temple behind me. :)

My office

All of this excitement definitely makes up for the fact that I have to walk 30 minutes to work every morning in the 90+ heat, NOT including the hike up the mountain to the top of the Acropolis!!! I can't wait until they turn the air conditioning on in the office!



Yesterday, Nadia and I went to the island of Aegina to see the Temple of Aphaia. This is probably the most beautiful temples that I have seen, because the majority of it still stands including the interior colonnade.

After seeing the temple, we took the bus back down to the water to get some fresh seafood!!! The kalamari was incredible!

Yes, thats exactly what you think it is!!

Once Nadia and I were so full we could barely move, we strolled along the water and found pistachios since Aegina is known for them! :) The entire boat ride back to Athens, our thumbs got sore from opening up the nuts.

We had to be back to Athens pretty early because we had an Opera to go to at the Odeon of Herod Atticus. Nadia, Carole, and I put on our best dresses and strolled over to the Acropolis to see Il Travetore. We stayed until intermission because the concert didn't start until 9 pm Greek Time (aka 9:45) and all of the words were in Italian with Greek subtitles. I did my best to understand the singer's emotions and enjoy the view of the ancient architecture.

That's all for now... I'll post more later!!

Random fact:

Greeks are always late for appointments and this also is known as being on 'Greek Time'. They say that the reason is because nobody wants to be the first one to arrive and have to wait for the other people because then he is a fool. So everyone comes late and  the people who come first, even if they are late, may leave again and come back when someone else is there, which means that unless 2 people show up at the same time the meeting will never happen. So if you are meeting someone and they are not there yet, sit down and wait for them and they will show up, most of the time. Aggravated Greek Time is when you are at a concert or performance and they delay it because some Government minister is late.

Someone once told me to spend more time doing bloggable things, then blogging itself. So, that is what I've been doing.

Last Wednesday was my birthday... I can't believe that I'm 22 years old. In the morning, I wandered to Starbucks and spent 5 euros on a coffee (about $7.50). I decided that it was only a good idea to spend that much on a coffee because it was my birthday. After my overpriced drink, I met up with Nick to go to our art class.

Monument of Lysicrates

After art class, Nadia and I went out to dinner to a local seafood restaurant called Stavros. I was really concerned because we were the only people in the restaurant for the first 2 1/2 hours. It was until after we left the restaurant that I remembered that Greeks don't eat dinner until at least 9 pm.

My dinner hahaha

Now- let me get into the good stuff...

On Friday, I had my first day of work at the Acropolis. It was literally the best day ever!!! I walked up through the gates to the Acropolis, through the Propylaia, and into the Parthenon where I met the architect, Mr. Kosmas Skaris. He was very enthusiastic and showed me around the work station-- which is located on the south side of the temple. Mr. Skaris introduced me to all of the architects, civil engineers, and archaeologists that work on the Parthenon. Antigoni Vrouva, who I believe will be my 'boss,' also spoke with me for a while about the AutoCAD drawings of the cella walls.

After the introductions, Mr. Skaris took me on a full tour of the Parthenon, moving past the pronaos in a matter of seconds. It was extremely hard not to stop and just admire everything going on. I wanted to take hundreds of pictures, but I did my best to remain professional and keep up with his pace. I didn't take my camera out until I was on top of the architrave of the opisthodomos. Every time Mr. Skaris would turn around to walk a different way or the conversation lulled, I would try to capture a photo. It's unbelievable the places where I walked that today. 

On top of the Parthenon

On top of the Parthenon

After my unbelievable tour, they gave me some text to read on the history of the Parthenon and the cella wall destruction/ restoration. On Tuesday, I start working on 3D AutoCAD drawings of the south cella wall inside the Parthenon with Antigoni Vrouva.

My office-- right next to the Parthenon

In one of my readings, I stumbled upon this quote:

"We admire it and destroy it through tourism, we take administrative measures to protect it and at the same time permit the complete deterioration of its environment, we conserve it through chemical research and destroy it through chemical pollution, we consolidate it and at the same time undermine the ground that supports it."-- Georgios A. Pentsos

How can we fix this problem? What can you do?...

I don't know how that day could ever be better...

On the weekend, Nadia, Carole, and I went to Sounion, Legraina, and Lavrio. The Temple of Poseidon at Sounion was beautiful, just like it was last year. 

Temple of Poseidon at Sounion

The taverna in Legraina where we ate fresh Kalamari

I truly enjoy taking adventures like this!!! It makes me think about the kinds of adventures that I could take back in the states. I wish that there were more places like this, but maybe America has a different kind of beauty. I would love to go see state parks and visit historic towns-- I think places like that have the most character. :)

More later...

Random fact-- the Greek sewage system cannot hold toilet paper. You have to throw it away before you flush. haha

So since I have posted last, I have been extremely busy.

On Sunday, Nadia and I went to Kalamaki, a beautiful beach. We laid out for a few hours, and took the tram back to Pagkrati. Nadia also showed me a new metro station to go to-- Evangelismos, which is an easier and safer walk home.

Beach at Kalamaki

On Monday, I left at 5:30 AM to meet the study abroad group at Piraeus, the port of Athens. I left at 5:30 AM because I figured that it would take me 30 minutes to walk to the metro, 30 minutes on the metro, and 30 minutes to find the group in Piraeus... well, some unexpected things happened. 

At 5:30 AM, it is still dark and things don't look the same when it's not light out. I got a little turned around when I was trying to find Evangelismos metro station, which I have only been to one time before. I ended up being one block east of where I needed to be, but I managed to ask IN GREEK "Poo enai o stathmos metro Evangelismos?" (Πού είναι ο σταθμός μετρό Evangelismos?) Even though I didn't understand what left and right translated to, I nodded whenever I saw a hand motion and went in that direction.

So, by 6:10 I found the metro station (only 10 minutes later than I expected), and got onto the train to Piraeus. By the time I made it to the port, the sun was coming up... but here was the next flaw in my plan. No one from the study abroad group told me where to meet them at the port. There are 10 gates at Piraeus, that are pretty far apart... I walked around for 20 minutes trying to decipher where the different boats were coming in from-- finally I found the gate that was coming from the Cyclade islands. From there, I asked 3 different coast guards to tell me where the boat from Santorini was going to come in... naturally, all 3 of them gave me different answers. I decided to trust the one that actually took out an official sheet of paper to check the boats and time sheet. 

I started walking to E4, but there was no boat in site. And I was about to sit down on a bench to wait, when a sweet old lady came up to me. She smiled and said, "are you Emily?" I just about jumped up and gave her a hug! It was Thanos' mother, also waiting for the group. She led me back to the bus that the group would get on after they got off of the boat. Also waiting there was Thanos' son, Nick-- the same one that I have been going to art class with for the past week and a half. 

I was beyond relieved. Although I had a crazy morning, I was lightened to have found the bus, been on time, and safe. 

Once the study abroad group arrived, I had completely forgot about my crazy morning. I was so engrossed on how badly I missed having friends around-- that spoke English. 

On the bus ride to Epidaurus, I had a mini meeting with Thanos about my Shape Grammars research. So far I have been doing a lot of reading and writing down of definitions that will help me understand Greek temples better. He was very excited to see the work that I've been doing and helped me understand what I should be doing next.

Anyways, Epidaurus was beautiful!! We went around to see the theater, Temple of Asklepios, the stadium, and the remains of the Temple of Apollo. 

Theater in Epidaurus

Myrsini and me in the theater

After Epidaurus, we drove to Olympia, about 2 or so hours away. We didn't have any more site visits for the rest of the night, so we had the chance to relax.

These two awesome guys helped me celebrate my birthday at a taverna in Olympia. Sam (left) and David (right) are two of the many amazing people that I've gotten to know much better from this trip. I can't wait to have reunions with them when we get back to Tech!!

On Tuesday, we got to go to the ancient site of Olympia. Since I have already been here, I had the chance to walk around and take great pictures and discover new parts of the site, which could help me with my research.  

The well preserved pediment from the Temple of Zeus

The Temple of Hera

Column pieces near Temple of Zeus

The Temple of Zeus was destroyed in an earthquake, sending all of the columns to the ground. There are hundreds of pieces laying around the site. It amazes me how restoration teams are able to decipher the parts and begin to put back the pieces.

The boys as they race in Olympia

I suppose that's all for now, I know this was a long post... but I will have more later-- about my birthday! :)

Fun fact-- no part in Greece is more than 85 miles from the sea!! :)

Emily

I realized today that I am culturally misplaced. I am an American living in Athens, Greece, with a Moldovan roommate. We went to the market today-- a Russian market. AND-- the family that is renting the apartment next to my room is from Australia.

There are times that I don't know what language is being said around me, or what kind of food I am eating. Whatever it is though, I'm enjoying the company and the confusion of cultures.

This past week went by really fast-- going to my drawing class every day and coming back to the apartment to either do research or read the second book of the Hunger Games. I enjoy spending the evenings on my veranda looking out to the city, thinking about how different life is here compared to back home in Alpharetta. 

One of my drawings of an Ionic column capital

Even though we work much harder back home to make a living, the Greeks seem much more busy. The city is so alive. And its not just young adults, there are older people too, walking around and gossiping about people as they pass. There is a constant stream of motorcycles, foot traffic, and the metro is always packed. It's unbelievable to think the amount of people that live in this city. 

Anyways, today Nadia (my roommate) and I walked around the city-- wandering our way from Syntagma through Monistiraki and over to Omonia. I understand why people tell me to avoid those areas, although it is safe during the day. When we were on our way to Omonia, an old lady come up to me and Nadia and asked (in Greek) if we wanted to buy any marijuana. I understand now why Nadia ignored her and shoved her way through the crowd, with me trailing at her footsteps. 

It's not a scary area, but I know that a lot of crazies hang out there. So I will do my best to avoid that area.

Me in Omonia Square

The markets in Omonia-- fresh fruit, fish, nuts... anything you want

Haha the other thing that I noticed (from this picture) is that RIGHT across the street, there is a pet shop, where the animals are halfway in the street. There are pigeons EVERYWHERE... so I wouldn't suggest going to this market because something isn't right about the zoning situation there.

Tomorrow, Nadia and I are going to the beach! :) I'm not sure where she will take us, but she said that the water is very clear, so I am convinced we will have a great time. I will bring my camera and take pictures to post next time.

Random fact about Greece-- 80% of Greece is mountainous and it has half of the seismic activity of Europe.

Emily