Heading home

We are all safely checked in and awaiting our first flight on our long journey home. Yesterday, day eight, was lovely. We visited a very windy Cape Sounion and saw the Temple of Poseidon. The afternoon was free time and the girls did a great job infusing the Greek economy. We went into the center of Athens for a traditional Greek evening at a tavern. Greek music, food, hospitality and dancing. It was a perfect last event. Our tour director, Irene, got us to the airport bright and early. On the bus ride, she told us one last story. Irene is a phenomenal story teller. The moral of this last Greek tale was, "Always look forward, never look back and all the things you want in life will be following you." That's the truth. We gave her hugs and an acrostic poem courtesy of Ms. Cote and now we fly to Paris, then to Amsterdam and then on to Boston.
What an amazing gift this trip has been for us all.

Loving Greece

Our adventure is winding down, but it's not over yet. After three days in the countryside (being safely transported by our amazing bus driver, Spyros, and led by our Greek goddess of a Tour Director, Irene), we are back in Athens, which many of the girls referred to as "home" when we arrived this evening!
The day after our Saronic Islands cruise, we traveled to Delphi. Delphi was the ancient site of an oracle who was the voice of the gods. Our tour guide, Penny, spoke to us about how we often know the answers to our questions, but we seek them from others for reassurance. That's what people did at Delphi. Thousands of years and not much has changed. On day six, We went to Olympia and saw the birthplace of the Olympic Games. Some of our group even participated in a 200 meter race on the grounds of the original stadium! We spent the night at a little resort on the sea. Life is good. Today we traveled to Epidaurus, an ancient theater, and climbed 121 steps to see the breathtaking view from the top. The afternoon brought us to Mycenae, a 3,500 year old royal tomb and the Corinth Canal. We have seen, touched and experienced castles, quaint villages and many antiquities. We continue to meet amazing people and we are looking forward to Cape Sounion and the Temple of Poseidon in the morning!
Ka-lee-NÉE-khta.
that's how you say good night in Greek. Try it, it just sounds good :)

The Renaissance Community Commitments in Greece...

Respect - We respect our Tour Director, Irene, because she's a boss and we would be nothing without her.
Responsibility - Even though we have no curfew, we manage ourselves so that we get the sleep we need and meet at all the designated times and locations.
Cultural Sensitivity - We embrace all the new people and cultures we are being introduced to as well as speaking Greek as much as possible, (ef-ha-Rees-STO is how you pronounce thank you!)
Self-Discipline - We resist the urge to eat gelato and Greek pastries at every meal.
Courage - We take Greek dance lessons in a cruise ship dining room full of people.
Perseverance - We keep touring and sight seeing even though our internal clocks are completely off since Greece is seven hours ahead of home.
Friendship - We stick together on this international adventure and support each other while we are away from home and our families.

Cruising the Saronic Islands

We took a full day cruise today to Hydra, Poros and Aegina. All lovely, all very different. The girls couldn't pass up the opportunity to swim in the sea.

Elizabeth says...

The weather is great.
It's fun!
I'm happy I'm here.
It's exciting that I got to take this trip.

Cruising the islands...

Today's itinerary...

Abbie says...

This trip is amazing!
I love the unique custom made jewelry I just got, a Greek column with my name in Greek letters!
The shops in The Plaka were great.
Walking up to the Acropolis and taking pictures was a highlight of my day today.

Renaissance conquers the Acropolis and Parthenon!

Sunday, April 14, 2013

Emma says...

It's beautiful beyond belief.
European life is really different, in a good way.
I'm enjoying every aspect of this place and experience.

Francheska says...

This is unique.
It's very cultural.
Everything from the food to the language is beautiful.
It's mind blowing in every way!

Ally says...

It's better than I could have imagined.
I never want to go back home to the cold.
The people are so friendly and they don't mind us speaking English!

Zoee says...

I really don't want to leave.
This is paradise in my eyes.
Everything is so beautiful.
There is no way you could capture what I am seeing with just a picture.
Greece has opened my eyes to trying new things and I'm loving every moment of it.

Emily says...

It is really beautiful here.
Being here has completely changed my perspective on what life in Greece is like.
So far, in just two days, I have already made lifelong memories.
We went into the Aegean Sea at night.
The food is really good.

Ayessa says...

Greece is warm.
It's a good experience.
People are nice.
The best spring vacation I have ever had!
You should come to Greece!

Good morning from Greece!!

Greek yogurt is even better in Greece

We head to the Acropolis and Parthenon today. Energizing with breakfast at the hotel!

Architecture, the sea and gelato.

Wrapping up Day one. We took a walking tour of the neighborhood. We saw a beautiful Byzantine church and got a short history lesson. After the Guided portion, the girls wanted to go to the beach and get gelato. I could not deny them :)
A little adventure and we found a small beach. We took our shoes off and put our feet in. The water was warmer than any New England beach on the hottest August day. Although we are in a suburb, the nightlife is active. some of the girls noted that they saw a lot of people their age out walking around and that it would be nice to live here. Gelato never disappoints and the beautiful outdoor cafe' and people watching made it even better.
Good night from Glyfada, Greece.

Checked in!

We are at Hotel Oceanis in the suburbs of Athens. Dinner at 7:30 and a walking tour of our area. Hopefully everyone sleeps well tonight so we can be our best for the Acropolis and the Parthenon tomorrow.

Arrived in Athens!

We are in Athens! Quick bathroom break, baggage claim and then we meet our tour director, Irene Theotokatou. The ladies are eager to start practicing some Greek phrases. The world is our classroom!

Across the Atlantic

We are all sitting safely at Schipol airport in Amsterdam awaiting our flight to Athens. Greece is seven hours ahead of home. The excitement should help our bodies adjust to the time difference quickly. We have our first city tour in Athens as soon as we arrive. We will update as much as we can!

Check out our itinerary!

http://www.eftours.com/1182570

Less than a month...

It's hard to believe that in less than a month, we will be in Greece! I've dreamt of traveling the world, but I've never even left the U.S, nor have I even been on an airplane. What better way to begin with than a journey to Greece? Greek mythology and Ancient Greece has always had a special place in my heart; I've read the stories and seen the illustrations- and now, I'll be watching it all come to life before my very eyes. That's thousands of years of lore in just nine days. The historical aspect isn't all that I'm looking forward to; I also can't wait to just immerse myself in Greek culture- dining on Greek food, browsing souvenirs for myself (and the many others who asked me to bring them one), enjoying the beautiful weather, and just getting a sample of life in another country. Present-day Greece is sure to be just as amazing as B.C Greece. Only 23 more days!

-Emma L

23 days to go!

To be totally honest this is the first blog I have ever written and I plan on writing more during the duration of our trip in Greece. I am so excited! The trip is only 23 days away! Even though I have traveled before to places such as Florida and even once a cruise to Bermuda, I am super psyched for the trip. Ever since I was little I have always wanted to explore new places and travel the world. Yeah, I know, pretty much every kid has dreamed of exploring the world and going to new places, but for me it’s not like that. When I think of places like Greece I think of all the ancient history, the architecture, and the culture. For a young adult, like myself, I have tried to imagine what it would be like to live there in ancient times and to understand their way of life. From early on I have loved history, and on this trip I'm excited to see places like the Acropolis, Delphi, and Olympia. Greece has centuries of history to explore. Two years ago I had a similar opportunity when I cruised to Bermuda. For three years I worked hard raking leaves with the Girl Scouts and raised enough money for my ticket. My hard work had paid off. My trip to Bermuda was beyond my wildest dreams, it introduced me to a new culture, showed me beautiful places I had only seen in books and definitely turned me into a traveler. This past summer I got a job at Moby Dick’s in Wellfleet on Cape Cod. Every penny I earned went toward this trip. Working in a restaurant was not easy with long hours, hard work, and the tourists, but I kept reminding myself of the goal I had set for myself and the prize. So when this trip is over, I hope to have a new insight on Greek history, culture, and architecture. We hear and see a lot about what is happening around the world every day, but until one travels to those countries, one can truly not understand. This trip will inspire me to continue to see the world and to share what I learn with others.

-Elizabeth S.

Counting down the days

Being a return traveler, I am excited to be less worried of traveling without my family and more excited to be on my own with a group I have been in school with for so many years and just embracing the Greek culture! I have already starting to learn a few greek words and phrases so that my experience in Greece will be more eventful. Speaking the language and knowing the history and sites prior to the trip is essential because it allows you to truly appreciate the history or landmarks once you see it for yourself. Im excited to go to athens, only because I have taken Latin for six years and I can put my knowledge from Latin and Athens to good use. This trip has had me counting down the days since the minute I signed up and its finally just a month and a few days away. The greek dance class that Ms.Cote set up has me just oozing of excitement, this will bring us closer to the greek culture and learn the ways Greece gets down! Im counting down the days until our departure! Just 43 more days to go :)

-Emily R.

43 Days until take off

43 Days until take off

 

 

 In 43 days my fellow classmates and I will be on a plane on our way to Greece. This will be my first time ever on a plane and I am so excited. Also this will be the longest and farthest I will be away from my parents. I am a little nervous but then I think of the great cultural experience that I will get and those little butterflies in my stomach start to disappear. I am also so excited to meet new people from different places such as the kids from Middletown High School in Rhode Island. This trip is going to give us great travel experience and help us make new friends. I am so excited and don’t know if I’ll be able to wait for the next 43 days.

-Abbie K.

44 Days until we travel!

 

I am so excited about leading this amazing group (Abbie, Ally, Ayessa, Elizabeth, Emily, Emma, Francheska, Hiram, Hiramia and Zoee) on a life changing adventure over April vacation.