A Much Needed Relaxing Week

Ciao! This past week was the last ten-day travel break for the semester and we spent it in Greece. During this time, a group of us went to Crete for the first half and Athens for the remainder. Crete was incredibly beautiful and the weather was outstanding the entire time, so a lot of time was spent at the beach and the harbor. This was a very relaxing trip and did not include hectic traveling schedules like the first travel week. Wednesday afternoon I was able to go scuba diving, which was great. I am now able to add Crete to my list of locations I have been diving. The harbor was definitely my favorite part of the island. The area included: shopping, ocean-view dining, cafés, and exceptionally friendly locals. I could not believe how welcoming all of the residents were, which gave the island a particularly homey feel. As for being adventurous, I got my very first fish pedicure! Previously, I had seen these on TV shows and the Internet. At first I was very scared, because as soon as I put my feet in- about thirty fish swarmed my feet. It was definitely an odd experience, but I would get one again in a heartbeat. As for the food… authentic Greek food is to die for! I am a creature of habit, and do not like to try new foods, so I was undoubtedly hesitant to try the foods. It did not help that I was told I was going to be eating leaves, flowers, and other peculiar items. However, once I decided to try the food I fell in love! I cannot believe I am saying this, but the leaves were delicious. Greek food is certainly one of my new favorite types of food.

Fish Pedicure

Thursday morning we departed the beautiful island of Crete and headed to Athens. By plane the locations are less than an hour flight apart, which made it very convenient. Once arriving, we checked into our hotel and went out to explore the city. The first stop was Acropolis, which is home of the astonishing Parthenon. It was unbelievable to walk through Acropolis and see the breathtaking architecture that is still standing after so many years. Along with this, Acropolis is at the very top of the city so it comes with a spectacular view of the town of Athens. During this, we were also able to see the Theatre of Dionysus and the Erechtheum. Next, we walked a little ways and ran into the Olympian Stadium of Zeus and Arch of Hadrian. Overall, the architecture and landmarks in Athens were so fascinating. I could not believe I was walking through the land that once was home to the Greek gods. The next day I was able to see the Olympic Stadium, which is the first stadium the Olympics were held. This was unbelievably cool to walk through, and stand where the tradition of the Olympics began. Sunday morning it was time to leave and head back to Paderno!

Theatre of Dionysus

Erechtheum

Acropolis

Olympian Stadium of Zeus

Arch of Hadrian

Olympic Stadium

As for this present week, school is extraordinarily busy. Professors are trying to get the last tests, projects, and presentations administered before finals week. On a more exciting note, last night I went to one of the events “Evening with a Professor.” CIMBA offers different outings with groups of students and professors, which allows them to see surrounding towns and get to know their professors better. This specific outing included going to a local pizzeria and getting to make our own pizza! Along with this, the owner told us his secrets on making a “perfect” pizza. For this upcoming weekend, tomorrow I am leaving to go to Rome for the weekend. I absolutely cannot wait to see this amazing city that everyone talks so highly about. Lastly, I will be leaving exactly two weeks from this Sunday! As great of a time as I have had studying abroad and as much as I love Europe… I am so thrilled to be heading home!

Pizza Making