Greece: how many times can we pose like marble statues?

The second half of the trip began when we landed in Athens – the birthplace of democracy, of the Olympics, of … millions of stray dogs. Less impressive than Cyprus as a whole, Athens was still impressive for its historical points of interest.

I mean, I was expecting it to be exactly as Greece was presented in the animated Disney movie Hercules. Or at least hoping somewhat...

With barely five days, the trip flew by, and that wasn't just because of the sickness that I developed. Good thing about having spent the previous semester abroad: I can spot the green crosses for a European pharmacy anywhere. Well, that also has to do with the fact that they are everywhere, but I'd like to think that it's just because I'm such a Euro-pro now...

Lopo, me, and Gina in the Plaka district of Athens with the Acropolis in the
background.

From the center of downtown Athens, a completely un-edited
photograph of our first Greek sunset

The stadium for the first modern Olympic games!

The ancient Temple of Zeus

The Acropolis, this time at night

After half a day spent eating (as always) and exploring a little of Athens, we spent our other "free" day on the island of Aegina. Rather than Athens, which was aesthetically disappointing, Aegina was absolutely beautiful and much more of the idea of Greece that most of my classmates had expected.

The hillside buildings were whitewashed....

 the scenery was green, and the water was an amazing shade of blue...

...and we got to explore an ancient Greek temple!

Just like the album cover photos last semester (a theme that still continued on this trip), we all were eager to be Greek gods and goddesses.

Photo creds to Laura

Gina, Regan, me, and Laura
(Photo creds to Gina)

Lopo and TJ

Regan, Laura, Gina, TJ, me, Morgane, Katrina, and Lopo
(Photo creds to Jessa)

Well, we're not statues, but here's the whole class!
(Photo creds to Lopo)

And again, we ate a huge lunch, some ice cream, and then were given a little free time (gasp!). Most of us chose to go to a little stretch of beach. Though it was covered in dead kelp, the beautiful beach beckoned (unintentional alliteration...)

I think this might be my absolute favorite photo of the trip.

 If you know how excited I get about going to a beach at any given time, then you might have a slight idea of how excited I was to be here. It was unbelievably beautiful. Just staying on the lounge chairs on the beach, I had this view that I thought was only possible with a really good version of Photoshop.

Some of the class actually braved the freezing water.

 The rest of our time in Greece was spent in meetings in Athens. The most memorable of these took place at the Greek Ministry of Defense. The meeting itself was pretty boring, but it looked like we were on the set of Dr. Strangelove:

Not the Greek Ministry of Defense.

Definitely the most exciting location of a meeting, it certainly helped keep my exhausted and sick self awake just for the fact that we had the cushiest spinning chairs and our own microphones to ask questions with.

Dinner underneath the Acropolis? Fine by me!
(Photo creds to Gina)

From a rooftop in the middle of the Plaka district in Athens

The Acropolis again!

And again! from a different rooftop!

Athens went by ridiculously fast. We ended our time in Greece with a trip up to the Parthenon, finally.

Randomness on the climb up to the Parthenon

Laura and me in front of a random Greek amphitheater. Finally, going to a Greek
amphitheater in Greece! Berkeley will never impress me again.

Finally at the top!
Liberty, me, Kelly, Gina, and Rae

Greece!

Maya, Gina, Kendall, me, and Laura are the Muses from Hercules. Kind of.

Damn you, construction.

Greece from the plane.

And then, our final stop was in .... Istanbul, Turkey!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I know I should have written this all so much sooner and kept up with telling better stories as they happened, but alas. However, I will finish this blog.