Athens--The Birthplace of Democracy

When we arrived in Athens, we considered taking a convenient taxi to our hotel. However, we thought it would be good practice, in case "The Amazing Race" ever casts us for their show, to find our way using public transportation. We took a bus from the airport to the famous Syntagma Square, which is right in front of Greece's Parliament building. From there, we ventured onto the Metro (subway) system. Our hotel, the Royal Olympic, is located near the Acropolis. So, we just took the subway to the Acropolis metro station. From there, we walked down cobblestone streets to the Temple of Zeus. Our hotel is across the street from the temple, and we made it safely. We spent the evening exploring the temple, and walking through the nearby Plaka Historic District. We had dinner in a Greek taverna, and we tasted the most incredible Greek salad. Tomorrow we are headed to the Acropolis for a full-day of sightseeing.

Today's the Day!

I boarded my plane at 6am on May 30th, out of Birmingham Airport. Serge and I flew from Alabama to Newark, where we had a 7-hour layover. Then, we boarded our huge plane for a 9-hour flight to Athens. We had great seats on the plane, because there were so many empty seats. We were able to stretch out across an entire row, and I slept most of the way. We arrived in Athens on the morning of May 31st, and headed straight to our hotel. I decided against taking my laptop, so I'll have to update my photos to the blog when I return to Alabama next week.

Starting the summer in Greece!

In a few days, I will journey to Greece for another fantastic summer travel experience. The University of Alabama in Huntsville's Office of International Programs is providing the funding for this trip, via their STAR (Success Through Academic Research) Scholarship. http://oip.uah.edu/star.php

I will spend three days in Athens, the capital of Greece and the birthplace of western civilization. After exploring amazing sites such as the Parthenon and the National Archaeological Museum, I will take an 8-hour ferry to Santorini.

I had the opportunity to visit Santorini in the late 1990s, and I made a promise to myself that I would return someday. Nothing can quite describe... the unsurpassed magic of Santorini. There is talk about the connection between Santorini and the mythical lost continent of Atlantis. The volcano is what gives Santorini the unique landscape and makes it the most famous place in the world for its Caldera - which is the opening created by the Santorini volcano. I will be staying at a hotel which is located on the highest cliff--the only place in the world where you can actually stay on the caldera of a volcano. I've traveled around the world, and without a doubt--there is no place on earth more beautiful than Santorini.

After exploring Santorini for five days, I will take a high-speed ferry to the island of Mykonos. In Greek mythology, Mykonos was the location of the battle between Zeus and the Titan, and the island was named in honor of Apollo's grandson Mykons. Today, Mykonos is the most popular island in Greece--and possibly the most popular island in all of Europe.

I will return to Athens for my last day in Greece, where I will meander through the ancient Plaka District before my 12-hour flight home. Upon my return, I will create an exciting Curriculum Guide for my students at BMS. I will be posting new blogs and photos during the trip. Please feel free to ask questions about Ancient Greece on the blog. If you will be an 8th grader at BMS during the 2009-10 school year, this blog is a FANTASTIC resource for you to get prepared for our unit on Greece next year!