Our Last Day

On our last day in Athens we decided to head to the Acropolis...despite the heat and the crowds. We had an enjoyable time and it was mostly a happy experience. Finishing up the last bit of packing on the other hand was much different. In the end we were about 10 pounds too heavy, so out went the winter sweaters, old socks, etc. and we'll need new shoes when we get home too ;) Would you believe that we've lived for the past nine months with only the belongings in these four bags (minus the shoes and sweaters)?

10,650

I've taken and kept exactly 10,650 photographs this year. My project for next year will be to turn this massive number of photos into some sort of album...or maybe several albums. It should take just about a year, don't you think?

My second to last day in Greece was spent at the beach! I took the bus with my friend Sara and we enjoyed one last sunny afternoon. Tomorrow Rob and I plan to take our last trip to the Acropolis, Agora, and anything else we spot along the way.

We're planning on eating out tomorrow night, so tonight was our last meal at the school. Many of us took the opportunity to bring along our cameras and take silly photos. It almost felt like the last day of high school :)

ευχαριστώ, Ryan!

I have been thinking recently about all of the amazing experiences I've had over the past year and everything that I will miss about living abroad. There are so many things I could list, including my (almost) daily blog updates. Last summer before departing for Greece my great friend Ryan challenged me to take a photo a day and post it online. It was suppose to be a way for my friends and family in America to "see" what Athens looks like and experience the year along with us. For me, the challenge was to look at the world through my camera lens. Finding just the right angle with the best light can be time consuming and require a lot of patience, but I truly enjoyed the experience (and yes, a little wine on a balcony overlooking the Aegean does help a bit). So, thank you Ryan for giving me this idea and for reading every single entry I posted. :)  Over the past nine months I have published 199 posts. Anybody care to guess how many photographs I have taken this year? I'll post the answer tomorrow!

Pnyx

It's been a long day. Last night Rob and I met up with Frank and Vassiliki at Rembetiki Istoria for one last night of Rembetika music. Frank was Rob's modern Greek language professor last year at IU and it was really cool to be able to spend time with them in Athens. Because the bandleader Pavlos and Frank are great friends we were well cared for and didn't make it home until well after 3:30 a.m. AND because it's Sunday morning it was our last opportunity to get Allie's (a fellow ASCSA student) delicious homemade biscuits so we were up much earlier than we would have liked to be. As to not waste a perfectly good day, Rob and I headed out just after breakfast for the best view of the Acropolis....from the Pnyx.

The Pnyx is where the ancient Greeks held assemblies and is extremely important in the creation of Democracy. It is such a peaceful part of the city and the views are great. Next, we headed to the Acropolis Museum and after touring the antiquities we had a coffee in the cafe...(in keeping with our theme)...one last time. It was a fun albeit sleep deprived day!

A Series of Lasts...

As Rob and I begin to contemplate our upcoming stateside journey we have found ourselves doing a series of "last things" before we depart. On Thursday we visited the Benaki Museum and today we headed to the National Museum. It's incredible to experience these museums after having lived and traveled as we've been doing. I remember my first visit to the National Archaeological Museum two years ago....I looked at about as much as I could stand, but couldn't really make sense out of anything. Now, I can see a progression of Greek pottery and even envision the quarries that many major pieces of sculpture came from. It's quite an experience.

Also, (and this is for Cindy) we ate one of our final bougatsa this morning. Oh, so good!

 

I Never Knew...

...what a great beach bum I could be! Seriously, I am good at it. Unfortunately, I had never been given the opportunity before to explore by abilities and strengths at beach-going because I grew up in Iowa. Here's hoping this year won't be my last opportunity for beach success. :)

Road Trip

Rob and I spent Monday and Tuesday on the southwest coast of the Peloponnese in the village of Neohori. Our friend, Sara, has access to her adviser's house so we used the opportunity to catch one last glimpse of the Greece we love. The Peloponnese is mostly green and mountainous while cute little villages are scattered about the hillsides. It was glorious.