Saints in Greece: Delphi to Nafplio

Enjoy the past few days through the eyes and words of the kids.

March 24: We woke up, invigorated from watching Dr. Grissom dance on stage at the previous night's folklore show, and ready to see more of Athens. We started by looking at the ruins of the Temple of Zeus, a short walk from our hotel. They were incredibly impressive, imposing a certain sense of awe on our party. A few remaining marble columns towered over the ruins, dominating everything. Afterwards, we took a drive to look at several notable landmarks, such as the Greek parliament building and the Panathenaic Stadium. We also visited the National Archaeological Museum with our erudite tour guide Smaro, who gave us a lot of background on the exhibits. Finally, we were given free time to explore Athens. I decided to spend this time traipsing around a local park with my good friend Christian. We ran into Mr. Hochberg and Liza while there, and enjoyed friendly company for a while. The camaraderie that I've felt against the beautiful backdrop of Greece has been the best part of the trip for me. -Alexander Collins

March 25:
Wait, anything I write here gets on the internet? That is so cool...
Mom! I'm famous now! Also don't worry I will call you at some point.
-Daniel Marshall

We started the day with the Acropolis Museum. We saw a lot of the friezes and pediments from the Parthenon, among other awesome exhibits. After the museum, we left Athens for Delphi. The bus ride was long, but the scenery made it worth the drive. We also stopped at a Byzantine monastery. It was a very spiritual place; the incredible landscape and the monastery's architecture were surreal. Upon arriving in Delphi, we made a quick stop at a shrine for Athena, then had dinner and explored the town before settling down for the night.
-Ann Bailey

March 26:
On March 23, we woke up early to tour the ancient ruins of the Acropolis in Athens and the surrounding area. I was amazed by seeing these historical landmarks right in front of me. The Parthenon,  a building that has survived the test of time, stood only a couple feet away. The view of the city of Athens was beautiful. We could see the whole sprawling city of 5 million people and it it was impressive. But on March 26, we visited the site of the Oracle at Delphi. And as I looked out into the valley I was captivated by the natural beauty of this country. I will take nature's beauty over man's beauty any day.  -Joshua Reed

On March 26, we visited the site of the Oracle of Delphi. Looking at the ruins, it was strange to realize that it operated for centuries and was world famous even at its time. It was also surprising to me that the oracle was not the only thing in Delphi- treasuries and stadiums were part of the complex-- all of which was developed over time, of course. Realizing the sheer amount of activity surrounding Delphi was interesting.  -Liza Freed