28 July - Cycladic Paradise
Κυκλάδες νήσοι! The Cyclades!
Deep blue open water vs. electric blue bays. Breathtaking jagged mountain vistas vs. welcoming and cozy tavernas. Extreme luxury tourism vs. thriving local culture. If there is one thing we are learning about the Cyclades islands, it’s that they are a land of contrasts!
The Dolphin Bay resort is it’s own kind of paradise, with a wide variety of activities available to students including tennis courts, pin-pong tables, a relaxing pool with a water slide, and a beach volleyball court. After a hectic few day of jet lag, nerves, and transit, students are having an amazing time exploring the resort and surrounding village of Galissas, and everyone seems to be settling into their adopted Greek home nicely!
Today, many of our students attended their first Mykonos day trip optional excursion, travelling by ferry to one of Greece’s most popular and renowned islands. After participating in some fun icebreaker games on the ferry such as ‘would you rather’ and ‘desert island,’ students disembarked at the Aegean gem with a tangible sense of excitement in the air.
Students had a lunch in one of Mykonos’ most quaint squares, and proceeded to participate in a walking tour of the island. We soon found that Mykonos’ greatest charm is it’s winding, narrowly constructed laneways, teeming with Greek locals, tourists, and Greece’s furry feline friends. Everyone seemed positively awe-struck by the simplistic beauty of the architecture, and were very compelled by our guide’s explanation that the architecture is a product of what resources were available and years of weathering.
The tour concluded with a visit to one of Mykonos’ oldest bakeries, where students were able to meet the baker and try some of her delectable creations. Students walked to Mykonos’ iconic windmills for a group picture, and then spent the rest of the afternoon exploring the island independently. This island was a clear stand-out moment for many who attended the excursion, but there will be many more to come throughout this program. Mykonos? More like MykoYES!
The students who stayed at the hotel also had a wonderful day catching some rays, catching some Z’s, and chilling out by the beach. Lots of them had the opportunity to take care of some of their school work as well, making productive use of their day!
After a late dinner as a full group, most of the students opted to use the evening to complete school work in preparation for next weeks classes, as the entire program will be attending an optional excursion sailing on the island of Syros tomorrow. More adventure awaits, stay tuned!
Check out our Instagram page for some beautiful content on our sailing adventure:
@gsagreeceaugust2023
– Harrison R., Activity Coordinator
