Day 2 - Arrival in Athens & Walking Tour
Saturday, July 26th
Kalimera from Athens! After an uneventful 10-hour flight we were happy to step off the plane! Students quickly realized just how hot Athens gets. After getting our Greek stamps in our passports, we collected our luggage and headed to our hotel, located right in the centre of Athens.
After a quick break at the hotel, and setting up our Greek SIM cards, we were off on our orientation walking tour. We learned how to use the Athens metro system, a relatively new system, opened in 2004 just in time for the Summer Olympics.
Our tour started at the Hellenic Parliament, the seat of democracy in Greece, also home to The Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. Students learned about the importance of the memorial, the history of it’s ceremonial guard, and the unbelievable conditions they endure while on guard.
We then continued down Ermou, Athens’ famous shopping streets and quickly realized that maybe we didn’t bring enough money on this program!
Our walk concluded in Monastiraki Square, where everyone had an opportunity to grab a fresh fruit smoothly, gelato or explore the souvenir shops.
After freshening up at the hotel, our amazing local coordinator Chara guided the group to a nearby local taverna, favoured by many locals and away from the tourist traps of old town Athens.
We got our full Greek on tonight as dinner featured Greek salad, tzatziki and a traditional BBQ chicken. We finished off dinner with a traditional Greek dessert called Ekmeki.
Today also happens to be Liam’s birthday and the entire group was happy to celebrate with him.
Jetlagged and tired from a long day of travelling, we stocked up water and snacks at the mini market before heading back to the hotel for some much-needed sleep.
We’re looking forward to our first day of classes tomorrow morning and our walking tour of the Acropolis!
Bertan
Program Manager
