Day 23: Back in Athens!
Saturday, August 15th, 2026
We woke up nice and early this morning, having sailed into Piraeus, the main port of Athens, at 6 AM. We packed up our cabins after a surprisingly restful night, collected our luggage and boarded our bus.
Today is a major national holiday in Greece, called the Dormition of the Virgin Mary, often called the Summer Easter. As a result, the streets in Athens felt abandoned, and we made it to our hotel in record time. We immediately headed to the beautiful rooftop, where we enjoyed a delicious breakfast buffet while admiring the incredible view of the Acropolis. It’s hard to believe that it has already been three weeks since we first had breakfast on this very rooftop.
While we waited for our rooms to be prepared, students spread out and finished up their culminating assignments, while our Classical Civilizations class finished their presentations. We had the rest of the day to relax, do some shopping and enjoy some delicious gelato. A few of us headed to a local dessert shop that makes delicious loukoumades, a Greek type of the Timbit, but way way better! We watched the workers make them from scratch and top them with whatever toppings we wanted. It was an amazing experience.
We headed into the main square for dinner at one of Athens’ most iconic tavernas, where we enjoyed traditional Greek salad, cheese pies, tzatziki and beef kebabs. Students then signed out and enjoyed their last weekend evening out.
Tomorrow is our exam review and study day.
We can’t believe we only have two days left! Time flies when you’re making incredible memories.
Bertan
Program Manager
