July 21 - Acropolis & Parthenon

Our first full day in Athens started with an optional activity to the Panathenaic Stadium, which is where the first modern day Olympics were held in 1896, however the stadium itself is much older and can be dated back to 330 BC! It is the only stadium in the world built entirely of marble, which happened around 144 AD. Unfortunately, the track itself was under construction, however that didn’t stop students from showing their skills and running through the stands to say they ran at the first Olympic stadium.

Students got to walk back to the hotel through the Athens National Garden, which gave some much needed shade and beautiful greenery in the heart of the city. Students spent the rest of the morning meeting with their teachers to go over their exams and study. After a break for lunch, they went back to it until they were dismissed to get ready for an evening out in Athens!

As a group we headed to the metro to head to the Acropolis and Parthenon. We had an incredible tour guide to take us through the history and significance of each part of the site, including that the structures have survived a lot of war and destruction, and that much of it had been painted although now we see only the marble. Students loved hearing the ties between Greek mythology and history to help understand how the sites had been used in the past.

After the tour, we headed to Monastiraki Square and to dinner at a taverna. After some delicious Greek salad, tiropita, and souvlaki, students had free time to explore the famous Plaka neighbourhood and do some shopping to get the last of their souvenirs.

The group met and took a bus back to the hotel just in time for curfew, and students went to their rooms to freshen up and get a good night’s sleep before tomorrow’s exams!