A-Musing Experience in Greece

Today was our first full day in Athens, and boy, did we make the most of it. We started off the day by taking a bus ride out to the 2004 Olympic facilities. Unlike London, all the facilities are still in tact, so we were able to get a full understanding of what the area looked like nine years ago. We had the opportunity to hear from Greek athlete Nikos Michalopoulos, who spoke about what it meant for him to be both Greek and an Olympian, having the honor to compete inside the premiere stadium in his country. I got the sense from Nikos, as well as a video that we watched, that while America definitely has national pride, the Greeks posses something beyond our love for the red, white, and blue. We have seen this throughout our time in both Olympia and Athens, that the Greeks are such a tight knit people, and they are proud to be associated with the Olympics, and to have a stadium that represents all of the nation's past, present, and future.

After being able to run the Olympic track and see a bit more of the facility, our group ventured off to the National Archaeological Museum of Greece. Similar to the Olympic facilities, we came to understand just how important the archaeological artifacts are to country. Throughout its history Greece has had many of it's important artifacts taken from it by various museums throughout the world, as larger nations have accumulated Greek pieces over time. Because of this, the pieces that Greece does have in its possession are highly valued. We have seen Greek artifacts at various museums throughout our trip, but it was not until today that we were able to see Greek artifacts in Greece. Throughout the museum, we saw pieces from the Minoan civilization, pottery and statues found in the area, statues of those such as Athena, and fantastic jewelry made of gold. The highlight of the museum for me however, was being able to see the Antikythera Shipwreck. Found just off the coast of Greece, the shipwreck contained vital information to archaeologists that predated Egyptian artifacts, as well as containing 'The Mechanism'.

Archaeologists believe that 'The Mechanism' was used for astronomical and calendar calculations, and is widely regarded as the world's first computer, dated 150-100 BC.

Among the wreckage, there were many other significant pieces, including the above statue, as well as other statues that were preserved under the sand of the sea.

After taking the 'scenic route' on the walk back from the museum (or at least that's what Prof. Ryan called it), some took to the street for shopping, while others relaxed for an hour or two on the top of our hotel- from which you can see the Acropolis- before dinner.

Tomorrow is our last day in Athens, as well as on the trip, before we begin our travel day back to JFK and reality. We will be heading up the Acropolis, as well as heading to the beach. Don't get me wrong, I am definitely ready to get home and sleep in my own bed, but I think I can speak for everyone when I say that this has been such an awesome trip, and I really just don't want it to end. Four countries, five cities, and one lost debit card for me since this trip began, I have learned so much and had so much fun along the way.

Thanks for read
-- Kyle