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This trip to Greece was one that I had been wanting to do since I was

in high school. I had a friend that came to America from Greece in my senior year

and I was struck by the way she spoke, looked, and the stories that she told ofher homeland. I was so happy to be able to go with so many of my current day

friends and peers. The only way that I can sum up my trip to those that ask about

it is, Awesome!

The first reason that I found it awesome was because of the sheer size

of the monuments and temples built to the gods. I have been to Italy, France,

and England before and have seen numerous historic sites and landmarks, but

none seemed as immense as the symbols of admiration and power that I saw in

Greece. The Temple of Poseidon was my favorite since my son and I have

always had an interest in this god. To see it on the edge of the cliff that day wevisitedSounionwas simply breathtaking to me. I found myself asking the

question, How can people not believe in gods when they see these immense

tributes to them? Why would such a structure be built if not for the gods? The

acropolis was another amazingly awesome site for me. I think it was partly

because it was my first introduction to all of the archaeological sites of Greece. I

marveled at the fact that these structures were erected with the most simplistic of

tools and brute force. I found that I wanted to take pictures of every inch of the

place just so I could convey its enormity to my friends and family back home. I

felt very small and humbled beside of it. Lastly, the size of the theaters was so

impressive to me. In my opinion, I felt that the design planning of these was

simply amazing. To think that people back in this time period had the

understanding of acoustics that we have today was so impressive! Our tour

guides to all of these places only added to the awesomeness of these sites since

they knew the history of them so well they made them all come alive for me. I

truly felt like I was in hallowed and sacred places each site we were at.

Another reason that I describe this trip as awesome was the culture

that I was able to witness and be a part of. Every person that I interfaced with

was pleasant, helpful, and laid back. It was amazing to see people taking the

time to sit and visit with others in the outdoor cafes. I found myself to be a bit

envious of this relaxed way of life. Though I know from the tour guides that the

citizens of Greece are under great financial stress right now, I would never know

it by the way they appeared. Even the two servers in our first hotel (the original

George and the woman, whose name escapes me) always seemed to be happy

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and engaging. I love the feeling of community that we saw in every excursion

that we took. There was none more special than Delphi. I found it charming how

the family shops and taverns were run. The strong sense of family was very easy

to observe. The pride that the shop owners had in their handmade products as

well as their hospitality when we were in their shops was just another part of theculture that I loved. My favorite shop was in Delphi where the shop owner offered

usOuzo, olives, honey, and olive oil just for shopping (though I am also not naive

enough to ignore the marketing angle he may also have been playing!)

Greece was also awesome because of its topography! I have no less

than 150 picture of just mountains and mountain valleys. Living in Vermont one

would think we were used to mountains but Greeces mountains are in a class of

their own. I had no idea of the elevation that we would be experiencing while

there. I am not one that loves heights but I found that the beauty around these

mountains from the vantage point of the mountain tops was undeniable as wellas unforgettable. I experienced a sense of peace with all of the majestic views

that I encountered. It amazed me even more that people traversed these

mountains all through history. Once again, Delphi made its mark with this aspect.

People coming to see the oracle must have exerted a great amount of time and

physical exhaustion simply making the trip there!

The most significant awesome for me of the whole trip was Olympia.

Being a sports minded person, this site had great appeal to me. I understand the

mentality and dedication of an athlete and greatly appreciated all of the actions

and events that once took place in this olympic site. Hearing about the size of

the gatherings as well as the daily life surrounding the olympic games was new

information for me. I had no idea that the olympics were to please the gods and

that the athletes were as well rounded (music, poetry, etc) as they were.

Ironically it was the last two aspects of our Olympia visit that fascinated me the

most, Cheaters Row and the stadium. I found the whole notion of the statues of

cheaters quite amusing and I excitedly told my family and my students about it

and they reacted the same way. Who knew? Mind blowing for me was to

actually walk through the entrance to the stadium and run across the finish line.

It actually gave me chills. Of all the first place finishes across a finish line that I

had in my high school track days, none compared to this one moment! It was like

hundreds of years of history seeped through my feet as I touched the line. It

sounds strange but it is true. When I thought about coming to Greece, I looked

forward to seeing the origin of the Olympics but I had no idea of how much I

would be fascinated with it. I really wish that this part of our trip could have been

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a bit longer as we did not have a lot of exploration time at this site. The tour was

amazing and very informative but I would have loved to go amongst the ruins a

bit more.

So this trip for me was simply AWESOME in so many ways. I wanted my

family to be with me to experience it all with me but at least I had a great group ofpeople to share it with. I met some great new friends and made fantastic

memories with my great old friends. Thanks, Bill, for all of your amazing hard

work and planning both which made this trip such a fun learning experience for

us all!