Ruhi Haiderali

Athens is a city rich in history and culture. It is home to some of the most remarkable landmarks in the world. We had the opportunity to tour the National Archaeological Museum, the Museum of Greek Culture and the Panathenaic Stadium.

National Archaeological Museum

The National Archaeological Museum it’s one of the most significant and largest museums in Greece. It houses an extensive collection of artifacts and offers an in-depth look at the development of Greek civilization. I enjoyed walking through the halls and feeling a connection to Greece’s past.

Museum of Greek Culture

Next, we visited the Museum of Greek Culture. The walk there was long and hot so I wanted to sit down when we got there. We headed to the café/restaurant in the museum. I had some fruit and a drink to keep me going. The museum was very interesting itself. It showcased the diverse aspect of Greek life and traditions. I enjoyed learning about the different type of clothing that they would wear back in the day. We then ubered back and had some free time.

Panathenaic Stadium

Our next stop was the Panathenaic Stadium.   it was amazing to see such an iconic symbol of athletic achievement in the flash. Built entirely of marble, this historic stadium hosted the first modern Olympic Games. We had an audio guide to tour us through the stadium. in my opinion, the stadium’s impressive architecture, and its role in ancient and modern sports history makes it a must visit site in Athens.

Our Farewell Dinner

Our farewell dinner was a bittersweet one. It started off with some bread and a Greek salad of course. The main course that day was mousakka, which was delicious. Then the dinner took a very emotional turn. Our tour guide, Katerina, had been a very gracious host our entire trip. We wanted to thank her with a tip but when the time came to accept it, she refused. Once she finally accepted, there were lots of hugs and tears shared. The farewell dinner was the perfect opportunity to reflect on all the amazing experiences we had. I will forever be grateful for the opportunity to go on this trip. I’ve made so many memories and connections that will last me a lifetime.

Aegina

Our day spent in Aegina was by far my favorite day of the trip. We had an entire free day to ourselves on a local island. Nia, Nicole, and I grabbed breakfast at a local café that I had gone to earlier on my food tour. We then headed to the port to catch a ferry to the island. I was pleasantly surprised by how spacious and comfortable the seats were on the ferry. I took a quick nap, and before I knew it we were there. Our group stopped near the port to come up with a game plan. We settled on riding. ATVs around the island. since I was one of the people driving, we had to do a test drive before we could get started. Then it was time to explore the island by ourselves.

The scenery along the drive was breathtaking. It’s not every day that you see water so blue. We then headed across the island to Aegina Marina Beach. here we had some drinks and took a refreshing dip in the Mediterranean. I was shocked at how shallow the water was compared to other beaches that I’m used to. We then continued to drive around on our ATVs. there was a scavenger hunt of local monuments for us to find. We spent majority of the rest of our time doing that. we got to see the Alfia Temple which was very cool. It’s apparently older than the Acropolis. As our day started to come to a close, we headed to a restaurant near the port for dinner. Before this, we ended up taking a spontaneous jump into the water. The restaurant was quite literally right on the water which was beautiful. I wanted to have seafood since we were so close to the water, so I ordered the shrimp linguine. The ride back was tiring so I took a quick nap again. Overall, this is the day filled with the most memories.

The Athens Central Market

The Athens Central Market was not new to me. I had already toured it during my food tour when I first got to Athens. It was filled with local vendors selling a variety of different items. We got to see the different types of fruits and vegetables that are consumed by locals here. I also had a chance to go see the local fish and meat market. It reminded me of the markets I’ve seen in India. in some places, they also had small restaurants featuring the seafood being sold.

Feta Cheese Producers

The feta cheese producer was slightly disappointing. The whole trip I’ve been looking forward to learning how to make feta. Instead, when we got there we were greeted by a nice Greek lady and her daughter. We all gathered in a circle around a tree for shade. They then served us an array of food featuring their various dairy products. The daughter played piano for us while we enjoyed our meal, which was a nice touch and added to the experience. We never actually got to see the feta making process, but it still was a memorable part of the trip. Before heading back, we stopped at their local store to pick up some products.

Winery

Upon our arrival to the winery, we were greeted by the warm hospitality that Greece is known for. I was excited to learn about the history of the vineyard and its wine making traditions. we got to go behind-the-scenes and tour the production area, which is where the magic happens seen the wind making process up close with a captivating experience. It was interesting to learn the process from crushing the grapes to fermenting and aging the wine in barrels The highlight of our visit was the wine tasting session. We got to try three different types of wines- one red, one white, and one rosé. They were paired with some breadsticks and local cheese. We then had the opportunity to buy some of their products to take home if we wanted to.

The Acropolis

I woke up bright and early, ready to see the Acropolis. Headed down to breakfast next and grabbed a quick bite. We all met up in the lobby and headed off on our journey to the Acropolis. We took the metro for the first time and walked the rest of the way. It was particularly hot for our first full day. We finally made it to the Acropolis and the sun was blazing down on us. Our tour guide was very informative and shared some quick facts about the history of the Parthenon. it was a very beautiful and majestic structure that was jaw-dropping to see in person. There were a lot of stairs and I quickly began to get tired. I started to get really hot and dizzy, so I decided to sit down on a bench nearby. Professor Dodge sat with me and we had a nice chat. We met a crazy lady along the way, which was a whole other story. For starters, she thought we were married. We then made our way down the Acropolis. We met up at a restaurant called O’Thanasis. We were served a deliciously fresh Greek salad with a whole block of feta on top. Next, we got to have our choice of kebabs and I chose beef. It is still one of the best kebabs I had on the entire trip.

The New Acropolis Museum

I didn’t get a chance to see The New Acropolis Museum since I was so tired. I headed back to the hotel for a little bit of rest. One of the friends I had made earlier in the day asked if I wanted to join a few of the other girls for pizza for dinner. it ended up being quite a big group of us which turned out to be very fun. We then went to a local bar to close out the night.

Delphi

The next day was filled with a beautiful drive to Delphi. It took around three hours to get there. We stopped in a small town and had a bite. I had pork gyros and a Greek beer to go with it. We then continued on to Delphi. The scenery along the way was majestic and unlike anything I’ve ever seen before. Once we made it to Delphi we went to tour the Temple of Apollo and its ruins. I found the tour itself to be very informative and I feel like I got a lot out of this day. We went to a nearby museum to look at other artifacts. Our next stop was a small town for a late lunch. I wasn’t too hungry since I was still full from earlier. I tried some zucchini fritters but didn’t like them very much. I then got some local ice cream with friends and shared a drink with Aanchal.  I then watched a movie on the bus ride back. A few of us went out for Indian food later that night and had some delicious biryani and dal to call it a night.

Your trip to Greece

My journey to Greece was a rather long one. It all started off with a two-hour ride to Newark airport. I got there three hours before my flight and my dad was there to help me check in. I made it through security relatively fast and this was a little bit of worry set in. I kept thinking that I forgot something, and I realized I forgot my watch. this was my first time flying internationally alone, so I was more nervous in general. I grabbed a quick bite before heading to my gate. Next, I boarded the plane and was taking off before I knew it. I had downloaded some movies for the flight, which was very helpful. I got excited a little too soon because I thought I had the row to myself, but then a girl came up to me and asked if she could sit next to me. There were two boys our age who didn’t stop talking the whole flight, which was pretty annoying. Luckily, I had my headphones and movie to keep me occupied. I had a layover in Oslo for quite a bit, so I decided to go to the lounge to grab a bite and do some work. I then got ready to board my next flight when I saw the same girl who I flew with from Newark waiting as well. I introduced myself and turns out that she was from Athens. We didn’t have seats together, but she ended up having an open one in her row so I took that seat. It was really nice, and we ended up talking the whole flight. It was great because she gave me some recommendations on what to do and where to go. We said our goodbyes at the baggage check off I went.

I had two days in Athens to myself. The first night I was really tired, so I just grabbed dinner from the kebab shop near the hotel the next day I had a food tour planned which I was really excited for. I knew it was going to be hot, but I didn’t anticipate just how hot it would be. My food tour guide was lovely and very informative. It was a street food tour so I got to see a lot of local joints that not everyone knows about. By the third hour, I was starting to not feel very good, so I decided to head back to the hotel for a nice nap. I then spent the evening wandering around and walking to Monastiraki Square to explore a little bit. The next day I visited Plaka, a neighborhood in Athens, to do some shopping. I spent my night checking out a local bar that the hotel recommended. before I knew it was time to check out the next day. I decided to wait in the hotel lobby and do some work until everyone came. I then grabbed a quick bite at the kebab shop again. The hotel offered early check in, so I decided to head up and freshen up. Then it was time for everyone to arrive from the airport. I headed downstairs to meet the group.

Reflect on your predeparture blog, what did you forget?

I didn’t really forget anything major which I was pleasantly surprised by. The only problem I encountered was one of my converters not working. I still had one functioning one though so I wasn’t too worried. other than that, I think my packing list really helped me not forget anything.

What have you seen so far in Athens that you are excited about?

The food tour got me really excited about exploring Athens. I hope to revisit some of these places during the rest of my trip.

How was dinner?

I had a really great time at dinner the first night. I got to know some people from FIU which was very nice. The place was called L’Amiral and was a Greek fusion restaurant. We started off with thick slices of toasted bread served with three different styles of dips. The entrée was grilled chicken with a citrusy orange sauce served with potatoes, broccolini, and a white sauce. The dessert was something new for me. It was a frozen yogurt on top of a cake of sorts with phyllo pastry. After dinner, I headed up to the rooftop bar at the hotel to have a drink with some new friends. We then called it a night and got some rest.

I am super excited about this opportunity to travel to Greece. I was fortunate enough to be excepted to the study abroad program. I’m looking forward to learning more about the culture and making connections along the way.

What are you expecting on this trip?

It is my first time in Greece, so I’m excited to learn more about the country and to make connections along the way. I know that Greece has a deep history behind it, and am eager to learn more about how the country and its democracy came to be. I come from a culinary background and am looking forward to seeing what the food scene is like and how it differs from other cultures. We are planning on going to a dairy farm, and I’m looking forward to learning how feta is made. There is also a tour planned of a high-end hotel in Athens, which I hope will give me a new perspective of hotels. Hopefully, this trip will help and allow me to learn more about the various aspects of hospitality and how it differs in the world. As a student from a different school, I’m excited to meet new students from FIU and hopefully make some friends along the way.

What have you packed?

I’m planning on bringing a carry-on as well as a check-in bag (yes, I’m a chronic over packer). For clothing, I want to bring a variety of clothes to wear for different occasions. Our itinerary is full of many different plans in various settings, so I want to be prepared for anything. I also know that Athens is experiencing a heatwave so that is something to consider. Regarding clothes, I plan on bringing some short sleeve shirts, sleeveless shirts, tank tops, dresses (one dressy, one casual), pants, shorts, a sweatshirt, sneakers, sandals, flip-flops, pajamas, undergarments, socks, and a bathing suit. For toiletries, I want to bring shampoo, conditioner, face wash, moisturizer, body, lotion, deodorant, toothbrush, toothpaste, floss, a hairbrush, hair, ties, dry shampoo, makeup, hair tools, perfume, sunscreen, and medications. in my carry-on, I want to carry important documents, such as my boarding pass, license/passport, and cash. I also want to have snacks, hand sanitizer, tissues, empty water bottle, and a neck pillow. I also want to make sure to have my laptop, chargers, and a converter.

What do you think you forgot?

I don’t think that I forgot anything important as such. I realized I left my watch at home but that’s not a necessity per se. I have a pretty extensive packing list that I use when I travel, so that usually manages to cover everything. I did almost forget to pack sunscreen, which would’ve been a brutal mistake given the hot sun in Greece.

What are your plans before or after this trip?

Before the trip, I don’t have many plans besides wrapping things up at work. However, I am going to Athens a few days early to settle in. After my trip, my plan is to stay in Mykonos for a few days to relax and enjoy the beach. I’m really excited for this since Mykonos has been on my bucket list for so long.