It is day two of our trip to Athens, and we are visiting the Parthenon! The Parthenon is a temple dedicated to Athena, the goddess of wisdom and warfare. The story behind the dedication is that Athena and Poseidon competed over the Parthenon by giving gifts to the people of Athens. Poseidon went first and created a spring, which started to flow ...
Western Civ has begun! The long journey and lack of sleep didn’t stop us from exploring the great city of Athens right away. Although much different than the cities and lifestyles we all are accustomed to back in the States, Athens was easy to enjoy from the start. Moreover, we learned some handy Greek phrases and words even before we ...
Trying a gyro for the first time is a little similar to stepping into a new, foreign city. The sudden burst of flavor from the sauce and crunchy pita bread takes you by shock, as your head tries to figure out what flavors you’re already used to. Some of the ingredients are recognizable, like the crunchy, welcoming tomato, while others can ...
After a short breakfast together, we dove right into things and set out to see the Agora. The Agora, which means “open space,” was the meeting place for the democracy of ancient Athenian citizens. It is home to numerous ancient monuments, including the very well-preserved Temple of Hephaestus. We briefly took some time off to indulge in ...
Greece at last! After a long voyage across the pond, our 17 excited students finally touched down in Athens and officially began their European adventure! The sun was shining across the Acropolis, and we could not have asked for a more beautiful day to herald the start of our wonderful program. After settling into the hotel to cool down and ...
Here's a collection of the best photos on my phone from the trip. It's been a blast, and we still have a whole day left! [caption id="attachment_2072" align="aligncenter" width="614"] Checkpoint Charlie, Berlin with Arthur Kian[/caption] [caption id="attachment_2073" align="aligncenter" width="614"] Brandenburg Gate in Berlin with our new ...
On day 15, we took a look at Vienna's cultural history with a special private tour of the new opera house, Theater an der Wien. We also caught a glimpse of the Secession building with the golden dome, which is right next door. For lunch, students strolled around the famous Nachsmarkt (where chefs from around Vienna go to get the most fresh and ...
Each city has been better than the last. Vienna is the best, because it has the old city architecture with a new city vibe. Today we saw the Hapsburg summer palace and the Hapsburg apartments. [caption id="attachment_1904" align="alignnone" width="614"] Schönbrunn Palace, the Hapsburg summer palace[/caption] [caption id="attachment_1903" ...
Today students took a breather, having a free morning to either explore the castle perched above the town or stroll through the beautiful streets of Salzburg in search of chocolate and gifts for the home. Later in the afternoon, we took a lake and mountain tour around three gorgeous lakes right outside Vienna: Mondsee, Wolfgang ...
After a long six-hour bus ride yesterday, the mere two-hour ride to the concentration camp memorial felt like nothing... We've all read the unimaginable stories about the Holocaust, but there is nothing like walking through the showers, where prisoners were sent upon arrival and ending the tour by walking through the crematorium and seeing ...