The Galleria Borghese is a gorgeous villa set in Rome’s most beautiful park. It houses arguably the most impressive collection of Bernini and Caravaggio in all of Italy. Bernini’s Apollo and Daphne and The Rape of Proserpina, are particularly noteworthy for the immaculate artistry clearly evident in their creation. When we left the ...
[caption id="attachment_2570" align="alignnone" width="614"] Temple of Hephaestus[/caption] [caption id="attachment_2571" align="alignnone" width="614"] The pebble beach we got to visit on the coast of Greece[/caption] -Carmen interested in guest blogging? Visit ...
This morning we said “Yassas!” to Greece and “Salve!” to Italy as we boarded the plane and set off for Rome. Known as both the “Eternal City” and the “City of Fountains,” Rome has been a fixture and highlight of European travel for centuries. Any feelings of sadness leaving Athens were immediately remedied once we got off the ...
Well that’s a wrap! Being in Greece has been an incredible experience, and we all had a blast! Everything from the ancient ruins scattered around the city of Athens to Greece’s picturesque blue waters that I fly above now. Although Rome is next on the agenda, Athens will not be forgotten. The second half of our time in Athens was just ...
Yesterday was by far our most physically exhausting day, as we spent the morning climbing to one of Athens's highest points, the famous Lykavitos. Towering nearly 300 meters above sea level, it was no easy feat ascending to the top, but we managed all the same. Successfully navigating Lykavitos felt like a rite of passage for our group, and ...
Yesterday we took a brief break from Athens and traveled to the archaeological site of Mycenae and the coastal town of Nafplio. The citadel of Mycenae is legendary for the amazingly high walls of its structure. Passing through the Lion Gate of the site, one cannot help but think how in the world anyone managed to construct something so ...
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 ...