Day #26: 26 July 2013

Today we started our day by reviewing our field trip from yesterday. We saw how important pottery was to the Greeks and how practical the pottery was. Many of the pottery vessels made are for household use. For example, the water vases are used to carry water in villages because there might not be a spout in someone’s house.

We then got to listen to Liras and what they sound like. It was interesting to see how they are played and how they look like a modern day violin but are still very different. They sound almost as if they were meant for a sad song because they sound like someone crying. I am surprised at how even though there is only one lira, many different cultures have adapted the instrument to their local culture and use it to play their local music.

We then discussed about the Kazantzakis Museum. Kazantzakis never had any children and only as a step-son. Currently, that step-son is in the hospital and has a daughter. There are some issues between the daughter and the museum concerning royalties from Kazantzakis’ work because they are still very popular and are continuously being published.

We then started talking about the branding of Crete. Crete has released a new add about using Crete for movie filming because the landscape is so diverse. There are tropical beaches, roaring waters, snowy mountains, and even more. This is an interesting idea because Crete normally tries to sell is beaches or history to consumers, not film producers. I was also still in awe at the beauty of Crete and how amazing this island is. Crete has much to offer to anyone, from beaches to mountain climbing. 

We then discussed more about the Cretan diet. This diet is considered the most important element to local Cretans. The diet is largely composed of local products including olive oil, dakos and tomatoes. The diet is also not only the way that people eat but is also the way that people interact and communicate with each other. 

We then learned weather words such as cold, ο καιρός, hot, το κρύο, sunny, λιακάδα, and windy, φυσάει. Δα ήδελα is the polite way to say I want. I can hardly believe that this is our last language lesson that we will have while in Greece. We also learned some traveling terms so that way we could effectively navigate our way through the airport. For example, we learned passport, το διαβατήριο, and do you need help?,  δέλετε βοήδεια; 

We then had a guest lecturer who is a lawyer in Crete. Maria came to talk to us about Minoan law and language. She was born and raised in Iraklio and studied law in Italy. She was able to do this because the Continental part of Europe have similar legal systems called city law. In the US, UK and Australia we have common law. City law is based on codes while common law is based on the decision of the court which is based on past cases. 

The law of Greece is based on a myth about a bull who stole the princess Ευρώπη. The bull and the princess were married and the result of this union was children. One child, Minos, became the king of Knossos. Minos is reported to have brought back the laws from the top of Idi Mountain every nine years. This suggests that laws come from a higher source and hard work is required to reach these laws. This myth also suggests that law is not static and must adapt to human habits and procedures throughout time.

In the evening, we had our last official class. Here, we went over our paper topics. It was interesting learning about everyone's topic and the perspective that they want to take within their paper. Something that surprised me is that we all took such a unique perspective of different elements of Cretan/Greek culture based on our different personalities, but we all managed to get along so well. 

Day #25: 25 July 2013

Today was our last field trip L I cannot believe that four weeks have gone by so quickly. We started our day off with pottery making. We went to the village of Thrapsano where we had a pottery workshop run by Ploumakis and family. It was so amazing to see how a lump of clay could be turned into something so beautiful like a vase or a pot with one’s hands. The guy was so talented with making the pottery and he made it look very easy. When I attempted to make my pot, it did not turn out as well as his did. He ended up having to help me make mine. It was also fun walking around in the shop of their pottery because everything was gorgeous and completely unique!

Showing us How to Make a Vase

All of the Dried Pottery

The Pottery in their Natural Setting

After pottery, we went to Labyrinth located in Choudetsi. Labyrinth is a lira museum operated by Ross Daly who has the largest collection of liras in Greece. Labyrinth is unique to all other museums in that it is used as an educational school to teach people about playing the lira and to practice. Also, all of the liras in the museum are available for people to play and touch because that is what musical instruments are meant to do – be played. It was interesting to see how even though all liras had the same basic shape with a hollow chamber and strings played with a bow, each country applied their unique design to the lira. In Crete, the traditional lira is pear shaped.

Liras from Greece

The Motorcycle that Mr. Daly Rode Around Greece

Our next stop was the Kazantzakis Museum. We watched a video in the museum about his life and then saw materials from his life. I did not realize how many books he wrote and in how many languages. Kazantzakis was a very important man for Greece and not only reflected their rich cultural history in his writings but also was able to embrace Crete’s desire for freedom and had political positions. After the museum, we went to Myrtia, the local village. We had some local Greek delicacies including fresh pita, pork, chicken and beef/lamb souvlakia, French fries and Greek salad. The meal was delicious and hit the spot considering we were all very hungry.

Our last stop was the Boutari winery. The winery was a branch of the main one that grew grapes specifically in Crete. The property where the grapes were growing was gorgeous and it was so much fun being able to pick the grapes directly off the vine and taste the grapes pre-wine. The wine tasting was also interesting because we had our first glass while watching a movie about the history of wine and about the brand Boutari. Overall, I did not really like the Boutari wine, but it might have been more of a personal preference. However, the experience was very interesting and I loved seeing all of the oak barrels full of the wine.

Some Merlot Grapes

Boutari Wine Cellar

Wine Tasting!

Day #24: 24 July 2013

Today we reviewed our trip from yesterday. At dinner last night, there were reporters and we were able to see the newspaper article that was published today. We also saw some of Theo’s videos from us jumping off the boat’s yesterday.

We then saw a video of when Anthony Bourdain was here in Crete. He got to eat local lamb and experience the culture with Raki, dancing and more eating. It was interesting hearing about his opinion of Crete and his reaction to everything that he had seen. It was also fascinating to see how fresh phyllo is made. I did not realize how labor intensive the process was.

We then learned a little about CocoMat. This is a mattress company that started in Greece where they make all natural mattresses with no metal or synthetic materials inside. Instead, the mattresses have seaweed inside. CocoMat is now a worldwide brand with stores in America, the Middle East and Italy. There are also hotels which specifically use CocoMat mattresses.

We then talked about local production of products in Crete. It was interesting to learn that Europe takes pride in branding country’s products. For example, Feta is a product that can only be made in Greece. Other protected products include Raki and loukoumadhes. These are considered traditional Cretan products which are necessary in the Cretan diet. This means that there are special tax provisions for these products – making them more user friendly for the locals.

We then had a special guest, Maria’s aunt. She teaches English in the secondary high school to students from 15-18 years of age. She described the education system of Greece to us. The school system is very rigorous in that students have to pass the Hellenic Examination in order to continue onto college (university). This exam proves very stressful for the students and very competitive.

The largest difference is that the education system for Greece is free for all students. The tuition, even for universities, is covered by tax payer dollars. However, students will have to pay additional money in tutoring in order to learn a different language, or take extra courses. This does force the parents to pay extra to get a more well-rounded education.

She was also describing her son’s wedding to us. She is helping with planning the wedding and was very excited talking about her son. Something that was interesting was how the bride and groom must get dressed in two separate places. For getting dressed, the men help the groom and the women (bridesmaids) help the bride get dressed. Then the groom arrives at the church first before the bride. Traditionally, to get married, you go to the place of the bride to get married because it traces back to the idea that the man is coming to take the bride away from her family.

It was funny listening to her describe the reception. There was so much food! She said that there was the appetizers, pre-main course and then the real main course. It reminded me of our dinner last night where there was just so much food and we were so full from everything! The meal ended with wedding cake and traditional dessert that is in the shape of a flower with honey and almond on top. 

Day #23: 23 July 2013

Today such an adventurous day! We started by going to Arkadi Monastery. This monastery is an important historical site for many Cretans. It is where, during the Cretan revolution against the Ottoman empire, hundreds of Cretans burned themselves rather than surrender. The monastery still has the remains from where the people locked themselves into a room to be burned. There are char marks in the room and the tree outside the room still stands, even though it was burned and is now dead. The monastery also has the skulls from the people in an area which is considered a very holy site.

An Olive Tree that is 200+ Years Old

The Main Church

The Room Where the Cretan's Burned Themselves

We then went to Kournas Lake which is the only natural lake in Crete. It was near Chania and Rethymno. The lake was gorgeous and we got to paddle boat around in the lake! It was so surprising for us to realize that the lake was not salted and was actually fresh water. The lake was just perfect. It was fun to swim around in and play. We got to use the paddle boat with the slide and jump into the lake to swim. They had also given us a kayak which Grant and I used to get back to shore. Except, he got tired a third of the way there, and I had to row both of us back to shore.

The Lake in its Natural Scenery

We then went to Rethymno and got to walk around the city. Rethymno is the "college town" on Crete because it is where the University of Crete is located. I loved the quaintness of Rethymno. There was lots of little streets and alleys to walk around and lots of things to see and buy. The city also had gorgeous flowers everywhere and lots of things for tourists to see and love.

The Harbor of Rethymno

Public Fountain 

The City!

After Rethymno, we went to the city where El Greco got most of his ideas for his paintings. It is considered special because he was able to be inspired through the natural surroundings.

We then headed to Heraklion where we had dinner at Maria's sister's restaurant. The restaurant is owned by his sister and her sister's fiance. The dinner was delicious and they prepared for us traditional Cretan food. We had a salad with potatoes, a salad out of green leaves, stuffed grape leaves, bread, meatballs and sausage as an appetizer. There was also handmade pita bread which as absolutely delicious! We then had mixed grilled meats, beans, goat and french fries for dinner. For dessert, we had a fruit tart, fresh fruit and a Grecian dessert made with phyllo, custard and topped with cinnamon and sugar. We also had the founder of the brand, Ecos, at the dinner table along with his daughter and granddaughter. 

Day #22: 22 July 2013

Today we started off our day by answering a question for the local newspaper. The local newspaper wanted our opinion about aspects of Cretan culture that we have observed. We had to talk about the hospitality that we observed and whether it was good or bad if the people lived off the land. I think that the hospitality on Crete is amazing. The people here always want to share all that they have, even if it isn’t a lot. They talk hospitality, or fillotimo, very seriously and want to ensure that everyone has a good experience. I think that it is good for the Cretan’s to live off the island. The Cretans are very conscious about their energy consumption through using solar panels and wind turbines. There is also a commitment to growing things from the island and using local products, even meats and cheeses.

We then discussed our paper and areas where we could find resources on BBLearn. Our paper needs to have scientific resources and Theo helped guide us to websites that we could find strong resources. He also showed us general websites that would apply to everyone’s topic and serve as a guiding point for our paper.

We then started watching videos about Mount Athos. It is considered one of the holiest places on earth. Women are not allowed to travel here because the area is meant to be for men only.

We then did our weekly word learning. The words were about health issues typically. We covered words like fever, ο πυρετός, and problem, το πρόβλυμα. Thankfully, none of us needed any of these words throughout the trip. I think that it is surprising how for the medical words, there are many similarities between the English and the Greek words. This must be because most medical terms relate back to the Latin form and both English and Greek are based off Latin. We also learned that instead of saying “It’s all Greek to me!” the Greeks say “It’s all Chinese to me!”

We then discussed the educational system in Greece. Kids start in kindergarten around 4-5 years old. Typically, throughout their 6 years in elementary school, children are screened for disabilities and disorders. If children are found to have any learning disabilities, they are placed into a special school that will help them. While in this school, the children are still screened and if there is significant improvement, the children are placed back into regular school with additional tutoring services. The next level of education is gymnasium where kids stay for three years. The final level of school is three years in lyceum which is like a senior high school. There is then a national exam that students must pass. Dr. Maria Hnaraki was the first person to ever pass the national exam. Theo was the sixth person to ever pass the national exam. 

Day #19: 19 July 2013

Today we talked about everything that we saw yesterday. We went over all of the family members that we met from Maria’s family. I was surprised at just how many Maria’s there were in her family. We then started watching some of the videos for Crete’s marketing program. The one video showed Balos beach and how peaceful and gorgeous it was. The other video emphasized all of the beaches that Crete has to offer. I have noticed, from visiting the different beaches, that each beach is sharply different from the others. Some beaches have rocks, others have sand, some water is saltier than others, some have different colors in the sand, etc.

We also watched more about the traditional dances in Greece. In the Greek educational system, dance is taken as part of their education, like gym class. Dance is almost something that is part of their integrity. It is also done at many festivals and weddings where people are expected to participate. In the US, there is nothing like that. People are just expected to know how to dance rather than go to school to learn traditional dances. Maria’s book talks about the history of these dances and why they are popular as well as how they can be performed and recognized.

We then learned more words in Greek. These words were related to food items that we made and saw yesterday.

Later this evening, we went to Cretan Natural Product's factory where we saw how skincare products are made. This factory produces the brand 25A. 25A is the coordinates of Crete showing the product's dedication to where it was created. The brand is unique because they use all natural products and herbs to treat common problems like dry skin, sun protection and healing. I was surprised at how the factory works in the idea where they only make products after an order is placed. Therefore, the factory only produces items as needed, without much extra stock. The products are popular in Britain and in Greece. However, entering the US market is expensive for the brand and they have not attempted this yet. 

Day #18: 18 July 2013

Today was a busy field trip day! We started by getting Hailey's ATM card back from the bank. We then ventured to the farmer's market in Heraklion. It was interesting to see all of the people milling around. I had no idea that there were that many farmer's around Heraklion willing to sell their fresh produce. There were many things that we have in the US but the assortment was interesting because I feel that it highlighted what people were eating in their diet. There were many okras, oranges, tomatoes, beans, lentils, lettuces and cucumbers. There was not a lot of pre-made items except for olives. There was also little starches and bread available. I was also surprised at how there were people selling fresh fish in the market.

Tons of Fresh Fruit and Vegetables

We then went to the little village where Maria's cousin lives. We saw the old house where her grandparents lived when they operated the farm. It was interesting to see that even in the front yard, food was being cultivated. They had grapes and lemon trees. The grapes were delicious! We also tried fresh goat's milk, which I did not like but I don't like milk typically anyways. The uncle gave us fresh cheese that he had made from the goat's milk and I liked that slightly better. It did not have the goat smell as strong. We also saw the horses that the family has.

All the Goats

The Goat's Milk

We ventured to a cooking school in Heraklion where we learned about the traditional Cretan diet. It was fun cooking. I love cooking at home and trying new things so this was something that I was very interested in. I loved playing with the dough and rolling it out. It was also interesting to see how they use Raki in cooking as a levener instead of yeast. I was surprised at how many of the dishes were so simple but so flavorful. I think that this shows how good quality ingredients will flavor without much salt or pepper added. My favorite food that we had was the zucchini cakes because I loved the texture and the flavor, especially with the tzaziki.

Such a Full Table

Cheese Pita

Our last stop was the Cretan Aquarium. I also love fishes and watching them swim around. It was so peaceful and relaxing walking around the aquarium. The fishes were interesting, they had such different sizes, either very large or very small. The large ones were about eighteen inches long. The smaller ones were about eight inches long. I think it was interesting that there was no in-between size. I also liked seeing some of the more odd creatures like the lobsters, octopuses and the eels.

Fish

Weird Eel

Some Sea Plant...

Sleeping Sea Turtle