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

Day #17: 17 July 2013

Today we discussed a review of the activities from yesterday. There was a large focus on the religious festival that we went to yesterday. We discussed many of the things that we saw, especially with reference to Maria’s book. We saw what the lira was and how the shapes and sizes can vary thus producing different sounds. We also saw different famous artists who play liras and how many collect different liras.

We also talked about the dances that we performed yesterday. One dance was the Pentozali which is a dance with five steps. For me, the dances were semi-simple. They all seemed to involve more of the legs than any other part of the body. There was also a lot of crossing of the feet, but just in different patterns. We saw pictures of Maria dancing because she has gone to three different schools of dance and is an accomplished dancer.

We also discussed the word Plaka. Plaka can mean making fun of someone. It can also mean a flat area like a plateau. For example, in Athens, the area around the acropolis is Plaka because this area is very flat.

We also talked about economics and the crisis and how they affected public policy. The crisis changed how public policy is used and showed people the organizations that the government helps to support. The most shocking one for me is that college is free for all Greeks and is included in their high taxes. There was also a downfall in Greek products internationally. Transparency, special planning and growing competition in the markets are all affecting the brands that are trying to expand outside of Greece. Many brands want an international reputation like Bertolli from Italy.

Tonight we have a dance workshop! We learned about five different dance styles. Two were slow and three were fast. I was surprised at how all of the dances were just footwork with the hands either at the side or in the air to focus all of the attention on the feet. I enjoyed this experience immensely and thoroughly enjoyed being able to at least attempt some of these dances. At times, I felt as if I were Irish river-dancing because of the fast paced footwork. 

Day #16: 16 July 2013

Today we had an interesting day. It is almost like our group is falling apart because we keep having medical issues or something keeps going on. However, Theo is taking good care of all of us. We went to the Cretan Medicare Clinic, near Hersonissos, so that Rebecca could get the earring out of her ear. We then went to the National Bank of Greece in Hersonissos so that Hailey could get more information about her ATM card.

After these two unexpected stops, we made it to our first destination, Zeus’s cave. The cave is located in Lassithi Plateau. The physical cave is called Cave of Psychro. This cave is reportedly where his mother, Gaea, and sister, Hra, put Zeus so that his father, Kronos, would not eat Zeus. Kronos was eating all of his children because he did not want a son to take over his kingdom.  However, Gaea put Zeus in that cave so that he could not be found my Kronos and so far back in a deep cave where his cries could not be heard.

Zeus's Cave when He was Little

We also went to a gorgeous beach called Spinalonga where many important people go to visit. Last week, there was an entire banking conference there. I was surprised at how rocky the beach was. The rocks were so large and round that it was almost difficult to walk on. The water was so nice and smooth though and it was actually an area where you could swim and play around in the water rather than battling waves.

Rocks Ahoy!

After the beach we went to Agios Nicholas. This was a small little town dedicated to tourists and boats. There was a huge harbor that leads into a lake where smaller boats could dock. The town was nicely laid out with everything almost focused on the water. It was enjoyable to walk around and see how the touristy souvenirs changed from there to Heraklion. In Agios Nicholas, there were a lot more books aimed at tourists while in Heraklion it is more beauty products and statues.  

Lake in Agios Nicolos

Our day concluded with going to the Santa Marina religious festival in a nearby mountain village. This was our opportunity to see how Greeks interact with each other in a public manner. It was also interesting to be able to witness a religious festival. The people were very friendly and everyone seemed to know everyone. It was such a social event in that all the people made sure to say hi to their friends as well as see the family members, especially the children and grandchildren.

People Eating at Santa Marina

Day #15: 15 July 2013

Today we reviewed our trip to Chania. I knew that during the trip we did a lot, but going over everything that we did made me realize just how busy we were there. We saw so many things and met so many people! We also talked about the similarities and differences between Santorini and Crete. We all went to Santorini this weekend and explored all of the city and the little shops. However, we all felt that it was too touristy and were so excited to come back to Ideal.

We then did our weekly Monday tradition of learning words. We learned how to say career words like flight attendant, work and police. We also asked about words that we wanted to know such as excuse me, what time is it and we missed you. I have noticed that I am getting better at reading the words in Greek. I still get confused on some letters, but I think it is because these letters are not used as much like X. But I am also able to now hear the accent in the words and identify where the accent should be placed on the vowels. We learned also how important the accent can be in the words. The word for slavery and work are the same word, but differentiated by an accent. 

We then learned about Cooperative Banking. This was interesting because this philosophy does not exist in the US. Cooperative Banking is very popular in Greece as it allows banks to work together to create an overall more stable system. It also encourages the ideal of Greece where people should work together. I thought that it was interesting how in their Annual Report, a lot of the facts and features were also in English. This shows their international focus as well as their dedication to making Greece an international brand. 

Day #12: 12 July 2013

Today we did a cruise! It was the best day I think that I have had so far in Crete. It was exactly what I needed after such a tiring day yesterday. It was so relaxing and calming. Maria, you have to make this a mandatory trip.

The Boat to Paradise!

View from the Boat

The first beach was Balos. It literally looked like it came off a postcard. The entire time I was pinching myself just to remind myself that this was reality. The beach had two parts – the ocean and a bay area. The beach had pink sand and lots of little sea shells! It was wavy and the water was so refreshing. The bay area was the exact opposite of the beach. The water was very still and warm. It was almost like a large baby pool.

Wow

Gorgeous

The second stop was another beach which had a pirate castle on top of a hill. We decided to hike up the mountain to see the castle. It was a struggle because the sun was so strong and we were getting tired. However, making it up to the castle was worth any pain. The view of the beach was breathtaking. It was also exciting to wander around and see the remains that were left. There was a small house/church in the middle that survived as well as the outer walls and the dungeon area.

Castle!

Castle Ruins

Like a Postcard

After we got on the boat, we learned about how the ship is run. We also learned the Greek safety standards to how the life rafts work as well as how the safety features inside the captain’s area work. It was interesting getting almost an “insider’s tour” of the boat. I did not realize how fast the European Union reacts to boat crashes through implementing newer safety standards. For example, the cruise ship that crashed because the captain was asleep resulted in there now being an alarm that goes off every five minutes that helps to keep the captain awake.

Day #11: 11 July 2013

Today we ventured to the western part of the island to Chania. Chania is Theo’s birthplace so he was very excited to visit. Our first stop was to eat breakfast at Akrotiri. It was so beautiful and the view was amazing – but the Cicadas were so loud!

Chania!

We then went to the center of Chania where we met the provost of the Technical University of Chania. He felt that Drexel and the Technical University were very similar with a five year program and the fact that there is real work experience included in the final degree. We also walked around the port area of Chania where many of the restaurants are known for their fresh fish.

Port of Chania

We then went to the Venizelos Foundation library. We met the author of the Venizelos biography book. He signed a copy of the book for us as well as answered any questions that we had about the book and about him as an author. After, we went to see the most beautiful beach for swimming called Falaisarna. 

People Playing in Falaisarna

Our next stop was an olive oil factory, Terra Creta. There, they are unique in that they have “traceable” olive oil. They made a conglomerate of all the small vineyards where Terra Creta makes the olive oil from these numerous olive trees under one name. However, each bottle has a code which will tell the consumer where exactly these olives came from – down to the specific farm. This is very interesting in that it creates a connection between the producer and the consumer rather than the factory and the consumer. It was interesting hearing about their business practices in that everything has to be transparent because Greek’s do not trust the olive oil people in giving them a fair price for their olives. We did an olive oil tasting which was very different for me. When tasting olive oil, you do not use bread or anything; you just drink the olive oil straight and try to spread it around your mouth.

The area where Olives are cleaned and sorted

We then went to the Paximadhi factory. It was so cool seeing how the bread was made. I love to cook and bake so this was right up my alley. I loved seeing the entire process and tasting a bite of bread along each step of the process. I was surprised at how hot the bread was baked, even to dry it out!

Mixing the Dough

The Final Product!

Lastly, we went to our hotel where we ate dinner with the family who owns the hotel and the Paximadhi factory. They shared their local diet which consisted of seafood meats and Greek salad. They also included French fries for us, just in case we did not like something. Everything was delicious!

Day #10: 10 July 2013

Today was a class day. We reviewed our trip yesterday, especially with reference to the lifestyles and the opinions that we experienced yesterday. Nikos, the banana farm owner, was quoted in a New York Times article about his banana farm and how it brings a sense of nostalgia to Crete. We also compared the two monasteries and how they were different from each other and from what we had previously expected.

We then did the language lesson similar to how we did it on Monday, where we learned words which we felt that we needed first. I learned how to say, "I study Business Administration" as well as the conjugation of the verb, "to be." We also learned some ways to describe what we saw yesterday like goat, generous, and sea.

Our guest lecturer was Irene. She is a PHD candidate at the Crete University for economics. We learned about the ancient economy and how the economy in Greece started. The agora, or marketplace, is where the idea of an economy started where goods were counter-traded. There was no currency or need to currency because one good was traded for another. This trend is seen throughout the entire area. There were bazaars and kaereti which had trade without currencies.

She also described how she conducted her research. Most of her findings were in English, Spanish and French. This was difficult because she had to translate all of these into Greek, her first language. She also had difficulty finding the research as well because what she is studying is largely unstudied and there are not too many findings in her area. There are not any Greek terminologies for what she is studying. The greeks have terms for economy, but no terms for economy in a loose sense without formal currencies. However, language is not something that she can just make up, it is a community thing where an entire community agrees on a word.  

Day #9: 9 July 2013

Today we had a field trip day. Our first stop was the Monastery for Saint George of Selanaris. This is a popular stop for many drivers because he is the saint for drivers. The monastery was very simple in design, with lots of windows to let in the sunlight and wind.

Monastery for Saint George of Selanaris

The next stop was Toplou Monastery. The monastery was  built during the fourteenth century. It is still an active monastery so the girls had to use towels to cover themselves up if too much of us was exposed. For me, because my shirt covered my shoulders, I had to use the towel to cover my shorts/legs. It was interesting walking around and seeing all that the monks do in the monastery. We saw the oven where they bake their bread, a storage closet and the flooring which they placed all of the stones individually by hand. The monastery also has some of the best olive oil in the world because of the dry climate! The monastery is a large place for storing ancient books and clothing from the church. They had the vestments from the priests as well as copies of the bible and stories from the bible that dated back to the seventeenth century.

Toplou Monestary

Flooring Where Each Stone was Hand Placed by the Monks

View of Inside the Monastery Showing the Openings for Light and Wind and the Flowers

The monastery also leased out their land to other people for use. One such person was Nikos, a retired naval person who now owns a banana farm. He was so funny and welcoming to all of us. When we got out of the truck at the plantation area of the field, he played for us "Day-Oh (The Banana Boat Song)," which was his favorite song. It was awesome being able to see where the bananas come from and how they are grown. I had no idea that each plant can only produce one stalk of bananas and then the banana plant is unproductive. The bananas that we ate from his farm was so delicious and sweet!

Nikos, the Banana Man, Explaining about how He Grows Them

Bananas on the Tree!

Another piece of land that was leased out by the monastery is Vai. Vai is a beach area which has the water where Alexander the Great swam. The water was very blue and refreshing. I was surprised by how rocky the bottom of the ocean was and how slippery it was from the algae. It must be because the water was not as rough because at the beach area here, there is no plant life at the bottom of the ocean. Even  the rocks in the water are not slippery but rather rough because there is nothing on them.

Gorgeous View of Vai

Our last stop was INSTAP Study Center for East Crete. This is an archaeological area primarily owned and ran by University of Pennsylvania. Here, they process all artifacts that have been found in the area. Most of their objects come from Eastern Crete because that is where the Americans have dig sites that are authorized to them. It was interesting seeing how everything is processed right at a site rather than taken back to a school laboratory to be examined. I have seen archaeological labs before where they do all of the cleaning and reconstruction, but these have been in schools rather than on-site. The on-site was slightly different where it was more of an organized chaos that was laid out rather than in a lab where everything is precisely kept track of.

Cleaning Pottery at INSTAP

Day #8: 8 July 2013

Today in class we learned how to say key phrases in Greek. I liked the style in which we learned where we went around the room and were asked if there were any words or phrases that we wanted to learn. This was very effective because we all had words or phrases that we wanted to learn such as “excuse me” or “I like your food.” We also learned how to count to ten in Greek and the days of the week. We then moved on to terms for shopping such as “How much is this?” “cash or card?” and adjectives to describe items like “pricy.”

We then started to learn about the government and legal system as it exists in Greece. Greece has a parliamentary democracy with three branches: government, parliament and judiciary. The government has the executive power. The parliament has the legislative power which is comprised of thirty cabinet members, fifteen deputies and one prime minister. There are also three courts: local, second rank and supreme court. Each court has specific responsibilities that range from administration to appeals. 

This government style is very different from the US. The US has a presidential democracy where the president is elected separately by the people. There is also greater potential for standstills in the government because the parties can more easily disagree. 

Day #5: 5 July 2013

Today we reviewed everything that we learned yesterday on the field trips. We also further discussed our meeting with the governor and her idea of branding Crete. We all agreed that the logo colors should be different and reflect more of Crete. She was very understanding of our opinions and very friendly to all of us. We were also slightly surprised by how she did not speak English; but Theo explained that is a result of her upbringing on a farm in a small village.

We then discussed the connection that modern Greeks have to mythology. We saw some of this yesterday on the sites, but through Maria’s book, we got a larger understanding. Even simple things like the connection to goats and the importance of goat’s milk relates directly to how Zeus was fed off goat’s milk.

Greek language was also discussed especially with how to read it better and how the Greek’s get their last names passed down from family members. First we should trace the letters and then identify the vowels. The vowels form the syllables (Counted from the end). Finally, we determine where the accent should be placed on the word. The accent should never be placed beyond the third syllable.

Ultimately, we watched a movie called Aunt from Chicago. I really liked this movie. I thought that it was interesting with how even though the movie was from the 1960s; the topics and humor were still relevant today and could be understood by people of all cultures. Even the Greek culture aspects of wanting to get the daughter’s married is seen in every culture.  

Day #4: 4 July 2013

Today was a fieldtrip day! We went to various places including a Gortona, an old Church named Agios Be Dekas, and Matala. We also were able to meet with the governor of Crete.

Gortona is a Roman Temple site which was really cool because it fulfilled all my dreams of visiting an old temple. There were toppled columns which had ornate designs and you could see all of the individual pieces that were part of the entire column (the base, the actual spherical column and the ornate top). It was also interesting to see the actual size of the temple. It reminded me of the architecture of a church with the different chambers off of the main area. Also, with the rounded windows and the dome ceilings reminded me of traditional Catholic cathedrals. There was even a bathtub where they did animal sacrifices.

The Ruins

The old Church was something out of The Da Vinci Code. The way that we could gain entrance into the church was by stopping at the main store of the small village. The store than called up the person who was holding the key for the day. She was a little old lady who opened the door for us and explained the history of the church and how there were ten martyrs that were killed there and the marble stone that they were kneeling on during their killing is still there as well as the pillar that they were tied to. The village Ayioi, where the church was located, is also so quaint. We met a woman there who gave us a taste of real Greek hospitality because we just came in her yard to pet her dog, and she wanted to treat us like guests and give us Raki and make us feel welcome.

The Church in the Sunlight

Matala was absolutely gorgeous. Because it is in the southern part of the country, the water was different than the water here, much bluer and colder. It was also rougher but that might have been because of the wind. We were able to walk around and eat at one of the local restaurants as well as explore some of the shops. The beach itself was rocky with small pebbles instead of sand. There were also caves in the mountain where there was a cemetery as well as refuges from people during WWII.

Matala and her Caves

I can’t wait to see what else this trip will bring!