April 14, 2018 Saturday
It was a great day, the meeting at the school, quick inspection of the car and after a while the whole trip was sitting in its places, ready to conquer Greece. Professor Klec made sure that everyone was securely fastened and ready to go, and we already dreamed of the Greek sun, beautiful views, shared adventures and unforgettable stories. First, however, we had to say goodbye to our school, we slowly left Wąska Street and started our wonderful trip.
The road, despite the fact that it was difficult and tiring, did not take a long time thanks to the perfect atmosphere and fully captivating stories of our guide. Therefore, before we managed to notice any changes and we were already outside Poland, and soon after we left Hungary, saying goodbye to the EU for a while. We drove to Serbia, where we had dinner late in the evening and we had our first night.
April 15, 2018
A quick breakfast in a very noble Serbian hotel and it was time to move on, we couldn’t let the Greek beaches wait for us. Passing through Macedonia, we listened to the story of Alexander the Great and before we knew it, we were already on the border of Greece. On our way to Leptokarya (our first stop on Greek soil), we managed to stop at a small workshop where Byzantine-style icons were handcrafted. We are presented with everything step by step, from choosing the right wood to sticking gold on the background of the icon. After this visit, we came to Filoxeni – our hotel at the foot of Mount Olympus itself. In the evening we went to the beach, where we could fully see the beauty of Greece. On the one hand, huge mountains, on the other hand, the vastness of water, and in the middle of it a town, extremely charming with a beautiful sandy beach just waiting for guests and tourists from all over the world.
April 16, 2018
We were in a hurry on our way again, after a nutritious breakfast, we continue our trip. We visited Meteora, where monasteries stand on the tops of huge rocks. We got to know how the monks lived, we saw a tiny but exceptionally beautiful temple, rich in frescoes very similar (and sometimes even identical) to those of Hieronymus Bosch. We also managed to take a few breathtaking photos that resemble those from the movie Avatar. After this adventure, we went to our accommodation – to Loutraki. We got there before our dinner time, so we managed to unpack in peace, and then in a tight group we went to the sea, where dinner was already waiting for us in one of the seaside taverns. After a sumptuous meal, full of optimism for the next few days, we went to our rooms.
April 17, 2018
In the morning we set off to Nafplio, an exceptionally beautiful town south of Loutraki. We managed to climb the Palamidi fortress, which, built by the Venetians, was still in perfect condition. The view was breathtaking, but unfortunately none of my words will be able to convey our delight when, standing on the top, we could look at the city lying at the foot of the fortress. The more so because the weather was favorable to us, the Greek sun was blazing, but the sea breeze and gentle wind gave relief and respite, creating ideal conditions for enjoying the view, and then the walk we took around the headland to reach a beautifully situated port full of white yachts and fishing boats. There was only one way to improve such a beautiful day. That is why, just a few minutes later, we were eating ice cream in the shade of one of the narrow streets of Nafplio where the smell of orange and cinnamon spread.
Returning to the hotel, we managed to stop by the road to buy some oranges from a local Greek, which almost amazed with its sweetness and beautiful, vivid color.
After this landscape tour, it’s time for a bit of history, as we went to visit Mycenae. We started with the Treasury of Atreus, which for many years was mistakenly called Agamemnon’s tomb. It is the first such a large dome structure in the world (until the 2nd century when the Roman Pantheon was built). Then we drove several hundred meters from the ancient city separating us – Mycenae, which welcomed us with the monumental Lion’s Gate and invited us to their interior where we could admire the size and beautiful location of the Greek town. Before leaving, we went to the Mycenaean museum, which showed us the artistry of Greek sculptors and ceramists, the remains of helmets, shields and spears of Greek warriors, coins or even ornaments made of gold and silver, but the most important was the Agamemnon mask, i.e. the image of a man made of gold sheet, with over 3,500 years (!). Our guide did a great job and you felt that he was telling you passionately.
After returning to the hotel, we managed to go to the beach where we could admire the picturesque sunset together. After that we went again for dinner, happy and hungry, but the chef, as usual, did not disappoint us with reliable chicken and chips. We spent the rest of the evening talking, laughing and playing together. :))
18/04/2018
You have to use the day as much as possible, you can sleep on the coach. We knew it perfectly well, so from the morning, alert and prepared for the next adventures, we set off on our coach towards the Corinth Canal. Crossing an almost 6.5-kilometer-long canal where the walls reach 79 meters high and with each passing moment the feeling that they will get close enough to finally crush the boat, which suddenly seemed extremely small and defenseless against the power of nature, is something that you just have to feel because no picture will reflect this situation. The over 2-hour trip there and back left us with a lot of brilliant photos, fun and a wide smile on our face, combined with admiration for people who decided to embark on such a bold project and dug an artificial corridor connecting the Aegean Sea with the Ionian Sea.
In the afternoon our groups gently divided. One decided to go to the beach and bask in the sun there and sunbathe our pale faces a bit. The second – a much smaller group of daredevils – was determined to conquer Ekklisia Profitis Ilias – a monastery located about 2 hours fast walk from our hotel. At around 1 p.m. the second group, led by professor Cancer, started to fight the forces of nature, their own character and fatigue. However, the entry turned out to be very efficient and after 2 hours, the volunteers of the expedition could boast of unusual photos of the entire bay, which probably later regretted the sunbathers. After a happy return, even more lively and eager to relax, we went to the beach and there, together with the rest of the group, we waited until dinner, which was more original than usual that day. We got lasagne … with the addition of cinnamon, which, contrary to appearances, made a very positive surprise, and everyone willingly agreed to a cinnamon revolution on their plates.
April 19, 2018
Ladies and gentlemen, we have it. That day was the highlight of the program, the trip to Athens I think will stay with us for a long time. We started in full force, visiting the ghosts of the past on the Acropolis and listening to the beautiful stories of the guide, we learned a lot of new things and we brought closer the stories that each of us heard in our childhood from our grandfather or later in history or Polish lessons. Here history was not a date and boring “cramming” names by heart, here we could feel it, touch the stone that Greek philosophers touched thousands of years ago, see with our own eyes what they also saw. You have to be there, you just have to see it. After visiting the Acropolis, we descended a bit down the hill and sank into a maze of white and narrow roads between houses, even crammed into one another. Our guide, however, found the way in every situation without any problems and after a few stopping points where we did not spare our photos, passing the Athens Forum we went towards the primary Athens market. There, while walking along one of the oldest streets in Athens, we were looking for a gift for our loved ones in the form of a magnet, miniature sculpture or other such objects that in the future will recall the image of those moments.
Being in Athens it would be a pity to miss the famous changing of the guard in front of the Greek parliament. Therefore, we could not deny ourselves this pleasure. However, we arrived a bit too early, which our guide accepted with approval and while we waited, he showed us the Athenian Garden located right next to the Parliament, where turtles and green parrots live, among others. However, we came back on time for the change of guard and we had the chance to watch the spectacle from the front rows, and it must be admitted that despite the comical way of moving, the Greek soldiers were perfectly trained and did not hesitate even for a moment with such difficult maneuvers. After almost 10 minutes of the show, we got back on the coach and went to our last dinner at Loutrace with the sound of the sea and the blue of the water.
April 20, 2018
After the last night in Loutrace, we headed to Delphi, a city famous for its oracles. When we got there, we saw one of the most picturesque panoramas of Greece. We started our tour in the Delphi museum, where we admired, among others: the Greek sphinx, omphalos (by the Hellenes it was considered the navel of the ancient world) or Delphic Auriga – a coachman who won the Pythian Games 478 or 474 BC. After calming my historical curiosity and listening to the guide, it was time to enjoy the views. Walking through the ancient Greek city and wondering what life could have been like here a few thousand years ago was a wonderful experience. With our trip we reached the very top of the city where the Olympic stadium was located, which could accommodate even 5 – 6 thousand spectators.
After visiting Delphi, we went to see with our own eyes what Thermopylae looked like, where the most unequal battle of antiquity took place – 300 Spartans and 700 Tespians decided to fight the huge Persian army despite the well-known final of this battle. They were led by the King of Sparta, Leonidas, whose monument we saw and commemorated, respectively, at the (most likely) place of his death. We also visited the museum, which is a new attraction of this place, and watched a short film that showed step by step the course of the fighting and the equipment of both armies. After this screening, we went to the river which Thermopylae got its name (“Hot Gates”) due to the high temperature of the water flowing in it. After we got our hands wet, we gathered to our coach and headed north towards Leptokaria, again visiting our hotel from the second night – Filoxenia. We also organized a vocal competition there, but the whole show was stolen by a local Greek, invited to the hotel especially for this occasion, to present us with his Buzuki (Greek guitar) some Greek songs. It has to be admitted that together with our guide they made a really perfect vocal-instrumental duo.
April 21, 2018
Despite the fact that our main goal that day was to make it to Serbia for the night, we managed to get to Thessaloniki – the second largest city in Greece, where we visited the Basilica of St. Dmitri, we walked under the White Tower and took a photo with the great statue of Alexander Macedonian. After these attractions, we drove to the hill where the old walls of Thessaloniki stood and from there we could boldly admire the panorama of the city and its most remarkable monuments.
In the evening we went to Serbia for a delicious dinner and everyone went to sleep as quickly as possible because we already knew how long we would have to go back home.
April 22, 2018
Everything good ends quickly (unlike the traffic jams on the Hungarian-Serbian border, they never end) and in this beautiful way we had wonderful days together, getting to know not only Greece, but also ourselves, we made new friends and got closer to each other through the adventures that happened to us. The trip arrived in Poland happily and on that day our parents picked us up from our school, and only recently they waved us goodbye. Time passed very quickly, it was taken care of by interesting attractions, a well-filled schedule and most importantly – the people who created this trip. Because it was thanks to them that when you were driving back home you had plans on your head, what will it be like in a year and will it be possible to repeat such a phenomenal trip? Time will pass anyway, but memory and memories are eternal, especially with such companions.
~ Jakub Kulik 1F