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My power point project on Classical Greece

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Emily and I kept a collective journal together. some of the names have been changed to protect the innocent. my real name is John Doe. I didnt do it. I swear!!!!! haha

 

May 14 and 15, 2005- Depart from Raleigh International to Athens, Greece

 

Emily and I were so excited to be going to Greece! We boarded the plane to only find out that it was packed. We took our seats and decided that trying to sleep would be the best thing to do. It didn’t happen! We were both to excited to sleep.

We arrived in Athens got our luggage and took the Metro into the city. The Metro for us was by far the way to go. It was empty and easy to navigate. We had already mapped out where our hotel was and we found it easily. We were staying at the Carolina Hotel which was a nice hotel for young travelers like us.
After getting settled in we went to find some food. We had lunch at a nice outdoor café. While eating it rained for maybe three minutes. It was the only rain we saw for the rest of the trip. After lunch we decided that we would walk around the city.
We saw the Acropolis and decided that we would walk around the whole thing. While going down a back road someone was calling out Emily's name. It was Eric! It was great to see someone we knew. All three of us walked around for the rest of the day exploring Athens.

We had dinner and then decided that it was time to try some Ouzo. Eric and I liked it. Emily? not so much. she just liked to burn it. Luckily enough Eric was staying at the same hotel we were so we decided to hang out there.

May 16, 2005 On the first day of the group trip we all showed up at the Pan Hotel where we were supposed to meet. We walked up to the Hill of Muses to watch the sunset and look at the unbelievable view of Athens. After we had a group dinner where we experienced real Greek cuisine. I liked it more than Emily she was not a big fan of some of the food.

After dinner a group of us went down to the Plaka to look around and do some shopping. It had been a long day for most of the group so we all went to bed somewhat early.

May 17, 2005

The Propylia is the monumental gate that you must go through to enter the Acropolis. It was done in the Doric order and used to have five large wooden and bronze doors. It was made out of a combination of Pentelic and blue Eleusinian marble. It was built by Mnesikles and Pericles.
the Erechtheion was completed in 395 B.C. after the Peloponnesian war. It is an Ionic temple with three porches. There is an Olive tree planed outside that is said to have been planted by Athena herself. The southern porch is supported by six Caryatids. The cella has six Ionic columns. It was used to hold a wooden statue of Athena Poliase, the wearer of the sacred peplos. The north porch has six Ionic elegant columns. The floor and roof were cut out to reveal to the gods the marks left by Poseidon’s trident.  

May 18, 2005

The ferry ride was awesome it was like being on a cruse. We had a great time hanging out in the Disco room. We woke up the next morning a little late and were rushed off the boat. (Too much Beer!!)
We got on a bus that took us to the top of the Samaria Gorge. The top of the gorge was mostly pine trees and soft dirt to walk on. There were also tall mountains around us. About two miles down the scenery started to change. The path was all gravel and somewhat hard to walk on. We came upon a small stream that we followed out of the gorge.  The whole walk was about 10 miles and well worth it. Our feet hurt but the small town of Agia Roumeli had good food and drinks to get us going again.

The Samaria gorge contains a wide variety of species of trees, shrubs, flowers and other plants, some of which are unique to the area. The rock formations created by the river that runs heavily during the summer areamazing. The folds in the rocks aren’t like anything I’ve ever seen. At the end of the NEVER ENDING hike we stopped in for a beer at a local joint before getting on a ferry to meet out bus driver who would somehow, eventually, or maybe never take us to Matala.

May 19, 2005

Matala is located on the southwest coast of Crete. The artificial caves in the cliff of the Matala bay were created in the Neolithic period and were probably used as prehistoric dwellings and places of worship. There are stone beds and fireplaces also cut into the walls. Matala was probably used as a port for Phaistos in the Minoan days. In the 1st and 2nd century the caves were used as tombs. This place is awsome if i ever move to Crete i am living here. A nice beach, nice people and NICE BEER and some sort of liquor that I HAD to drink, they told me so.

The Palace of Phaistos was built at the begging of the 2nd millennium B.C (MMI period). It remained in use for three centuries. It was destroyed by fire in ca. 1700 B.C. and earthquakes. On the ruins of the old palace a new palace was built. It was destroyed in the mid 15th century B.C. (LMI B).The old palace that still remains is now under a roof.

May 20, 2005

Ayia Triada is located a couple of miles away from Phaistos. It was built at the end of the Middle Minoan period. It might have been a summer palace for the king of Phaistos. The villa was destroyed by fire at the end of the Late Minoan period IB. They found linear a tablets and clay sealings, wall paintings and stone carved vases at the site. The palace forms a shape of an irregular L around the two sides of a paved court. The remains of a drainage system can still be seen today.
Gorthn was first inhabited at the end of the Neolithic period (3000 b.c.) and flourished much later in the Late Minoan period. The Gortyn Law code is located on the north wall of the Odeion. It is a complete code of law, based on Minoan tradition and dates to 450 b.c. The church of St. Titus is a large stone-built cruciform church with three semicircular conches. It also had two small apses on the north and south arms of the church.

Skoteino cave is one of the largest and most spectacular caves on the island of Crete. It was a very important sacred cave first used a place of worship by the Greeks and later the Christians. The cave depth is 160 meters and has four levels. In the cave parts of vases were found along with bone needles and late Minoan figures dating from the Neolithic to Roman periods. This cave was really cool. I thought i had found some sort of human remains, but i had found a handle from an aincient pithoi. (I put it back of course)

May, 21 2005

Lasithi Plain is 850 meters above sea level and is surrounded by high peaks. It is irrigated in the summer by windmills and covers an are of 25,000 sq. km.
The Diktaean cave was use as a Minoan cult cave. In Greek mythology the Diktaean cave was said to be the place where Zeus was born. I was a little bummed when we went into this one. It had lights and too many fat people. But the formations were better

Mochlos was a Minoan settlement. The earliest buildings date from the EM IB. It may have been destroyed by the eruption of the Santorini volcano. There is also a prepalatial cemetery with twenty built tombs, pithos burials, and pit graves. There are also two large tombs for the burials of the elite. You can't forget that you will need a swim suit to get there, I just happened to forget mine that day. Ok, I wimped out so I did what any self respecting man would do-DRINK BEER.

May 23, 2005
Knossos covers an area of 20,000 square meters. The old palace was built around 2000 b.c. but was destroyed by an earthquake in 1700 b.c. The second palace was more complex in plan and strongly resembled a labyrinth. In the middle of the 15th century the Achaeans from the Greek mainland conquered the island of Crete and settled at the palace of Knossos. They used the Greek language as indicated by the clay tablets they left behind. The language they used was linear B. The palace was again destroyed by fire in the mid-14th century b.c. (LM IIIA period). Thats what Emily says. I say it's hot I am hungry and Thirsty for.......you guessed BEER. HOORAY BEER. I can not believe a white guy actually made this place look close to what it was.

May 24, 2005

Heraklion

This place just might be the most car filled place in earth Per size. We went to the Iraklio museum where emily, Dr. Chapin, and I fought off angry Greek tour guide givers to stare at the famous bull leaping fresco for a LONG time. It was fun. With no moment to spare we hop a ferry to Santorini. WOW this place is beautiful and might blow up. the island is a big volcano that is thought to have produced the largest eruption in history. I think i am finally begining to be able to understand the Greek people when they hassle me to eat at their reastaurant. But eating at a chinese restaurant is a little different. Chinese-Greek-English is a little hard to understand.

May 25-26, 2005

Boy, climbing a volcano is just what i though. Hot, long, steep and rewarding at the end. We didn't blow up yet.

Emily says.....

Akrotiri dates from the Late Neolithic times. It grew and became one of the main centers and ports in the Aegean. The settlement hand an elaborate drainage system and multi-storeyed buildings. They had magnificent wall-paintings, furniture and vessels. Akrotiri was in contact with Crete but also communicated with the Greek mainland, the Dodecanese, Cyprus, Syria, and Egypt. The village was destroyed by the Thera volcano when it erupted. 

I say BEER! and more learning Our professors know EVERYTHING!!!!

On to Naxos

May 27, 2005

I want to live here also!!! I think I might just get a john boat and island hop forever in the greek isles.

There is a strange portal here some say maybe another dimension. I think if you walk through you will end up and the other side of the portal. I don't know but the others are probably right. we found some pottery and Dr Bauslaugh found a coin. (not a penny) Drew allways finds all the cool stuff. I think it is his young eyes. The most excitement came when we missed our bus and rented vans. Emily and i rode with (this is here name for them) the Chapins' and Bauslaughs'. We went up down and even upside down to see the aincient marble quarries here. I needed to use the little boys room something awful and I thought we would never stop, but soon enough we needed gas. AHHH i feel better now. lets go have some fun. We found a place where this guy danced on fire. That was awsome! It didn't get so awsome when he made me dance. Kyles do not dance.

Time to party!!!!!!!!

Mykonos

May 27, 2005

If you do not know Mykonos you should. This place rocks you get to sit on the beach on pillows and have someone bring you drinks all day long as you watch and laugh as the nude sunbathers burn places where the sun is not supposed to shine.

May 31, 2005

Back home again in Athens?

I feel like i have been here before. Well, it is time to say goodbye and farewell until we get back to school because me and emily are going to the island of Rhodes right near Turkey for a week. I hear you can see it from there.

 

Rhodes

Ok, i am most certainly going to live here. I mean it this time I allmost left out return tickets and hotel booking info on the bus. NOT GOOD. we had to rent a scooter since the hotel was not quite in town like they siad. I think it is the silly Greeks not being able to speak English very well. I allmost got grilled Lamp one night. they are great spellers. We met this girl who was really cool. she spoke english well so we talked to here for a while then she invited us to her birthday party the next night. Don't drink and scoot. We had been living on boiled eggs and bread for breakfast for the past three weeks when we found a restaurant with REAL breakfast. well english breafast but close enough. We founf the most beautiful beach in the world here. I am not leaving.

Back home

I guess I lied about not leaving. I am glad to be home time to eat some grits

Im out.

kyle