Sleeping comfortably on a hard blue row of airport chairs in the Frankfurt airport, Vice Principal of Academics Gary Scholl lay cuddling with his inflatable hot pink travel pillow. Scholl, not embarrassed at all by the color of his pillow, had finally found refuge after the uncomfortable eight-hour Lufthansa journey.
The eight-hour flight, followed by a four-hour layover in Frankfurt, and a final two-hour flight to Athens proved to be well worth the hassle. As soon as the plane began its descent into Athens, everyone could see the rising and falling slopes of the Greek mountains, the white island houses built on terraces, and the aquamarine water of the Aegean Sea.
Everyone felt more than excited. Twenty-one students, three teachers, and two spouses were about to begin their exploration of the ancient history of Greece and Italy for the next nine days.
On our first night, we met Anna Costes, our tour guide. The perfect combination of an outgoing Greek and an individual with knowledgeable background in behavioral psychology and ancient history, Anna showed us everything we could possibly imagine.
Every minute detail of our days was filled with Anna’s charming suggestions of tasty places to eat lunch, where to find the best souvenirs, where to take the best postcard-like photos of the amazing views, and my personal favorite, the best gelato shops in Italy.
Both countries provided some of the most delicious eating experiences of my life. In Athens, I witnessed a lamb roasting in the middle of the street with the innards removed and cooking alongside it.. I later found out that this type of lamb is a staple of Greek cuisine.
Visiting most of the ancient sites made me wish I could be an archeologist. Anna, as well as our other guides, could explain the significance of the smallest find, piece together an entire civilization’s way of daily life, and make it seem incredibly interesting.
While both Greece and Italy kept me hard at work and entertained with the massive intake of world history, my favorite part of the spring break experience had to be relaxing on the beach in Athens. With makeshift bathing suits and a lack of towels, we found time to soak up the sun and dive into the Aegean Sea on Easter Sunday.
People-watching became an all-time favorite hobby of mine on the beach. The ever-present street vendors selling knock-off Ray Bans and older Greek men dancing around in their boxers kept us more than entertained as we tanned. And of course, Spanish teacher Jane Michael found an adorable Jack Russell terrier to play with.
We found furry friends everywhere in Athens, from the beach, to the Acropolis, to the alley next to our hotel. Athenians apparently don’t believe in spaying or neutering their pets and instead have set up an animal welfare system that provides one meal per day for the stray animals.
In Italy, the customs were a little different. Even the simple task of crossing the street proved to be a complicated process.
However, after successfully crossing the street and “swarming like Japanese tourists” as Anna would say, we stood before several of the world’s most impressive historic architectural and creative feats. In the quietness of the Sistine Chapel, the other group members and I marveled at the ceiling painted nearly 550 years ago by the great Michelangelo.
Everywhere we went in Rome, all I could think about was, “Oh this was in the ‘Lizzie McGuire Movie’!” making the sights even more exciting. I never imagined I’d actually be in Italy.
The most intriguing aspect of Italy for me had to be Florence. Not only did we see the David, but we also walked by the church that holds the remains of the great philosopher Niccolo Machiavelli and Michelangelo himself.
I had the best time just wandering around, looking at the Duomo of Florence, one of the world’s greatest Renaissance architectural accomplishments, and then searching for decent gelato in the square.
As amazing as most of the museums, archaeological sites, and monuments were, some of my favorite parts of the trip had to be our free time to explore, shop, and relax with other students, or in my case, Mrs. Michael.
On our last night, Anna expressed to the group how much she enjoyed her time with us and how we were different from any other group she had ever toured with before. Nothing could’ve ended the trip better than Anna’s heartfelt remarks as we were spending our last night in Rome, one of the most beautiful cities in the world.
Katie Clarke can be reached for comment at [email protected].