Wowee what a week it's been! Although we've only been in Crete for a few days, we've done so much. The group has really bonded in our classes and daily beach trips. Over the weekend, we attended a memorial for villagers killed during World War II. The ceremony was extremely emotional for the people, despite the fact that the event happened over 70 years ago. It was interesting to see how historical events still affect the people of the area. In the United States, we have such a short history that things that happened decades ago seem far removed. This is not the case in Greece. With Greece's long history, World War II does not seem so long ago.
The other side of the story revealed itself today when we visited the German cemetery. Despite the fact that Germany was an invading force, they still buried their fallen on Crete. Still today, there is a debate over whether Germany's actions were justified under international law. Whether or not the actions were technically legal, the brutality of the occupation still weighs heavily in the minds of Greeks today.
Greece is a place where the merging of two stories is not uncommon. Even in the architecture, decades are built on top of each other. This creates an interesting dynamic within the culture that is hard to find elsewhere. I'm excited to learn more in the coming weeks!
Fin.
XX Jess
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