tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-89598492926670786962024-03-19T03:01:23.010-07:00EC EASTERN MEDITERRANEAN SUMMER PROGRAMSUnknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger324125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8959849292667078696.post-42942755928042804452023-06-28T11:00:00.004-07:002023-06-28T11:00:48.738-07:0010 Day Excursion<h4 style="text-align: left;">It feels good to be back in Alikianos after our long journey away from Crete. It feels like returning to a home that I have known for my whole life. The journey was long and tough, and exhaustion peaked at times during the brutal heat. But it was very much an experience that I will never forget.</h4><p>We began our journey in Heraklion where we rested and recovered from the long bus ride to the port. Heraklion was a beautiful, metropolitan area with lots of shopping and great food. The overnight boat ride was full of surprises with a restaurant on board and surprisingly comfortable beds (that felt like waterbeds half way through the night). And then it was off to Athens!</p><p>We raced through the city beginning with the "Return to Sender" exhibit that showed the fast fashion waste and the effects of overconsumption. This was one of the most powerful exhibits I have seen and really spoke to me for the issues that I could help tackle. We made our way to the Acropolis (with a delicious gyro stop along the way) and passed by many shops and vendors that had caught all of our eyes. There seemed to be smoke near the top of the Acropolis so the street was busy with emergency personnel. After that walk, we divided and conquered the city of Athens and split up until we met up later for our trip to the port. Then it was a short hour trip to Euboea.</p><p>Euboea was a grand experience for all of us. Thanks to Professor Vamvakas' connection to Mr. George Danis, we were treated like royalty. He was a very kind and generous man and I could not be more thankful. We shared many long meals together and lots of laugh. The weather was absolutely gorgeous. Our hotel was right near the beach which was amazing for the afternoons. We took a trip to a local vineyard where we tasted some of the BEST wine ever (it was a dessert wine but who says it has to be). For lunch we even went to a beautiful picnic-like spot overlooking the city of Karysto. On our last night, we met with the Mayor at city hall. He was very welcoming and offered many gifts. He explained the use of wind turbines and how it impacts the energy of the city. However, there was quite some confusion on the numbers that were being produced and used. After a quick 5 hour period of sleep, we all got up and began the long journey to Cyprus. From bus to boat to a delayed plane, we managed to arrive in the city of Nicosia on Friday night.</p><p>Cyprus, and Nicosia specifically, is the most interesting place I have ever been to. The division between the south and north of the city, the intersection of all these groups of people, and the blend of antiquity and modernization created a city like no other. I spent MANY hours and steps walking around the city both day and night, and really explored it on my own. The downtown area was a hub of shopping and food. We tried a fantastic Armenian place that I may had visited twice more after. The city was lively and fun, with many streets to get lost in. However, the main attraction of the city was the emphasis on division between the Greek and Turkish sides. We crossed over the gate once and saw a completely different world than the side we were living on. It truly was an eye opening experience. The barbed wire is so prominent in every direction you look. The DMZ was filled with nothing except UN troops. However, what was interesting to me was a soccer field on the Turkish side that can be used in the dead zone. There was also very obvious immigrant population, especially in the working class. In the Greek side of Nicosia alone, there was a division amongst socioeconomic classes. The migrant workers lived a much different life than those that were among the rich and wealthy. It was really fascinating to see the complexity of the city through just the people on the streets alone. This was my first contact with the "east" and seeing it for the first time really opened my eyes to how little I have seen of the world. I would love to explore more of different places that aren't the easiest to travel to, and requires more of a challenge than just a vacation spot. </p><p>These last 10 days have taught be so much about everything. I learned a lot about myself through my walking habits and how much I could eat and drink before the walking become difficult. I also learned a lot about why Cyprus, and in general the Mediterranean, is so crucial because it is such a crossroads in the global landscape. I am very appreciative for this experience because it has changed so much of my perspective already. We are back in Crete to finish up the program now; only 3 days left. I am sad to write that so I will closing my laptop now. Αντίο!</p><p>-Benjamin Paluk</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmcVDByTxI9htQsSpVJvYnhzxoEvC5nGlkbHHtwgVJYkucIw5r6iwBDvVBrNDqYGkHbOoSIbKWyavBmmHXrDiXfrzdBoFLdY1UYQQKxOLNiwsOpxE2z94XJlCc__u1z7hriqsvSRHyPIiZJ4qBFrN4wRgmuwKrgf7SV64pDSl-WeJp64WNhtyueSXTHkI/s4032/E0E39FF5-1D36-4DBE-8062-F3A31FE52D80.heic" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmcVDByTxI9htQsSpVJvYnhzxoEvC5nGlkbHHtwgVJYkucIw5r6iwBDvVBrNDqYGkHbOoSIbKWyavBmmHXrDiXfrzdBoFLdY1UYQQKxOLNiwsOpxE2z94XJlCc__u1z7hriqsvSRHyPIiZJ4qBFrN4wRgmuwKrgf7SV64pDSl-WeJp64WNhtyueSXTHkI/s320/E0E39FF5-1D36-4DBE-8062-F3A31FE52D80.heic" width="240" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNDJCZ6pFZL36uh-sRd7Wp9jps8nG9rFgRHSbETUSMjXvvXwlUl9RfUcT7w5Hgq-U3FsxxTOOsmoymyzBCmiVFZ-NstwecC2Cczu0mPP9SyDWOyKXs4ISR_unw0pf7Pr40Qs55roEgr3CFYtZE5AQtdRwhqimT9IR5T1WmUyrJU1kEZhie0ADvY1bMCNo/s3666/BB115FC0-CFA0-4AF4-8F9C-C171DFB15654.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; 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Last night we went on a mini walking tour around Nicosia to see a few important sites. We got to see the buffer zone which is really close to where we are staying. This makes what we have been discussing conceptualized. I am still having a hard time wrapping around just how crazy it is to see the border where the UN has control. To think about how beautiful Nicosia is and then have the streets surrounding be abandoned is unreal to think about until you see it first hand. So today, we did our class at the University of Cyprus in the cultural department! It was really beautiful in there! A group of us are working on some of our assignments in a coffee shop with Professor Vamvakas. Later today we are going to go in the Turkish occupied side to have a tour and see more landmarks! Very hot 96 degrees today but another beautiful day in the books! <br /><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiG2LerHOoP-KMOtkscqk8cud8ZJUZtydU6NDCdJjnRMpny11h-PDkYItZ7bC6QF9XDwO_JHh2LY_VAWo63Ug9acSapoISrb0hX7id3y-vSzxvltPA_OHqIClr1hdAc_nFaNrnM6iYgX1VFNB9NBmsXcSKK01otq9te2ueuuQ3ofxy7o8MGF7UJuxye6lwo" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiG2LerHOoP-KMOtkscqk8cud8ZJUZtydU6NDCdJjnRMpny11h-PDkYItZ7bC6QF9XDwO_JHh2LY_VAWo63Ug9acSapoISrb0hX7id3y-vSzxvltPA_OHqIClr1hdAc_nFaNrnM6iYgX1VFNB9NBmsXcSKK01otq9te2ueuuQ3ofxy7o8MGF7UJuxye6lwo" width="180" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjexPyX7ILIIYNtX0XLSR_B3safdEroEe-i0_6ObPMu_91TzmHvVdXzNLnjHaYUcPzRw_Md-NJd-OvjxCOngamE3sfp9z9hTyBcbL33EDhmMBB_43tAc5adugNtqHr38qLzYBIZ7QcH_KtioNK4PomFGZqCiGjjCNzTzce264qa-aXxERtgjl4eYAeJopsM" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjexPyX7ILIIYNtX0XLSR_B3safdEroEe-i0_6ObPMu_91TzmHvVdXzNLnjHaYUcPzRw_Md-NJd-OvjxCOngamE3sfp9z9hTyBcbL33EDhmMBB_43tAc5adugNtqHr38qLzYBIZ7QcH_KtioNK4PomFGZqCiGjjCNzTzce264qa-aXxERtgjl4eYAeJopsM" width="180" /></a></div><p></p>Lilliana Malionekhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10888477119010440747noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8959849292667078696.post-18332341485258253902023-06-16T02:27:00.000-07:002023-06-16T02:27:01.366-07:00First Impressions...<p><br /></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: 8.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: 0in; text-indent: .5in;">The first week (and a half) is officially
over! So far, our days are filled with three stimulating classes, sunny days at
the beach, and a myriad of different excursions around the island. We take every
opportunity to spend time outside admiring the natural beauty and have grown to
appreciate the surrounding community within the town. My fellow peers and I
talk (ad nauseum) about the wonderful food, people, and culture of Greece and I
could surely write endless pages recapping our adventures. However, I’ll focus
on my main 2 takeaways from the program so far. <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: 8.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: 0in; text-indent: .5in;"><br /></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: 8.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: 0in; text-indent: .5in;">First, I’ve noticed the difficulties in
straddling the line between being a tourist and being an active scholar
intent on seeking to better understand not only the positives but also
challenges within the region. The environment is conducive to enjoying oneself,
trust me, yet the challenges (like any country) are present if you look further.
The orange juice is delicious … harvested by underpaid immigrants such as the
Egyptian worker Aleh whom we met on a walk. The hotels are picturesque …. maintained
by overworked hospitality workers who are fighting within unions to be paid
fair wages. Our facilities at the Institute provide great Wi-Fi and clean water
…. which puts a strain on the country’s natural resources and ability to
transport such goods to the locals. The main way to avoid being a temporary
apathetic tourist is making a concerted effort to stay cognizant of such issues
and remind ourselves the reason why we are here, in the Mediterranean, within a
study abroad program. As a group we are trying our best to balance thoroughly enjoying
our time here and also tackling uncomfortable conversations regarding the stark
reality of this beautiful island. <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: 8.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: 0in; text-indent: .5in;"><br /></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: 8.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: 0in; text-indent: .5in;">Secondly, specific to this particular
group this year, I highly admire our adaptability and positive attitudes. One example
is with our three arduous hikes through the Samaria Gorge, the Ottoman Ruins,
and our “walk” to the Apostle Paul’s Church. They were difficult and challenging
yet made a lot easier by our optimistic mindset and general camaraderie. We're all funny and light-hearted with unique personalities. Personally, I believe there are a lot of obstacles in life that require gritting
your teeth and pushing through until it is over. However, it’s definitely
easier being with a group that has the ability to do that with a smile on our
faces (especially when there are idyllic beaches waiting at the end!) I’m
looking forward to traveling this weekend and will continue to keep this blog
updated. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: 8.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: 0in; text-indent: .5in;"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: 8.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: 0in; text-indent: .5in;">All the best, <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: 8.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: 0in; text-indent: .5in;">Mariana (“Mari”) Kordorsky <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: 8.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: 0in; text-indent: .5in;"><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlQkfyYcj4tEaTKNBRSfQJW9HSY6EKu-uo--4FiXF6yXgLeALC1zUrY0FsaRZ0F8fMqFOh2e7vwkWgJ3hhBTSQrA75sN35r5kDfB_gOYxOwQOj7rDjE8E8dICJQlLFqmHrnQOIFB5o-gbK84FJU9pgNPvAL6-v2gnl-bCNdn_rUkU9VPVGm28FFk9njw/s4032/blog%201%20.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlQkfyYcj4tEaTKNBRSfQJW9HSY6EKu-uo--4FiXF6yXgLeALC1zUrY0FsaRZ0F8fMqFOh2e7vwkWgJ3hhBTSQrA75sN35r5kDfB_gOYxOwQOj7rDjE8E8dICJQlLFqmHrnQOIFB5o-gbK84FJU9pgNPvAL6-v2gnl-bCNdn_rUkU9VPVGm28FFk9njw/s320/blog%201%20.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><br /><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: 8.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: 0in; text-indent: .5in;"><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEip8bCD3L--5NqJBVEW_h0nxikn31ZJS8Qrqm7kb1f3zWfKS7bk7MzuysGTW8yp-s6yAl1yQ-dJ7s7zzfRRToPDy3oWPAVOo0edFaK_N1myk8SM9zNrYS3p7W4Kxr-yoPV_5lM6H4sj22PsD5hSX3Tk0XRIn3H6SXzjqC1pMjbHLsusVIxOoMgWyw9FLA/s4032/blog%202%20.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEip8bCD3L--5NqJBVEW_h0nxikn31ZJS8Qrqm7kb1f3zWfKS7bk7MzuysGTW8yp-s6yAl1yQ-dJ7s7zzfRRToPDy3oWPAVOo0edFaK_N1myk8SM9zNrYS3p7W4Kxr-yoPV_5lM6H4sj22PsD5hSX3Tk0XRIn3H6SXzjqC1pMjbHLsusVIxOoMgWyw9FLA/s320/blog%202%20.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjv9izpCk8l8hJl_6GKL9oUi8zJbG_QgyVxbnnHt8Vb5BWJ_97WiyxOZdpSLhhyRvlSl3VBjDzuMUANX7NsRerouKDZuO6ZyEhJATVjuMeLZELSqYJZI9HaJgqq0fV-cje9Jq0-8q3ls4YdRy8I0DfoUgnpTCK5d1ML6Y3LlSUS8s3m9ADQmILiJeOyPA/s800/blog%203%20.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="800" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjv9izpCk8l8hJl_6GKL9oUi8zJbG_QgyVxbnnHt8Vb5BWJ_97WiyxOZdpSLhhyRvlSl3VBjDzuMUANX7NsRerouKDZuO6ZyEhJATVjuMeLZELSqYJZI9HaJgqq0fV-cje9Jq0-8q3ls4YdRy8I0DfoUgnpTCK5d1ML6Y3LlSUS8s3m9ADQmILiJeOyPA/s320/blog%203%20.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div>Mariana Kordorskyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10602617823431474674noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8959849292667078696.post-17522638280239075972023-06-13T15:46:00.000-07:002023-06-13T15:46:08.322-07:00First Weekish: Sunday, June 4th - Tuesday June 13th<p style="text-align: center;"> <span style="text-align: center;">I flew to Crete on Friday, June 2nd with some fellow friends in the program and so far I have been having a fantastic time! The village of Alikianos is beautiful and everyone at the Kapsomenos Foundation has been so kind and welcoming. Professor Vamvakas has taken us to numerous historical landmarks as well as guiding our group through the Samaria Gorge and up to the Ottoman ruins. I have also been finding the classes we're taking very interesting and relevant, not only to my degree but to the problems happening around the world. </span>I'm excited about the rest of the program, and I'm particularly looking forward to experiencing the occupied island of Cyprus.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_iobDKrMVot0ZvlmH1foVGmF7oFm9llEPp8kVSE-w7FRSySORdhhGp3IRYncsuFWxtjOgapfExBiQqrLDYTNF4FNej_1OGenU-TaAQt0JFoUkEe5bAV3zhfI2e5Ix295xPy8z-iDQSKBfnwrzyMCuoafv9HC3gdVAmHmbUkM9POm_c7F7UgD1nVef/s320/Group%20photo-Aptera.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="240" data-original-width="320" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_iobDKrMVot0ZvlmH1foVGmF7oFm9llEPp8kVSE-w7FRSySORdhhGp3IRYncsuFWxtjOgapfExBiQqrLDYTNF4FNej_1OGenU-TaAQt0JFoUkEe5bAV3zhfI2e5Ix295xPy8z-iDQSKBfnwrzyMCuoafv9HC3gdVAmHmbUkM9POm_c7F7UgD1nVef/s1600/Group%20photo-Aptera.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Touring the archaeological site of the Ancient city of Aptera</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj05eKNiCYszo66zpJBn8IXjkE7mjHFCOaefUYieWHpjDnOv8I5omBrMEJRkjFsy9sp6koHz7EckimhtRc8svoxkcGuVXbzXWlyayAc3aoyiDR7qkcI0MN1UO2SsAjMXXw5DnaSmzRhlT6Ju7XObX_6HjCAZt8YACeCQOVZATjKttcRSZJMUPlIS8eW/s320/Chania%20Port,%20Group%20photo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="240" data-original-width="320" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj05eKNiCYszo66zpJBn8IXjkE7mjHFCOaefUYieWHpjDnOv8I5omBrMEJRkjFsy9sp6koHz7EckimhtRc8svoxkcGuVXbzXWlyayAc3aoyiDR7qkcI0MN1UO2SsAjMXXw5DnaSmzRhlT6Ju7XObX_6HjCAZt8YACeCQOVZATjKttcRSZJMUPlIS8eW/s1600/Chania%20Port,%20Group%20photo.jpg" width="320" /></a> </div><span style="text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: center;">Visiting the Old Town in Chania, filled with ancient ruins and tourist hotspots</div></span><div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYHOQ55XccatIiMzVRMrPmyr-zgMl5rYUn1CPRyRgJs8duN1vhrk0D5-ic8H8TJqmgUTob568fwVfgG4e5xLmLnW2x0kBCUQ_PYTyRGewG4HjGeiJx89Xjiaw9llqLdwPUn-NG8S_MApJZ8qz1ARl-xjC4NExRJ3dlXRzCLo5-G4BnvA_qyYGuak-l/s320/Beach%20Cat.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="320" data-original-width="240" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYHOQ55XccatIiMzVRMrPmyr-zgMl5rYUn1CPRyRgJs8duN1vhrk0D5-ic8H8TJqmgUTob568fwVfgG4e5xLmLnW2x0kBCUQ_PYTyRGewG4HjGeiJx89Xjiaw9llqLdwPUn-NG8S_MApJZ8qz1ARl-xjC4NExRJ3dlXRzCLo5-G4BnvA_qyYGuak-l/s1600/Beach%20Cat.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><span><div style="text-align: center;">A kitten being taken care of by the beachgoers </div></span></div><div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNFCVydMV7VhiirWw2eqqZ1RMsMuOEVn6u0hi10sOZFkWZaocXuJNEXl4jqQg6qB-8R7zKVVv7emQi3DsUctxUU--zRwGXQ5si4vmW0kSFaM5nvrAMUrahriqCDz_4ODnVvmrwEUMTugTU9ib3p6EnZwOwqt8V5IQC3vtxMPhXKwdVodyvMeBhN6dL/s320/greek%20class%20w,Katerina.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="320" data-original-width="240" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNFCVydMV7VhiirWw2eqqZ1RMsMuOEVn6u0hi10sOZFkWZaocXuJNEXl4jqQg6qB-8R7zKVVv7emQi3DsUctxUU--zRwGXQ5si4vmW0kSFaM5nvrAMUrahriqCDz_4ODnVvmrwEUMTugTU9ib3p6EnZwOwqt8V5IQC3vtxMPhXKwdVodyvMeBhN6dL/s1600/greek%20class%20w,Katerina.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Our Greek teacher, Katerina reviewing sentence structure for the verb 'to want'</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRnnZA5Y6dSr1FgxfirNpA-o867Tg5Fnzq6akjawBW0JFml98MR43NDqx9VBj43YPC1ok4lPiGqRCN5CeIhaCN9zVHM2uYhBiH4fSaVIBI33a6AmcNVm9X4i1v7Mml2OM5--km6VlAff6z7G9u5VewLAXzeCqcT73DrYk6E1qjMcaOu-ojmw_Yws1g/s320/Group%20photo-Gorge.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="240" data-original-width="320" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRnnZA5Y6dSr1FgxfirNpA-o867Tg5Fnzq6akjawBW0JFml98MR43NDqx9VBj43YPC1ok4lPiGqRCN5CeIhaCN9zVHM2uYhBiH4fSaVIBI33a6AmcNVm9X4i1v7Mml2OM5--km6VlAff6z7G9u5VewLAXzeCqcT73DrYk6E1qjMcaOu-ojmw_Yws1g/s1600/Group%20photo-Gorge.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Snapshot from our hike through the Samaria Gorge</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgluj_sww0oLxDlr_sk5xDs7K8bO9-AkcSEEu9EuPN48s74Cw-Iji_K52KZhfjxL_pq2_VCcCxjiW38xitrAgbz34xPu0o9lzU6fojlesIIUmk45x_GFi7Ixoy_EC2rrBzq-DcQ4cmOabzCoY13EPZMneYZ2ueC8ckvhVvbW8IfRwTN81a8RgwkmBIt/s320/Goat%20on%20ruins,%20gorge.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="320" data-original-width="240" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgluj_sww0oLxDlr_sk5xDs7K8bO9-AkcSEEu9EuPN48s74Cw-Iji_K52KZhfjxL_pq2_VCcCxjiW38xitrAgbz34xPu0o9lzU6fojlesIIUmk45x_GFi7Ixoy_EC2rrBzq-DcQ4cmOabzCoY13EPZMneYZ2ueC8ckvhVvbW8IfRwTN81a8RgwkmBIt/s1600/Goat%20on%20ruins,%20gorge.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">A few goats on the ruins after the Gorge</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNcb9mQGIjQ2-4l5r4Q5ehpu63WkN5VbW4Ca1sPB3hre6QlyIgJqPSbK-2QYPD8yJWXQN0lWYkdCc9SNhEOVZ4i8qAf_TReVSxElnsC9UB6EsvL4pUHVY-63Qs4lOtSwV2GwWFD2ZL_KtD-IXpyl9VSNIURv1NJ64ii59UO09yNGJuQIHaOT_ZUpke/s320/Hike%20to%20Ottoman%20Ruins.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="320" data-original-width="240" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNcb9mQGIjQ2-4l5r4Q5ehpu63WkN5VbW4Ca1sPB3hre6QlyIgJqPSbK-2QYPD8yJWXQN0lWYkdCc9SNhEOVZ4i8qAf_TReVSxElnsC9UB6EsvL4pUHVY-63Qs4lOtSwV2GwWFD2ZL_KtD-IXpyl9VSNIURv1NJ64ii59UO09yNGJuQIHaOT_ZUpke/s1600/Hike%20to%20Ottoman%20Ruins.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span style="text-align: left;">The intense but fulfilling hike to the Ottoman ruins after the Gorge</span></div></div></div><p></p></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhP8AjpHSkVyzINg0QB6xmy1M3dKVUej9DWV95ssVl3CVApF5_w8a-SqWLAnKPJLV13p6qe0mp8qKGmO5cXTImj90vMBV3uaH9eZJZDiWsAeVzweA97LwIb7Sm8_7xH4J5gsUcqmNUIK8miio2uyRD7VUm2RwKEnJuAtaqiOD9OUzAuvXd8cq7m60M4/s320/Town%20from%20Ruins.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="240" data-original-width="320" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhP8AjpHSkVyzINg0QB6xmy1M3dKVUej9DWV95ssVl3CVApF5_w8a-SqWLAnKPJLV13p6qe0mp8qKGmO5cXTImj90vMBV3uaH9eZJZDiWsAeVzweA97LwIb7Sm8_7xH4J5gsUcqmNUIK8miio2uyRD7VUm2RwKEnJuAtaqiOD9OUzAuvXd8cq7m60M4/s1600/Town%20from%20Ruins.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">View of the town of Agia Roumeli from the Ottoman Ruins</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhACToxrT6MfsUXjL8jthpX9yIHStz82owKMIshSK4W5ghRbX3fHy__ASX3UD1qdKylH0UHUxM3ESPAYE1J_kNvUXAxaTZ8YL_y6agAdbWi9nxrE94EgFqMP--8yrJGPbEhTazPuxEZ7BsGZpR1VvYbgIBKVhdJ-MAq20n5CLuDmWixtqNpOK3AfDeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="320" data-original-width="240" height="308" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhACToxrT6MfsUXjL8jthpX9yIHStz82owKMIshSK4W5ghRbX3fHy__ASX3UD1qdKylH0UHUxM3ESPAYE1J_kNvUXAxaTZ8YL_y6agAdbWi9nxrE94EgFqMP--8yrJGPbEhTazPuxEZ7BsGZpR1VvYbgIBKVhdJ-MAq20n5CLuDmWixtqNpOK3AfDeg=w231-h308" width="231" /></a></div>The church on the secluded Saint Paul's beach<br /><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div>Brooke Whitehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07054082298502386421noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8959849292667078696.post-73843609920567425002023-06-13T14:21:00.000-07:002023-06-13T14:21:07.537-07:00Samaria Gorge & St. Paul's Beach<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghAXtAd68B4tVrp8JY3f578-Bd1uyHQoxK7yHGhSAf9qnLmpTFWpb_zvqBvVInl4mo3fpCpPPDq4nNQzkWpl_6iXZObjjAHLViGy0DF7340nQZjS71VkKGaFjwdD6e-EUTIMPb0cCDJPs1EdqmQcUiZtEDue_WjT5s40sC0a83kZmSayq4cAYvWmJvGw/s800/Image.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="800" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghAXtAd68B4tVrp8JY3f578-Bd1uyHQoxK7yHGhSAf9qnLmpTFWpb_zvqBvVInl4mo3fpCpPPDq4nNQzkWpl_6iXZObjjAHLViGy0DF7340nQZjS71VkKGaFjwdD6e-EUTIMPb0cCDJPs1EdqmQcUiZtEDue_WjT5s40sC0a83kZmSayq4cAYvWmJvGw/s320/Image.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">After we made it out of the gorge, we hiked another .5mi straight up to see the Castle Agia Roumeli. The hike almost killed us, but the view at the top was <u>so</u> worth it!</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgE3tPpAvftLeNvWzOi5opyVNM7ULpI2C9vUQqODtiKh33QNN68XLcHcFVtkbjCFfe6SV9NGgiAqYx4h4UqvH6K6xxC5gHiwjnSj1wi14EL0uCwBbTjDYPFkm0xtC0PuT4BkzqfaW3mj5SvdPgK0KzxzJn99wSgJkxnZbqNhS48lINb8Qoi-giLLZyKhw/s4032/Image.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgE3tPpAvftLeNvWzOi5opyVNM7ULpI2C9vUQqODtiKh33QNN68XLcHcFVtkbjCFfe6SV9NGgiAqYx4h4UqvH6K6xxC5gHiwjnSj1wi14EL0uCwBbTjDYPFkm0xtC0PuT4BkzqfaW3mj5SvdPgK0KzxzJn99wSgJkxnZbqNhS48lINb8Qoi-giLLZyKhw/s320/Image.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">After we got back from St. Paul's beach, we jumped in at the beach back in town and then went to get ice cream before taking the ferry back to the bus at the end of our weekend excursion. Dr. Vamvakas turned the entire boat around to pick up a bag that someone had forgotten behind, but it was smooth sailing from there once we got it back. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgu9iB_iMCM7_a1GVv6K6Ne5sDxHwMAYNXD1lL-n-dKmA8kKJ0vswN40ZgOIGx-oXEbT5kIwHP1sYR7x_IyB5Xgv-nRdZEDsjB9lAy1fONGqc03qGfqEeglLvKIeJXQx364zIznVllOJH-rlJFOD8CDEntt9UJRtgexBjCUeHbrGrIH_ATHKVmQpnjEqQ/s3712/Image%5B67%5D.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3712" data-original-width="2767" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgu9iB_iMCM7_a1GVv6K6Ne5sDxHwMAYNXD1lL-n-dKmA8kKJ0vswN40ZgOIGx-oXEbT5kIwHP1sYR7x_IyB5Xgv-nRdZEDsjB9lAy1fONGqc03qGfqEeglLvKIeJXQx364zIznVllOJH-rlJFOD8CDEntt9UJRtgexBjCUeHbrGrIH_ATHKVmQpnjEqQ/s320/Image%5B67%5D.jpeg" width="239" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">What was supposed to be a "30min <i>walk</i> along the beach" according to Dr. Vamvakas turned into a 1hr 15min <i>hike</i>. The beach, food, and church were incredible though, so even if it was more challenging than expected, I'm glad we decided to join in on the extra hike :)</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEht6Tm39TlpTTl8BtmFMAUEbsygDkcvg3SfOz1jTJ04DJF88SlBgMMvmdTCHpbmFKm7P-pxi6axrYk7zmkhneB80cbF66xkq1Xxhu8Ht1qWc6AlzbiA5A3zQkMxmLckjSmI7eWNxh9gksj8Bhsbxa7DBKlJSE_sJHHp2q5XhylOECyaLSXECe99HWcfyw/s4032/Image%5B54%5D.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEht6Tm39TlpTTl8BtmFMAUEbsygDkcvg3SfOz1jTJ04DJF88SlBgMMvmdTCHpbmFKm7P-pxi6axrYk7zmkhneB80cbF66xkq1Xxhu8Ht1qWc6AlzbiA5A3zQkMxmLckjSmI7eWNxh9gksj8Bhsbxa7DBKlJSE_sJHHp2q5XhylOECyaLSXECe99HWcfyw/s320/Image%5B54%5D.jpeg" width="240" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRm9XzliKWgAM-tweWzuX0sqrXZE-5HAT14e769m4Kf4Yuv4GFBoTDROC9nTH_xiXzVA-uprebErBiDsgArro7h-nlt1inFTTQ87ovWpjP4ABtWwddiAaLXbTbjyvVykalNAK46n2PPbvRCGpxla2NsMHnkDB7imS9EGPp0KYLq8x_3X2gMJnn4gV7UQ/s4032/Image%5B44%5D.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRm9XzliKWgAM-tweWzuX0sqrXZE-5HAT14e769m4Kf4Yuv4GFBoTDROC9nTH_xiXzVA-uprebErBiDsgArro7h-nlt1inFTTQ87ovWpjP4ABtWwddiAaLXbTbjyvVykalNAK46n2PPbvRCGpxla2NsMHnkDB7imS9EGPp0KYLq8x_3X2gMJnn4gV7UQ/s320/Image%5B44%5D.jpeg" width="240" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLgVW0AZ23XxfX1-RsTFyKMSyxVOSc9mh87CnjEqlk8QxAJyxjDXmeDRjdokxpLBGUwB7Mp2XGTQVQyZovmKRmuyzBQMfNVJXV-qfRrJoeE3sbNrgDhq_WYQMPu68TtiYRGN_eFmMSO8aRhdE9mHcJxwEcQZ6HOsDzZR7e2272txlXjs3_7W5eoO_XsQ/s4032/Image%5B40%5D.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLgVW0AZ23XxfX1-RsTFyKMSyxVOSc9mh87CnjEqlk8QxAJyxjDXmeDRjdokxpLBGUwB7Mp2XGTQVQyZovmKRmuyzBQMfNVJXV-qfRrJoeE3sbNrgDhq_WYQMPu68TtiYRGN_eFmMSO8aRhdE9mHcJxwEcQZ6HOsDzZR7e2272txlXjs3_7W5eoO_XsQ/s320/Image%5B40%5D.jpeg" width="240" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibAm9zKOTcIq4oOr7k2mAbMLeq8HXiRrLLGJANTFbHgdnT82-QOWHczFoTKu1atWCzdi64d_xAxULrZI-xbtwe6bvmpJEu9QsxbY9L1ige0zCldscOdiCZyQ5dfWmXxaLXjSO4pu8eCMUDkRRE7ifzajZO3XJ6beUdqr-YypnhwIHUXrtP-rbBdXD0Uw/s2049/Image.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2049" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibAm9zKOTcIq4oOr7k2mAbMLeq8HXiRrLLGJANTFbHgdnT82-QOWHczFoTKu1atWCzdi64d_xAxULrZI-xbtwe6bvmpJEu9QsxbY9L1ige0zCldscOdiCZyQ5dfWmXxaLXjSO4pu8eCMUDkRRE7ifzajZO3XJ6beUdqr-YypnhwIHUXrtP-rbBdXD0Uw/s320/Image.jpeg" width="240" /></a></div><br /><p></p>deannabourquehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13533365949401947187noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8959849292667078696.post-69016555084071172612023-06-04T08:03:00.001-07:002023-06-04T08:03:05.231-07:002023 is here...and another group of students<p> Over the last decade the Institute of Eastern Mediterranean Studies has grown up into a program which brings students to the Mediterranean and also brings the Mediterranean to the other side of the Atlantic. Everything has started with a group of students, who 2012 explored for the first time the culture, history, politics of the region from the central location of Chania, Crete. This year again we will start in Alikianos, Chania and explore the nexus of energy, food and water in the region, by visiting three islands, two countries in one Mediterranean.</p><p><br /></p><p>Look forward to travels and adventures of this dynamic group of explorers.</p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8959849292667078696.post-10389105586573518492022-07-02T06:51:00.002-07:002022-07-02T06:51:39.229-07:00Saying Goodbye...<p>Tomorrow, July 3rd, the program officially ends and the departures conclude from this year's summer program. It's a bittersweet moment to leave such a fantastic place that has taught us so much in one short month. I'm going to attempt to summarize all our unique experiences in one blog post but it is hard to put into words all the amazing things we have done here.</p><p><b>Exploring the Village of Alikianos and Chania</b></p><p>During the first two weeks of being in Greece, we were able to experience a lot of what Alikianos, the city of Chania, and the surrounding area had to offer. We went to some beautiful beaches after we would finish classes for the day and had great authentic Greek food. Despite COVID taking a little bit of a toll on our first two weeks, we were still able to go to a local winery called the Manousakis Winery in a neighboring village, explore the old Venetian Harbor City of Chania, visit neighboring monasteries, visit the US naval base in Souda Bay, and hike the Samaria Gorge- a 10km hike and the largest gorge in Europe.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjbVyhvyXCXX8wu2iCHp6O7HFjMCxKNI4kSQ-vKdnYFzWTpGQMoXFf7_n7qYn_yIKTyI1qD4Re_4ApB7D5-Dz2let8Y3oqDvCZcfbFjVfzDCLCW0F234h7php5hlzFTfhX_LwqtZf73aK7YxgPWgOF8w_3WeCuLgaCYeuhJUV2qFIwykeNnljcakBCXQ/s320/Chania%20Harbor.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="320" data-original-width="238" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjbVyhvyXCXX8wu2iCHp6O7HFjMCxKNI4kSQ-vKdnYFzWTpGQMoXFf7_n7qYn_yIKTyI1qD4Re_4ApB7D5-Dz2let8Y3oqDvCZcfbFjVfzDCLCW0F234h7php5hlzFTfhX_LwqtZf73aK7YxgPWgOF8w_3WeCuLgaCYeuhJUV2qFIwykeNnljcakBCXQ/s1600/Chania%20Harbor.jpg" width="238" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNzzZUlOZ5V6uIo5iYUa-Q0tjr3S5lpEWWCXAzNiMK7aqQGrxX5XQlE1UVMgn8ODrS0fIS3AiEqKDbmWTh_tQS5j4jM_987E5v_8bRSmLt28f5dtOTJyr2E570IgT0lql60_TlLJMtafRFSUhoJNopExeVCpto80mCKQO7yle-3L6IcNQYl1HZO4egkw/s320/Monestary.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="320" data-original-width="240" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNzzZUlOZ5V6uIo5iYUa-Q0tjr3S5lpEWWCXAzNiMK7aqQGrxX5XQlE1UVMgn8ODrS0fIS3AiEqKDbmWTh_tQS5j4jM_987E5v_8bRSmLt28f5dtOTJyr2E570IgT0lql60_TlLJMtafRFSUhoJNopExeVCpto80mCKQO7yle-3L6IcNQYl1HZO4egkw/s1600/Monestary.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQX6PPRn-YrWDViVV_h0g5CGM-EBHVhOry5S1vPR0j_f0BGbIvbnKI4xWcl1CFn7ttjnwwXKx9agbzje7y20Nk8QSJxHUPKc8S5eDePWe68ShPuJBBCteZfeTiTNFea2OADSBQ-hTK494mOK2zhfyJdSt34f0exRRwZXyCd8SuU_iyBa4wFc_D8HJrxg/s320/Samaria%20Gorge.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="320" data-original-width="240" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQX6PPRn-YrWDViVV_h0g5CGM-EBHVhOry5S1vPR0j_f0BGbIvbnKI4xWcl1CFn7ttjnwwXKx9agbzje7y20Nk8QSJxHUPKc8S5eDePWe68ShPuJBBCteZfeTiTNFea2OADSBQ-hTK494mOK2zhfyJdSt34f0exRRwZXyCd8SuU_iyBa4wFc_D8HJrxg/s1600/Samaria%20Gorge.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJZjjQeFOSF67-KcdkNuLyxG-WD1Nnil6i00Q5sH21TftoN5WGYH7X16lgcCfC2TmPpcBfnUnPZTqXpy25iAECEzHmdoNwbdQbG7tVeV8BJc9ZJBTIS_8NCAENU_hCM4cthbe9E3YEOc6iDbagi5lDjezfRzAXP1JII273eFT2z_YH5yx_-MH51m8Y8A/s320/Souda%20Bay.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="256" data-original-width="320" height="256" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJZjjQeFOSF67-KcdkNuLyxG-WD1Nnil6i00Q5sH21TftoN5WGYH7X16lgcCfC2TmPpcBfnUnPZTqXpy25iAECEzHmdoNwbdQbG7tVeV8BJc9ZJBTIS_8NCAENU_hCM4cthbe9E3YEOc6iDbagi5lDjezfRzAXP1JII273eFT2z_YH5yx_-MH51m8Y8A/s1600/Souda%20Bay.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6rvsNjEu-pFAvkKYcfw746gEzg-qVnkL9a-xudw4XQ3M6p1oSP4o5OBHm1tR6uw9L0TpGAvPickth3lSQ5fC-_llgBSSUu8nbbEsGMmznOSdVH--KBO_DTGkkCRmYcxm6bzARZdLXq-8Vc6zcys_hUhlmG5-wiwrtuIFK89gPjiwExkqnFP-Vv7Viag/s320/Winery.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="238" data-original-width="320" height="238" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6rvsNjEu-pFAvkKYcfw746gEzg-qVnkL9a-xudw4XQ3M6p1oSP4o5OBHm1tR6uw9L0TpGAvPickth3lSQ5fC-_llgBSSUu8nbbEsGMmznOSdVH--KBO_DTGkkCRmYcxm6bzARZdLXq-8Vc6zcys_hUhlmG5-wiwrtuIFK89gPjiwExkqnFP-Vv7Viag/s1600/Winery.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><b>Archipelagos: Samos, Leipsoi, Arkoi, and Agathonsisi</b><div><b><br /></b></div><div>During our third week at the program, we switched things up and flew out to the Greek Island of Samos to start a short program with a Marine Life conservation group called Archipelagos. This group is extremely dedicated to ensuring the well-being of marine and ocean life in the Aegean Sea as well as having a lot of first-hand exposure to the refugee crisis in the Aegean Sea. We set sail with this group and lived aboard among them on their Aegean Explorer ship for five days. Adjusting to living on the boat was difficult at times; however, as a group, we were able to really adapt and learn from a different style of life. We were able to explore Samos, a Greek island off the coast of Turkey that has a checkered past with the refugee crisis. As a group we took a trip to visit the current and old refugee camps that were very difficult to see; however an important lesson and hands-on learning experience. We were also able to visit the Archipelagos base in Leipsoi, a beautiful small island in the Aegean that had a lot to offer to learn and enjoy. We also stopped briefly at the small island of Arkoi, an island that is known for having more goats than people with a total human population of about 40-50 people. We also then went to the island of Agathonsisi where we were able to have a one-on-one discussion with the Mayor there that has been there to experience things like the influx of refugees, COVID-19 supply chain issues, and marine life conservation. All of these islands were unique and we got to experience all the good and bad sides of them that you would not normally see as a traditional tourist I really enjoyed this unique experience. A major added bonus of this part of the trip was a beloved rescue puppy that we all really enjoyed bonding with on the boat.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHruJ3o6eZyuPL-X7VPggiAJTaaWHMnNY-wKfXRV8rQdDtmg5daW5VatkR0KHk7hSNpeLFTHh_0nMvKtiISv6qyDSsWwtczapSTqzIrao8R1MsoYAj-l8WILDSQ4cnXR5Diz2rurL29bNyh60nnSvJ_RUKAiG7ReVeTc3i8mpM6QnjyS8mEop7E6AWDA/s828/Agathonisi%20with%20the%20mayor.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="621" data-original-width="828" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHruJ3o6eZyuPL-X7VPggiAJTaaWHMnNY-wKfXRV8rQdDtmg5daW5VatkR0KHk7hSNpeLFTHh_0nMvKtiISv6qyDSsWwtczapSTqzIrao8R1MsoYAj-l8WILDSQ4cnXR5Diz2rurL29bNyh60nnSvJ_RUKAiG7ReVeTc3i8mpM6QnjyS8mEop7E6AWDA/s320/Agathonisi%20with%20the%20mayor.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOzgOrZchETeF7_IJH9Kvyxw4PmKqTim5zw0nYFqFCceYucwyg4gcRY8sp-A2jd2b5yXHf7D3u8prgxVQNPfhESFS_W3U1DhW9Px7MUBX5Msj49cgmUtPPB_4yya2quQChwNM8i5GBZbwfAyRwlDQ3zctZQzffTr8bHfKwSE3ZrCMV4AoaLflTNlbqeQ/s320/Lipsi.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="320" data-original-width="240" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOzgOrZchETeF7_IJH9Kvyxw4PmKqTim5zw0nYFqFCceYucwyg4gcRY8sp-A2jd2b5yXHf7D3u8prgxVQNPfhESFS_W3U1DhW9Px7MUBX5Msj49cgmUtPPB_4yya2quQChwNM8i5GBZbwfAyRwlDQ3zctZQzffTr8bHfKwSE3ZrCMV4AoaLflTNlbqeQ/s1600/Lipsi.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBFEbEEk4jcvsdyU4m2EyHcjVIV0sgJOU4vdv9wVBYD6U31WQg1bSUo7OeQrFhMHTK7-xOtcQD3O6rHmP7SPTuShUC4fcs6b9pWAEldnBXHq7z_GpJ8j7sRubaXDG07jtzCwzSetB49X3y70tefPEq_LxbzDeb7jIlBiITcNoOrnLzfTFJSnhRIXlnuQ/s828/Post%20Mayor%20Visit.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="621" data-original-width="828" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBFEbEEk4jcvsdyU4m2EyHcjVIV0sgJOU4vdv9wVBYD6U31WQg1bSUo7OeQrFhMHTK7-xOtcQD3O6rHmP7SPTuShUC4fcs6b9pWAEldnBXHq7z_GpJ8j7sRubaXDG07jtzCwzSetB49X3y70tefPEq_LxbzDeb7jIlBiITcNoOrnLzfTFJSnhRIXlnuQ/s320/Post%20Mayor%20Visit.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_OKiDQr98j-1HTptDymbsjLVfBUKgMDgjZt7iPB6ULzog6lgagZZRF8Fsko-5NBRnqOp9SuowS5U7B3ZHgp3Dt5AVtoCJ4t070b-ESh5P9JBduuiSEK_kOPVm65j_byi7YIl0-jACGCKN67oEV43gyKTZphSyfBNMgY4jtj93SufRZsfMS3R9B-nW-A/s828/Samos.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="621" data-original-width="828" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_OKiDQr98j-1HTptDymbsjLVfBUKgMDgjZt7iPB6ULzog6lgagZZRF8Fsko-5NBRnqOp9SuowS5U7B3ZHgp3Dt5AVtoCJ4t070b-ESh5P9JBduuiSEK_kOPVm65j_byi7YIl0-jACGCKN67oEV43gyKTZphSyfBNMgY4jtj93SufRZsfMS3R9B-nW-A/s320/Samos.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxqWkZgvCpt7wl7Qmfz4uSy9ql00MkIVOwfmj5uwQcvKgv4ZXIlhbBxh84qExPHN5epVlYUUGQQAAzLLvHWW3dvutQbpPF8n63mkpc_h9hFYFWFP-tQTWOfHOOvnAgzbLzi7o0OpxCOAec4_IQJ5xra4WtesLFTJ4RkjqrpV1vplQgdFvg9XjFFyzSMA/s1280/Shorty-%20the%20boat%20dog.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1280" data-original-width="685" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxqWkZgvCpt7wl7Qmfz4uSy9ql00MkIVOwfmj5uwQcvKgv4ZXIlhbBxh84qExPHN5epVlYUUGQQAAzLLvHWW3dvutQbpPF8n63mkpc_h9hFYFWFP-tQTWOfHOOvnAgzbLzi7o0OpxCOAec4_IQJ5xra4WtesLFTJ4RkjqrpV1vplQgdFvg9XjFFyzSMA/s320/Shorty-%20the%20boat%20dog.jpg" width="171" /></a></div><br /><div><b>Wrapping it all up in the last week</b></div><div><b><br /></b></div><div>During our last week of the program, we were able to neatly round off the program with a few great stops on our way back from Samos including a day trip to Athens, an overnight trip to Heraklion, and a road trip to Rethymno. After our few days of travel, we then returned to Alikianos to finish up classes and take exams. In Athens we may have broken a record for how quickly we were able to do a complete tour of the city including having Souflaki, visiting the bottom of the Parthenon, visiting the government buildings, and visiting the Acropolis Museum. In Heraklion, we were able to explore the biggest city in Crete and visit the ancient Minoan ruins and see and learn a lot about that history. In Rethymno, we were able to visit a beautiful monetary that dates back to the 1800s as well as explore that city and what it had to offer. These were all such incredible learning experiences and I am so grateful that we were able to fit it all in and see what a lot of Greece and Crete have to offer. Coming back after all this travel was bittersweet because we were all happen to be back at the institute but we all knew our time was coming to a close. We focused on finishing up our work for courses as well as going to an authentic Cretan concert in Kissamos, taking a few more beach trips, visiting the NATO NAMFI missile site, and most importantly, attending Professor Vamvakas' name day party- a Greek tradition that luckily fell under the time of the program. We took one last trip into Chania to celebrate our last evening together as a full group at the institute and then the departures began. I am so happy I was able to go on this trip and it has truly taught me so much about international affairs, the Eastern Mediterranean, Greek culture, and general life and educational lessons that will stay with me forever. I will always remember this trip and the people on it forever. Thank you Professor Vamvakas for an amazing experience!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-KXI9S5uRrNBw_-l4cyOf1wKinESoWr2IjPAeeOw9ZTrDIZ1VhGeFEoliYuX2Y0uuRTATauwJ7N8jn5lqNeYSoMyPLqN-5vpzMXfxf_s39eUtTjq52LruyHk-h1IQ7z44atF5xeclzxtw4HOa2BBiPPnVDaLQZMDnmMB6EW5vwF0W-c_CxdMdCHYyGA/s640/Athens.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="480" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-KXI9S5uRrNBw_-l4cyOf1wKinESoWr2IjPAeeOw9ZTrDIZ1VhGeFEoliYuX2Y0uuRTATauwJ7N8jn5lqNeYSoMyPLqN-5vpzMXfxf_s39eUtTjq52LruyHk-h1IQ7z44atF5xeclzxtw4HOa2BBiPPnVDaLQZMDnmMB6EW5vwF0W-c_CxdMdCHYyGA/s320/Athens.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiL6HjHxQW-vETeYCu6hwupERbByzh3_NGVCEToRPZSq4q7WgV751TJQjwUayfHLRyEdeImsj-PE4yjm79mlKHXGMkv2J8LZaqnGLzoIs8zyG73AVFaNBL4wL6Jbbo-8mNG-IVIpOazDXR-0dJccPl4RjuHfXbW3Q0Nky9RP5CtB3GWbd02ZwKMx6y5sQ/s320/Hereklion%20Ruins.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="320" data-original-width="240" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiL6HjHxQW-vETeYCu6hwupERbByzh3_NGVCEToRPZSq4q7WgV751TJQjwUayfHLRyEdeImsj-PE4yjm79mlKHXGMkv2J8LZaqnGLzoIs8zyG73AVFaNBL4wL6Jbbo-8mNG-IVIpOazDXR-0dJccPl4RjuHfXbW3Q0Nky9RP5CtB3GWbd02ZwKMx6y5sQ/s1600/Hereklion%20Ruins.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiDFOYOVNAdLckurCiqAdyURe2zYpJgGn8j-ImEzzjqzotcXVErmVYTDMDNszdZuR04kJfFfoxpVpFax2IzKe-KP4gHfFkvhqFPsRZzFUV7p21a0Ais85pgrED7ZtpSGNmD8elDtnfTFmX4Cxbv9O-9aPbe1yhY_u0vPCAtAPb0_Y5WBshXZ9ImmKfDA/s320/Hereklion.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="320" data-original-width="240" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiDFOYOVNAdLckurCiqAdyURe2zYpJgGn8j-ImEzzjqzotcXVErmVYTDMDNszdZuR04kJfFfoxpVpFax2IzKe-KP4gHfFkvhqFPsRZzFUV7p21a0Ais85pgrED7ZtpSGNmD8elDtnfTFmX4Cxbv9O-9aPbe1yhY_u0vPCAtAPb0_Y5WBshXZ9ImmKfDA/s1600/Hereklion.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiW4T7iG8ZNfcf-Bqj-CEJKd4XsggaG_91px576AcFntJmf_rWZwl55ixa2GteoFVI8JcoaQHYczZuSNjcGLzMp94KCNESDelgWWRoB0BH4mBEYC6NCwn8VbphIMmiB29y-4mVWYXoZtgqRP9yBLATdNl4enf-Qq4xaS4g-oIaiSYV18gH4cUZXnxmjiw/s1280/Kissamos%20concert.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="1280" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiW4T7iG8ZNfcf-Bqj-CEJKd4XsggaG_91px576AcFntJmf_rWZwl55ixa2GteoFVI8JcoaQHYczZuSNjcGLzMp94KCNESDelgWWRoB0BH4mBEYC6NCwn8VbphIMmiB29y-4mVWYXoZtgqRP9yBLATdNl4enf-Qq4xaS4g-oIaiSYV18gH4cUZXnxmjiw/s320/Kissamos%20concert.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxQ1yUSKe02Afrk9bBuAC2VI9C8pHYPA2CLwcg04JL4biaI9HuMWHAbYQRRRGM8_A2L-D8KdbXODKMU_uI4F9DhkTVUEjfTZfjBCo_Zh8QaEZptaiiDcpLKXe42lOIYtJYvP9phzM4lm7NehrqvFwx2s82Moq1yGcnIk-aZ3HVWWXCOABJX-OTzhIFLA/s320/NATO%20NAMFI.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="320" data-original-width="240" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxQ1yUSKe02Afrk9bBuAC2VI9C8pHYPA2CLwcg04JL4biaI9HuMWHAbYQRRRGM8_A2L-D8KdbXODKMU_uI4F9DhkTVUEjfTZfjBCo_Zh8QaEZptaiiDcpLKXe42lOIYtJYvP9phzM4lm7NehrqvFwx2s82Moq1yGcnIk-aZ3HVWWXCOABJX-OTzhIFLA/s1600/NATO%20NAMFI.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdynB1tET5Q7gB1p1oc6ByV7mxwX4qSh0F05V_CdF3dXRI2O9fjjsYNJfPvj9a4LTC7B_hN7LneF-S7Z59EsDx5eA_toXxOobiy1ENpc_Q_SyP8JJCojLYUF3U7z51FlUhWOF0FbpTEL1Q_ko5ZiWVgjcR50Qn4HYMWoYoI2FlaNu9ympzHn5L4dI48g/s320/Rethymon%20Arkadi%20Monestary.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="320" data-original-width="240" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdynB1tET5Q7gB1p1oc6ByV7mxwX4qSh0F05V_CdF3dXRI2O9fjjsYNJfPvj9a4LTC7B_hN7LneF-S7Z59EsDx5eA_toXxOobiy1ENpc_Q_SyP8JJCojLYUF3U7z51FlUhWOF0FbpTEL1Q_ko5ZiWVgjcR50Qn4HYMWoYoI2FlaNu9ympzHn5L4dI48g/s1600/Rethymon%20Arkadi%20Monestary.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Grace Viviano</div>Grace Vivianohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04448805167648995806noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8959849292667078696.post-85601092728373248652022-06-13T08:11:00.000-07:002022-06-13T08:11:44.716-07:00Rose, Bud, and Thorn<p>After being here for just over one full week, the entire group has made it a nightly tradition to explain our rose, bud, and thorn at the dinner table. A rose is supposed to be the highlight of your day, the thing that makes you smile when you look back on your day. A bud symbolizes what you are looking forward to in the future, and the thorn is something that might have been challenging or difficult to overcome. As a whole, this experience has already been filled with many roses, lots of buds, and some thorns. </p><p>Some roses of week one include visiting the Maynousakis Winery, walking around the beautiful city of Chania, and having a hands-on learning experience at the Institute of Cretan Studies. A thorn that I have personally had to overcome is testing positive for COVID-19 and struggling with isolation during the last four days. But because of that, I do have many buds. I am looking forward to being able to take part in group activities again, go hiking through the Samaria Gorge, and study on the island of Samos next week. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGabFsYKm0hJmg7UeMI6y0752vP3iT9-3ZwTiqe7VG0FvJQTIoajvy3wPuF2obATxE550FgNAm8qgc_3eialCpr6F9nv61q1ht-MKkSUD-rL6o7bUO3xZLFHOoz870ULc5WTKv6zqTN0PkuB-m61m9mcJxsKmc8bfWelqaI6L_53GNMGSgshxr4jI4/s4032/F2876613-FE1A-4853-9F18-0EE57C5F73C2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGabFsYKm0hJmg7UeMI6y0752vP3iT9-3ZwTiqe7VG0FvJQTIoajvy3wPuF2obATxE550FgNAm8qgc_3eialCpr6F9nv61q1ht-MKkSUD-rL6o7bUO3xZLFHOoz870ULc5WTKv6zqTN0PkuB-m61m9mcJxsKmc8bfWelqaI6L_53GNMGSgshxr4jI4/s320/F2876613-FE1A-4853-9F18-0EE57C5F73C2.JPG" width="240" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; 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text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8ZjlFFAV9HSmYZsuH3pOEo6RzzsRduKtloWxBAG4u0oRGLfjr5SvEMj1bsXy0IRUZ-kv9Hes5LIknJ4nV7_v9agdFQNPbC8zwNgj_NhsCyvD79N2vVFk2IH9t8ADFv-8C1oW--DNFz38NLf868avscekWb040WG43ZDeszI3Mvp5-d55pOIGxQwAO/s1792/0A6F8068-CFD5-49C1-B94D-1F31EE284FCF.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="1792" height="171" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8ZjlFFAV9HSmYZsuH3pOEo6RzzsRduKtloWxBAG4u0oRGLfjr5SvEMj1bsXy0IRUZ-kv9Hes5LIknJ4nV7_v9agdFQNPbC8zwNgj_NhsCyvD79N2vVFk2IH9t8ADFv-8C1oW--DNFz38NLf868avscekWb040WG43ZDeszI3Mvp5-d55pOIGxQwAO/s320/0A6F8068-CFD5-49C1-B94D-1F31EE284FCF.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXGWXCT57LaxzKA9M6ZvAl4aL1vn952A_vFUDniSPlHVcjFPQSr5SiC6Xg71wvm5E7VhzlFXqrHg_ezLes-P-KG0PdDTt2FpcffHxgKUwUyje_3oYXokmtfHX3IcyM2kMwLmcVNDbHZMfWziX1w7-jefmb7lwDF6edz8fZtELcWviJpWBQfWtlPF4o/s3024/440A5E52-D7AC-4F0D-A2F5-D4EB1854AE36.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3015" data-original-width="3024" height="319" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXGWXCT57LaxzKA9M6ZvAl4aL1vn952A_vFUDniSPlHVcjFPQSr5SiC6Xg71wvm5E7VhzlFXqrHg_ezLes-P-KG0PdDTt2FpcffHxgKUwUyje_3oYXokmtfHX3IcyM2kMwLmcVNDbHZMfWziX1w7-jefmb7lwDF6edz8fZtELcWviJpWBQfWtlPF4o/s320/440A5E52-D7AC-4F0D-A2F5-D4EB1854AE36.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisMmFTFJWdCgaAisBB1uKo3Qi3sBx_i2UMmVyfLmex_L8nc6Ja_2qiXa6WuvEjstjrrmM9fOGO7Tkpl_IbKL8rOkGiLmxZ8FbDoFC0t3O_7esSz4fdiIJw6e5rNy_ZrszpWDGmjsvTFO7tq4iDHVeLbtQeXfSgwbWnQiNY1nYsgHXS6HIn2y0xQD6o/s3024/066787C1-C998-4F08-BD95-6AA3E41D6B6B.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3015" data-original-width="3024" height="319" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisMmFTFJWdCgaAisBB1uKo3Qi3sBx_i2UMmVyfLmex_L8nc6Ja_2qiXa6WuvEjstjrrmM9fOGO7Tkpl_IbKL8rOkGiLmxZ8FbDoFC0t3O_7esSz4fdiIJw6e5rNy_ZrszpWDGmjsvTFO7tq4iDHVeLbtQeXfSgwbWnQiNY1nYsgHXS6HIn2y0xQD6o/s320/066787C1-C998-4F08-BD95-6AA3E41D6B6B.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><p><br /></p>Makayla Kalmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11484312003951678851noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8959849292667078696.post-80318746204016247382022-06-13T05:24:00.000-07:002022-06-13T05:24:45.950-07:00Post-Week 1 Wrap Up<p>We are officially one week into this beautiful and once in a lifetime experience. There have been some ups and downs, including initial airport troubles as well as unfortunate and inevitable covid interruptions, but I can reassure you that the ups have severely outweighed the downs and that this group is of people are perseverant, flexible, fun, and overall, quite special. It is amazing how quick everyone gets to know each other here and how connected some people become in such a short period of time, especially considering the fact that some people have to step outside of their comfort zone and many people do not know each other before entering this trip. </p><p><br /></p><p>With that said, I would like to highlight some of these special moments that this group has experienced together throughout this first week. </p><p><br /></p><p>One of our first excursions was to the Souda Bay War Cemetery, where 1,500 Commonwealth servicemen are commemorated from WWI and WWII. I would without a doubt say that this was the most beautiful and well-kept cemetery I have ever seen with my own eyes. The land lays right next to the water with bushes of colorful flowers surrounding the grave site, clean-cut grass, and beautiful gravestones. It truly puts a few things into perspective and allows you to take a step back from reality and feel for these families and cities, where many unknowingly lost their loved ones. </p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjr9JCD84db8ASrbmVvxNYPRA-VArZoXK8bFqTH87T4t6O2D2BGqeNPy2oK3qFwTkiRP8VUBpGHPPJFgINP-1mDJrMvuYlFVu5zZeRoLO3_Y7tuT8mIqy3x90pnaFpknitFv6gmLXawzRn0_dNN4Me6YmMo4-VPLVS5lDYeS0P7Fn9ZNZxn38zjcEhDiQ/s640/IMG_4644.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="480" data-original-width="640" height="253" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjr9JCD84db8ASrbmVvxNYPRA-VArZoXK8bFqTH87T4t6O2D2BGqeNPy2oK3qFwTkiRP8VUBpGHPPJFgINP-1mDJrMvuYlFVu5zZeRoLO3_Y7tuT8mIqy3x90pnaFpknitFv6gmLXawzRn0_dNN4Me6YmMo4-VPLVS5lDYeS0P7Fn9ZNZxn38zjcEhDiQ/w320-h253/IMG_4644.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><p></p><p>Another memorable event was not only observing the historic landmarks in Chania such as the lighthouse with Venetian, Egyptian and Ottoman influences, the Maritime Museum of Crete, and the Venetian Harbor and its importance as access to the water/sea, but it was insanely cool and interesting to take our classes as a small group one day inside the museum and in a nearby coffee shop in town. It was a nice little change of scenery, and our lessons revolved around the history behind the town and the importance in its access to the sea. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrulTtoJHpcQqk5v7mTwxPb9gvKD_PN68GbC7QpcP_KjbvrozfJ_5SKZD6DKByy1Gsq74lJaNN7WqGkZm19s08lNb7mi96zutnbeZPR5VklTzvPsW1VQxH2sSUQ7AKAbKc-Mvq9QYPoUQFQeVVnOnHI_stU8liyf-dNH_B6yS-CoW7qsdz9CnAb4S3Iw/s640/IMG_4668.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="480" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrulTtoJHpcQqk5v7mTwxPb9gvKD_PN68GbC7QpcP_KjbvrozfJ_5SKZD6DKByy1Gsq74lJaNN7WqGkZm19s08lNb7mi96zutnbeZPR5VklTzvPsW1VQxH2sSUQ7AKAbKc-Mvq9QYPoUQFQeVVnOnHI_stU8liyf-dNH_B6yS-CoW7qsdz9CnAb4S3Iw/w323-h320/IMG_4668.jpg" width="323" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDTDfkxEwj5USv7Bp9TkscFjVP4jdtJlzPeSkxSwxBt07bXKjF8dxO5zh43W2bXh01A-qlKFKWPBaYPYzFgFsXdSEOeSXv-m_Tzgj15lfDXWlCpUbd2Uyss7YgI_yrx80WNOO2vLRfm3gcvU3c4OT1vr9mmQfISA0qT4eNHnzUywYPqqrVdPq2DbQxYg/s640/IMG_4772.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="480" data-original-width="640" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDTDfkxEwj5USv7Bp9TkscFjVP4jdtJlzPeSkxSwxBt07bXKjF8dxO5zh43W2bXh01A-qlKFKWPBaYPYzFgFsXdSEOeSXv-m_Tzgj15lfDXWlCpUbd2Uyss7YgI_yrx80WNOO2vLRfm3gcvU3c4OT1vr9mmQfISA0qT4eNHnzUywYPqqrVdPq2DbQxYg/s320/IMG_4772.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><p>One of my favorite memories from this past week has got to be our venture to the local winery, the Manousakis Winery. Everyone got to dress up nice, bond over tasty food and drinks, and learn a little bit about the history of the winery and the key role in finding ideal land for such a business. The lights strung through the trees hanging over the walkway, the gorgeous stone building where we ate, the Manousakis house, and the stone overhead for dining made for a wonderful setting. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqEC-SVtt--UDe6a5LWYczdh-7TgkcqWDBKcwywR4uO5X3yF7C7Y1iAb9n6RTmMZGVpy2kABlZehcxqJ_4sgbrR-AHLaXqWhnir8jILR-HS63ywikO8ksCoj9J53LzfuNys7vE82VQIJ-CfN5lnlgZKq-tsYGs6pd7Jt4qrtewSnTeNJUUFHhDa1HPlw/s640/IMG_0309.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="478" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqEC-SVtt--UDe6a5LWYczdh-7TgkcqWDBKcwywR4uO5X3yF7C7Y1iAb9n6RTmMZGVpy2kABlZehcxqJ_4sgbrR-AHLaXqWhnir8jILR-HS63ywikO8ksCoj9J53LzfuNys7vE82VQIJ-CfN5lnlgZKq-tsYGs6pd7Jt4qrtewSnTeNJUUFHhDa1HPlw/w253-h320/IMG_0309.JPG" width="253" /></a></div><p>We still have so much to do, so much to learn, and so much to look forward to. The memories are just beginning to take shape, and the best is still yet to come. I am so excited for the next few weeks in learning new things, getting closer with my classmates, going on different ventures or excursions, and experiencing the deep culture here in Crete. </p>Abe Gollsneiderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12917276883792831214noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8959849292667078696.post-21610363159104485432022-06-12T10:15:00.000-07:002022-06-12T10:15:23.083-07:00Crete Week I<p></p><div style="text-align: center;"> <span style="font-family: georgia;">As the First week is coming to a close, I want to highlight some of the best parts of the week, and some of the things I learned this week while exploring the island.</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCDXvrKBiav7C3hraxleQaXsz1sgoXZ4-D6W4SXqX-kZ0ejYwcCM_DZ0XMJjmOzmPdyrML-DII8ktxDZLxt_ZwaTbYF4VhnsMEwkG5H4mWb-fG7Jz5Qnu2qz3GXcaOzF4ycf4rX69_PcjQFzhWcAweYh27xIce_IwNqAI1FQWmr9A-9XLyxJAyaVPzaw/s2049/IMG_0213.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2049" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCDXvrKBiav7C3hraxleQaXsz1sgoXZ4-D6W4SXqX-kZ0ejYwcCM_DZ0XMJjmOzmPdyrML-DII8ktxDZLxt_ZwaTbYF4VhnsMEwkG5H4mWb-fG7Jz5Qnu2qz3GXcaOzF4ycf4rX69_PcjQFzhWcAweYh27xIce_IwNqAI1FQWmr9A-9XLyxJAyaVPzaw/s320/IMG_0213.JPG" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">left to right (Emma, Professor Vamvakas, Stevie, Zoe)</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">This picture was taken at Professor Vamvakas's favorite beach in Crete. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhil1-B2r5fiFv6YVfJEdXrrJ89Wb5s2eRbI_4O7WV94q42UL7tgnufvx73hAiwU88TaEz-js_8rt9oZjMYayn_ARUOiYH4hzLOstlzbSmtKi6Ql1IYLUABtzyLtL4eWcAfD4VAskNLbHuLKGs62DwrzhslDwS3csCCkNyzilL6M9OvZ_Whqo8rSI4Phw/s1829/IMG_0158.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1829" data-original-width="1372" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhil1-B2r5fiFv6YVfJEdXrrJ89Wb5s2eRbI_4O7WV94q42UL7tgnufvx73hAiwU88TaEz-js_8rt9oZjMYayn_ARUOiYH4hzLOstlzbSmtKi6Ql1IYLUABtzyLtL4eWcAfD4VAskNLbHuLKGs62DwrzhslDwS3csCCkNyzilL6M9OvZ_Whqo8rSI4Phw/w240-h320/IMG_0158.JPG" width="240" /></a></div></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">One of our favorite things to do after the beach is taking walks around the village. We will normally pick oranges, apricots, avocados and blackberries along the way, and watch the sunset. </div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMcxwF4VFZ3rCLMHQa8kw6ZyhPYngWoPzor6h5snrlyF57cluFFtS46BaVuWgkEZGpI4ghK0C6zBlAagiKXQ5BScfxDmy6SUKQBAK87DwseoWR52S63tvT_0BP2_PFoDMLjV9PGnH6qE87POy5LYsAm9924IkFQwPjzTKU22VGIyQ6txdSRmBQXcqlrQ/s3695/IMG_0688.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3191" data-original-width="3695" height="276" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMcxwF4VFZ3rCLMHQa8kw6ZyhPYngWoPzor6h5snrlyF57cluFFtS46BaVuWgkEZGpI4ghK0C6zBlAagiKXQ5BScfxDmy6SUKQBAK87DwseoWR52S63tvT_0BP2_PFoDMLjV9PGnH6qE87POy5LYsAm9924IkFQwPjzTKU22VGIyQ6txdSRmBQXcqlrQ/s320/IMG_0688.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div><span style="font-family: georgia;"><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">This picture was taken at the Eleftherios Venizelos Tombs in Chania. Eleftherios Venizelos was a very influential Greek politician in the early 1900s, and this monument was created to commemorate his accomplishments, and also offers amazing views of Chania. The airport in Athens was also named after Eleftherios Venizelos, and is the largest international airport in Greece.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGE8_1xGCnpT0c2Ci3uhQ_MQwOTvCVvUG7p-5i5nXkrKof6_RRAmkesmiEY-9WosB_el_S7SEFQgqw8bWAUaCVOERG9c7yNB1DLo7zz-Sd_w5tgtMXwEVp-t17qyHLgNUZ3ANenmSmaCGVeG0-KQ4yLRCTQRGafR0KjynoopVuQ4j4BS9nRiy3gIcjUw/s3841/IMG_0676.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3841" data-original-width="2881" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGE8_1xGCnpT0c2Ci3uhQ_MQwOTvCVvUG7p-5i5nXkrKof6_RRAmkesmiEY-9WosB_el_S7SEFQgqw8bWAUaCVOERG9c7yNB1DLo7zz-Sd_w5tgtMXwEVp-t17qyHLgNUZ3ANenmSmaCGVeG0-KQ4yLRCTQRGafR0KjynoopVuQ4j4BS9nRiy3gIcjUw/s320/IMG_0676.jpeg" width="240" /></a></div><span style="font-family: georgia;"><p style="text-align: center;">This is a picture of a Greek Orthodox Church in Alikianos, Crete. We attended a memorial service to pay respects to over 40 Cretan men killed by German paratroopers during WWII. </p></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbYgrw8uOIxk4xERcrE9et9jDTdWtmK1b8QVR3ZbbvMlHOm5NlahHz1Uvi01UVfPRBRWSguPjvdPFPWdiKEMtuY4lGvyJISIUXnVKE8N_8dFOKAYVf3R4yQAwnIQcRoeBnsjIw_yEcXy1clQRPYW-Ylg5Hrum1_I7E6WZFuH5cUAAxALEbyDukRJ__Sw/s4032/IMG_0704.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbYgrw8uOIxk4xERcrE9et9jDTdWtmK1b8QVR3ZbbvMlHOm5NlahHz1Uvi01UVfPRBRWSguPjvdPFPWdiKEMtuY4lGvyJISIUXnVKE8N_8dFOKAYVf3R4yQAwnIQcRoeBnsjIw_yEcXy1clQRPYW-Ylg5Hrum1_I7E6WZFuH5cUAAxALEbyDukRJ__Sw/s320/IMG_0704.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div><span style="font-family: georgia;"><p><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></p><div style="text-align: center;">This picture was taken in Chania, Crete. On the right you can see the lighthouse of Chania, which is a Venetian lighthouse built in the late 16th century to protect the harbor. The tower fell but was eventually rebuilt in the 1800s resembling a minaret during a time when Crete was ruled by Egyptians. </div></span><p></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgT8-qmqutA8oNTYhMd9GKJS0ZJRq3wDSLlTby30maMquamegEbjnH0MM0Su-XLHAfh4hpUAsb2K7vWtVgTsr9srWOKfucPcdGuerc_GIQ_EfjBuFbUx0ENu3wtH5dmnwRG_WXT7T10Rf_zO__LZ6e8UH1APogGl3JnS2halWkQ6CYKUn7MS3BTCieDag/s3617/IMG_0694.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2897" data-original-width="3617" height="256" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgT8-qmqutA8oNTYhMd9GKJS0ZJRq3wDSLlTby30maMquamegEbjnH0MM0Su-XLHAfh4hpUAsb2K7vWtVgTsr9srWOKfucPcdGuerc_GIQ_EfjBuFbUx0ENu3wtH5dmnwRG_WXT7T10Rf_zO__LZ6e8UH1APogGl3JnS2halWkQ6CYKUn7MS3BTCieDag/s320/IMG_0694.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div><span style="font-family: georgia;"><div><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;">This picture was taken at the Allied War Cemetery, Souda Bay, Crete. Many of the tombs were of unknown soldiers from both WWI and WWII. Souda Bay is a US Naval Base that operates under the US Naval Support activity. The cemetery is very well kept and reminiscent of the Arlington National Cemetery in Washington DC.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">In the next few weeks I am looking forward to hiking through the Samaria Gorge, and traveling to Samos to work with the Archipelago Institute!</div></span><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></div>Zoe Karpouzishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15845786644525489903noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8959849292667078696.post-35457729316501257422022-06-11T08:21:00.004-07:002022-06-11T08:21:39.685-07:00The first Week!<p> <span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>The first week of this study abroad program has just ended, and the experience that I have had here until now has been beyond my expectations. It is fantastic to see the community's interaction here compared to the United States. Every single interaction I have had with the locals has ended up with them showing the best the place has to offer, and everywhere I went, they did their best to make me feel comfortable in their country. </p><p>Greece is a culturally rich country, and where we are in Crete, there is a strong focus on community. Although I think this interaction is lovely, and the idea of community over individual sounds so heartwarming, I feel sometimes it can be overwhelming for the people who live here, as there is a big emphasis on duty as well. When going to the village, market, or even the beach, I have had several fantastic interactions with the people in the region.</p><p><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>It is impossible to select only one favorite moment of this program. However, before this trip, I didn't know most of the people that came, and what I thought would be something terrible bad turned out amazing. Having this new experience together has bonded us, and it feels like I have known them for a long time. I am looking forward to spending the following weeks with them.</p><p><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>All I can say about this program is that if you ever have the opportunity to do something like this, I highly recommend you do it. The connections, friendships, and lessons are worth it, and you will definitely come out with a new sense of community that you have never seen before. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6imUvwoXJfOo5vLwHguCyFhnSB7DHIaVCcgZB0rNdAzCsagqrbNNNcs9SRlCMRCm-1oFE7JzsM9PIjuuSsqgXNkUcS0Cam0YeLY8ldachRA7TXeRyhVHQhu2UQRIZQJDN9GWCE5b8RkSpyiGKOCkzFqyiQ8yMsJ3snAa2-BjWpF3ZfK3_-xxbUxqUoQ/s2049/IMG_0514.HEIC" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2049" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6imUvwoXJfOo5vLwHguCyFhnSB7DHIaVCcgZB0rNdAzCsagqrbNNNcs9SRlCMRCm-1oFE7JzsM9PIjuuSsqgXNkUcS0Cam0YeLY8ldachRA7TXeRyhVHQhu2UQRIZQJDN9GWCE5b8RkSpyiGKOCkzFqyiQ8yMsJ3snAa2-BjWpF3ZfK3_-xxbUxqUoQ/s320/IMG_0514.HEIC" width="240" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6xR45zplxVw4RqSG0CC09F9LeQ4iOjz5K8f-Me8LJLt7nW7HRgzeFmra5Pmjd24HEGma2auSIPordWQzQ2USrYHBeYaduNPWyqJ_KY6qFXEyzTotVf1ABmdw7ADnNiaGUjMCoqXQ6xW6YxsO2ubEyU2dZYwTyUwpU6WV8JU6IsHSZEUsrkRoCeCsfbw/s2049/IMG_0552.HEIC" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2049" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6xR45zplxVw4RqSG0CC09F9LeQ4iOjz5K8f-Me8LJLt7nW7HRgzeFmra5Pmjd24HEGma2auSIPordWQzQ2USrYHBeYaduNPWyqJ_KY6qFXEyzTotVf1ABmdw7ADnNiaGUjMCoqXQ6xW6YxsO2ubEyU2dZYwTyUwpU6WV8JU6IsHSZEUsrkRoCeCsfbw/s320/IMG_0552.HEIC" width="240" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJBWSL37n6h73-QnBI4Tp4GzpFgVNq0bQCjI805LOApPLL5rM0HkQWgXvLdP14kB-z_4iHhozhw0KIEluM1U5HN9NhNprDmmbiESlaoGdkRdc0P_-968JFND4CIzwrSZlcWG_FsuHkvAeH3TAXEFhsH4byuLED4kBFUnogP24hrbryr-qzQ9naOrFnQw/s4032/IMG_2391.HEIC" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJBWSL37n6h73-QnBI4Tp4GzpFgVNq0bQCjI805LOApPLL5rM0HkQWgXvLdP14kB-z_4iHhozhw0KIEluM1U5HN9NhNprDmmbiESlaoGdkRdc0P_-968JFND4CIzwrSZlcWG_FsuHkvAeH3TAXEFhsH4byuLED4kBFUnogP24hrbryr-qzQ9naOrFnQw/s320/IMG_2391.HEIC" width="240" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7fHPtjiKdgYlsA_xyUJJmNdD59LPuvVfGXdql8kSwzs-ADEN5MM6u2DTUkbC4tTsif6q_EJM0XKCyWZJuRi6qjvzuiKGhI_msJAnX5T1kw8hJVbfGpXeHFPbxiOLtQltoaBwmTrPCY0PNZ5GGWwILYl1cp5YSgwPPPy6G_TglZJT1u70jSN6vYjV-rw/s4032/IMG_2470.HEIC" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7fHPtjiKdgYlsA_xyUJJmNdD59LPuvVfGXdql8kSwzs-ADEN5MM6u2DTUkbC4tTsif6q_EJM0XKCyWZJuRi6qjvzuiKGhI_msJAnX5T1kw8hJVbfGpXeHFPbxiOLtQltoaBwmTrPCY0PNZ5GGWwILYl1cp5YSgwPPPy6G_TglZJT1u70jSN6vYjV-rw/s320/IMG_2470.HEIC" width="240" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div></div><p></p>Peter Avilahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11145129269679433532noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8959849292667078696.post-586557492982645412022-06-05T07:11:00.001-07:002022-06-05T07:11:36.521-07:00We are Back 10 years after the original trip and two years after Covid-19<p> What started as an idea a decade ago continues ten years later. Late in the summer of 2011, as the sorties were flying from Souda Crete to Libya and as Greece was in economic crisis, the idea of moving the classroom to the Eastern Mediterranean was born. In 2022 and as the covid pandemic is receding the challenges in the region have shifted, but the issues of <b>geopolitics of energy and democracy</b> and <b>statecraft and diplomacy </b>in the Eastern Mediterranean are as relevant as ever.....This year we will continue to use this blog page as a means to communicate the experience of the next four weeks to the wider audience, as we study, experience and travel through region.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUY2beXIxq03eUjEa6Cw0iuMpgxLI1ctXpxb11tzUXoWkKVxBgWrXFP5-sXMjN-bvg4GVQM_Cx6p3YDa4VxbWg0aIbGPfI28AIh_XqlZ41AaRN2juFtP0iTYbZzQKk4xcd8ArBxF-HfTXbhy4UUzdFBVLNWPnjq_-Vt1uHeCCPITB-DUfeRv6yctSXTw/s4032/IMG_1188.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUY2beXIxq03eUjEa6Cw0iuMpgxLI1ctXpxb11tzUXoWkKVxBgWrXFP5-sXMjN-bvg4GVQM_Cx6p3YDa4VxbWg0aIbGPfI28AIh_XqlZ41AaRN2juFtP0iTYbZzQKk4xcd8ArBxF-HfTXbhy4UUzdFBVLNWPnjq_-Vt1uHeCCPITB-DUfeRv6yctSXTw/s320/IMG_1188.JPG" width="240" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; 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margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfSG-RhwCp9OS3X_zInGOSdUgtY6jFhkfnGqoqHq4YZ4lnGxomXuuVVSbpgl2d2RrJd1MkqFtQqoVXBJ8Pqu_Zecx197j9kNY5WrdzlG_zH1moK6glwAtDIL7cT5fpbaTyt7R08j1tYlyY81Z1XWZAsJJft03WS5rDDR0rJE_RjofHqKwfMNDSDuyCbQ/s320/IMG_1198.HEIC" width="240" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibFmglWtaLjmjeH-ED7gZkKsBEGAqWF4HaR8cyGoqucIfYHDhKA_toWklKaNtE6Bgh2qljWnzF2zSIsvKGVL4WEGvywKaqdTk__KQP47n61w3FmV6cf4IY0S3HcTPMfWV83-s1iJlNyxLSZKzxde3I0oMvT3s1bDCj7gwPaQnpL5fWWPfp1Eb4gEjhzg/s4032/IMG_1200.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibFmglWtaLjmjeH-ED7gZkKsBEGAqWF4HaR8cyGoqucIfYHDhKA_toWklKaNtE6Bgh2qljWnzF2zSIsvKGVL4WEGvywKaqdTk__KQP47n61w3FmV6cf4IY0S3HcTPMfWV83-s1iJlNyxLSZKzxde3I0oMvT3s1bDCj7gwPaQnpL5fWWPfp1Eb4gEjhzg/s320/IMG_1200.JPG" width="240" /></a></div><br /><p><br /></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8959849292667078696.post-5786881823161446392019-06-30T03:59:00.003-07:002019-06-30T03:59:56.729-07:00One Last Time <div class="separator" style="clear: both; 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Coming into this program I was nervous that I didn't know anyone. Leaving this program I am feeling like I have known you all for a lifetime. We spent every day together for the past 30 days, and I don't think I would trade those days for anything. I didn't just make 9 new friends, but 5 sisters and 4 brothers. We formed friendships that I hope last a life time. We also all grew as people, and we grew together. From all trying to pay separately to paying together. We ate together, we danced together, we learned together and we lived together. We also had our share of head butting, but what is a family without some head butting? I hope that we all go on to learn from our experiences and enjoy the journey like we did here, and not just rush to the destination. If I had to sum up our trip in two words it would go something like his: *Borat voice* Great Success! </div>
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Love you guys! </div>
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- Kostas </div>
<br />Kostas Loukoshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14841874525406001623noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8959849292667078696.post-19748192054079349992019-06-29T22:56:00.001-07:002019-06-29T23:00:11.026-07:00Thank You for Everything You Gave MeI took the worst shower of my life on the morning of May 30th right after waking up in my uncomfortable bed that I don't fit in length wise. At this point, I was still frustrated that I was placed in my room with someone who I knew nothing about and couldn't imagine getting along with. On May 30th I was worried that I would have a hard time adjusting to our lifestyle here and I didn't understand how people could put up with the difficulties that we faced at first.<br />
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Everything became gradually easier as time passed, thankfully I was able to be in a great group of people who made every day as enjoyable as possible. The shower problem turned out to be for the better, at home I've been known to take incredibly long showers but while here I was able to cut that waste of time and water out while spending more time with others. The size of my bed barely mattered because I never spend any free time in my room and instead used that time to socialize or do work. I've never been much of a morning person up to this point but lately I've felt great getting up early and getting the most out of my day as I can. Some of the greatest moments of my trip came from waking up early like the Pantheon in Rome, the fish markets in Sicily, and the breakfast operations in Cyprus. </div>
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Our internet hasn't been great and my phone broke 10 days ago but in all honestly its been a blessing in disguise. I can't remember the last time that I was able to avoid electronics to this extent, its been liberating to not carry around my phone and continually check for mundane updates every 5 mins. I thought I would struggle to adapt to my surrounding here in Crete and on our travels but I was wrong, some legs of our journey might have been difficult but there isn't a thing I would change given the opportunity. </div>
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Above all else I'm thankful for the experiences shared with me with all of the great people I met along the way. I'm looking forward to catching up with everyone at home as soon as possible because I can't imagine going to long without talking to all of you. In the end, none of our challenges during our travels mattered, what mattered most to me was the companionship that we found along the way. I hope everyone was able to enjoy their time as much as I did and I can not thank you all enough for an incredible month together. We did It and we did it together with smiles and never ending laughter, for that I am ever grateful.</div>
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Thank you, </div>
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Nate </div>
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Nate The Greathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12784366647949535229noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8959849292667078696.post-90437158373343627782019-06-29T09:19:00.002-07:002019-06-29T09:19:32.045-07:00Back to Boston As our trip nears the end I am reflecting on these past four weeks. When I first arrived here I did not know anyone and was I unsure about how this program would turn out; now I feel like I am part of a new family with whom I have made countless, unforgettable memories. As worried as I was about taking political science courses, everyone was kind to help me and welcome me as a part of this group. I cannot imagine this trip without any one of you; you have all impacted my life and I am grateful to have met all of you. I will cherish the memories from this trip forever and I am so thankful for everyone's kindness and hospitality. I look forward to seeing you all in the fall and I hope you all get back home safely. ❤️Thespinahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00250490415418798175noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8959849292667078696.post-80471626937594446552019-06-29T08:20:00.002-07:002019-06-29T08:20:22.650-07:00Closing Time<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: Times;">As everyone is packing and people begin their journey back home I can’t help but reflect on the last 4 weeks. Thinking about all the places we’ve traveled to, friendships formed and memories we’ll all have forever. I have both learned a lot about the Mediterranean regarding politics, geography and history but also many life lessons from the experience of being here. I had no idea what was in store for this month-long program when I first boarded my plane in Boston, not expecting this personal, intense, exciting and overall family that I made while being here. Going back home and leaving everyone is something that I am not ready for, but I am thankful that I will be able to take the lessons I learned here and use them again at home. Thank you Professor Vamvakas for taking us to your home and treating us like family and for teaching us lessons I wouldn’t be able to learn anywhere and through anyone else. Thank you to the beautiful women who prepared all of our meals with love and Mr. Kapsomenos for hosting us at this beautiful institute. To my friends that were strangers to me before we arrived in Crete, words to not justify how much you all mean to me, but I think you all know how much you’ve changed my life. Everyone who I’ve met has made me grow and become a better person and I can’t thank you all enough. Safe travels home everyone :’) I love you more than you know.</span><span style="font-family: Times;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
Maddie Carlsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16437109521338212407noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8959849292667078696.post-4761838616006464912019-06-27T13:32:00.001-07:002019-06-27T13:32:36.955-07:00American Victory<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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What this picture represents is what I call an American victory.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></div>
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Through analysis of American interventionism and what we have learned in our classes, it is obvious that America destroys as much as it creates, if not more so. As a country, we create long lasting, deep-rooted problems in regions such as the Middle East and Latin America. Then we ignore it until we can’t anymore, create a superficial victory, and celebrate it like we have changed the world for the better. During the gorge hike, I knocked over probably close to a dozen of these zen rock towers on accident. The work of many destroyed in a blink of an eye. Did I record the destruction? No, but I took a picture of the small one I made in the place of a dozen larger.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></div>
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“Look guys, we did it.”<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></div>
<br />Jack Griffinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08280382524767791926noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8959849292667078696.post-83021777001122917732019-06-27T12:33:00.000-07:002019-06-27T12:33:13.831-07:00Cavafy
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">T</span><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">hroughout the program we have had several lectures on Cavafy and I think they fit the theme of the trip very well. I liked comparing
the different poems from <i>Ithaka</i>, what I thought was more of an optimistic
poem, to more pessimistic poems like <i>In Sparta </i>and <i>The Naval Battle</i>.
I think Cavafy's poems really helped us with our understanding of the Mediterranean’s
history because it is important to not only know the events of the past, but to
also feel the emotions of those who lived through these events. I thought our
lecture in Cyprus was very impactful; reading the poems and then watching them being
performed gave each poem an even more intense meaning. The poems helped me improve my understanding on Cavafy's pessimism and the depression that arises from acts of
war and killing. I am glad I was introduced to Cavafy and I look forward to
reading and interpreting more of his works. </span></div>
<b></b><i></i><u></u><sub></sub><sup></sup><strike></strike><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;"></span>Thespinahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00250490415418798175noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8959849292667078696.post-71992329463920269802019-06-27T11:42:00.000-07:002019-06-27T11:42:10.331-07:00Night tour of NicosiaOn our last night in Nicosia, we were given a very insightful tour of the city. While walking along the Greek and Turkish Cypriot border, the sight of the barbed wire, the bullets on the liberty statue, the military guards, the provocative signs, and the different flags waving in the air was surreal and at the same time unsettling. Our tour guide was an anthropologist and his perspective on the Cypriot issue, as well as all other internal social and cultural difficulties eroding the democratic status quo of the state, was truly unique, something that we could never experience and gain meaningful knowledge on in a classroom setting and on textbooks. It is still hard for me to even imagine what living in an occupied territory would involve on a daily basis, but I am more than thankful for this unforgettable experience through which I was able to expand my knowledge and interest in the political and social peculiarity of Cyprus.Giuliahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07587699671153708619noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8959849292667078696.post-76229540426806433022019-06-27T11:37:00.001-07:002019-06-27T11:37:21.574-07:00Split in Time<span style="background-color: white; color: #454545; font-family: ".SFUIText"; font-size: 25.3333px;">When living in the US, it’s easy to forget about how popular some of the tv shows, news outlets, and other forms of media can be. Live streams premier on sites like YouTube and Twitch throughout the day in the US, but many of the times these shows or videos are broadcaster are during times when Europeans sleep. For those that speak English and enjoy American shows, playing catch up is the only option. For us, we would’ve had to stay up to watch a several hour long debate at 4:00 in the morning. It’s a very strange experience to come to that realization. There’s almost an element of disenfranchisement with connecting to your culture back home if you’re an American. This isn’t really something I’ve thought about before, but now that I’m aware of it I’m sure I’ll consider it more frequently. </span>Michael Giordanohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13574825923318891101noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8959849292667078696.post-35951167502317019162019-06-27T10:12:00.004-07:002019-06-27T10:12:44.046-07:00Nationalism and Borders <span id="docs-internal-guid-b3724e7e-7fff-0d1a-8574-55faa700ff34"></span><br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; white-space: pre;">Being born in post-2001 world, I have only known one world, which is the world full of borders. During this whole entire trip, I have heard from many academics and people generally that borders are artificial and a recent phenomena in the world. In the past, people were able to travel anywhere and were not as limited as we are nowadays. For me this is something that is very hard to understand because especially having a passport that puts all kinds of limitations on me, I have learned that this world is in fact defined nowadays with borders. I always have to get visas or travel long distances to finally reach my destination just because of those borders and the passport that I have. This is the reality for many people, if not worse. People, especially from the states or who hold powerful passports, do not come to understand these issues as much I believe because they don’t experience the hardships. During this trip, we have talked about the issues of migration and immigration greatly and have seen that many governments today take a very isolating approach and build walls rather than opening up and taking in migrants and immigrants. This is the reality that I have grown up in and I am not sure if it will change in the future. Maybe I am pessimistic because I haven’t seen the world before 9/11 however I know that it is a real issue for many. I was fortunate to be able to legally go through the process of immigration but yet understand that many don’t have the luxury or the opportunity to do so. Another aspect that affects this issue of migration and borders is the notion of nationalism. I didn’t know how nationalistic I am till I immigrated to the United States and during this trip definitely people have seen the nationalistic aspects that I have. Reflecting back, I at times am surprised of how nationalistic I am because I realize that this nationalism is actually a real issue for many. Especially in this part of the world, because of nationalism governments stop taking in immigrants and migrants that are desperate to find a safe shelter. Generally speaking, the whole idea of nationalism is interesting because originally most of the states started out as one nation and over time there have been mixing of populations and nations. On one hand you have a country that wants to preserve its national character and on the other hand, you have human beings who need to migrate and honestly I don’t really know who is to blame because I understand both sides equally. I don’t know what I would do or how I would feel if one day I returned to Armenia and Armenians were a minority in the country. One thing that I know though is that during a time when this is a hot topic, I am going to keep up with it and not choose sides because it is more complex than most people think.</span></div>
Natali Gevorgyanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00368285335084845591noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8959849292667078696.post-25871178755857114672019-06-27T10:06:00.004-07:002019-06-27T10:07:25.537-07:00The Globalization of Culture<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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The Mediterranean Sea and the states that surround it offer several distinct cultural experiences as well as their own interconnected history as a region. Over the last month, our group has witnessed several different ways of life from the quiet villages in the Crete mountains to the cosmopolitan life in Rome. In Alikianos, we were surrounded by each other for weeks eating traditional meals and focusing on our studies. In Crete we were able to distance ourselves from the hustle that we experience back at home. It was an almost therapeutic experience being far away from the endless advertisements, the rotating media cycle and the constant bombardment of information. However, as far as we get from home we are constantly reminded of our globalized world around us. We saw Ben and Jerry's in Chania, McDonalds in Sicily, KFC in Malta and Starbucks in Cyprus. The most glarring experience happened when we went to find food and drinks following our tour in Mdina, Malta. Our group decided to follow a street ornate with several flags, banners and decorative lights. We found ourselves in a crowded square as an orchestra echoed through the streets. At this point we decided to sit down and take in the unexpected experience. As one piece came to an end, the orchestra began another, however, this tune sounded eerily similar. There we stood, thousands of miles from home, on another continent, on a minuscule island in the middle of the Mediterranean, listening to the Star Wars theme song.<br />
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Nate The Greathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12784366647949535229noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8959849292667078696.post-67388175665254279992019-06-27T09:04:00.004-07:002019-06-27T09:04:37.366-07:00Roma
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<span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">Almost everyone dreams to visit Rome, a beautiful city
overflowing with breathtaking ruins from the past. Our experience in Rome is
something I will never forget. It was incredible to see all the layers of history
as we walked through the city. We saw beautiful structures, such as the Pantheon,
that have incomprehensible years of history within them. The Pantheon went from
being an ancient Roman temple to a church. This is a perfect example of how religious beliefs change through the years, while structures like the Pantheon remain and have different meanings. Inside the Pantheon there was also a memorial
for the founding father of Italy<span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">, <span style="color: #111111;">King Vittorio Emanuele II, </span>a</span>nd his son. I think it is amazing how just one
building can hold innumerable memories that go so far back in history. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"></span><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;"></span><img aria-label="Photo - Portrait - Jun 24, 2019, 8:41:19 AM" class="SzDcob " height="320" jsname="uLHQEd" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/kuesEEMtqBzdNpO8Fr94E_PatUG71ZKDoFOGBapaLcsuHqaF3Fnf_szcJm43GPb9bjY3GA64CuY_3diC5LIGHmuD9YE15it-0mkTKz3o-aiedgnyPRMWsTrM7UfYSqrAZcctKOZzq41K2ynB48YmSMn8FcS2v0hB4G8QLQBmsYkWojHesyeVr2eZyifo0Lw7RMfz7Y3TDv9wTP33BPrbQeygxIRJD9_QnLPNvN6aIz_BBmDTuJgzQ_WyVdjBseWpM4fZY6bYivwapbXm5V9mb32KQlKmtPvSguY-CX0hMPLYVZw1WGkwvSu8p3Ul7Qo6vzO9vAIqf_atjk0N2UAwauovULT6hNAIstd1pMc_-rX5IDXDPsvT8TB8MBra5uGCu-zKyMjTazn-dMnrP_a9fGLL8yuEmLrym-fXTeDwuUCAL4QLI0FnXcjTSfZo0B2r1mGjgnYqBR_f90xdCR3NW7EYhTcoCo97YDarvq0UfrllHo0KxuCJjjKhibUuva9diwMKtevzE-6bF6GtS6ED9hoJTC1GYxsmoTOg2C6prLfT_BaEbwtAjv0Gv1Z7XhcteaFm5sDFmEn3ot1gIl6svUh6tyV5iwBn0P7LKK4HMnXXAi8NMYedUrMbjbLBKn9nOMhTlDyWMgAMAnJ9zKYoLD9NAY8ZTXg=w1005-h1340-no" style="transform: translate3d(0px, 0px, 0px) rotate(0deg);" width="240" /><b></b><i></i><u></u><sub></sub><sup></sup><strike></strike></div>
Thespinahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00250490415418798175noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8959849292667078696.post-79980355079131482002019-06-27T05:03:00.000-07:002019-06-27T05:03:04.210-07:00Changing times, Changing fruitsCrete is an island of mountains and valleys- which allows it to foster many different agricultural products from chestnuts in the mountains, olives at the base, and oranges in the tropical valleys. Despite being such a personal, traditional and isolationist society, the Island of Crete has not been exempt from the global avocado craze. Oranges used to be a staple export for the island, but with the prices so low, and resources so scarce, it is no longer viable to grow them. So across the island, people are cutting down their orange trees and replacing them with Avocados, as they are very profitable. Yet this comes with a high risk since the farmers are putting all of their efforts towards this one export. It is all well and good until the first bad season, or the first disease hits the crops. And therein lies the problem of the rentier state. It will be interesting to see how the island does with avocado exports in the future.<br />
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Jack Griffinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08280382524767791926noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8959849292667078696.post-3318025063424189422019-06-27T04:46:00.000-07:002019-06-27T04:46:00.375-07:00Layers of History<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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The first thing you notice about Crete is how beautiful it is. It’s an Island of mountains, breathtaking sunrises and undisturbed land, the likes of which is not seen in America. But it’s easy to be trapped in that; to be hypnotized by the aesthetic. That is a trap; while parts of the land look as though they have never been touched, in reality, the Island has more history than any place in the United States. Just down the street from the institute, there is a castle that used to belong to the Sultan of the province, whose land was divided up and built upon and later taken over by the Nazis to be used as a base of operations. Today, the people of the island are building small homes on the land. But I would have never learned that if I just thought “oh, cool, a pretty old building”. If this trip has taught me anything it’s to look, not just see.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></div>
<br />Jack Griffinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08280382524767791926noreply@blogger.com0