Middle Weekend to the Island

          Last weekend was spent on the island of Aegina which is located southwest of Athens, Greece. The scenery was amazing!

          Aegina is positioned in the Saronic Gulf and is one of the Saronic islands. The island is triangle shaped and is about 33.75 sq miles. As the myth goes, the Greek god, Zeus had abducted Aegina, who was the daughter of the river god Asopus and the nymph Metope. Aegina gave birth to a son named Aeacus who later became the king of the island. Since then the island has been called Aegina. 

          On our final day, we traveled across the island to the ancient ruins of the Temple of Aphaia. The temple was built around 500 BC and is seen as significant in illustrating the transition from the Archaic to Early Classical periods of Greece. We were told a very intriguing myth about the how the temple was named. The details of the myth are based off the stories told by Pausanias (a Greek geographer and traveler). 

          As the story goes, the Greek god Zeus and the nymph Carme, fell deeply in love. They birthed a daughter whom they named Britomartis. She became the  Minoan goddess of mountains and hunting with exceptional beauty, smooth porcelain skin, and long raven hair. Time passes and the King Minos began to fall in love with Britomartis. In an attempt to escape the king, she jumped into the sea and swam away only to get entangled by some fishermens' net. She was taken captive and once again, the fishermen started to fall in love with the goddess because of her overwhelming beauty. Again, in an attempt to flee, she jumped into the sea and swam a great distance to arrive at the island of Aegina. She took cover from the men and hid in a cave on the mountain. To no avail, the fishers could never find the young girl, as if by divine intervention. In honor of the disappearing goddess, they named the temple "Aphasia" which means "invisible" or "unseen."

More photos of the temple to come!

First Impressions

          Tomorrow will mark 10 days since I arrived in Greece, and I continue to find small and drastic differences. Greece is not what I expected. When you see pictures of the Greece, the common thought is beautiful beaches, crystal blue waters, and a lush green environment but it’s completely different in Agia Paraskevi. The ground is dry, plants are carefully maintained to survive, and the economic struggles lead to half-finished buildings throughout the town. It’s a different environment here then what I first thought, but I've also experienced some wonderful things too. 

          On Tuesday night, our group of nineteen Americans and a few Greek friends explored the night life of Athens. The venue we visited overlooked the Temple of Hephaestus and gave us an amazing view! As people got tired and headed back to our residences, we took taxis, which is an experience in itself. The drivers of Greece are unlike anything I've seen before, and Virginia driving will look like a snail race in comparison. After many close calls and feeling my life flash before my eyes, I began to talk with the cab driver. He spoke only a few words of English and I spoke even less Greek but for the next 15 minutes we talked about several topics and we communicated surprisingly well. We laughed as he tried to teach me words and I attempted to say them and I was able to tell him a little about which state I had come from. Meeting someone internationally that you have nothing in common with barely speaking the language and yet still becoming friends and laughing is truly an amazing thing. 

          The food is EXTRAORDINARY. The staple of the Greek people is Gyros. Culturally, the Gyro is to the Greeks as the hamburger is to Americans. They are cheap, taste wonderful, and they are conveniently available. The style of eating is very different as well. The Greeks eat late and spend hours drinking wine and talking over plates of shared food. Even eating dinner illustrates the laid back attitude of the culture and their emphasis on family and relations. Although the food is amazing, I miss pancakes, waffles, and bacon. 

          We have come to Greece during a unique and historic time. I write with extreme sensitivity because although the events to happen will have minimal effect on myself, the citizens of Greece are extremely nervous and anxious. Last Wednesday we went to downtown Athens to partake in the protest against removal from the EU. Other students, including Americans, are nervous about what may happen but everything is unknown at the moment. It’s an amazing time to experience a global event outside the USA.

A Wonderful Greek Gyro

The Protest in Front of Parliament 

And So It Begins

There's two reasons for this blog; 1) I was required to blog while overseas for receiving a scholarship, and 2) I want to document the adventures, experiences, and sights so I can remember in future days, and friends and family can share in what's happening.

My journey begins like many others, in the airport. I'm sitting here watching people wait to be whisked away to their awaiting adventure. Not much happens while waiting, except for the continuous thoughts. 

I'm not anxious about going, but ready for what's awaits me. My trip consists of a 2 week period of working with several Greek students at the American College of Greece in Athens Greece. We will be consulting for an organization in Greece, solving a problem, and presenting our solution to the executives of the company. Afterwards, I will be travelling for two weeks exploring. Where you ask? I'm not sure yet but that's the exciting part!

As of now, I am keeping an open mind to everything and anything that could happen.

The plane is about to board! Till next time!

- Jacob Steckmann