2nd to last weekend in Athens (!?)

I only have three weeks left abroad. I can't believe it, completely surreal. This past weekend, however, I got to spend further exploring my new home.

Last Thursday my roommates and I went to see New Moon, and I took along the 13 year old girl I tutor (Celia). It was soooo much fun. Besides the fact that I loved the movie (yes, it is beyond cheesy and ridiculous but therefore I love it even more), and I can't wait to see it again. I learned that the subtitles in Greek were very basi

c translations because even I could understand a fair amount of it. Secondly, women around the world all have the same idea of "what is an attractive guy." I can't begin to tell you how many gasps occurred and excited giggles when the male leads appeared on scre

en (Robert Pattinson and Taylor Lautner for those of you concerned). The theater was sold out, also proving Twilight's domination of the world at this point. Overall, was a really fun, great night (and can't wait to see the movie again).

Friday: This past weekend was my second time of hosting guests. I was extremely excited to host three Dukies: Meredith, Austin and Kathryn. Meredith arrived around 3:30 and Austin and Kathryn arrived around 10pm. Before the other two arrived, I took Meredith around Kolonaki, Syntagma, Plaka, and Pangrati. Sadly, Meredith had to leave Sunday (not Monday like Kathryn and Austin), so we had to cram a lot in in a short period of time. After dominating greater Athens, we relaxed with a glass of wine while waiting for their metro to arrive. At about 10 we were all together! We decided to have a relaxing night, because we had to basically cram all of sightseeing into one day. For dinner I took all three to Maria's (the best gyro place in Kolonaki), and treated them to some baklava for desert.

Saturday: I must admit, I am extremely impressed with how much we were able to cram into one day. We got up around 9

ish, and started our day. We saw/went to: The Archaeological Museum, the Theater of Dionysus, the Acropolis, the New Acropolis Museum, Hadrian's Arch, Temple of Zeus, Kalimarmaro Stadium, Parliament, and the Benaki Museum. Yes, pretty impressive. We then went back to my apartment to relax and take naps since we were exhausted. For dinner we went to Kolonaki square and ate at Kolonaki Tops. We then went back to the apartment to relax some more, before going out with my apartment and some of Kara's Greek friends. Emily's boyfriend was also visiting (he is here for the week), so it was wonderful to finally meet him too. Kara's friends had decided to take us to a club that was hosting a live Greek band. I must say this was nothing like what we had done before. How often do you see a live Greek band, in Athens, play a cover of "Wonderwall?". Not very

often. It was a ton of fun, however, I almost felt like I was back in the States for a bit. M

eredith, Austin, and Kathryn appeared to have fun and that is what mattered. Overall, a very fun/unique night.

Sunday: Since we didn't get back and asleep until 4ish, we decided to sleep in until about 11. Unfortunately, Meredith had to catch a flight, so we only had time to grab some gyros and picnic in the park my the metro. After saying a sad goodbye to Meredith, the rest of us hoped on the Metro to Monistraki. I took them to the Agora and the flea market. Sadly, the metro to Pireaus (the port) was under construction, so I could not take them to see the water. We then walked through Syntagma and watched a changing of the guard. Our last st

op was the National Gardens, something in which I had yet to completely explore. The highlight of the gardens was the tiny zoo inside that had donkey, chickens, rabbits, and other sorts of birds (mostly because of how random it is the have a tiny zoo in the gardens). After another full day, we went back to Kolonaki to have dinner at my favorite Italian restauarnt. I got sea urchin pasta, it was amazing. We then all went back to relax at my apartment after another full day.

Monday: Sadly Kathryn and Austin had leave (and furthermore, sadly, I heard their plane was delayed three hours). Overall, a great weekend with wonderful friends.

This week I leave for Cairo on Thursday!!!!! (for our "Thanksgiving" break). I will be there until Monday afternoon.

Look forward to hearing what everyone has been up to! keep the comments coming.

Love always,

Erin

Parisian Photos

A smiling Meredith because Paris is getting ready for Christmas!
the super cool art nouveau metro signs
crepe toppings...so yummy
where I bought the best crepe I have ever had
Pere Lachaise- arguably the most famous cemetery in the world

Jim Morrison's graveMeredith kissing Oscar Wilde's grave--you kiss it for good luck, look at all the kisses
our amazingly elegant tea house, Angelina
Musee d' Orsay
Alpha Phi in front of Notre Dame

our amazing fondue restaurant, you have to literally hop over the table to sit on the other side
they serve you wine in baby bottles (look to the bottom left)
Outside our fondue restaurant
Sacre Coeur in Montemartre
The Louvre's courtyard

oh Paris
The Louvre
most famous street in Paris
Arc de Triomphe
Eiffel Tower with Meredith

Highlights from the Louvre and Musee d' Orsay

Paintings from the Musee d' Orsay:

I love how the wheat is created with fine squiggles, so bright in person (Van Gogh)
Self Portrait of Van Gogh
just love this
Monet's water lilies
The Louvre:

Nike of Samothrace
the most famous painting in the world, I think you know its name....
Pysche and Cupid
Venus de Milo
Code of Hammurabi--"eye for an eye"
Napoleon's apartment

Greek Parliament

Last weekend we went on a visit to the Greek Parliament. It was quite interesting to sit in the actual parliament seats as we listened to the history of the building and the Parliament itself.

My Parisian Adventure

I just got back from an absolutely wonderful weekend in arguably the most beautiful city in the entire world- Paris. The trip was especially special because I would be staying with fellow Dukie/Alpha Phi Meredith at her host mother's apartment (so not only would I be in Paris, but also an actual Parisian apartment, I thought this was really cool).

Friday: I left Friday mid afternoon, and luckily my flight was on time without any glitches. I arrived in Paris around 6pm. The landing was wonderful, because you fly within a great few of the Eiffel Tower...I was officially in Paris! To make things even better, Meredith was waiting for me the moment I got off the plane. We then hoped on a bus and made our way to central Paris. The first thing we did was go to her apartment to drop of my bags. She has the most adorable apartment, and has quite a spacious room to herself. Not a bad deal. We then decided to get dinner at an Italian restaurant called "Little Italy." It was great to catch up over some French wine and delicious spaghetti bolognese. I loved being in an amazing little restaurant, as people spoke French around me (I think it is the most beautiful language). After gaining ten pounds, we decided to walk back to her neighborhood. Along the way I soaked up the beauty of Paris, before arriving at an AMAZING crepe place called Crepes du Marche (french must have food number one). It simply sells crepes with just about every topping you can imagine. Plus, Paris is the crepe capital of the world, and therefore = DELICIOUS. I can't even begin to tell you how tasty it was (I got an orange crepe, which according to a reliable source is the original flavor). We then decided to go back to the apartment to relax, because the next couple of days were to be very packed.

Saturday: We woke up around 9:30 so we could get in a full day. However, the first thing I did was meet Meredith's extremely nice and kind host mother. I was quickly greeted with cheek kisses and a hug. As a treat I had brought Greek Christmas pastries, although sadly they got a bit smashed on the plane. Luckily, her host mother seemed to like them nonetheless (at least from what I could tell, she obviously spoke in French). For breakfast we went to a local bakery and got chocolate croissants, amazing! Our first stop of the day was the famous Pere Lachaise Cemetery, arguably the most famous cemetery in the entire world. It was a perfect day to visit a cemetary because the sky was a bit grey and there was a fairly strong wind, also the leaves were changing colors and gracefully falling on the ground. We visited the graves of Victor Hugo, Chopin, Jim Morrison, Gertrude Stein, and Oscar Wilde. It is tradition to kiss the grave of Oscar Wilde for good luck and is therefore entirely covered in kisses. After a beautifully spooky experience, we hoped on the metro and headed towards the Concord area. Our second stop was the elegant tea house Angeline. Being in a tea house filled with women with fur coats, fancy deserts, and waiters in black ties speaking french definitely makes you feel like you are in Paris. I got the most amazing salad of avocado and foie gras (french most have food number two), house tea, and their signature desert. It was just wonderful. Our next stop was the famous Musee d'Orsay, where we met up with Meredith's friend Leslie who goes to Emory. It holds the most incredible collection of impressionist works of art, including some of my favorite Van Goghs and Monets. It is one of those museums where you walk into a room and you are surrounded by famous works of art. It also has the "Whistler's Mother," one of the few American works in the museum. It also had a special exhibit on art nouveau which was really great. As the sun began to set, we walked to St. Chapelle and Notre Dame. Sadly, St. Chapelle was under construction, so it is on the top of my list for my next visit to Paris. After standing beneath some of the most famous buildings in the world, we decided to metro up to the beautiful city of Montemartre (it is the bohemian town where Moulin Rouge takes place, and is on the highest hill in Paris). It is just beautiful. The town is filled with beautiful stores, houses, and cafes. At the very top is the stunning basilica Sacre Coeur. When we walked in, a choir was singing a beautifully haunting song, and the basilica itself is just stunning. It was one of those surreal experiences you will always remember. After soaking up the intricate beauty of the basilica, we walked outside and was greeted by a rowdy crowd listening to a guitarist on the steps. Everyone was drinking and singing along to the music. Since we had a few minutes before dinner, we decided to join in (my favorite were the Bob Marley songs). After a bit of singing, we walked down the hill to dinner. Meredith had decided to take me to a fondue place called Refugee du Fondue, and let me tell you, it was quite the experience. The restaurant only consists of two long tables, so you have to get there to moment it opens or you will have to wait for a very long time. In order to get to the other side of the table you have to hop over because all the tables are touching and you can't get around. Also, it is a set menu in which you get an apertif, fondue, desert, and wine....served in a BABY BOTTLE. Yes, this is true. Also, I was very happy that Molly could meet us for dinner, so that was especially nice. It was probably one of the most entertaining and memorable dining experiences I have had in quite some time. After dinner, we all decided to go bar hoping around the center of Paris. The night resulted in a lot of fun, and was therefore a perfect ending to my first full day in Paris.

Sunday: Was time for me to go to one of my favorite places in the entire world...THE LOUVRE. I woke up around 9:30am, got a chocolate croissant, and was on my way. Meredith had to study for a French test, so I was on my own Louvre adventure. I must say I get so giddy and happy when at the Louvre. I probably took a million pictures of the glass pyramids and the beautiful buildings that make up the Louvre. Honestly, walking through the Louvre at my own pace while listening to my ipod was one of the most enjoyable experiences. I saw the Mona Lisa, Venus de Milo, Virgin of the Rocks, Nike of Samothrace, tomb of Pillipe Pot, and much much more (will post pictures of the highlights later). I got there around 11:30 and was there until 3, which just about shows you how crazy big it is and how many wonderful works of art is has. My favorite wing by far (there are three), is the Denon wing which holds the Mona Lisa. After dominating the beauty of treasures of the Louvre, I walked through the park towards the Champs d'Elysess to meet Meredith. It was an especially cute walk because the city was getting ready for Christmas by putting up numerous Christmas villages. I smoothly met up with Meredith, and then we were off to the most famous street in Paris. Quite the experience! Filled with top notch shops, famous cafes, and great people watching, and ended with the Arc de Triomphe. For our last stop, we went to the Eiffel Tower, which was perfect because the sun was just starting to set. We sat and enjoyed the beauty of the tower for about an hour. We also looked at the menu for the new fancy fancy restaurant on top of the tower (where an appetizer along is 60 euros). I think the tower is most beautiful at night, because it appears to be glowing in the sky. Simply stunning. We then headed back to Meredith's apartment where we got dinner at a bistro called L'autre Cafe a couple blocks away. I got escargot (third must have French food), and an amazzzzzing cheeseburger, so so good. It was an incredible last dinner in Paris. We then sadly headed back to relax since I had to leave early the next morning to go back to Athens.

Paris was incredible. It really is the most beautiful city, and there is so much to do! Plus, I had an amazing hostess. **photos of Paris to be posted shortly**

This week is a bit busy with a paper and a Greek test, but more importantly Thursday I'm taking the girl I tutor (along with my roomies) to see New Moon! I am beyond excited. yayyy New Moon with Greek subtitles! And this weekend, I'm hosting three Dukies (Meredith, Austin, and Kathryn), so it should be a lovely weekend.

only one month left in Athens....home December 16th.

I miss you all so much.
lovelovelove,
Erin

-comments welcome :)

Photos from the Marathon, Beyonce, Delphi, and the Duke invasion

Here are some photo highlights from the past weekend. All of them are on facebook, so you can check them out.

Beyonce. She was incredible
Laura with her Mythos after the Marathon. Yes, she ran 26 miles. SO PROUD
A guy finishing the marathon with his little girl over his shoulders. adorable.
The winner running to the finish line
Duke loves at dinner in Kolonaki
Delphi
Protests in the city

Duke Invades Athens, Laura runs a marathon, rallies take form, & Beyonce puts a "ring on it"

Last week I got to experience "political Athens" first hand. As I was walking home from class last week I stumbled upon a huge protest. Apparently the government fired hundreds of interns (being an intern is considered more a job here, but for very little pay), so many Athenians were in an uproar. Hundreds of policemen were on guard too. It was quite a bit intense.

Tutoring has become very rewarding. Last week we worked on an English essay, and the solar system (I work with her on the most random topics). In a week I'm taking her to the premiere of New Moon, I can't wait. She got really excited. To get her pumped up I gave her the soundtrack of New Moon.

This past weekend was wonderful. Duke invaded Athens (part one). Michael, Jackie, and Grace, who are all studying in Madrid this semester, decided to come to Athens. I was thrilled.

Friday: After class, I met up with them for dinner. Was so great seeing them. Because they got caught trying to put three people in a two person room, Jackie stayed with me (which was a happy surprise). We got dinner at the Fillipou Taverna in Kolonaki (the same one I took my mom too). It was delicious. I got the highly recommended lemon chicken. I loved telling them all about Greek food, culture, and a little bit of the language. Afterwards, we went to one of the funky little bars in Kolonaki. The bar was playing amazing music, which is always a great plus. After catching up for a couple hours, we decided to call it quits for the night, because they had a packed day of touring and I had my school trip to Delphi.

Saturday: Was the last field trip I would have with CYA (we went to Delphi). One of the most famous sites in mainland Greece. The bus ride was three hours each way, so a bit of a hike. The small town outside of Delphi was also adorable, highly recommend it if traveling in the area. The site itself was quite pretty. We saw the famous theater, treasuries, and the gymnasium. The Delphi museum was also really nice. I also got to see the famous Charioteer of Delphi (yay art history 69). Once back in Athens I took a very enjoyable nap before meeting up with Duke loves to go out to the Gazi (dance club/bar district of Athens). We bar hoped to about 4 different places, the music was also great (all of our favorite european/greek music was played). At about 3ish we decided to head back because another big day was planned....the marathon a Beyonce!

Sunday: It was finally Marathon day for Laura. She woke up around 6 am, to get to the meeting place for all the runners. The race began at 9am. Emily and I got up around 10am, so we could see the winners come in. They run 26 miles in a little over 2 hours!! Isn't that surreal? We got the the olympic stadium (the one by my school) just in time to see the top runners come in (all of them were Kenyan). It was incredible to see them. Their running is so fluid and beautiful, and it looked like they weren't even sweating. Watching the marathon was one of the most amazing experience. I really think that marathons bring out the best in people. Everyone was cheering and being so nice to one another. I got to watch people accomplish one of their biggest goals. I watched as couples finished holding hands, mothers and fathers carrying their children over their shoulders across the finish line, people in costumes, and much much more. It was incredible. Pure happiness and joy on the people finishing. Five people from my school ran it. One guy named Mike, ran it super fast, really impressive. Laura, my roommate came in a little over 5 hours in. We got SO excited when we saw her enter the stadium, such a great feeling. She lit up when she saw us, it was so sweet. I couldn't be more proud of her. After we found Laura and gave her tons of hugs, we all went back to the apartment to rest. Later that night I met up with Duke friends to head to the new olympic stadium for the BEYONCE concert. She was incredible. She has one of the most amazing voices ever. She played all of her top songs (she has so many of them), and even did a Sarah Mclachlen and Alanis Morissete cover. She did a beautiful version of Ave Maria as well. She did an "At Last" tribute to Obama (the song she sang at his inaugural ball), and sung "Halo" in honor of Michael Jackson. Also, at the very end she struck the pose of the famous discus thrower statue, the crowd went wild. It was one of the best concerts. We then took a taxi back and passed out.

Monday: Today I sadly had class for most of the day, but after class I met up with Michael, Jackie, and Grace for dinner in Kolonaki. As a treat they paid for my dinner, which I thought was beyond thoughtful of them. It was so great having Duke friends come to visit. I'm so excited for Meredith, Austin and Kathryn to come in two weeks. Unfortunately, today I found out that my Greek cooking class is canceled for the rest of the semester. I'm really bummed. My cooking instructor canceled for personal reasons, so no idea what happened. Oh well :(

This weekend I'm going to Paris! Another adventurous weekend. Hope everyone is doing well. I miss you!

Love always,

Erin