Nautical Excursion

After an early departure from the hotel following a scrumptious breakfast, we headed for our cruise of the Sardonic Islands. Upon arrival, we boarded the ship accompanied by some chilliness from the wind teaming with the lack of sun. After drifting about the ship, one might find the front deck to be most enjoyable with many beach chairs out for lounging with plenty of sunshine and close proximity to the water. The ascetic beauty of approaching an island on a ship is special in itself, but some of the things to be found on the island are their own adventures. The most memorable island of that trip might be Hydra where Greece's oldest naval academy is located.  Our group spent some time exploring the local stores and swimming in the Aegean Sea.

 

Surprisingly, Sean was not a part of that group of swimmers, no, upon return to the boat; we learn that Sean took a trip up through the donkey trails, BY FOOT! It's funny to imagine Sean, "The Billygoat,” as we dubbed him, darting through the mountainside trails without the donkey.

Our final stop was Aegina Island . Here, our group split up as Ryan, Xavier, and Sean accompanying Dr. Morgan to the temple of Aphaea, perhaps the jewel of Aegina for its remarkable stature and storied history. 

Aegios Nektarios

The excursion continued to the church of Agios Nektarios, an architectural imitation of the Hagai Sophia in Istanbul, which was a very important church to the Greek Orthodox Church until the Turks turned it into a mosque. I was glad to get the opportunity to try some Aegean Pistachios; they were so delicious! However, those were also the first pistachios I’ve tried, so I may be terribly disappointed the next time I have some, as the pistachios grown in Aegina are said to be the best in Greece, which could mean the world.

During the ship's journey back to Athens, we were entertained with traditional Greek dances and music, in which we could certainly see some of the influence left by the Ottoman Turks. Over the course of the day, we also noticed that there were many wind turbines on top of the mountains, and we even saw a lot of solar panels mixed in with croplands. However, as wonderful as our adventure was, it took its toll on us. We were more than happy to return to our hotel after a long day of adventure and excitement, enjoying dinner and then departing for sleep.
Upon returning to the hotel, we had a rather intriguing experience dining in the hotel restaurant area where we learned the customary tipping practices: one should tip ten percent, no more, and leave it on the table. This dinner was enlightening both as an experience of Greek culture as well as exposure to the intellectual interests of our collegiate counterparts.