Goodbye Ohio, hello Greece!!
After one delay, two days, and four flights later I am finally settled in on the island of Corfu, Greece. Me and the group of 19 other Ohio State students will be staying in the Ariti hotel for the next month, where we will be going to class at the Ionian University to learn about Greek history and contemporary issues. We'll also have plenty of free time to explore the island and learn more first-hand about Greek culture.
Yesterday, May 2nd we got into the Ariti at about 9pm at night, or 2pm back home in Cleveland (7 hour difference). We unpacked and then a group of us went to dinner at a local restaurant located on the Ionian Sea. There, I ordered my first authentic Greek meal: a pork gyro with fries. We learned about the basic rules of dinning, where tipping is not expected and water is definitely not free. The waiter also helped us learn several words, including 'please', 'you're welcome', 'thank you', and 'menu'. We had an amazing view of the sea and were able to see several planes land at the nearby airport.
Today, May 3rd we slept in and finished unpacking our bags. Then, we had a group orientation and got to meet the two directors of the program. We traveled into the Old Town for lunch where we had a terrific meal at a tiny restaurant. First on the table was bread and a traditional Greek salad consisting of only tomatoes, cucumbers, onions, spices, and feta cheese. Even I, who isn't too fond of tomatoes or cucumbers, tried it and I thought it was tasty. Next was another appetizer that had fried cheese, biscuits baked with warm cheese in them, and veal wrapped in cabbage. It seems that cheese is a staple in Greek meals! For the main plate, I had macaroni and beef that was sweet with a hint of cinnamon to it. Other options included veal, mashed potatoes and a white sauce or macaroni and rooster, which surprisingly was good and I thought it even tasted better than chicken. For dessert, there was an assortment of flan, chocolate cake, and two other cake-like deserts that were all delicious. I learned here that it is tradition to spend a lot of time eating meals and socializing, as it is normal to spend 2 to 3 hours eating just one meal!
We finished eating a little after 3 had the rest of the afternoon to explore the Old Town so we made the most of it. We traveled up and down the streets looking at the ancient buildings and churches and seeing what the countless street vendors were selling. They were selling everything from jewelry to woodcarvings to jewelry to tee shirts to jewelry to neat crafts. Basically, there was a whole ton of expensive-looking jewelry and any other kind of creative item you could imagine there. We then walked about the edge of the island and saw a ton of different sites, but we retreated to our hotel before a huge storm came.
So far, I am so excited to finally be off of any kind of plane and in Greece and am slowly learning the new culture. The weather has been in the low 60s and overcast, but it should get much more pleasant in the upcoming days. I can't wait to see what the next month has is store for me!
Yesterday, May 2nd we got into the Ariti at about 9pm at night, or 2pm back home in Cleveland (7 hour difference). We unpacked and then a group of us went to dinner at a local restaurant located on the Ionian Sea. There, I ordered my first authentic Greek meal: a pork gyro with fries. We learned about the basic rules of dinning, where tipping is not expected and water is definitely not free. The waiter also helped us learn several words, including 'please', 'you're welcome', 'thank you', and 'menu'. We had an amazing view of the sea and were able to see several planes land at the nearby airport.
Today, May 3rd we slept in and finished unpacking our bags. Then, we had a group orientation and got to meet the two directors of the program. We traveled into the Old Town for lunch where we had a terrific meal at a tiny restaurant. First on the table was bread and a traditional Greek salad consisting of only tomatoes, cucumbers, onions, spices, and feta cheese. Even I, who isn't too fond of tomatoes or cucumbers, tried it and I thought it was tasty. Next was another appetizer that had fried cheese, biscuits baked with warm cheese in them, and veal wrapped in cabbage. It seems that cheese is a staple in Greek meals! For the main plate, I had macaroni and beef that was sweet with a hint of cinnamon to it. Other options included veal, mashed potatoes and a white sauce or macaroni and rooster, which surprisingly was good and I thought it even tasted better than chicken. For dessert, there was an assortment of flan, chocolate cake, and two other cake-like deserts that were all delicious. I learned here that it is tradition to spend a lot of time eating meals and socializing, as it is normal to spend 2 to 3 hours eating just one meal!
We finished eating a little after 3 had the rest of the afternoon to explore the Old Town so we made the most of it. We traveled up and down the streets looking at the ancient buildings and churches and seeing what the countless street vendors were selling. They were selling everything from jewelry to woodcarvings to jewelry to tee shirts to jewelry to neat crafts. Basically, there was a whole ton of expensive-looking jewelry and any other kind of creative item you could imagine there. We then walked about the edge of the island and saw a ton of different sites, but we retreated to our hotel before a huge storm came.
So far, I am so excited to finally be off of any kind of plane and in Greece and am slowly learning the new culture. The weather has been in the low 60s and overcast, but it should get much more pleasant in the upcoming days. I can't wait to see what the next month has is store for me!
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