During my time in Corfu, Greece, I learned a lot about European and Greek history. We would go to class at the Ionian University every weekday from 10:00am-1:00pm and listen to three hours of lecture by a European professor. As topics changed, so did the professor, so usually we had 2-3 days with each one. Topics included Ancient Greece, the Middle Ages, the Renaissance, Early European History in the Americas, Early Modern European History, Globalization, and Modern Greece.
The rest of the day was usually ours, so we made sure to make the most of our time. Here's a brief list of the main attractions we visited and things we did:
-Old and New Fort
-Asian Art Museum
-Paleokastritsa Beach
-Glyfada Beach
-Multiple group karaoke nights at Captain George's
-The Church of St. Spyridon
-Mon Repos Palace
-Museum of the Royal Tombs of Aigai in Vergina (We saw the tomb of Philip II here)
-Monastery of Agios Nikolaos Philanthropinon
-Dodona Theater and Oracle
-Sivota Beach
-Achilleion
-Unification of the Ionian Islands Day Parade
-Barbati beach
-Epic ping pong matches
-Group seaside dinner at the Old Fort
-National Archaeological Museum in Athens
-Golden Dawn Rally
-Acropolis, Parthenon, and Acropolis Museum
-Farewell rooftop dinner at Psaras
Some of the main foods I ate:
Moussaka
Tzatziki
Sofrito
Pork Gyros
Tzatziki
Potatoes and Fries
Tzatziki (I ate a lot of tzatziki)
Crepes
Ice Cream and Waffles
Some things I learned or experienced in Greece:
1) America is the best country in the world.
-No matter how hard we think we have it or how bad our political system is, it's nothing compared to some of the problems faced in Greece. Take for instance the growing popularity of communist and neo-Nazi parties in Greece, along with their terrible economic problems.
2) Graffiti is widespread in Greece.
-I'm not sure whether it's a world wide trend or just a huge problem in Greece, but literally everywhere I went there was graffiti. This was both in the tourist-friendly island of Corfu and the downtown of Athens. Some of it was creative and some of it was downright rude, but all of it really detracted the value of the buildings and the city itself.
3) Greece does prices better.
-In Greece, all prices already have tax included and when eating at restaurants, the tip is already included in the price. Also, prices are generally nice, round numbers that either are whole dollar amounts or are in 50 cent increments. This makes for easy cash payment without strange prices in America like $10.79.
4) I need to learn to make tzatziki.
-Greeks literally eat this with everything, and it is basically the most delicious thing ever. I hope I can find some here in the States or I can learn to make my own.
5) You make strong, life-long friendships with those you study abroad with.
-Despite coming from unique backgrounds and having a variety of interests, all 20 of us bonded and became extremely close in just one short month. We lived together, saw each other every day, and experienced the same academic and cultural experiences. I can't wait to have 19 great new friends when I go back to Ohio State in the Fall.
6) Traveling is awesome!
-Growing up, I was shy and never really had any desire to travel to another country. However, with this experience in Greece, I want to travel as much as I possibly can and will actively encourage my friends to do the same.
7) Try new things.
-A couple days before I left for Greece, my brother called me. Because he studied abroad in Luxembourg while he was in college, he offered me some great advice. Basically, he said never say no to doing something new. Obviously you have to use common sense and not do anything stupid or illegal, but if someone asks you to do something, just go with it. You're only going to be in Greece for a month and you probably won't travel again for some time, so what do you have to lose? "Never say no" became my motto for the trip and it allowed me to have a greater experience and have way more fun than I ever imagined was possible.
Compiling this blog actively during my trip to Greece was really good for me, as it allowed me to sit down every so often and record my thoughts and memories while they were still fresh in my head. I also purposefully took way more pictures than I ever thought I would because I needed them for this blog. Even so, I learned that you can never take enough pictures and I still wish I had taken more.
I learned and experienced so much while I studied abroad in Greece. I'll never forget the memories I made or the people I made them with, and I cannot wait until I'm able to travel to a foreign country again. Thanks so much for following me as I detailed my experience. I hope you enjoyed it and maybe even learned a little something yourself.
This is Andrew Fink speaking, and I'm out.
