Thira

We have made it to Thira. It is just beautiful here! Here is a picture from a deck of a restaurant.

Just updating

So we have been rather busy running around looking at different sites. This picture is a view from one of my favorite places we have stopped recently. It is the view from INSTAP Study Center for East Crete. All that basically means that it is the center on Crete were archeologist bring there site find to store, rebuild and study their findings. It is at this center prof. Mook brings all of her findings from her site Azoria. We got to tour the whole building. Prof. Mook's area of expertise is on pottery. So we got to see how they go about restoring ancient pottery. When we were there a team was sorting bones from a grave site. What I found to be the coolest part was getting to see the storage rooms of all of the finds. It is just self after self of ancient Greek materials! The best part is that the majority of the material that we got to see and touch has never been seen by anyone but the people who found it and restored it. We were not aloud to take pictures inside because of all the unpublished materials. Then tomorrow is another travel day! We are taking a boat to Thira. This is the island that I have been looking forward to the most! As always I will update as soon as I can! Taylor

Still alive

Hey, I haven't had access to the Internet for the last day or so but we moved to a new town on Crete and this hotel has free wifi! Just wanted to give a quick update. I will be sure to add more later!

Taylor Clemens
Iowa State University
Performing Arts

Travel day

So today is a travel day. We will be going to Crete! So not for sure what the Internet situation is going to be like but I will try to post as soon as possible.

Taylor Clemens
Iowa State University
Performing Arts

Wine

So part of the Greek culture is wine and since I have been here I have tried a glass of two. But I thought this wine store was pretty awesome! By the way this is just the upstairs.

The Cliffs of Insanity

So we changes up the schedule due to what the weather might do here tomorrow. Today we took a boat around Rhodes to go and see the site at Lindos. The site mostly consisted of medieval castle remains, which were pretty cool. But one of my favorite parts was what I like to refer to them as the cliffs of insanity (name that movie). In the top right corner you can see the edge of the site. It was a mighty climb to the top but don't worry I took the trail option instead of strait up the rock face option. That's all for now! Taylor

Rhodes

Hey everyone I have made it safely to Rhodes! It is absolutely beautiful here! The picture that I have included is from the hotel's bar baloney. By the way I got to swim in that ocean today. That is also Turkey you can see in the background.

Airport

I am just sitting in the airport at Athens waiting for the plane to Rhodes. Just a reminder that I do not know what the Internet or cell service is going to be like in Rhodes so I will try to post as soon as I can!

Taylor Clemens
Iowa State University
Performing Arts

Update

Hey just doing a quick write. It is a travel day tomorrow! I have to be up early to catch a plane to Rhodes! I will update as soon as I can when I get there.

Taylor Clemens
Iowa State University
Performing Arts

View

In one of my previous posts I mentioned the wonderful view I have from where I get to eat breakfast. Well I have finally gotten my phone to work with the hotels wifi (sometimes) so here is the view I get every morning!

Food

So here is an example of the delicious Food I am getting to eat! This is how some place cook their gyro meat. These two are pork and chicken.

Random

I do not have a whole lot to tell today but just want to post so every one knew I was ok.

I Am Here!

I have made it to Athens!  Well I have been here for about a day and a half.  The internet situation is not what I was expecting it to be.  It is very hard to find free internet anywhere in Athens.  You even have to pay for it at the hotel, but it is pretty cheap so I will be trying to update as much as possible.  Unfortunately the wireless internet sucks as the hotel so I have to use the public computer which means that I will not be able to post pictures to the Blog.  So if I post picture from my plane ride later on the blog it was from posts I was trying to add earlier.  Enough with that stuff!  Let me talk about the food.  AMAZING!  That is all I have to say.  Last night we all went to a restaurant and Prof. Mook ordered a bunch of random things off the menu.  There was fried cheese, spinach pies, Greek salad, Cucumber yogurt sauce, and that was just the appetizers!  After that we got a variety of main dishes to all try.  All were good!  Then today for breakfast I had the hotels continental breakfast.  This is like NO continental breakfast I have ever had!  This is a buffet that has a good variety of things on it.  But I think the best part of the breakfast is that it takes place on the roof of the hotel which has an amazing view of the Parthenon!  Then for lunch and dinner part of the group went to some of the small restaurants in the area (and there are a lot of restaurants in the area). For lunch I had a gyro and then for dinner I had Pork and potatoes in lemon sauce.  Both were very good!  Today we where going to go to the Acropolis to see the Parthenon, but the city workers of Athens were having a strike today so we did not get to the Acropolis.  It looks like we are going to do that on Friday instead.  We did however get to go to the Acropolis museum which is not  located on the acropolis.  It was a very neat museum.  I do believe that this is all I have to say for now.  I will try to get the wireless to work with my phone so I can post some pictures!  Bye for now Taylor

View from hotel balcony!

So took a taxi from the airport to the hotel and all I have to say is the way people drive in Athens makes dad's driving look perfect! The hotel is right down in the middle of everything. It is a pretty interesting hotel. It is 1:23pm here now and we will be going on our first group adventure at 3:00.

First view of the city!

Here is a small taste of what Athens looks like from the sky!

Sunrise

Picture of the sun rising from my flight into Athens!

Plane ride to New Jersey

Here is a picture from my seat on the plane.

New Jersey

I have made it through my first flight! I am now sitting in the airport waiting for my next flight at 5:40.