Heraklion is Thavma!

Nicos is the bus driver on the left, and George is my teacher on the right.

Taste Testing

Inside a Minoan tomb. The Hispanic tourists over here are always posing like this. 

Demetrius and James. They love Lada GaGa too but they call her Lady Gag.

Loukas inside a Minoan tomb.

View from Rethymnon.

Girlies

Lato Boutique Hotel

This morning we had breakfast and checked out of our hotel in Chania. A small truck came to pick up our luggage so we wouldn't have to carry it through town to where our bus was waiting. A man named Nicos has been our bus driver throughout our stay in Crete and he's been driving the U of A's study abroad groups for years. He is a nice looking older man to be a bus driver and today we noticed he was wearing a Burberry shirt. Our first stop was a local olive oil factory, but on the way Nicos stopped at some of his farmland to hand pick some oranges for us. He also farms olives and grapes. The olive oil factory is a cooperative for all of the local farmers. From November to February there are men working in the factory twenty four hours a day to produce the oil. Nicos explained the process of how they make the oil with the heavy machinery, and also introduced us to the two brothers that own the factory. Nicos spoke in very fast Greek and our teachers translated it. All of the oil made there is sold locally but they hope to expand one day. I was particularly interested during this visit because I will be doing a report on Greek olive oil in just a couple days. Outside of the warehouse they had a little shop where you could purchase the oil and all kinds of lotions and other cosmetic products. I bought some of the body milk for me and two other special people. It smells and feels divine! They also had some of the oil and bread set up so we could taste it. 

After the olive oil experience we drove a little ways to view a field of oak trees that was filled with Minoan tombs. At first I wasn't very interested but once I saw them I was pretty fascinated. We walked down very slippery, rock stairs into these very small caves. Some were big enough for us to stand up in and others we had to crouch down. A woman named Jenny came to share with us the history of this site. She was very endearing but at the same time she had this creepy, sweet voice that almost seemed like it should be on Desperate Housewives. From there we went to Rethymnon, a Venetian fortress city on the Northern coast of Crete. The fort was still mostly intact and this was the place that Mary Louise and Kristen gave their first sight reports on the population exchange of Greece and Turkey and the Greek minority in Turkey. We "scampered" around the fort for about fifteen minutes before walking along the water to find a restaurant for lunch. The teachers call it scampering when they let us wander around and take pictures. Also in Rethymnon, we went to an archaeological museum but I don't believe it's worth talking about.

After lunch, which by the way was at 3:15, Nicos drove us to another large city in Crete called Heraklion. The drive was about an hour and a half, and I was all excited because I knew we were staying at a boutique hotel. That just means it's really nice, modern, and usually decorated really well. On the way into the city we saw tons of ritzy night clubs, but it's funny because in Greece these clubs are even crowded in the afternoon for cocktails at outdoor tables. Every time we go to a different hotel we have different roommates. There's always one girl that has a single room because right before the trip one of the girls dropped out. I was thrilled to find out that I was the lucky one with the single room at our cute little boutique hotel. I even hugged my teacher. After I unpacked and got comfortable, Mary Louise, Kirby and I watched an episode of Desperate Housewives. Austin was ready to leave right then to go exploring, but we just told him to chill and that we would meet up with him later. He came back to the hotel to get us and told us he had found a restaurant with free wine and dessert. We said, "Of course you did Austin!" He already had everyone a table and even knew where there was a gelato place close by. When we got to the restaurant one of the waiters was calling Austin "the real playboy!" Wheeze and I were just laughing because all of the girls on this trip have the hots for him. It's pretty funny to watch the flirtation. Austin also told us that some of the people on the trip think that Mary Louise and I should have our own reality show. Tomorrow we don't have to meet with our teachers until 9:00 a.m., and we only have to go to two museums! I can't wait to see more of Heraklion. The cities just keep getting better.

XOXO,

Elizabeth

More from Chania, Crete

We had to be at breakfast this morning at 7:00. I ate my usual of yogurt with fruit and honey and a boiled egg. The freshly squeezed orange juice is too good to be true here in Crete. We were to told the weather would be cool and rainy, but fortunately the forecast was wrong. It's a beautiful day here in Chania! We rode on another charter bus to a German cemetery about a half hour away. The cemetery is from the WWII Battle of Crete that occurred in May of 1941. Of course it was up on a hill, so off we went climbing again. Our calves are so sore from hiking the Samarian Gorge. The cemetary was very beautiful with these tiny pink flowers instead of grass surrounding the tomb stones. Mary Louise is really clumsy and she accidentally fell on top of one. That was good for an early morning laugh. The bus driver drove us back to Chania and dropped us off in the center of town. We walked to an archaeological museum, and I was relieved to see that it was not very big. Before we started looking at the statues, the teachers informed us that after the museum we would be allowed a break from 1:00 to 3:50. My jaw almost dropped because I didn't think they would ever let us have a break from Greek history. Mary Louise, Austin, and I had a leisurely lunch and then went into some of the cute shops. I didn't buy anything but I guess that's a good thing because the exchange rate isn't very good. We did see some penis-shaped bottle openers outside of a store, and inside the store they had even more penis figurines. I couldn't decide if I wanted to get one for my parents or Jamie, so I opted to just take a picture instead. I just kept imagining the look on my Dad's face if he would have seen it. The hamburgers have so much flavor here. They have some kind of herb in them but I'm not sure what it is just yet. After the shopping we got some gelato from a place that we had seen yesterday. It was pretty irresistible because inside the clear freezers it looked like mountains of colorful ice cream. We ate it on the way back to our hotel so we could rest for about an hour before visiting the synagogue. I'm kind of glad I didn't attend the Jewish service yesterday since we already had planned to go today. Dr. Levine worked it out with the Rabbi so two students could do their site reports in the synagogue. When I walked in, I immediately saw the sacred cat, and the Rabbi started talking to me and Dr. Levine about how he had been searching all day for two kittens. He explained that the male cats try to kill the kittens so that the female cat will quit lactating so that she will be in heat again. He said he wasn't sure if they did this in America. He looked at me straight in the eyes and said, "You know it's a sex thing." So this was my first experience in the Greek synagogue. The Rabbi lectured us for about an hour, really more on Cretan history instead of Judaism. I was very attentive and impressed with his perfect English. He seemed around seventy years old and for some reason I enjoyed him more than the other students. He also smoked a pipe periodically throughout our visit. After the synagogue a bunch of us girls went to the same restaurant that we went to the first night we were here. You would think that was silly but it is very close to our hotel, and unlike American restaurants all of the Greek restaurants serve the same things. This time I ordered fried zucchini for an appetizer. It is much better than fried pickles. Austin showed up at the end of our meal to drink the white whiskey. He decided he didn't want to wake up tomorrow for his everyday 5:30 run to watch the sun come up. That boy has so much positive energy! Tomorrow we are leaving Chania and going to another city in Crete called Heraklion! Miss y'all.

XOXO,
Elizabeth

Alex went to Fayetteville High with me.

German Cemetery

 

Nicos the Rabbi. 

Fried Zucchini

Greek yogurt with raw honey

Raindrops in Crete

Shrimp in Garlic Sauce

Loukas and His Snails

Stuffed Potatoes 

Spicy Chicken Nuggets

Group at Dinner

Today was our first free day on the trip, and you have no idea how much we needed it. We slept in until around 9:00 and got ready to go shopping in Chania. My tiny shower must be broken because it has no water pressure at all and it's cold. Once i figured that out I ran up to Mary Louise's room to use hers. I would be the one with the broken shower. Yesterday on the bus ride in we noticed some cool boutiques and even Sephora. Our teachers told us of a large supermarket with tons of shops, but naturally we assumed they would be too touristy and annoying. So Mary Louise and I took off to the shops we found yesterday and we realized they weren't as cool as they looked. We asked one of the women working at Sephora where the large supermarket was and where we could get some food. In very broken English she pointed to where it was. I had a map in my purse but it was pretty pointless because they don't have traditional street signs. This supermarket she pointed to was actually a food market that smelled really bad and had raw meat everywhere and heads of pigs and calfs. I realized the woman was confused about me asking where I could get food too. It had some shops, but they were just your typical cheap touristy items. I believe supermarket is a very general term here. The building got really crowded and we realized it was because it started to rain outside. We bought matching leopard umbrellas for four euro each and walked back to our hotel pretty disappointed. We had a good lunch at a restaurant next to our hotel and then watched a few episodes of Desperate Housewives on the computer. My roommate and one of the other girls walked in a little while later and acted like they had such a good time shopping at the supermarket. We just thought they were weird and assumed we were just being snobs. We had planned to meet Austin at 5:30 to go this "phenomenal supermarket" and then out to dinner. Nathaniel's room is next to mine and Lindsey's, and I can hear Austin's loud mouth through the walls all the time because he's always in there. Austin came into my room at 5:30 on the dot with a bottle of wine opened and ready to pour. We wouldn't expect much else. We left for dinner and shopping, and I remembered the directions that Lindsey and Anna had given me earlier. Soon we started seeing all of these swanky, upscale restaurants along the water and a million cute little shops and signs with American food. Me and Mary Louise just looked at each other dumbfounded. We went East from our hotel earlier instead of West. We felt pretty stupid but we were so glad there was more to Chania than Sephora. The shops were better than most touristy shops in other countries and I can't wait to go back tomorrow to make purchases. Aunt Adele I will tell you that Austin got you a present that he is very proud of and I know you will enjoy it. All he's been talking about is trying to find a present for his mama. We saw some of our friends eating at a restaurant and decided to join them. And boy are we glad we did! Everyone always laughs at Mary Louise and I when we order food because I always order for the both of us and it's usually quite a lot. We ordered shrimp in garlic sauce, spicy chicken nuggets, stuffed mushrooms, and stuffed baked potatoes which are the same as a twice-baked potatoes. Jamie you really would have enjoyed this meal. All of the restaurants in Crete serve a complimentary dessert of their very strong white whiskey. They bring it out in a small pitcher and bring everyone a shot glass. I have yet to try it because I'm always too tired for alcohol, but if you can imagine Austin loves this "dessert." During the meal Mary Louise said, "I bet everyone on this trip thinks me and Elizabeth are so weird." Nathaniel responds, "No no not at all. You two compliment this group very well. You keep us from being too nerdy." Once again everyone starts laughing and if you knew Nathaniel's personality you would know that he was completely genuine. It started raining before we left and guess what? Wheeze and I left our new umbrellas back at the hotel! Real smart. Luckily it wasn't too far of a walk in the rain on the cobble stone streets. Mary Louise and I watched a little more of Desperate Housewives and mentally prepared ourselves for another day of sight seeing. Some of the group went to an optional Jewish church service with the teachers at 8:00. Dr. Levine saw me being skiddish about all the random cats here and he said, "Ellie I should let you know that there are cats in some of the synagogues. They are sacred and they do indeed belong there. I promise they are well-fed and sanitary." That was all he had to say for me to politely not attend the optional Jewish mass. Dr. Levine is Jewish by the way. I am thankful for the free wifi in this hotel despite the issue with the shower. It would have been nice to go to the beach on our free day since we are on an island but unfortunately I can't control the weather. It was probably best not to be in the sun because it does wear you out. I don't know what tomorrow will bring, but in some ways that's the fun in it!

XOXO,
Elizabeth

Greek Adventures

Notice the pebbles

Samarian Gorge

Calypso Restaurant

Mary Michael this horse is for you. The horses are for emergency injuries in the gorge.

Elaine's Beach...forgot the town's name

St. Mary's Look Alike

Climbing

Mary Louise and Demetrius

Eleutherai

Fried Calamari

View from behind Eleusis

Jamie this is the closest thing to a Razorback over here.

Poppies Everywhere

Yesterday morning we got up bright and early to eat breakfast and check out of the Herodion Hotel. A very nice charter bus was waiting for our group to drive us a little way out of Athens to Eleusis. Truthfully it was the the worst site we've seen so far. I know you all aren't worried about me being truthful, but it was strangely unmanicured and reminded me of Where the Wild Things Are. We got back on the bus and drove on the curviest roads out to a rural area and then stopped at a local yogurt place. The yogurt here is delicious, very tart and is served best with honey. While eating, we were talking to one of our friends Anna who mentioned studying abroad in Africa. I was like, "Oh wow Africa how was that?" She giggled and said, "Um I don't think you guys would like it very much." Everyone at the table just busted out laughing. She explained she stayed in a tent for a month and bathed twice. From there we took off hiking up a gravel road to Eleutherai, an old war fortification. I was stunned at the sight of it and we even climbed across the walls and towers. This was perfect because it was a learning experience, but we also got to engage in a fun activity. All of us loved it and I'm still thankful Austin didn't fall off the other side. He has no fear. Next we went to another war fort that was even more unmanicured than the first stop. By unmanicured I mean bushes, shrubs, weeds, wildflowers, and these awful prickly plants that are like miniature cactuses. The view was good from there but I don't think it was worth the knee-high hike through the weeds. There was a little tiny church up there, and by tiny I mean I had to duck to enter the door. Inside it was quaint and old, but there was a mural on the wall that reminded me of the one in St. Mary's in Helena. Unfortunately we had to hike back down the other side of the fort through even more weeds and thorns only to find that the taverna (restaurant) that we were going to wasn't open. If you can imagine Mary Louise was fiercely disappointed. This town was on the ocean and we actually compared it to Elaine, Arkansas. It was pretty but there was about one car on the road, two people on the beach, and one store that sold only ice cream bars, chips and beer. So for lunch we opted for Corona and pizza flavored Cheetos. The ocean was freezing so I only walked in a little ways. The beaches have pebbles instead of sand, which is pretty cool because I despise grainy sand. After the dip in the sea the bus drove us to board the ferry that was taking us to Crete over night. This ferry was more like a small cruise ship with pretty good food, but all we did was eat and sleep.

Today we woke up at 4:45 a.m. to be off the boat by 5:30 and back on another bus. The bus took us on more insanely curvy roads to a restaurant that was supposed to serve a "nice" breakfast. Each person was served an unpealed boiled egg and two small slices of rye bread. Once again Mary Louise was very disappointed. One of our friends said, "You guys are acting like the Simple Life," (show about Paris Hilton coming to Arkansas). I enjoyed my egg and hers and then the bus took us to the hiking entrance to the Samarian Gorge. It was very cold and even raining. I was acting like a baby and saying, "Oh hell no I'm not hiking in the rain for 15 kilometers." But off we went downhill on the rocky path in our rain jackets. Thankfully a girl named Allison had two backpacks and let me borrow one. I don't think my leopard Jessica Simpson tote would have been as suitable. It quit raining within the first 45 minutes, and as always Mary Louise and I were holding up the caboose of our group. A boy named Dylan is a new addition to the back of the group. His Greek name is Demetrius (mine is Ellie) and I don't call him anything but that. Our first conversation was about his love for Lady Gaga and his mannerisms and tone of voice reminds me of Zach Galifianakis. Austin stayed with Wheeze and I for the first half, but after a while I told him to go on because I knew he was itching for an adventure. Of course he and Nathaniel went off into the waterfalls and jumping over huge rocks. The teachers stayed with Mary Louise, Demetrius, and I. Don't worry they each had walking sticks and matching water proof outfits on; this was their eighth time through the gorge. We had a packed lunch, but the oranges over here are so juicy that I just ate a couple of those and a Snickers. There were water spouts everywhere to fill up our bottles, and instead of the latrines we chose to hide behind trees and rocks. This gorge reminded me of the Land Before Time movies and it was all rocks! If you looked away from the ground you'd trip and fall. Seven hours later we came to the end of the gorge, hurt feet and all when Mary Louise says, " This Gorg was not gorgeous!" Only she would say that, but we both really enjoyed it and were proud of ourselves undoubtedly. We had to walk a little ways on a dirt road next to sheep and goats that were on the other side of fences before we got to the next village. Collins I only thought of you.

 After the goats,rocky gorge and breakfast that seemed like it came from a barn, Crete actually turned into fabulous! Thavma is the Greek word for fabulous. We stopped at a restaurant next to the beach called Calypso that had ketchup, club sandwiches with mayonnaise , pizza and beer. The waiters spoke English and this time Mary Louise got some satisfaction. Then we layed on a nice beach in lawn chairs for about an hour. I was in heaven!! The people here just change from their clothes to their speedos or swimsuits on the beach. This custom is much different than the USA, and Mary Louise saw an old man's parts she didn't want to see. We got on a real ferry this time to go to another town in Crete because some of these beachy towns don't even have roads to get to them. In one of them I found sour candy and purchased all they had. 

Tonite we are in Chania, Crete and will be for the next few days. Our dinner here tonite was yummy and I already like Crete more than Athens. Tomorrow we have a free day! You know that means time for shopping and laying out! Sorry this was so long but it covers two days because we didn't have wifi on the boat!

XOXO,

Ellie 

More from Athens...

Today was another busy day as a study abroad student. Breakfast at seven thirty and out the door by eight thirty for some intense sight seeing. We started at the Theatre of Dionysus and then walked to the Athenian Agora. This is where I did my first site report on the Stoa of Attalos, an ancient shopping center. Don't get too excited when I say shopping, because it's really just an old-fashion market place except now its actually a museum. I was really glad to get one of my reports out of the way though. After the Athenian Agora we had a delicious lunch. I ordered a chicken gyro, cucumber tomato salad, and a pepsi lite (diet coke). Next we got on the metro so that one of the guys could do a report on it. All of this lasted until about four o'clock and this is when I got tired and cranky. We then went to the Acropolis Museum. Of course we were there for two and  half hours looking at ancient marble sculptures from the Acropolis. Keep in mind we had already been to the real Acropolis yesterday, but this is the place where most of the pieces are preserved and on display. The building was huge and modern with clear glass floors, but by six o'clock I was so over it. 

Mary Louise and I usually are at the back of the group. I guess we walk slow? We just stay back there and giggle. Austin has started to come back there to boost us along. A couple things I have noticed while being over here is that the public restrooms are much cleaner than the USA and their generic handsoap actually smells good. I'm probably the only one that noticed that, but mother I'm sure you're glad I'm washing my hands. Also there are a bunch of well-fed stray dogs everywhere. We think Mayor Valley sent them over here. They never bark or annoy anyone they're just asleep or wandering everywhere. OK and for all of you Chaco lovers out there, I think high heels are more comfortable. I'm very disappointed because I've never heard a bad thing about these shoes but Mary Louise and I both have blisters, not to mention their pretty hideous not to be comfortable. After the sight seeing Mary Louise, Austin, Nathaniel and I went to a restaurant our teachers recommended. Nathaniel is Austin's blonde, German twin. They are the same height, and if you can believe it he eats even more than Austin and is more into the Greek history. Me and Wheeze laugh at them constantly. 

I have to pack up a little to leave tomorrow to go to some mountain and then catch an over night ferry to Crete. Me and wheeze don't even have time to watch our Desperate Housewives obsession and sadly sour candy is no where to be found. Gelato does the trick I guess. More to come soon.

XOXO,

Elizabeth

Athenian Agora

                                                      

Stoa of Attalos, Doric Column

                               

Stoa of Attalos

  

Lunch

                                                                

Chicken gyro, tomoato cucumber salad

       

Nathaniel and Austin

                               

Darling little room

                                     

GREECE

Well I can't believe I finally made it to Greece after all of my silly hesitations. Athens is an extremely large city and everything looks very old, and I mean EVERYTHING. When we got off the plane we took a thirty minute train ride on what they call the Metro into the city to our hotel, the Herodion. Our hotel is quite lovely. It has little tiny balconies, hot pink curtains, nice bath tubs, hot water, and of course wifi. If you can imagine all of these things suit my needs. The hotel also has a very good complimentary breakfast; much better than the USA. This leads me to the food. Let's just say Greek food isn't my favorite but the salads are amazing. I like all of the food it just doesn't completely satisfy my hunger. I can barely read the menu and it is all very much the same type of food everywhere. The first night we had a welcome dinner which started off with wine and bread, followed by a salad, various appetizers, and your choice of beef or chicken. This meal was delicious however when it came to lunch I wasn't looking forward to having the same thing. This evening Mary Louise and I ventured off to a hard rock cafe in need of some fully loaded nachos and a margarita. We were a little worried that it is only the second day and we already want American food. Afterwards I got gelato at a shop close by our hotel.

Now I'm sure you are wondering about the sight seeing. It's very tiring and often boring. As for today we saw the Arch of Hadrian, Olympian Temple of Zeus, some Jewish museum, the Roman Agora, and the Acropolis. I'm actually surprised I remember all of those things, but the Acropolis was by far my favorite. We had to hike quite far to get up there and of course it's just a bunch of marble structures and columns but the view is absolutely breath taking.

The weather is perfect and not as humid as I thought. Today was so windy and Mary Louise and I were having to make sure our dresses didn't blow up. Early in the morning we walked over an air vent on accident and I think all eight lanes of the road saw parts of our butts. We only thought of Marilyn Monroe. I will say that Austin definitely keeps Wheeze and I laughing. He is always smiling and is really into all the history. We are just glad someone is. He is very energetic and just came into my room to make sure wheeze and I made it back from Hard Rock. He has been taking tons of pictures and has actually settled down from all the wine drinking. Tomorrow I make my first site report and hopefully that goes well!

XOXO, Elizabeth

Welcome Dinner

 
                                

Arch of Hadrian

Mom these roses are for you.

                                                      

                            

                                

Acropolis

                                    

                                        

My teacher

                                                    

Mary Louise, Sarah, and I

                            

Parthenon