Updated Itinerary!

I got my itinerary!  Here it is!

May 23rd: Leave home

May 25: Arrive in Athens

May 26: Acropolis and Acropolis Museum

May 27: Agora, Roman Forum, Byzantine Church of Plaka, Ottoman Bazaar, Modern Bazaar.  (big day!)

May 28: War Museum and Old Parliament

May 29: Leave Athens, go to Myconos.

June 1: Leave Myconos, go to Syros.

June 2: Return to Athens

June 3: Kesariani Monastery and Skopeftirio.

June 4: Byzantine and Benaki Museum.

June 5: To Nauplio.

June 6: To Sparta.

June 7: To Monemvasia.

June 8: To Gytheio.

June 9: To Gerolimenas.

June 10: Return to Athens!

June 11: Day Trip to Marathon, Lavrio and Sounio.

June 12: Jewish Museum Rembetica.

June 17: Acropolis and Agora.

June 18: National Museum.

June 19: To Delphi!!!

June 21: Return to Athens.

June 23: Back to the Acropolis!

June 24: Agora and Kerameikos

June 26: To Loutraki.

June 29: To Olympia.

June 30: Back to Athens.

thats all I know so far.  I'll post july itinerary later.

<3  ViVi

Soooo this summer I'll be living in Athens.  I started thinking about it last fall when I was desperate to get back to Europe.  I have always wanted to go to Greece ever since the 4th grade when I memorized my giant encyclopedia of Greek mythology.  So last fall I started researching programs in Greece ranging from archeological digs to language intensives.  I found a program that is perfect for me!  It lasts 9 weeks, based in Athens, but travels ALL over, and focuses on art, culture etc, all that interesting stuff.  I apparently will have a shared apartment in the neighborhood behind the ancient Olympic Stadium.

So I leave on May 23rd!  I got a great deal on my ticket because my very generous parents donated their frequent flyer miles.  (anything to get me out of the house??? Just kidding love you)  So my ticket was a steal but its taking me 2 days to get to Athens.  2 days.

The cool part is that I have a loooong layover in NYC and since spending the entire day people watching in JFK would be pretty entertaining, but I would much rather spend the day at the MoMA.  So somehow I'll make it to Mecca to see my first Kirchner and FINALLY see Matisse's Dance...I could go on but I get too excited and this is only the layover, not the trip.

So I go from NYC to London and then finally I make it to Athens, where I have no idea what will happen.  I'm hoping the program will give me an address of where I need to go or pick me up or something!  cross your fingers.  mom dont worry!

So I'll be in Greece till the end of July.  Here is a list of everywhere I'll visit:

• Athens...duh
• Samos
• Olympia
• Delphi
• Isthmia
• Nemea
• Corinth
• Sparta
• Messene
• Battle site of Marathon
• Battle site of Thermopylai
• Mount Hymettos
• Samos
• Ephesos, Turkey
• Priene, Turkey
• Miletus, Turkey

Also not on the list but I'm going there anyway, Aegina and Knossos.

So the program ends at the end of July, when I will be traveling to Rome, because I have to see the Pantheon, and also would like to stop by Pompeii, then up to Paris, because I have to.  Also planning on spending a day in London to see the Elgin Marbles, because that is the topic of my my senior thesis....So then I'm home to the US of A on August 16th.

So thats my great trip!  I hope you will read my blog entries and keep tabs on me, and leave me some comments!

Love, and P.P.L,

V