Oles in Greece 2020

We finished our touring yesterday, and today is a travel day for many of us as we head home or continue our time in Europe. Greece has been an incredible experience and certainly one I will remember and cherish for years to come! 

Many of us left the hotel at 3AM to head to the airport, though a few folks did get to sleep in 🙂 Most students are returning to Minneapolis, but others are heading to other places they call home and still others are enjoying the opportunity to continue their breaks in Europe by going to places including Italy and the UK. 

The sunrise at the airport this morning

As I look back on this travel experience, a few special days stick out to me: meeting the nuns at St Paul, enjoying the orange farm, and seeing George pull phyllo in Crete. I’ve loved getting to know my classmates, Jason, and our sassy and fun guide, Gabriella, over this month. One of my favorite Gabriella out of context quotes (there are sooooo many, she’s a hilarious woman) is: military historians probably have an orgasm [at Marathon] or something! 

For me personally, this trip has been a wonderful opportunity to understand the context and meaning of the New Testament on a deeper level. I have grown up with a Christian background, but lost touch with the church as I saw some Christians justify oppressions and imperialism with the Bible. Now, I can fully appreciate the Bible’s context, which helps reveal many of the ways the Early Jesus Movement responded to Rome and allows me to find calls of anti-imperialism and liberation throughout the pages of the New Testament. I know for many of us, this trip was a particularly tangible way to understand the context of the New Testament, as seeing how religion was incorporated into every part of the Greco-Roman world and visiting the ancient sites where Paul wrote to gave us new insights into the Bible and Early Jesus Movement. 

Yesterday, in class, our amazing professor Jason told us that although it might feel like we are done traveling, we are taking a journey to go back home. And once we arrive, we can continue to explore new facets of our identities and learn about the wonderful world around us: this might feel like an ending but it is only the beginning of a long adventure. 

We arrived via the ferry from Crete at 7 am to begin our free day in Athens. We were woken up early by the loudspeakers, but people where excited to get off and be on solid ground. While some of us where low on sleep we still made the best of the time we had left in Greece. Some people went to enjoy a Turkish bath house for some rejuvenation. There was lots of shopping to be had and last-minute souvenirs to buy. There was also a little time to get some homework done at the hotel and coffee shops (those final papers won’t write themselves!). Also, some of us went on hikes and nature walks through the national botanical garden. All in all, a very good free day!

In the evening we had our last class together where we reflected on the trip and what we learned both relating to the course and ourselves. It was a great way to reflect together and remember everything we have done this month. Finally, we ended the night with one last group dinner when we had to say goodbye to our guide Gabriella who has been with us on the journey. It was a very bittersweet dinner with laughs and some tears. After dinner we hung out in the hotel enjoying our last night together. To end with a quote from Dr. Seuss, “Don’t cry because it is over, smile because it happened”

– Anna Bock

By: Nadeen Bunkers

Today we boarded the bus at 9 am and drove an hour to the Gortyna Archaeological Site. We have grown accustomed to meeting plenty of cats and dogs on our travels, but today we met a new species: a snail! After taking pictures of him/her, we ventured around the site. Gabriele, our tour guide, said that across the street in an olive grove were remains of temples, bath houses, and other things dating back to Roman times. Located at the bottom of the acropolis of Gortyna was a theater dated to first century AD. Although we could not sit in the theater as we have done with other theaters we have visited throughout this trip, it was still very cool to look at and learn about. The theater was remodeled so many times that historians have trouble deciphering which aspects were added from which era. Behind the theater a bit was the oldest preserved law inscription in Europe. Rather than being read right to left or left to right, it alternated such that you had to read it in a zig zag. We learned a bit of biology at this site as well. We saw a plane tree which doesn’t lose its leaves in the winter and can be over 1,000 years old! Though the one we saw was only a few hundred years old. They grow in the most fertile part of Crete, in the biggest plane in the entire island.

We then drove 20 minutes to Faistos (our last archaeological site!) where we saw the remains of a large Minoan palace. Contrary to other renovations we have seen at other sites, the renovations done to this prehistoric site were for preservation rather than to aid in the interpretation of the setting. Here we saw remains of houses from the Hellenistic era of 3rd and 2nd century BC, the oldest writing example in European history, and another non-cat/dog friend: a toad! There were many cats on the site we befriended as well, but we had to protect the toad from them. We then drove about 5 kilometers to the beach town of Matala, which was beautiful and a nice break and end to our day of touring.

When we got back to Heraklion, we all went our separate ways until meeting at 6:00 pm to board the overnight ferry. Some chose to explore the vessel, others did homework, and the remaining (including myself) chose to go to bed as early as possible to hopefully avoid sea sickness and/or get enough sleep before our 2 am flight home on Wednesday!

On our way to our last archaeological site, Knossus, we chose the song “Here Comes the Sun” in honor of our amazing tour guide Gabriella! Knossus is the largest Bronze Age civilization on Crete and the oldest city in Europe. The great palace is the center of Minoan civilization, which includes monumental stonework, beams, pillars, large clay pots in storerooms, and ancient depictions of people in various poses. We learned that Knossos is the very place King Minos dwelled in Greek mythology!

Afterwards, we traveled to the Archaeological Museum of Heraklion. It houses numerous artifacts from all periods of Cretan history, covering the span of about five thousand years. The collections exhibited include Cretan art found in excavations. There was a large emphasis on objects from the prehistoric times and Minoan period. These objects were beautiful pottery, stone objects, small sculptures, metal objects, and wall paintings.

We also stopped by the Agios Titus Church. It was formerly a mosque built in
the 19th century and is now an important Greek orthodox church in the name of
St. Titus. At the end of the day, Gabriella conducted a walking tour around Heraklion. She spoiled us with delicious Bougatsa, a sweet (or salty) traditional pastry, at a nearby restaurant and called it a day.

By: Jamie Cha

Today we started our day by visiting Kanakis Olive Oil Mill near Chania, Crete. The Boundourakis family started their business over ten years ago. We learned the process of production of olive oil which starts with the cleaning of the olives, then the pitting. There were various machines that beat the olives in order to separate the oil. We learned that there are different kinds of olive oil and that they specialize in extra virgin olive oil. The man leading the tour let us try his olive oil that he garnished with salt and lemon. It tasted amazing and inspired many of us to purchase the mill’s products as souvenirs and gifts.

We then visited a Venetian fortress in Rethymno, Crete. It was built by the Venetians and took seven years to finish. It was taken over by the Ottoman Empire 1645 and attacked by pirates which led to destruction and reconstruction. It housed Mosques and Catholic Churches with its various owners and today, there still remains evidence of the original Ottoman built minaret. It is unique for its hexagonal shape created strategically for protection. With a view of the city of Rethymno and the sea in the background, Ben performed his declamation of a Timothy chapter in the Bible. After, we all enjoyed the view and took many, many photos.

We were lucky enough to then visit a filo factory owned by a very charming Mr. George. He had been perfecting the craft of making filo since he was just twelve years old in 1946. It took him years to get the right proportion of ingredients (salt, flour, and water) to achieve the perfect dough. He demonstrated how he spreads out the dough to a very thin layer that stretched across a large table, and showed us the different ways film can be served. They were generous enough to let us try their Baklava and it was amazing. We walked around Rethymno for a little until we all spread out for lunch. We then drove to Heraklion where we checked into a new hotel. What a day!

By: Linnea Cheek

Today we woke up in Thessaloniki and walked to the Jewish Museum. This museum had not been destroyed in the Great Fire of 1917 in Thessaloniki which made the architecture older than a lot of the city. Inside, out guide told us about the flourishing Jewish community that had lived in the central part of the city. During World War 2, Germany invaded Greece and Nazi forces occupied Thessaloniki. There had been over 54,000 Jewish people in the city and over 90% of them were killed in concentration camps. There was a record showing that 17 transports of the Jewish community to Auschwitz had taken place in Thessaloniki. The museum had an exhibit about the children during the war, and it said that before the war there had been over 10,000 Jewish kids, and after there were only 58 left. These numbers had a big impact on us, along with a room of all the names of the Thessaloniki Jews that had died during the war.

After the museum, we took the bus to Pella, the birthplace of Alexander the Great. We visited the museum where we heard a declamation about the death of Alexander. We talked about Alexander and how he got the legacy of being “The Great”. Having conquered the Persian Empire and Asia Minor, Alexander died at the age of 32 of a fever. Due to the conquering, the Greek culture was spread throughout the empire, which is why the New Testament was written in Greek! The museum was filled with artifacts from the time of Alexander’s birth and life, along with a very fascinating exhibit about women of the time. We then went over to the archeological site of the ancient agora of Pella. There was a bathhouse that was being excavated where we could actually see the stone bath tubs that people had used! Pella had been a coastal city but the coastline changed after many years. But, because of the sea being close during the peak of Pella, there were many shells mixed into the stones that created the stoa and temples. We had a great (hee hee) time seeing where this legendary figure had been born and learning about how Alexander became Great.

By: Kate Harpstead

We began our first (and only) full day in Chania, Crete with a walking tour of the Old Town. The Old Town is full of little streets and alleys that we began exploring last night as we tried to find the hotel after dinner, but this morning, we got to see them in the daylight and get our bearings. Our tour guide, Gabrielle, led us into the market building across from our hotel which was full of olives, traditional cheeses, and Cretan bananas. She told us that another traditional Cretan dish is snails with rosemary and ham, which our class seemed to have mixed opinions on! We also saw an old minaret, a type of tower that is built next to mosques.

Then we stopped at the Archeological Museum of Chania to learn more about the first high civilization of Europe, the Minoan civilization in Crete (from around 2700 – 1100 BCE). One of my favorite things that we saw in this museum was a big glass case that was full of differently sized clay statues of bulls! These bulls used to be in an open air sanctuary to Poseidon – Gabrielle told us that bulls can represent many deities, including Poseidon, as well as strength and fertility. We’ve seen more columns and pots on this trip than we can count, but this was our first time seeing tons of clay bulls!

Next, we went to the Etz Hayyim Synagogue to learn about Jewish history in Crete. We were able to visit a Jewish Museum back in Thessaloniki but this was our first (and maybe only) synagogue visit so it was exciting and interesting to see. Etz Hayyim was originally a Catholic Church but during the Ottoman Empire’s rule of Crete in the 17th century, it was converted into a synagogue. We learned about the Cretan Jewish population and World War II. During the Nazi occupation of Crete, everything in the synagogue was destroyed so what we were able to see today was rebuilt from donations from people around the world in the late 90s. We also learned about the differences in synagogue layouts between the Sephardic, Ashkenazi, and Romaniote traditions of Jewish people.

We finished our touring for the day by driving out to the Agia Triada Tzagaroli Monastery which was beautiful and home to many cats! The monks at this monastery have their own vineyards and sheep. We toured their church and were also able to see their old olive press machine. Then we had the afternoon free so a few of us got falafel, sweets, and then went back to the hotel to finish some homework before class tonight. Chania is beautiful and although we’ll be sad to leave, we’re excited to venture to another Cretan city, Heraklion, tomorrow! 

By: Zipi Diamond

Hello from Crete! Today was a busy travel day for us. We started the morning in Thessaloniki, which is a large northern city in Greece, and after two flights and some bus rides, we arrived in Chania, Crete early this afternoon! 

Crete is the largest and most populous of the Greek islands, and has a population of around 630,000 people. Crete is important for many reasons in our studies. Chania was the center of Minoan society from around 2700-1420 BC, and the island has seen a great amount of empirical takeover, from the Minoans to the Mycenaeans, to the Romans, to the Byzantines, to the Venetians, to the Ottomans. 

There are two major cities in Crete: the island region’s capital city, Heraklion, and the beautiful coastal city, Chania. Chania is surrounded on one side by the Lefka Ori mountain range, and surrounded on the other side by the Aegean sea.

Once we arrived in Chania, we met our bus driver, Nikos, and he took us to our hotel, where had some free time before class. Groups of us went to the sea and went for a quick swim, others walked around Chania’s old town, looking into shops and stopping for a late lunch or snack. At our group dinner this evening, we enjoyed a selection of fresh seafood from a local restaurant. 

We are looking forward to our final week here in Greece exploring this beautiful island!

By: Teresa Fawcett

Today we made the long trip to Phillipi to visit the ruins of the old city where Paul wrote to the Philippian Christian community. The bus ride was long and many of us took the time to take some very desired naps but it was worth it to see such a historical site. As someone who has studied Paul’s ministry on several occasions, I’ve enjoyed the chances this trip has given us to attempt to understand the world and communities to which he was writing. Within the ruins of the ancient city was a jail cell where they have placed a sign that says “The Prison of Saint Paul”. Although they have no way of knowing that this was where he was held, the sign was a reminder of the context in which Paul was writing, as a prisoner under the Roman empire.

We also visited the site that is believed to be the location of Lydia’s baptism who is widely believed to be the first woman in Europe to convert to Christianity. Her baptism is recounted in the book of Acts and seeing this site and the beautiful church that has been built there was a fascinating experience (plus the adorable dogs that followed us from the ruins of the city were an added bonus). After a late lunch we began the long bus ride back to Thessaloniki and had our class on the road where we further discussed Paul’s letter to the Philippians and the many different ways we can critique and understand it especially now that we had seen Philippi for ourselves and have gained a deeper understanding of its historical significance.

– Juliet Morrison

Today we had a free day in Thessaloniki! Quite a few of us decided to sleep in a little this morning (I even heard murmurs of room service escapades). I spearheaded a little jaunt to the White Tower, a cultural landmark of the city. The current structure, built by the Ottoman Empire sometime after 1430, replaced a Byzantine fortification that had previously stood in the same spot. During the rule of the Ottomans, the tower was used as a place of execution, and legend says that the tower used to be stained red with blood until a prisoner whitewashed the entire structure to earn his freedom. While this was most definitely not the case, it makes for a great story!

Much of the rest of the day was spent in either restaurants or stores, of which there are many. From jorts to jeans, even the most stoic of our classmates enjoyed trying on European fashion items. We were all surprised to find the city alive and bustling all afternoon, as we have grown accustomed to the siesta culture found in smaller towns. We had fun all day trying to pinpoint the quintessential Greek look, but were hard pressed to find a consistent example in the people passing by.

Later in the evening, my roommate and I found ourselves having a little date at a charming restaurant off the beaten path. It was there that we met an incredibly friendly Greek man who teased her about not being able to finish off her meal. This was not the first time we had experienced something like this, as leftovers don’t seem to be as much of a cultural staple here as they are in the states.

Overall, today was lovely! It was nice to be able to control our schedule for a day amidst the hustle and bustle of our coursework. I know many of my classmates took the day to catch up on rest, relaxation, and laundry. Tomorrow promises to more odor-free, and full of new adventures!

– Joanna Hancock