January 4th

Today was one of my favorite days on the trip! Right as we started off, the sun was out and shining. It was the warmest day we’ve had during our time in Greece so far. The first stop we went to was Mars Hill – just a short walk from our hotel with the most beautiful view of the city. The “hill” is actually a giant rock formation that overlooks all of Athens and the mountains that surrounds it. This is the exact location where Paul did his Areopagus sermon, discussing the dangers of idolatry and the corruption that filled the city during this time. The Acropolis stands directly behind the hill, emphasizing the pressures felt by an advancing empire and those grappling for power amidst the speech. Our next stop was Agora, a space used as a residential, commercial, or assembly gathering place. We walked through many alleys and side roads to get here, a very scenic tour of the city. Artisans and local restaurants stood left and right off the road, with some of the coolest art I’ve ever seen painted on the walls we walked past. Agora looked like a modern botanical garden – many of us were shocked at the number of plants that were able to stay so green and lush during Greece’s winter months. The area was scattered with different structures, statues, and one of the best preserved temples in the country. Dedicated to Athena and the God of metal workers, the Temple of Hephaestus is standing in it’s full form with only a few spots showing it’s weathered conditions. Cats were roaming around Agora – it felt like a dream to walk through. We wrapped up this site by visiting a small museum tied to the space. The final stop in our day was Kerameikos, known as the “potter’s center” of the city. It has an important cemetery with large gravestones, an old bath house, and other structures that have turned to rubble over time. This was one of my favorite days, where I was able to visit breathtaking archaeological sites and spend time in the sunshine with my classmates!