National Archeologial Museum

After finally conquering the bus system, Lindsey, Gracie and I ventured into Athens to visit the National Archeological museum. The National Archeological Museum holds the best collection of ancient Greek art and artifacts. We used Rick Steves' museum tour, which follows the art chronologically . 

A frying pan from 3000 BC 

It begins with the Cycladic figurines.  These figurines were mostly discovered in the Cycladic Islands, such as Santorini and Mykonos and other smaller islands in that area.   They are all of the same straight straight straight straight straight female figure and the room held hundreds of them of all different sizes. The earliest ones were less detailed and the more decorated ones were created later. In the next set of rooms were the Mycenaean artifacts and the most famous, the mask of Agamemnon. I was more interested in the decorative gold jewelry and crowns.

                  

We continued on with We the tour, going through the rooms and seeing how Greek art evolved and changed through the different empires that inhabited the region.   Another striking piece of art was the Artemision Bronze. It could be either It Zeus throwing a thunderbolt or Poseidon his trident throwing, whatever it was was not found.   One of the most interesting aspects of this statue is its' proportions. Shaped like an X, a perfect circle could be drawn around the figure.

An ancient game of field hockey

Another really beautiful piece of art I liked was one we could not take photos of. Santorini sits on a volcano and during one eruption, huge frieze was covered, kind of like Pompeii. You could still see the pigment in the plaster! After that, through a we walked room with thousands of vases, and then headed back to look at more art of different Greek gods and goddesses as well as rooms full of gold jewelry and crowns. Could I totally see myself wearing a gold crown of leaves J

The museum was huge and we could have 

Spent several hours I more there. I'm guessing 

I'll be back when I host friends and family, 

so I will definitely be seeing more of the 

museum again!

Acropolis and Museum Tour

We started our tour of the Acropolis early at the museum. Our tour guide began inside for two reasons. The first was that it was hot, and we could spend more time inside the air conditioning, and the second was so she could show us all the features of the Acropolis and then on our tour, we would have background information about what we were seeing. Going early to avoid crowds and some of the heat was good, but I also would like to go back in the evening, just before the sun sets and they light up the monuments. 

When we first walked into the museum, the tour guide described how the Acropolis changed over time, as Greece went through the hands of different rulers and religions. The models on the first floor of the museum allow you to easily see the transitions. 

Leggo model of the Acropolis

We then walked up a ramp, as if we were walking up the slope of the Acropolis itself. See the gallery here. The entire museum is set up in a way that mimics the real experience of the Acropolis. In a transparent part of the floor, there were dishes found under an ancient home. These dishes were given as a sacrifice when the house was built and they were laid into the floor of the New Acropolis Museum for the same reason. On the left of the ramp were several vases made for weddings. Water from the vase would be used to shower the bride on her wedding day. The vases would then be offered to the goddess Athena on top of the Acropolis. 

Dye used to color the marble statues

Once you get up the ramp, the room to the right is set up as if we were standing on the Acropolis. There are small marble statues of girls, facing all directions. On the Acropolis, these would also have been offered to the goddess Athena. 

Erechtheion

My favorite part of the museum was the Parthenon Gallery. The Parthenon is what I think of when I picture the Acropolis. It is set up as if you were around the Parthenon itself, with the same dimensions, and the frieze elevated to the same height it would be on the monument. It brings the Parthenon's features to life in a unique way so you are able to see it in detail up close. On each end, the statues that sat in the pediments are displayed in the pieces the museum has recovered. The East depicts the birth of Athena, and the West the battle for the title of the city. 

Our group on the way up!

After touring the museum, we headed up to the Acropolis, which actually means, "high city," and encompasses the hill and all of the structures on top. The ticket for the Acropolis also covers other sites nearby and is valid for four days. It was HOT, but the vending machines with water right after the entrance are the cheapest in Athens, only 0.35 euro!

In the middle of the city you can see the Temple of Zeus

Walking up the steps and seeing the entire city sprawled out below and ancient ruins everywhere I looked was indescribable. One thing the guide said that intrigued me was how the Greeks reconstructed the temples. She pointed out that without reconstruction, the pieces would just be lying on the ground and you wouldn't be able to see what they looked like or experience them the way they were built. 

The Acropolis is somewhere I see myself going back over and over when friends and family come to visit and there will always be something new for me to notice and learn!

Fulbrighters at the Parthenon!

It's official, I'm teaching middle school!

We got our placements and I could not be more thrilled to be teaching middle school at Athens College! Learn more about Athens College here. Next week, I will be going into the English classes at Athens College middle school (which they call gymnasium) and I'll be able to talk more about my role in the school in the next couple weeks.

Benaki - The building that houses the two high schools.
The Benaki family also donated many museums throughout Athens. 

Front of the The kindergarten,
the building is shaped like a dolphin,
with this fountain as its eye. 

Between today and when I arrived in Greece, I have been kept very busy. We had orientations learning about the different potential placements and touring the campus and the two off-campus elementary schools. We also went to the Fulbright offices in downtown Athens, toured the Acropolis, and did a scavenger hunt around the city, which I will write another post about. 


I am living on campus. Psychico and Athens Colleges are in Psychico, a suburb about 20 minutes from downtown Athens. It is very safe, with guards at all of the doors. No students live on campus, just us and the president! The house I'm in is called Darbyshire, Darby for short, and it houses 8 of the other Fulbright women. My room probably used to be an office; it has an entire wall of shelves and another wall of windows and a door (locked) to the patio outside. It's cute and I'm hoping to make it feel more like home with pictures and maybe some washi tape :) Our house sits on the school's on campus in between the new kindergarten center and the president of the college's house . A few houses down Mimi house is, where two other fellows live and the rest live off campus in Halandri, a nearby suburb. 

Outside of Darby

I can't wait to meet the kids and be able to tell you more about my role as a Fulbright ETA!

Here I Go Again On My Own!

Hello! Welcome to my blog, where I hope to update readers on what my school year teaching in Greece entails! If you don't already know, I have been given an incredible opportunity to teach at a Greek and American school in a suburb of Athens for the next 10 1/2 months. You can read more about me and the grant I was awarded here, here, and here. Although this blog will contain many elements of my time as a Fulbright Fellow in Greece, the thoughts and views expressed here will be all my own and not those of the U.S. Department of State, the Fulbright Program, HAEF, or IIE.

One goal I have for this year is to experience the culture shock and immersion that my ESL students feel when they enter the United States. I think this will help me to relate better to my students, and when I return to my own classroom, I will be better equipped to help them learn English successfully.

Another goal I have is to learn what works in the Greek education system. What differences are there that add to the success of their students on a daily basis? I think this will be invaluable as a beginning teacher and I hope to return to teaching back home ready to incorporate the best of the Greek and American education practices.

Finally, I am intent on exploring Greece. During my time abroad in Ireland for one semester, I had the opportunity to travel all over the country. I hope to do the same in Greece and explore as much as I can during my time there!

Stay tuned for more updates as I begin my packing process and prepare to get on a plane in less than a month!

Stella