Greece!

Studying in Siena, Italy has allowed me to meet many amazing people from all over the world. One of our classmates, Konstantina, is from Greece. She studied in Siena for two months and we became good friends during that time. From April 19^th to April 22^nd, a friend and I spent a long weekend with her in Thessaloniki, Greece! We learned some Greek along the way and I would like to learn the Greek alphabet so that when I return to Greece, maybe I can understand more! Greece is a beautiful country. Yes, there is an economic crisis right now, but that doesn’t take away from the beauty and culture of the country.

There are no words to describe the taste of  Greek food. Greek salad made with tomatoes, cucumbers, green peppers, and feta is so fresh and delicious! We had it both homemade and from a restaurant and they were both equally delectable. We ate out and Konstantina’s mother cooked for us. We dined on fresh feta cheese, creamy tzatziki salad, steaming souvlaki, which is spiced,meat on a skewer, tender lamb, and triopita. Triopita is a feta cheese pie made with filo dough. We had it for breakfast every day and I could continue eating it every day! The flaky crust and warm feta inside makes for a delicious dish any time of day or night. Dessert is complimentary at restaurants and you get free water wherever you go: restaurant, bar, or café.

We visited the Royal Tomb of Phillip II in Vergina, the town next to Konstantina’s home town of Veria. The tomb is now a museum but the original headstones, jewels, and even cloth are well preserved from 300 B.C. It was not raided by grave diggers so everything was perfectly preserved. We even saw burned animal bones and food from 300 B.C.! The marble entrances to the chambers are also maintained in this underground museum.

Have you ever heard of Sakis Rouvas? Well, he is one of the most famous Greek singers and we got to go to one of his concerts! Often times, large bars will have famous singers preform on Friday and Saturday nights. There are tables and chairs around a small stage and it is common to buy a tray of flowers to throw at the singer. We went on the 20^th to his concert and danced the night away with a bachelorette party! It was so much fun and a great part of the Greek culture. I still cannot believe we saw Sakis!

 

 

Overall, we had a fantastic time in Greece! The weather was either sunny or partly cloudy all weekend. It was in the 60s during the day and 50s during the nights (Fahrenheit of course!) and we saw many beautiful cities around Thessaloniki. I can't wait to go back!