Tuesday, June 24

Departure from Residences, Corinth Canal stop

Arrival, Experiential Language Class, Sightseeing

Lunch at restaurant in Nafplion

Palamidi Castle visit

Souvlaki and World Cup evening at the residences

 

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Today was another great day, as have been all days on this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity of a trip. We woke up extra early this morning to head off to Nafplio, which is a 3 hour drive from the residences. When we got off the bus, we arrived at a beautiful port with crystal blue water and sailboats. The scene made me super nostalgic for our amazing sailing trip this past weekend. After, we were lucky enough to visit the Harvard University center for Hellenic Studies. We strolled around the picturesque streets and shopped a bit for souvenirs, gifts, and more. Nafplio is an incredible city with an extremely European vibe. It reminded me a lot of Spain, Germany, Austria, and Italy. We interacted with the locals and used as much Greek as possible as we bought different things. Then we ate lunch at another Taverna. The lamb was delicious. It fell right off the bone. Finally we grabbed some gelato from the one authentic Italian ice cream shop. As we were eating our gelato in the plaza, we broke out in casual song as one of the members of our group strummed on his guitar. We did this at the taverna too and it’s become a signature part of our daily routine. It was honestly so refreshing to be able to just randomly start singing and playing guitar at a restaurant, something that would be unheard of back in the states. That’s one of my favorite parts of the Greek lifestyle. After the gelato, we visited the Palamidi castle which also had wonderful views of the city and the ocean. Finally we came back to the residences, had free time, and we just finished enjoying souvlaki for dinner. Now it’s time to watch the World Cup game. Go Greece!

Karina Camargo

 

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The rapid pace of our Heritage Greece trip settled into a rhythm that let us all become immersed in the Greek culture of Nafplio. Our day began with traveling to the Corinthian Canal where we got to take a few photos before arriving to Nafplio. We experienced a great change in the atmosphere between the areas we’ve traveled to. While Athens is exciting with many people and must-see places and activities, walking off the bus in Nafplio immediately gave us a new perspective on Greece. The atmosphere immediately was one of a slower pace and, somehow, it led us to appreciate our heritage even more. Our stroll in Nafplio was ornamented with a charm that can’t be found anywhere else in the world. The colors of the buildings were several vibrant shades of white, blue, pink, and orange among many other colors. The drive back to Athens along the sea was just as breathtaking as the day had been. Each day this experience continues to teach us something and it could never be compared to anything else.

Sarah Gianopoulos

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On Tuesday, we stopped at the Corinth Canal and then went to Nafplio.  The straight cut of the canal was breathtaking and quite impressive.  After seeing the canal, we went to Nafplio, which reminded me of Italy.  In Nafplio we shopped, ate a delicious lunch, and saw the Palamidi Castle.  We also enjoyed taking a break for icecream and singing together.  Nafplio was quite unique as the buildings lining the streets were all different colors.  Also, many of the shops had plants with hot pink and white flowers climbing up the buildings.  We all enjoyed the unique, calm atmosphere of Nafplio!

Thea Gergoudis

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Today we went to Ναύπλιο on the beautiful mainland of Greece. By looking at the itinerary, many would cringe at the sight of seeing a 2 1/2 hour bus ride, but this was defiantly worth it.
Upon arrive we could see our reflection of our bus in the water from the crystal blue sea. It looked almost like a clear glass as you could see the fish swimming at the bottom. We enjoyed a bountiful lunch from a Creatian tavern. I was fortunate to meet the owner, who happened to be just another great and friendly Greek that is seen throughout all of the Hellenic Republic. I started speaking almost 5 weeks ago. But as time went on I was able to pick up conversation more easily. Halfway through our chatter I thought to myself, “Am I really speaking Greek to someone when I just learned the language?” I was. How cool is this experience?
Above all it turned out to be a great day. We even got a chance to go up to Palamidi’s Castle. I paused, took a deep breath and enjoyed the view that was indescribable. You have to see it to believe it in person. Thank you to Heritage Greece for the opportunity of a lifetime and a new and deeper sense of pride in my culture and identity.
Jack Dulgarian

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