Category: News & Information
2024 UD Alumni Trip to Greece: A Daily Chronicle
Photos courtesy of Lindsay Thrasher-Yoder, EHD07, and Nancy Lomax, AS71
The UD Alumni Association (UDAA) hosted a trip to Greece, June 21–30, 2024, for alumni and their families or friends. The trip included the coastal city of Kalamata, the ruins of Mycenae and views of Athens, among many other historic and scenic sites. While there, two alumni on the trip—Lindsay Thrasher-Yoder, EHD07, and Nancy Lomax, AS71— journaled about their day-to-day adventures and captured them in photos, shared here.
Days 1–2: Athens
Our journey began with flying into Athens International Airport where we were kindly greeted by our tour hostess. After checking into our hotel and either taking a nap or a stroll in the surrounding neighborhood, our group dined at a rooftop hotel with a stunning view of the Acropolis and The Parthenon.
Day 3: ATHENS
An early start allowed us to tour the city of Athens and enter the Parthenon and Temple of Athena before temperatures reached the high 90s and the large crowds arrived.
First on our tour was a stop at the 1896 Panathenaic Stadium. It was originally built in 144 A.D. in marble.
The stadium was excavated in 1869 and then renovated. The opening and closing ceremonies of the first modern Olympics was hosted there in 1896. It is the only stadium in the world built entirely of marble.
At the Parthenon, our tour guide, Joanna, highlighted how the unique architecture of the Parthenon took advantage of natural slope of the landscape when it was built in the fifth century B.C. At the Acropolis Museum, our group viewed artifacts from the Parthenon and the Acropolis’ slopes. The rest of the day was free to visit other museums, stroll through the Athens Botanical Gardens behind the Parliament building, or taste Greek cuisine.
Day 4: Mycenae and Kalamata
The group traveled by bus from Athens to Kalamata, allowing us to cross over the impressive Corinth Canal, which connects the Aegean and Ionian Seas, as well as an opportunity to view the countryside covered with olive trees.
En route, we toured Mycenae, one of the oldest archaeological sites of the Peloponnese. Not only is it known for being the home of Agamemnon, the king who conquered Troy according to Greek mythology, but it is where the Mycenaean civilization thrived during the second millennium B.C.
We viewed the Tomb of Clytemnestra, where Agamemnon was entombed, and the imposing Lion’s Gate. Many of us even hiked to the top where the King lived to see a stunning view of the Mycenaean region.
Day 5: Kalamata
During the morning, we strolled with our guide through Kalamata’s old town, which included a monastery, Greek Orthodox churches and a quaint village square where we were able to sample traditional foods.
After our old town tour, our group enjoyed a lovely lunch overlooking the Aegean Sea.
One of the hidden gems of our visit to Greece was a private late afternoon tour of the ancient city of Messene, built around 369 B.C., with its agora (market area), theater and stadium largely intact. In ancient Greek cultures, they were very focused on developing physical as well as mental skills which resulted in athletic areas being surrounded by rooms for learning. We were even treated to a poem written by one of our tour members!
Day 6: Sparta and Mystras
We didn’t let the 103-degree heat stop us from seeing Sparta and Mystras today! In the morning, we were guided through the ruins of ancient Sparta and then took a short bus ride to the ruins of Mystras, which included a 12th-century Frankish castle and two monasteries. We ended our day learning about olives and the production of olive oil.
Day 7: Ancient Olympia
Today we embarked on a journey to Ancient Olympia, site of the ancient Olympic Games that began in 776 B.C. We toured the grounds that were dedicated to Zeus seeing the location where they light the Olympic torch for both the Summer and Winter Olympics. We learned that in the running events, runners would run back and forth instead of around a track. Despite the heat, we all lined up for a race!
Day 8: Kalamata
Following a short lecture on contemporary Greece, including topics such as geography, culture and politics, we had the day to explore Kalamata on our own. Several of us strolled the town center for shopping or local cuisine. In the evening, our group went on a sunset cruise on the Messinian Bay.
Day 9: Corinth
Our trip concluded with a stop at Corinth before returning to Athens. We learned about the economic importance and benefits of the Corinth Canal. We took in the Temple of Apollo and learned about St. Paul’s connection to the city, which led to his letter to its people. Our guide also pointed out all the hens in the floor mosaics, pottery or children’s toys.
The next UDAA-sponsored trip is to Spain/Andalucia, Aug. 29–Sept. 6.
To learn more about traveling with the UDAA, email alumni-association@udel.edu.
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