Greece is the Word

Global Learning Program trip provides students a glimpse into both modern-day and ancient Greece

By Mika Brown (‘22)

The Gate of Athena Archegetis is on the western side of the site of the Roman Agora in Athens. Julius Caesar and Augustus donated the funds to build the gate in 11 BCE. Athens is said to be a city built upon many cities as ruins of previous Greek civilizations continue to highlight the modern-day city’s history. Mika Brown (‘22) stands near the remains of the Temple of Poseidon at Cape Sounion. The site is where King Aegeus threw himself to his death in the sea below resulting in it being named the Aegean Sea, according to Greek mythology. Below: A ship floats in the Aegean Sea near Cape Sounion.

Mika Brown (‘22) stands near the remains of the Temple of Poseidon at Cape Sounion. The site is where King Aegeus threw himself to his death in the sea below resulting in it being named the Aegean Sea, according to Greek mythology. Below: A ship floats in the Aegean Sea near Cape Sounion.

I stumbled onto the slick-gray travel bus parked in front of the Oasis Hotel in Glyfada where we had spent the two previous nights. Still waking up, I sat down in a window seat and took in all around me. We would be leaving Athens and wouldn’t return until it was time to head back to Arkansas.

I knew that I would miss Athens, a stunning, bustling city of 3 million people with its constant juxtaposition of ancient landmarks and modern streets, countless swarms of pigeons, and, of course, the never-ending hunt for the illustrious ‘water closet.’ Despite this, I longed to get away from the hustle and bustle of the city to a quieter atmosphere. I was ready to explore the countryside of Greece.

Before I knew it, we were off and headed to the next small town near our hotel to pick up our tour guide for the day, Katerina. She boarded the bus and — in her careful British accent — started pointing out roadside shrines called kandylakia and beachside construction sites as we trudged our way on through the rolling chaparrals to the southernmost tip of the Attica peninsula.

I spent about an hour being utterly fixated looking out the window, constantly switching between the large rocky hills on my left and over the heads on my right to catch a glimpse of the Aegean Sea. We finally stopped on the roadside to take in our destination, the Temple of Poseidon at Cape Sounion. It had been slightly overcast that morning, but looking out at a cliff jutting through the ocean, we could finally see it. It seemed like a magical moment right out of a movie; rays of sunlight peeked through the clouds and fluttered down onto this distant tiny-looking ancient landmark.

We were soon trekking up the hill and were slowly approaching the massive archaeological site; no longer was it the tiny blip that it was a half-hour ago. The ancient monument towered over our tour group with its massive Doric columns. As we gathered around the site, Katerina explained that in mythology Cape Sounion was the spot where King Aegeus plummeted to his death, giving the name to the Aegean Sea. Built in the 5th century BCE, it is mentioned in Homer’s Odyssey and has survived countless wars and disasters. I couldn’t help thinking as I looked at the various century-old names etched into the temple that this monument has truly lasted the test of time.

We were then left to our own devices to explore the area around the temple for a bit. I explored the winding dirt paths surrounding the monument that were lined with wildflowers of vibrant reds and purples.

At one point, a couple of other students and I went a little off of the trail to peer at the ocean from the edge of the cliff. We had to link arms to avoid getting pushed around by the strong wind. A bright orange ship slowly passed through the bright blue water, and waves crashed against the craggy rocks directly below us.

Despite our hotel in Glyfada being by the beach, I wasn’t able to get a true glimpse of the ocean until now. Though it was only mid-March and cold, all that I wanted to do was plunge into the water below me. At that moment, I remembered what one of our other tour guides said days before: ”No one ever comes to Greece only once; everyone always manages to return at some point in their life.”

I knew right there, that if I was able to return to Greece someday, the one place that I would go to was here.

Mika Brown (’22) is from Hope. She plans to attend the University of Arkansas in Fayetteville on an Honors College fellowship in order to styd physics and astronomy.