The Elon University women's track & field and cross country team is spending its Thanksgiving week in Greece as part of Elon's commitment to diversity and global engagement for its students. Throughout the trip, we will bring photos and stories from the teams' time abroad.
Today was the day most of us have been waiting for since 2020. The anticipation of the Greece trip finally came to a halt as we got on the buses to head to the airport. We road-tripped to Charlotte where we boarded our flight to Munich.
The flight was long, and most people didn’t sleep…so when we landed in Munich at 9 am we found an empty gate and sprawled out across the chairs to nap. Those who didn’t nap ate lunch, played cards, or attempted to do homework. We left Munich at 1400 Munich time and boarded our last leg to Athens.
When we landed in Athens, the team grabbed their bags and we were welcomed with cookies from our tour guides, Mayia and Panagiota, who escorted us to our hotel. We traveled 5,000 miles and still ended up eating dinner at an Olive Garden! But this restaurant had a rooftop view of the Acropolis and much better Mediterranean entree options. We are super grateful to be in Greece and have this opportunity to experience life abroad.
DAY TWO
As told by Leandra Lorenz and Madison Synowiec
Today was our first full day in Athens. We started with a great breakfast in the sun in the hotel's rooftop restaurant. Then we left for the Panathenaic Stadium. This is the place where the first modern Olympic Games were held. It was very inspirational to tour this historical place and see all the Olympic torches and posters in the museum there.
After that, we had a quick stop at the Parliament House (Old Royal Palace) to view the changing of the guard, but instead, we had the chance to see the Greek president! We walked to the Plaka neighborhood to enjoy a traditional Greek lunch. We had pita gyros and Souvlaki as well as Greek coffee. We enjoyed the food as well as exploring some of the streets and shops in the area before we met again with our tour guides for a tour of the Acropolis.
The Acropolis was definitely a highlight of the day. We learned a lot about the Athenian history from our guide and had an impressive view over Athens and the sea from the top of the Acropolis. After that, we toured the Acropolis Museum and learned a lot about Greek statues, gods, buildings, and art. Then we had more free time during which we enjoyed eating gelato, buying souvenirs, and strolling through the streets of Athens. We finally got back to the hotel where we enjoyed dinner with the entire group. It was a wonderful day with lots of sunshine, many new impressions, new Greek words and a lot of steps!
Today we started off early with a sunrise breakfast at our hotel in Athens, Greece. It was an amazing view of the city and a great start to our day.
We then drove to the Corinth Canal where we were able to get some Greek snacks and coffee (we tried paprika potato chips…they were great!). Our next stop was The Epidaurus Theatre and Sanctuary of Asclepius. We learned from one of our tour guides that there was usually a hospital located next to each theater. There was a Greek saying that we can’t have a healthy body if we don’t have a healthy mind. The theater cures the soul and mind while the hospital cures the body. We also learned that the theater was very well preserved because it was covered by the forest and the earth grew around the theater until it was found and uncovered by archaeologists. The theater carries voices and music very well. We were able to hear our tour guide speak from the bottom as we sat in the top row of the theater.
We then traveled to the city of Nafplio, Greece where we stopped for lunch, did some shopping, and enjoyed the view of the Gulf of Argolis (a Gulf of the Aegean Sea). We ate at a local seafood restaurant and had fresh shrimp pasta which was amazing! Some of our teammates walked up 999 stairs to the Palamidi Fortress. The top had beautiful panoramic views of the water and the city. Although we were sad to leave, it was great to spend a couple of hours in the city of Nafplio. After a few more hours on the bus, we arrived at our hotel in Olympia in time for a team dinner to cap off the day.
We started off our fourth day in Greece bright and early with a morning run through the hills of Olympia. Though the hills were steep, the views were worth it! After going back and having breakfast at our hotel, we boarded the buses to depart to the historical site of Olympia. As we traveled through Olympia, the birthplace of the ancient Olympic Games, we were reminded as a team of the spirit of competition and why we compete.
The tour taught us that the Olympic Games were used as a means to unite nations and promote peace (though they were also to honor the gods). Wars were even put on pause for three months to allow athletes to compete in the ancient Olympic Games. Our guide also spoke of the Greek value of arete, pursuing excellence to become the best version of oneself, and how this concept was woven into the Games. We were able to see the site where the Olympic torch is lit, walk through the tunnel leading into the original Olympic stadium, and even “raced” across the ancient stadium to compete for a prize, which was a crown made from an olive tree next to the temple of Zeus. Exploring the Olympic grounds sparked a sense of pride and reassurance in being an athlete.
After walking around the ancient site, we visited a couple of the archaeological museums in Olympia where we got to look at more Olympic artifacts and sculptures. There was a short break once we finished up our guided tours in the museums to find a place to eat lunch in downtown Olympia. We then walked from lunch to Klio’s Honey Farm, where we had the privilege of tasting Klio’s honey. Klio and her mother welcomed us into a multigenerational honey-making home, where they both taught us about their production of honey and beekeeping. We even got to try their very own honey (which was amazing) as well as a lavender honey wax cream that they also produce on their site. We appreciated their warm hospitality.
After walking around the ancient site, we visited a couple of the archaeological museums in Olympia where we got to look at more Olympic artifacts and sculptures. There was a short break once we finished up our guided tours in the museums to find a place to eat lunch in downtown Olympia. We then walked from lunch to Klio’s Honey Farm, where we had the privilege of tasting Klio’s honey. Klio and her mother welcomed us into a multigenerational honey-making home, where they both taught us about their production of honey and beekeeping. We even got to try their very own honey (which was amazing) as well as a lavender honey wax cream that they also produce on their site. We appreciated their warm hospitality.
We finished up our day in Olympia by continuing to explore the downtown area after visiting the honey farm, where we got to shop around and get some good quality coffee from a local shop prior to boarding the bus for a four-hour ride to Delphi. Not only was today fun, but it was also motivational. Experiencing where it all began gave us the inspiration to continue tenfold. Thank you, Olympia.
DAY 5: Delphi and Athens
as told by Lila Bensky and Hannah Miller
Our fourth full day in Greece was definitely something to be thankful for. We started with a short drive from our hotel to the amazing archeological site of Delphi. Delphi was once thought to be the centerpiece of the universe by the Greeks, bringing people from across the world for competitions in sports and music and, of course, people seeking to learn about their future from the infamous priestesses.
Our fantastic tour guide led us around the museum with impressive original remains, some of which were almost 3000 years old. Then, we made our way to the archaeological site. He showed us what was left of temples and shrines, coupled with the most amazing view. We learned about the journey that people took to Delphi to hear their fates from the priestesses and visit the temple of Apollo. Our tour guide described Olympia as the body of Greece, and Delphi as the mind. The Greeks are strong believers that you cannot have a healthy body without a healthy mind, and Delphi was the place to achieve peace and harmony.
Afterward, we had time to climb even higher to see the theater and stadium where the panhellenic games used to be held. Then we explored the cute town of Delphi for food and shops. There were cats everywhere, and they caused just as much excitement as many of the views.
We loaded up the buses and made our final trip back to Athens, where we will stay for the remainder of our trip. We had a lovely Thanksgiving meal, where our tour director Mayia facilitated a wonderful activity where we created a puzzle of all the things our team is thankful for! After dinner, we had the option to walk to a restaurant to hear some live traditional Greek music. We had so much fun laughing and dancing with our tour guide Panagiota. We had such a lovely day and we’re so excited to spend the next few days in Athens to wrap up our trip!
DAY 6: Athens
As told by Linn Hertz Saebboe, Hollie Thurgood and Meghan Wilcox
Today we had the opportunity to prepare two traditional Greek foods. Our instructor guided us through the recipes while we worked in groups. First, we baked a traditional Greek Christmas cookie called Melomakarona. One of the first differences from traditional American baking was noticed right away when we had to pour over 150ml of oil as a base. In addition, the recipe for these cookies did not include any eggs or milk. Once we finished making the dough, the cookies were baked for around 20 minutes and cooled. Melomakarona tasted very similar to gingerbread cookies and gets a 10 out of 10 by EUXCTF!
After the cookies, all of us got to make our own Dakos, which basically is tomato, feta cheese, olives, and of course olive oil on a hard piece of bread. The instructor kept referring to the dish as a salad or a meal, which was interesting since it is very different from what we would consider a salad or meal. She also emphasized the importance of olive oil, not only for the flavor, but also for our health.
Once the food was done, we got to listen to a presentation about the importance and power of the different grains, spices, and vegetables, while learning about more traditional Greek food. It was interesting to compare the food not only to the American diet, but also the diet in our home countries, Sweden and the UK.
After our cooking class, we got our first free time in Athens. While some people went with the tour guides to the port of Athens and the beach, others stayed to explore the center of the city. We were all very thankful for the opportunity to experience a different environment in Greece with our teammates.
DAY 7: Athens
as told by Madison George and Anna Kozlova
Today, on our last day, we visited local shops and markets before competing against a club team from Greece! Many of us enjoyed tasting various types of olives and buying herbs, olive oil, and local snacks for our families and ourselves. At the track meet, we all participated in multiple events and had a great time chatting with the athletes from Greece. They were so thankful when we passed out Elon track and field t-shirts and USA flags! It was definitely a memorable experience and one for the books.
Overall, we all made the most incredible memories during this trip and are so grateful to have had this opportunity. These have been times that we will never forget and will be talking about for the rest of our lives. From seeing the Parthenon to running in the Panathenaic Stadium and the Stadium of Olympia, to walking through archaeological sites in Olympia and Delphi, to simply experiencing the Mediterranean lifestyle, we will take away a very meaningful understanding of the culture and history of Greece.
