Transportation

We are getting to and from class by foot here in Greece. Our professor has been here numerous times before, so he knows the roads well. It is very hot, but fortunately our lectures have all been in the mornings so it’s not that bad. Currently, public transportation is free in Greece due to the banks being closed for the week due to the crisis. However, the banks are expected to open back up by next week so I assume that the subway will be charging again. The subway in Athens reminded me of the MBTA a bit, to be honest. We take buses when we go on tours and we have guides that explain things that we pass by on the way to our destination, which makes the time fly by. Also, we took an airplane from Athens to Rhodes. The plane was small and the flight was short. It was so cool to fly over Rhodes and get an amazing aerial view of the island before landing there for the week!
As I mentioned, we have been getting around Greece for the most part by foot. It is nice because we can take our time looking at sites and monuments that we pass and ask the professor questions about things that we are interested in and see along the way. We also have the freedom to take different routes and explore different neighborhoods on our way to class or whatever our destination may be. Another pro is that when we complete a lecture or tour that we got to by walking, we can choose to linger and stay back to explore more or walk somewhere else. When we walk, we are not constrained to returning to the hotel when we are finished with our session. A con to this mode of transportation, however, is that Greece is HOT. I am drinking a ton of water and wearing light clothing, but it is definitely a mediterranean climate. At least I am getting a tan! Rhodes is a bit nicer than Athens because there is an island breeze, so I hoping that the rest of the tour will have similar climates. Either way, walking around Greece and taking it all in has been an awesome experience overall.