Despite the jet lag and flight delays, Greek Study Fellows are taking a moment to reminisce about the semester’s odyssey.
Saturday Seminars, the virtual interactive presentations which are the cornerstone of our educational programming, started early in January with Professor Stayroula Pipyrou from the University of St. Andrews, Scotland with her enlightening presentation on Greek speaking populations in Southern Italy. A first for our program, the following seminar we enjoyed ancient music played on hand-crafted instruments of the time with Bettina Joy DeGuzman, a musician and educator who has researched and recreated the melodies and the instruments used. Eduardo Garcia Molina of the University of Chicago, joined us to discuss the Hellenistic Kingdoms after Alexander the Great. The Homeric Epics, Iliad and Odyssey were brought to life as we chatted with Professor Joel Christensen of Brandeis University.
A very intriguing and engaging presentation by Professor Peter Campbell of Cranfield University in the United Kingdom opened a new perspective on archaeology as he discussed undersea archaeology and the Greek sea trade and its effects on the commerce of ancient times. Joining us again this year, Dr. Theo Theoharis of Harvard University discussed literature, art and films. Some of us enjoyed Zorba the Greek for the first time and also the heart-wrenching movie Echoes of the Past, based on the Massacre of Kalavryta.
Our last online seminar featured Professor Paris Chronakis of the University of London, and with great interest we discussed the Jewish Community and multiculturalism in Ancient and Modern Greece, meaningful to those participating in the upcoming pre-tour visit to Thessaloniki and its Jewish Museum.
The last Saturday before departing for Greece, we met in person to visit St. Nectarios Church in Roslindale, Massachusetts to learn more about the history and tradition of the Greek Orthodox faith and Byzantine iconography in situ. We were hosted by our old friend and newly-elected Bishop Anthony Vrame.
For the first time, we started our Study Tour in the north of Greece in Thessaloniki. Some of the Study Fellows opted to arrive early and enjoy a “pre-tour” where we explored the area in more depth. The first day we visited the ancient site of Philipi, the World Heritage Site where Christianity took seed, had lunch in Kavala before returning to the city and enjoyed meze and wine at the home of our honorary board member, Eva Kanellis, where we met local teachers and educators. The second day of the Thessaloniki visit we toured the Jewish Museum and then explored the city, sampling the interesting cuisine and delicacies of the city known as the Food City of Greece — buogatsa, olives, cheeses, Greek bagels, sausage! By late afternoon, the rest of the Study Fellows had arrived and we gathered for a welcome dinner in a taverna near our hotel.
With the full cohort, we continued our visit of Thessaloniki with a bus tour of the city, its beautiful waterfront and a stop at the Archaeological Museum before starting our drive to near Vergina. First, we visited the new light-filled museum before proceeding to the Tomb of Phillip II, father of Alexander the Great, and the temple at Aigai where Alexander was crowned. Later that afternoon, we enjoyed a presentation by our writer-in-residence, Julie Berry, who elaborated the process and inspiration of her book Lovely War.
First thing the next morning, we visited the library of Kalambaka for an on-site cultural exchange at this inviting library which was funded by Diane Demoulas Merriam, a Massachusetts native, in honor of her parents and grandparents, who were born near Kalambaka. The library has outreach programs to engage the children of the area and nearby villages to promote literacy.
The Monasteries of Meteora, an UNESCO site beckoned and those brave and energetic climbed the many steps to the Holy Monastery of Varlaam. Before departing the area, we visited the monastic icon workshop of the family of one of the most esteemed Byzantine artists to learn about the creation of the icons seen all over the world.
Continuing to Arachova, in the mountains of Boeotia, we arrived in the mountaintop village near the Sanctuary of Apollo and its museum at Delphi. A day was spent visiting the Oracle before boarding our bus to drive to Nafplion, first capital of modern Greece. Nafplion is a unique Grecian city with its Venetian architecture and wide plazas. Before departing, we visited the looming Palamidi Venetian fortress for a spectacular view of the city and a chance to take photographs.
A staple on our classical visit to Greece is the citadel of Mycenae, and nearby Treasury of Atreus, a well preserved tholos tomb. A relaxing bus ride brought us to Epidauros, the healing Sanctuary of Asclepius, to tour both museum and the theater, which is known for its exceptional acoustics.
We caught a small ferry to cross the Aegean to the idyllic island of Hydra, a favorite of THE EXAMINED LIFE, for a couple of days of island life. As a group we enjoyed a watercolor art workshop, led by Program Director Debi Milligan, free time on the island, and a late afternoon group book discussion led by our Literary Connections Directors Barbara Scotto of Gary D. Schmitt’s The Labors of Hercules Beal. The first evening on the island we enjoyed a group dinner with a couple of local musicians entertaining us with Greek music.
With sunset dinners amidst the breathtaking panoramic scenery, we were refreshed and ready to visit the capital city of Athens by way of Piraeus port, visiting the Eleusis archaeological site,
the Marathon battle site and memorial tumulus before enjoying lunch by the sea. The bus then took us to our hotel in Athens.
Our last day we had a wet and windy early morning visit to the Acropolis and the Acropolis Museum. At a luncheon hosted by Pavlos Yeroulanos and the Benaki Museum, we enjoyed a delicious respite before a personally guided tour by Mr. Yeroulanos, former Minister of Culture and Tourism, and a great-grandson of the founder of the Museum. Our final evening was spent under the citadel of the Acropolis at the home of Nikos Trivoulides and Christos Lygas, our most generous hosts these many years. Their home, once the residence of actress Irene Pappas, provided a magical setting for our last night together. Gregory Maguire and Julie Berry read from recent work and were accompanied on the flute by Ana Tarpagos.
On May 18, the THE EXAMINED LIFE will conclude its 25th program year with a visit to the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, for a guided tour of the Behrakis Galleries of The Art of the Ancient Greek World, led by Stephen Guerriero, ExL’s Resident Scholar and Educational Director.