A Greek odyssey returns – 45 Year 9 and 10 Latin and Classics students took part in a sensational trip to Greece. They toured Athens, Mycenae, Tolon, Delphi, Epidaurus, Sounion and more, visiting four luxurious hotels and traversing eight major classical sites.
After a visit to the National Archaeological Museum, students scaled the rocky heights of the Acropolis to explore the Parthenon and ancient agora in Athens. We saw the Caryatid statues shouldering the Erechtheion, the impressive entrance gateway (Propylaea) and theatre of Dionysus, as well as the breathtaking panoramic view over the city. En route we befriended various cats and dogs as well as a tortoise, all under the leadership of our fabulous guide Asimenia. We stayed the night at the Hotel Atrium, with some rooms kitted out with in-built jacuzzis!
The next day was Greek Independence Day – as soon as rosy-fingered Dawn appeared, we started the morning with a cheerful stroll around Athens as Chinook helicopters flew overhead and missile tanks rolled through the streets as part of the National Parade. We then visited the Acropolis Museum and had the good fortune of seeing a section of the Parthenon which had only just been returned from the Vatican Museum the previous day. Emanuel students can thus claim to be amongst the first people in the world to have seen this section of the frieze in situ!
We then arrived at the Hotel Art Pythia in Delphi, nestled on misty and mysterious Mount Parnassus. There was no one to be seen for miles around – not a sausage – until we awoke and visited the home of the Delphic Oracle, and got a real sense of the atmosphere and religious significance of the ancient sanctuary. We saw the Serpent Column, inscribed with the Greek city states that fought against the Persians, before pushing forward to Olympia, checking in at the Hotel Antonios after souvenir shopping in the main high street.
We were successful in a race against the French across the original Olympic Games track, followed by a long jump and sprint in which laurel crowns were awarded. Proceedings concluded with the obligatory teachers’ race, won by a fleet-footed Mr Worrell, with brogue-shod Mr Morrison in a close second place. We visited the temple of Zeus and its incredible Herakles sculptures, as Ms Philp led the educational charge, before boarding the coach to Tolon. Students were astounded by the 4* beachside hotel, enjoying time paddling ankle-deep in the crystalline waves. An old Greek lady – Athene in disguise? – rescued a football which floated out to sea, much to the delight of the Year 9s.
Next was Epidaurus where we experienced the astonishing acoustics of the theatre – those in the backseats can literally hear a coin drop centre-stage. We then burrowed underground to the beehive tomb of Agamemnon and explored the ancient site of Mycenae with its iconic Lion Gate and walls thought to be constructed by the Cyclopes. The group reconvened at Hotel Atrium in Athens, before a visit to the Temple of Poseidon at Sounion, perched on the headland overlooking the Aegean Sea. We observed Byron’s signature, famously carved into one of the temple columns. After a final group photo and a leisurely lunch of kebabs and freddo cappuccinos, we boarded the plane at Athens airport and bid a final farewell to the land of the gods.
Mr Burgess rounded off our time at the hotel with an excellent quiz based on our time in Greece, followed by an awards ceremony, in which Miss Ferstman presented edible Oscars to all our highly individual students.
It was a sensational trip enjoyed by all. Like Odysseus himself we finally returned home, with memories of our luxurious, location-filled adventure to last a lifetime!
Mr M Morrison, Teacher of Classics
