During my internship at the Canadian Institute in Greece, I was able to enjoy many activities outside of my responsibilities at the Institute. There are so many museums and galleries near the Institute that I visited at least one per week without going to the same one twice. My favourite museum was the Goulandris Natural History Museum which has many displays of taxidermied animals, including sea, land and flying animals, found in Greece and around the world. They also had informative diagrams about the botanical aspect of Greece’s landscape. I also enjoyed the Byzantine museum which took me through the progress of Christianity in Greece and surrounding countries.
At least once a week, I would go to a new restaurant or cafe in order to try new Greek, Cretan or other types of food I’ve never had in Canada before. My favourite restaurants were Mylolithos, a Greek taverna in Panormou street that combines traditional Greek food with modern adaptations; Thanasis, which is a traditional taverna in Monastiraki and the first restaurant I ate at when I first landed in Athens; and Little Kook, which I learned about from the previous intern who wrote about it in her end of internship blog. It is a dessert-focused cafe that is intensely decorated and was Halloween themed when I went.
My favourite part of my time in Greece was when I took a solo trip and travelled to the nearby island of Aegina, during the last weekend of October where it was still warm enough to be able to enjoy the beach and water. Compared to Athens, Aegina town, where I stayed, is a much quieter and less busy place but still full of activities, shops, and restaurants. I enjoyed fresh seafood, sitting on the docks and relaxing on the beach enjoying the view. My visit to the island coincided with their Ohi Day parade celebration. Everyone I met there was very friendly, social, and helpful.
Syntagma, Ermou street, Monastiraki, and Plaka were also common places to go on weekends. These popular streets are convenient and easy to get to from the Institute’s accommodation. There, I could walk around the shops and find things I needed or wanted to get as souvenirs and it would also lead me to Plaka where I could find different booths set up with jewelry, knick-knacks, and hand-crafted items. It was a great street to be around people, window shop and get exercise by walking around.
One final thing that also happened weekly was attending darts night on Tuesdays at the Red Lion Pub, the oldest pub in Athens. It was a great place to socialize and meet people from other international Institutes or friends of friends with a shared interest in archeology. I am so thankful for this once in a lifetime opportunity and the amazing memories that I made.
Taryn
Rankin
Wilfrid Laurier University intern, autumn 2023
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