Ever since my first trip to Crete in 2016, I have heard the siren’s call of Greece tempting me to return. Then in 2025, armed with my undergrad Classics knowledge, I was fortunate enough to join the CIG’s 3-week Attica and the Peloponnese Summer School Program and became more drawn into the archaeology, history, and land than ever. So, when I was offered this 3-month internship, I accepted the opportunity without hesitation. Escaping Ontario’s coldest and snowiest winter months was an added bonus to what I knew would be an unforgettable experience.
I was responsible for a variety of tasks around the Institute to ensure that everything was running smoothly. I was in charge of preparing the CIG social media posts which gave me an excellent way to share my experiences and to further research the sites and museums I had visited. I was also able to help out with events like hosting the Friends of Canada, the CIG’s Fellow’s lecture, and the Paris Arnopoulos Lecture, giving me the opportunity to engage with the information presented in lectures and to meet plenty of new people. This year is the CIG’s 50th anniversary and in preparation, I typed out excerpts from a book detailing accomplishments of Canadian archaeologists and the beginnings of the Institute. It was very interesting learning about our contributions to research in Greece and the struggles the Institute went through just to exist. I greatly enjoyed the main project I worked on throughout the three months: polishing up the organizational details of the Fred Winter Digital Archive. Working with the Fred Winter Archive by ensuring that information on each file was correct, complete, and organized in an easy to search way made my detail-oriented side extremely satisfied.
With Athens as a hub, I used whatever free time I had to explore museums and archaeological sites. The city itself had so many sights (and sites) to see and museums to explore, perfect for visiting on weekdays after mornings at the Institute. I used my weekends for travelling further outside of Athens. Taking ferries from Piraeus and Perama, I visited Aegina (perfect for the pistachio-lover that I am), Salamina, and, finally, Crete, returning there after a 10-year absence. I took advantage of the bus tours from Athens to go to Delphi, Mycenae, Epidauros, and Nafplio, exploring parts of these sites that I had missed and appreciating the landscapes that hold so much history. A highlight of my trip was my visit to the Archaeological Museum of Marathon and my adventures making my way to the Sanctuary of the Egyptian Gods. I navigated the limited Saturday public transportation between Athens and Nea Makri, braved the full range of Greek weather, and spent an appropriate amount of time walking around.
I did not focus exclusively on archaeological experiences, fascinating and valuable as they were. I was also determined to immerse myself into the culture of the Greek people here now. I followed their lead, allowing myself to slow down to enjoy life and the world around me. I spent my down time exploring the parks and green spaces around the city, braving the cold water with a couple of swims in Lake Vouliagmeni and in the sea, and watching beautiful sunsets atop the Pnyx and Philopappos Hill. After these three months, I discovered my regular gyro place and bakery whenever I wanted to satisfy my appetite with Greek food while sitting in the sun. I was also fortunate enough to experience two important holidays during which the CIG was closed: Clean Monday and Greek Independence Day. Using the days off to my advantage, I was able to participate in the dancing, singing, and kite flying celebrations of Clean Monday and stand among the crowd to watch the military parade on Independence Day.
These months have been full of experiences that will stay with me for a lifetime and I’m so grateful that I was given this opportunity. It’s hard to believe that it’s finally over and I am leaving the daily life I had gotten used to. The siren’s song is as strong as ever, though, and I’m sure that I will be back before long; there is still so much I will see and experience.
Tammy Markov, University of Waterloo intern, winter 2026
