Concordia CMLL Study Tour

Today we left Athens and went on four different visits. The bus ride from Athens was very scenic and calm, most of us slept for the trip because we had an early morning. We ended up stopping at the Corinth Canal, at a rest stop. The height of the bridge to the water was staggering. 

The site of Ancient Corinth was gorgeous, and seeing the old springs and what was left of buildings was very interesting. Water was a very important factor in daily life, and sustaining life, and we learned that the Aristocracy would monopolize on the water. Being able to see the road that the Roman built during their time there that led all the way to the sea was fascinating because they would use the road to bring all the columns to the site.

The second visit was at the Markellos Olive oil mill. Learning about the process of how to make olive oil was very engaging because I cook all the time with olive oil. Tasting the different varieties of olive oils were intriguing because the four we tasted were all very different, which I didn’t know could happen. There was the original olive oil which I found excellent because of the spice. 

The third visit was the Sanctuary of Nemea, where we were able to walk inside the temple of Zeus, which was really fun, because we haven’t been able to walk inside any of the sites we had previously visited. The structure was huge and the steps up to the temple were huge. The museum was very small but had a lot of riveting items in it. We had a little scavenger hunt for a bull figurine to get some marks. What really helped with ambiance was the thunder and storm clouds and little bit of rain we got caught in.

The last visit was to a winery called Ktima Bairaktaris. We had a tour of the facility and learned about the different varieties of grapes they make wine with, and learned the Nemea area is the largest wine production in Greece. We got to see the cellar and see the grape press that the original family used when they started the company. We also got a wine tasting. I personally don’t like alcohol, but the each different wines were all rich and different, I like the Rose called Monolithos Rose the most, as well as the balsamic vinegar they let us taste. I decided to buy some for my dad, who loves the casual glass of wine at the end of the day. 

One funny interaction we had was at the Temple of Zeus, where a family of five were at the site with us. The two older kids were walking around, and the boy, who we found out his name is Isaac, started screaming to call his mother, which made us giggle. The daughter was chasing around one of the cats that were on the site, even picking it up. We all got to see her chasing the cat around while Dr. Buell lectured us on the site.

-Chloe Bantey