Castle on the Hill

I looked out the long window of the bus, out over the jagged mountains of Greece. Hills, a patchwork of farmland, silver olive trees standing in uniform rows, jumbled rocks, and red roofs peaking up from a place lower in the valley, all drifted by. Despite the desire to join the ranks of sleeping classmates, my eyes were glued to an unforgettable landscape as we wound our way down the mountain. Considering the significant amount of ground we covered in such a short time, it has taken me a while to process everything we saw and learned during our trip. I am afraid I will forget some pieces of Greece, but these mountains, and so many other little movie clips, are tucked away in my mind to stay.

I am settled in at home now and working every day, however, I really do miss our adventures hiking up to the tops of castles like we did in Nafplio. Connecticut is sweet, but it is nothing like gazing up at a deep sunset over Kavala, dripping colors through the sky and fading into the inky blackness of the wine-dark sea.

So yes, I took borrowed my title from Ed Sheeran’s song. Yes, I am feeling a bit nostalgic now that I’ve started writing, but this post does have an educational point, and we’re almost there.

While we walked through the ruins of ancient cities and climbed up into medieval castles, I learned both historical facts and lessons that apply to my life today. For example, as a marketing major, over the course of this trip I wanted to be able to compare the way the Greek’s use advertising to that of advertising in America. In one of the airports I noticed a Coca-Cola advertisement specifically made for Greece with an image of a Knossos princess holding a ball of string that trailed off to meet a Minotaur and a labyrinth. It was interesting seeing common brands mixing with Greek influences. I also took notes on the way that the Greeks use a great deal of direct marketing and seek to build relationships with their potential customers. There are always people standing outside of the cafes encouraging you to come in and offering deals. We saw one restaurant in Rhodes that had men with parrots outside. The birds would try to sit on our shoulders and served to attract the attention of many passersby. Sometimes the directness felt overwhelming and too pushy, but I noticed that the shop owners made many sales just because of direct marketing.

On a more spiritual note, I gained a better understanding of what it looks like to worship God. The Ancient Greeks used to build enormous temples and filled buildings with precious statues and gold, just for their gods. They also invented the Olympics solely for the purpose of worshiping Zeus. Many sports teams at Messiah strive to use their talents for God’s glory, and I found affirmation for this through the Ancient Greek’s customs. As the country transferred to Greek Orthodoxy, the Greeks continued to create examples of their reverence with paintings. When we visited the icon workshop I realized that this physical form of worship is not dead, but alive and beautiful. Greece opened my eyes and helped me realize the many ways we can worship and interact with God.

Finally, I wanted to mention the characteristic of hospitality that many of the Greeks share. In Rhodes we stayed at a bed and breakfast called the Camelot, run by a sweet woman named Nina. Nina instantly became a sort of grandmother: baking us warm muffins when we got home from touring the city, waiting up for us until we came home at night, and encouraging us to eat piles of croissants each morning. She welcomed our friends in and gave all the guys coffee one morning while they waited for us to get ready, even though they did not even live in the same building! She ran a strict house but genuinely cared for us as well. These acts of hospitability we experienced will certainly be something I will incorporate into the way I live and love on others.

In conclusion, if you ever get a chance to visit Greece, go. And when in Greece, don’t let an opportunity pass you by. I will never forget walking alongside the sea in Thessaloniki, through the golden glow of street cafes, while couples waltzed in the street nearby and vendors sold corn, apricots, and dates. I will always remember the amazing people I met, that the acropolis is the highest point of the city, and “for free” probably means two euros. Greece, olive you and I hope to sea you Agean.

Efcharistó,

Molly Martin

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