I am officially halfway done with this study abroad program! My Greek is slowly coming along - I might be able to say a full sentence by the time I go home. Classes are going smoothly, even the Microbiology Lab that I am constantly feeling lost in. The weather continues to get better and better every day. I even had the chance to sit outside and tan my poor white legs last week! It is officially Easter season in Greece, so Carnival and other celebrations are underway. I have officially become a beer drinker while being here (my fellow Midwesterners will be proud when I return and can drink something other than light beer). I will note that I am extremely ready to have my shower and laundry facilities back - my shower head has been broken for 2 weeks now and doing laundry in this dorm is actually impossible. Today I put my clothes in a dryer that just counted down the time instead of actually drying them! Without further ado, I will jump into my adventures from the last week.
Foodie Club
When we first got to campus, our wonderful Residence Fellow, Li, introduced me to Foodie Club. This was exactly what I wanted to do in my free time - learn about different foods and get my hands on things I have never tried before. Boy did I get to do that this week. Our first meeting was last week and we had the chance to learn about Mezedes (tapas for the Greeks). We went to a restaurant and had all of the classics. Most of the time for Greeks, eating isn't about the food. It is all about the company. That is why Mezedes exists. Basically, there are several types of small appetizers and tapas that come out and are shared with everyone. You don't eat until you are stuffed, but just eat because you can and it is more a social activity. If you don't have a drink in your hand (ξηρό κόκκινο κρασί is preferred) you are doing it wrong. At this meeting, I had the chance to eat some food I wouldn't normally touch and eat some things I don't get very often. We had Gigantes Plaki (elephant beans), roasted eggplant and vegetables, greens (basically grass), fries and of course tzatziki. Now we are going to get a little weird - next came the heavier plates. We had some squid (honestly some of the only seafood I will order on my own), then the sardines and fried anchovies came out - bone and all. Next were mussels and cuddle fish, with a side of Greek Country Salad and, of course, Feta. Yes, I tried everything and I had eaten some of it before. No, I will not be eating cuddle fish, sardines or anchovies again. Finally, we had desert at one of my favorite bakeries in Thessaloniki - Terkenlis!
After our meeting, we decided to go out to a place called the Bazaar with the Greek students. According to them, this is the place most first year students go because the drinks are cheap. Think of going to a party and paying $5 to get in and drinking whatever is in the punch bowl. What we were told was to NEVER order wine by the glass because who knows what you will be getting, and instead order the "delicacy" known as Tuba Libre. This wonderfully disgusting concoction is made of Retsina (a very piney and earthy 'wine') and COLA. YES FOLKS!! These people put Pepsi in their wine to make it drinkable! I will tell you now, I will likely drink this again out of circumstance, but my stomach was not impressed with this sugary tradition.
Fat Thursday
As I mentioned before, Easter season has arrived in Thessaloniki. To start the season, we participated in a holiday called Tsiknopempti, translated to Smelly Thursday due to the beautiful aromas of barbecued meat that fill the streets of Thessaloniki. Think of this day as Mardi Gras combined with Halloween. Yes, there were the colorful masks, heavy drinking, and dancing in the streets - but also full blown Halloween costumes (I'm talking Disney Princesses, animals, and super heroes). Basically, this celebration entails eating barbecue anything (I had pork kebab and a sausage of some sort) and drinking a lot of beer. Then, you dance all night long in the middle of the street. It was so much fun and we even left early! I have a few videos that I took of the street party - photographs couldn't capture the moment properly. We also had coffee at my new favorite place, Blue Cup. First - the coffee was beautiful to look at, second - it tasted AMAZING.
Stockholm - Land of Shopping
Friday I arrived in the beautiful country of Sweden. The airport we landed in was in the middle of no where, which was a nice change of pace. We got to see the Swedish country side before entering the city of Stockholm! Our first stop was to drop things off at the City Backpackers Hostel. This was the cutest hostel - it had an outdoor patio connected to a bar, a really comfy lobby area and everyone was really nice (plus free coffee!). Once we were settled in, we went and walked the streets nearby and stopped at the Medieval Museum. Once again, Greek influence dominated the museum and I am reminded, again, that I will never truly be able to leave Greece behind.
Stockholm is home to many famous brands, including H&M, Spotify and, of course, IKEA. In the small area we explored near the hostel, we found 8+ H&M stores and a Spotify lounge. We did a little shopping on our way to the IKEA in the city center. This IKEA wasn't a big one like we all know and love, but a tiny branch just for kitchens! There were around 25 different kitchens set up in the store and places you could design your own. It was a very sleek and modern IKEA - so much different than the giants in America. There is a big IKEA (obviously) in Stockholm, but it was about 30 minutes from the City Center, so we skipped it. If that is on your list, there was a free bus to get there! Near the Kitchen IKEA, we found a fancy Asian Fusion restaurant so we stopped in. The food was incredible and had a little spice to it (something that I am DESPERATELY missing in the traditional Mediterranean food). To end the night, we discovered a little bar nearby that had live music.
Rain Rain Go Away
Stockholm is land of the clouds - I'm not sure they have ever actually seen the sun. Even so, the city is just as beautiful as the pictures show. We did a free walking tour on Saturday morning around the Modern City. We learned stories of Queen Christina and Greta Garbo - both making Stockholm a little more proud. "Queen Christina" was a huge success and Greta Garbo was the leading lady (also from Sweden). Greta is actually the face on the 100 Swedish Krona. We also learned about other kings in Sweden while we walked the streets. Finally, we learned the meaning being Stockholm Syndrome. To keep it short, a robber went into a bank and kept 4 employees hostage. He made the police bring his friend in (also a bank robber) as the "negotiator". Six days later, the hostages developed a connection with their captors and refused to testify against them - thus, Stockholm Syndrome. The hostages actually became friends with these robbers, invited them to weddings, and continue to meet up with them. Basically, if you can shove 6 strangers into a bank vault for 6 days, you will all come out as best friends.
After the tour, we made our way to Gamla Stan, the old city. We wandered around the Grand Palace and into the center. Every building in this area is brightly colored and all rest on a cobblestone path. We eventually found a restaurant where we could get some meatballs and Semla! This place was called FIKA - which actually is a term used to taking breaks and having a coffee with friends. I am a huge fan of FIKA and could live that lifestyle all day long. Our Swedish Meatballs were the ultimate comfort food - warm, heavy, and perfectly flavored. The Semla, a sweet bun with almond paste and whipped cream, was delicious. It was very very sweet - so make sure to have it with some coffee!
After eating, we walked around the area a little more and finally found the famous square that everyone has taken a picture in. Rows of colorful buildings line the streets and make for a very picturesque area. We left Gamla Stan, a little wet and cold, and continued shopping around until we couldn't walk anymore. With an early flight ahead of us, we called it quits pretty early and went back to the hostel!
Layover = Extra Country
On our way home, we had a layover in Vienna, Austria. We had around 7 hours to kill, so we made our way to the city so we could cross if off our list. Vienna is a very beautiful city with some incredible architecture and shopping. We visited as many of the staples that we could - including the famous St. Stephen's Church. It reminded me a lot of the Basillica de la Sagrada Familia in Barcelona because of the pointy towers. We also saw the Habsburg Palace and we went to Stadpark. The streets near the palace were surrounded by luxury brands that made me want to empty my wallet. Like Stockholm, this city seemed so much more modern than some of the other European cities I have been. Our short trip to Austria ended with a crazy takeoff in extreme winds - I have never felt turbulence like that before. However, we made it home safe and ready for the next week.
This week I will be sticking around Greece for a winery tour and visits to a few other villages nearby!