Gritaly (aka sprang brek) (sorry this post is was so delayed)

Typically when I think of spring break I think of a nice, relaxing vacation where I can kick back, enjoy some delicious food, learn about a new culture, and spend time in the sun.
This, however, was not really the case with the Grittily trip. All of the Canadians were readily wearing short shorts in 60 degree weather—something Californians like myself find bit amusing. Only one day was spent on the beach (which was pushing it, considering the water was like an ice bath and the cold ocean air brought about goosebumps all over my body).
The only thing that holds true in the first statement was that the food was definitely delicious. I ate so much tzatziki and greek yogurt that the thought of eating it now makes me a little queasy!

I barely got enough sleep to sustain me while on the trip, but I have to say it was totally worth it. My days were filled with exploration and discovery as I walked miles and miles throughout Rome, Sorrento, Capri, Crete, Pompeii and Athens.
Since it was a two-week trip, I will bring back something I've done in previous posts and make a list of the more memorable moments:

1. Exploring the streets with some of my best friends

2. Seeing the lit up Colosseum at night

3. Touring Rome and seeing the Spanish steps, the Trevi fountain, the Piazza Navona and the Pantheon

4. Going to the Vatican City and visiting St. Peter's Basilica and the Sistine Chapel

photo not mine- we weren't supposed to take pictures of the Sistine chapel. I could've sat in the chapel staring at the ceiling for hours! We only had twenty minutes :/

5. Touring the Colosseum and the Roman Forum

6. Pompeii

7. Hiking Mt. Vesuvius

8. Capri

taken during our boat tour around the island

what we saw when we first exited the hydrofoil

we took these cool chairlifts up to the highest point of the island!

peering down...

9. Amalfi Coast views

10. The Parthenon

11. Greek food

12. The Island of Spinalonga

it used to be a leper colony up until fairly recently (the 60's, I think)

13. Cool Athenian/Cretan museums

an ancient board game!

The Phaistos Disc- Cretan hieroglyphs. Ancestral to Linear A script, which is the writing we use today

I am so grateful that I got to go on this trip, because I feel like I learned so much! Although I could really say that about every trip. I guess specifically I took away a renewed sense of the value of patience—especially when traveling; an awareness of my surroundings and how important it is to be mentally present, even when I'm tired; and finally, the realization that going into travels without expectations is much more rewarding then mapping every detail out or idolizing a certain thing (like going to the beach hoping for it to be pleasant, and then having it turn out to be ice cold).


Anyway--
That's all for now!