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I'm going there

Posted: Mon Apr 21, 2008 7:47 pm
by karen
Hi all:

My hopes for a research trip to Greece were dashed back in February when I learned I'd been turned down for a grant... but due to what I would call an emotional miracle -- let's just say someone close to me acted in a way extremely opposite to how he always has -- I'm now able to go, and have my ticket booked.

I and my best friend, who is also an amateur Alexander scholar and has been studying ancient Greek language and literature for five years as well as modern Greek (she's going to do all the talking), will be together in Greece June 15-30. We plan to hit (not necessarily in order) : Athens, Eleusis, Delphi, Corinth, Chaironea, Thebes, Olympia, Dion, Pella, Vergina, Mieza and perhaps other places if we can fit them in, with our emphasis being to see and explore every Alexander-related site we can get to and learn as much as we can pack into our brains.

Look for me to do a travelogue thread when I get back, or even while I'm still there.

I can't describe how thrilled I am...

Karen

Posted: Mon Apr 21, 2008 9:10 pm
by Theseus
I am thrilled for you Karen!!! How exciting! Some day I hope to do the same as you! It is on my list of things to do before I part.
Please take plenty of photo's and notes to share with us when you get back!! This is a chance of a lifetime, enjoy it!! :D

Alexander Pilgrimage

Posted: Mon Apr 21, 2008 10:04 pm
by Manny E
Hello Karen,

How I envy you. Please annotate each and every single photograph you bring home from your Alexander trip. I definitely want photos of the Vergina tombs---interiors as well as exterirors. The Persephone abduction wall painting, please, don't miss that. I think it's in the tomb they suspect was Philip's. I suspect it's how Olympias mythified her relationship with Philip----as a teenager named Myrtale, Philip snatched her from the cradle of Epirus and perched her on the throne of a backwoods mountain kingdom called Macedonia. As far as she was concerned, Macedonia was not much of an improvement on Epirus. Yes, I think Olympias designed and supervised everything that had to do with Philip's tomb.

Enjoy, and if possible, take home a bookmarker flower from the mountainsides of Vergina, Pella, or Mieza.

Manny E.

Posted: Tue Apr 22, 2008 12:17 pm
by Efstathios
Karen, you have a pm.

Posted: Tue Apr 22, 2008 1:18 pm
by Paralus
Can I come too?

Posted: Tue Apr 22, 2008 1:53 pm
by Efstathios
Can I come too?
It would be great if you would :) It would be like a small pothos meeting.

It would be also great if there was a pothos meeting here in Athens, or Pella, with every member that could come during the summer, or at a time that people can have a leave from their work for some days. It is difficult of course, due to the distances and the money, but some of the members do pass by from here occasionally. Maybe some time we can do this more organized.

Posted: Thu Apr 24, 2008 3:51 pm
by Paralus
By me the air ticket Stathi and I'll buy you several Mythos and some decent Macedonian red over mezza and not a few plates of octopus, sardines and lamb cutlets. Bread , olive oil and vinegar thrown in....of course.

I have experience...

Visiting Greece

Posted: Wed Apr 30, 2008 7:31 pm
by ruthaki
Good for you Karen. You will love it! I've been to every one of those sites, some of them several times. The battlefield area at Chaironea is quite amazing.
I'm not sure you can take photos inside the tombs -- at least last time I was there you couldn't or I'd have some. But you can buy postcards of some things. They are really quite a wonder!

Posted: Fri May 02, 2008 6:08 pm
by karen
Efstathios wrote:Karen, you have a pm.
Stathis did you get my PM back?

Warmly,
Karen

Cell phone research

Posted: Wed May 07, 2008 5:32 pm
by karen
Hi Ruthaki and/or other experienced Greece travellers:

What's the best/cheapest way to get a month's worth of cellphone service in Greece?

International roaming through our home services is pricey pricey pricey... we're looking at rentals and SIM cards... any ideas?

Warmly,
Karen

Going there too!

Posted: Thu May 08, 2008 7:52 am
by Sandra
I am going to Greece too:) Just by luck, got ticket and now... Well, this will be in July- but I still can't believe that!
I am planning if possible to visit Pella and/or Vergina. Is it possible by public transport?

Re: Cell phone research

Posted: Thu May 08, 2008 11:35 am
by Paralus
karen wrote:International roaming through our home services is pricey pricey pricey... we're looking at rentals and SIM cards... any ideas?
Yes, tell me about it.

I actually did intl roaming and selected - on the handset when I got there- the local service I'd already checked out, before leaving, as the cheapest - both US and Europe. Has the benefit of using your own 'phone (contacts book etc) which I found quite invaluable. SMS is still quite inexpensive - and difficult to do on a strange handset without your personal 'phonebook.

The only other way is to take your 'phone and buy a SIM locally - or "Pre-paid". No contacts list or any other "friendlies" that way though - and only good for where you buy it mostly.

If I set you up with a 'phone, will you take me along as well??!!??

Posted: Thu May 08, 2008 3:12 pm
by karen
Hi all:

Sandra -- I have no idea about public transport. With any luck Efstathios will come back on and tell us. My friend and I plan to rent a car. I am going to drive and am boning up on the 26 Simple Rules of Survival on Greek Roads. Here is my favourite:
1) You must always keep in mind that you may be the only person on the road who actually took and passed a road test. Many of your fellow drivers rather than go through the inconvenience of taking the test or risk failing it simply bribed the people administering it. Just assume that nobody but you knows how to drive.
Paralus -- What's the name of the phone company you used? I'd love to bring you along but you have to promise that if I say something favourable towards Alexander you won't grouse and grumble that there's nothing favourable to be said :wink:

Excitedly,
Karen

Re: Going there too!

Posted: Thu May 08, 2008 7:18 pm
by abm
Sandra wrote: Is it possible by public transport?
It is possible. See the Pothos travel guide: http://www.pothos.org/content/index.php ... eps#greece.

I went there last year by public transport and found it fairly convenient. Just take a good and recent travel guide with you and take into account that in the smaller towns and villages such as Veria and Vergina many people will not be able to help you in English.
In my experience the bus service from Veria to Vergina was very good, the only problem being that there is no timetable at the busstop near the site in Vergina and no one in the village seems to know when the buses back to Veria are going. However, if you just wait, it will show up in normally not more than an hour :-).
The bus service from Thessaloniki to Pella is very good as well, just make sure that the driver knows you want to get off at ancient Pella and not at new Pella if you happen to be the only tourist on the bus.

Posted: Thu May 08, 2008 10:30 pm
by Paralus
karen wrote:Paralus -- What's the name of the phone company you used? I'd love to bring you along but you have to promise that if I say something favourable towards Alexander you won't grouse and grumble that there's nothing favourable to be said
Buggered if I can recall. 'Phone your telco and ask them for a list of applicable service providersa and their charges - that's what I did. When you get there you turn on the handset and set the provider (how depends on handset software). It is much easier as you can them mostly text message at minimal cost through you phone book.

If you're renting a car out of Athens rent it from Swift. These people brought the vehicle to our hotel at the appointed time and drove us to the junction with the highway that took us to where we were headed out of Athens. Marvelous. They pick it up from your hotel at rental's end too. Their email is: [email protected]

Further, if you've not booked a hotel, theAttalosis excellent value for money and a block from the Monastaraki metro station which links directly to the airport.

I promise not to pick on the Greek god Alexander.....

Stathi is a good bloke and will help you out in Athens - if not elsewhere. Just buy him a packet of fags and a glass of decent red - not that sweet crap.