Athens

Program Description

Hofstra in Athens
January 2-22, 2010

THE CITY OF ATHENS, SPRAWLING FROM THE FOOT OF THE ACROPOLIS, whose crown is the temple of Athena, more famously known as the Parthenon, has beckoned to travelers since its rise as the founding home of democracy in fifth century B.C. Athens is the site of a three-week odyssey offered by Hofstra College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, and the Department of Comparative Literature and Languages in January 2010. Hofstra University provides a curriculum-related opportunity for students to interact with the landscape and environment that has shaped the foundational principles, ethics and aesthetics of their own culture.

2010 THEME: GREECE ANCIENT AND MODERN: ITINERARY

We arrive in Athens, Sunday, January 3 and head directly to Astor hotel in downtown Athens. We settle in, meet for lunch and a tour of our neighborhood, Syntagma (Constitution Square), and the nearby neighborhoods of Plaka and Kolonaki. Monday, January 4th,we will do a walking tour of nearby archeological sites, including the Acropolis, and see the most famous site in all of Greece, the Parthenon. We will have dinner at our regular restaurant, Diros, a few blocks from the hotel. Tuesday, January 5th, We will visit one of the most magnificent sites in all of Greece, Delphi, and return for dinner at our restaurant, Diros. On Wednesday, January 6, we will be picked up early for the three-island cruise, a magical and fun experience.

Classes begin on Thursday, January 7: We meet in the lobby to walk a few blocks up to the Goethe Institute. Classes are between 9 and 12:30 with a coffee break around 10:30. Friday, January 8 through Sunday, January 11, students are on their own, although we are always available to help with excursions, usually offer day trips somewhere and orientation toward Athens night life.

Monday, January 11 through Thursday, January 14, we explore Greek culture in our classes, as well as take side trips to nearby cultural sites, but on Wednesday, January 13, we skip class and take a tour of Mycenae and Epidaurus (day trip). Thursday evening, January 14-Sunday, January 17, is the final weekend to embark on a side trip on your own.

During our final week, Monday, January 18 through Wednesday 20, we have classes(as well as oral reports and finals). On Wednesday, after the final exam, January 21, we take a final excursion to Eleusis and have a special traditional Greek country meal. On Thursday, you are free to get yourselves ready to leave, do last-minute shopping. We will have a special final meal together. Friday, January 22 we return to New York.