For our second week in Greece, the first half of the week involved taking our classes at the CYA. The majority of classes we had this week was called Survival Greek where we learned how to speak Greek by understanding common phrases and being able to read the words with extensive practice on the Greek alphabet. Although the class was short lived, it has been beyond helpful in gaining a clearer understanding of Greek culture through their language and in gaining the ability to better understand and converse around Athens itself (luckily many people still understand English). In this class we were introduced to a Greek song (that is very catchy), types of food in Greece, and common courtesy mannerisms.
However, the main part of this week was our first 3-day trip to Volos. Although it was our first official trip it is already my favorite at the moment. My favorite part of the trip was experiencing both the museums in Volos which were the City of Volos museum and the Archaeological Museum of Volos. In these museums you get to learn so much about the deep history of both the city itself and the archaeological sites that surround the city. Another aspect of the trip I really enjoyed was the scenery we were encircled by during our time in the city where in Volos we could see the city on one side and on the other the beautiful ocean water with the mountains in a far distance. There was also another area that we went to for lunch called Portaria (near Volos) that was absolutely breathtaking heading to and from there. This area is surrounded by mountains and the village is within Mt. Pelion itself which adds to its appealing landscape and architecture.
Referring back to both of the museums, there were several pieces there that truly encapsulates the audience on the history of Volos. Many of the pieces were preserved from the time they were released. One clear example of this in the City of Volos museum were some of the tobacco advertisements emphasizing the growing industry in the area and how it appealed to the public in the past. Understanding the way marketers did this gives us a better perspective in the culture during the 1900’s. The aesthetic of tobacco as seen from the images below portray a type of ease surrounding tobacco products and a beauty within them.
Advertisements like these created a boom in the tobacco industries which had a direct correlation with the jobs women and men had. For individuals who did not have financial means, kids would quit their education and end up working in factories like these to provide financial support in their households. However, this did not come without its consequences where their physical health deteriorated due to being surrounded by such products. This is just one aspect of the museum that I found interesting, although there were so many more, this example shows the cause and effects within history and its society.
Then in the Archaeological Museum of Volos, we got to see some of the items that were excavated in the archaeological sites in Volos. These items ranged from jewelry, to pottery, art, money, sculptures, and funeral practices. Being able to see the items that were excavated from the sites we visit really adds to the importance of the site itself. The ability to understand how societies lived made the archeological sites easier to understand. One key thing in the museum that caught my attention was the funeral gravestones and many of them had a red ribbon drawn on them. Although the significance is not known, it does bring new questions in how ancient Greeks handled death and symbolic meanings other art brings. As well as bringing to light new discoveries that have yet to happen!
