After 30 hours of travel we have arrived safe and sound in the town of Kyparissia. We were greeted with a lovely coach driver, ( SMUS sign and all), at the airport who took us on the final 3.5 hr leg of the trip. The crossing of the Corinth canal was a highlight of the drive as well as submarine sightings, military planes and a pit stop for some delicious baked goods.
The students were absolute troopers throughout the trip, and managed to make it all the way to our welcome dinner tonight. The locals were beyond welcoming and the hotel staff went above and beyond to make us feel welcome.
We checked in, settled into our rooms and then headed out for a quick explore of the town. The hotel is right in the heart of the village and backs onto one of the main beaches.
Both country's flags were represented at our dinner table, and the dining patio was decorated with colored balloon bunches representing both Canada and Greece. The food was DELICIOUS! Greek salad, fresh bread, potatoes, a juicy lamb steak and watermelon for dessert.
The students crashed mid-dinner just before we were joined by the Woodgates, (Family in Greece who has been our main contact in planning/organizing this trip), Local teachers and students for a brief social/welcome. It was a bit of a dance when conversing as there were an array of languages contributing to the conversation. A young boy had hand picked Basal for Xavier and myself as a gift, so thoughtful! ! The Mayor was called to Athens for a crisis meeting, so we will meet him later this week.
What an incredible start to this adventure of building International relations and experiencing all that the town of Kyparissia has to offer.
Turtle Day tomorrow, we get to learn about this endangered species and assist with the nesting/hatching process with the mother turtles :)
Fun fact: Kyparissia is the second largest breeding ground for this type of Sea Turtle, and the new Mayor, (who began last year), wants to develop the unspoiled beach where they live and nest. It will be interesting to see what happens.
Picture credits go to Mr. Abrioux
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