February 18th, 2017

Today we woke up in out hotel in Rome with our bags packed awaiting our departure to Greece in the afternoon. Before this Enrica guided us through the hectic yet inviting streets of Rome to the Piazza del Popolo. Here we entered the Basilica of Santa Maria del Popolo. This quaint yet decorative inside proved that Roman churches are a true sight to be seen. Each and every corner held statues and representations of notable Roman figures. Also, the paintings as and marble work were exquisite and would catch the eye of anyone of inquisitive nature. After leaving the church the class headed back to our hotel, where we were allowed some extra free time to experience the vast city one last time. Many kids went out to shop while the responsible few worked on their school work. Next, we departed to the Rome airport to depart for Greece. This was the last ride with our skilled bus driver Pasquale. Pasquale is an extremely stylish and somewhat mysterious figure that became of class-trip favorite. It was extremely sad leaving a man I had never talked to, but it felt we were leaving a friend. Once entering the airport we did the usual security check-ins and procedures and waited for our plane. Many got snacks and drinks, while mainly relaxing.On the plane after take off, we decided to rest our eyes for a quick bit. Mid-flight we were treated to some scrumptious snickety snacks from our flight attendants. Marc and Will chose a nice cold coke as a drink meanwhile, luke chose water. As we descended into Athens with popping ears, we could see the vast and beautiful landscape of what would be our home for the next 4 nights. After landing in Athens we were greeted by our new bus driver, Costa, He's no Pasquale, but his turns were very smooth. Once we arrived at our 5-star hotel, The Wyndham Grand, Marc and luke frantically looked for the wifi password only to be told by Thomas right before dinner. At dinner, we enjoyed a nice buffet which furthered an assortment of different foods, including Baklava for dessert :). After dinner, we ascended the stairs to what seemed to be the top of mount Olympus but was actually the ninth floor. On the ninth floor, we could the acropolis which was lit up by the lights placed at the bottom. We then were entertained by both the exquisite and smooth Emperor presentations.Arrivederci Pasquale, Arrivederci Roma
Marc And Luke