The bus stop in Istron.
The beach in Istron.
Istron
Since I've been here for 2 weeks, I decided it was about time I ventured away from Pachia Ammos. So I went to the next town over. Small steps. Anyhow, Istron is not much to speak of, but it has a gorgeous beach.
So, then this happened...
Somehow I ended up at a beach party in the middle of the night. There was lots of thumping techno, with crazy lights and all...somehow it seemed very European. Quite a night. And, I got a souvenir T-shirt.
Lecture.
There was a lecture held at INSTAP last weekend, on the subject of the destruction of the Minoan palace at Knossos. The lecture was interesting, but due to my overwhelming lack of knowledge on Minoan archaeology, lost me about half way through. The lecture was followed by a very heated "discussion" of the Minoan collapse, primarily concerned with whether the destruction happened during the Late Minoan 3A or 3B periods. Whoa.
Sushi Night
I've fallen behind on my posting, and am now preparing to leave Greece. So I'm just going to throw together a barrage of posts summarizing the last 2 weeks. I apologize in advance for any lackluster commentary. And after that...well, we'll see how the Syrian government feels about blogging.
So without further ado:
So without further ado:
Jad, a friend of the Stefi's (head of conservation at INSTAP), decided to prepare a sushi night for everyone. So we all went over to Stefi's place and ate ourselves silly. This man can cook like few people I've ever met, and loves to make an abundance of food when he's entertaining. So he prepared multiple varieties of sushi, miso soup, spring rolls, and more. Couldn't have been better timed, as I have been craving sushi ever since I discovered that the Japanese run dig did not plan on providing it for me.
Theocharis helps with the preparation.
Only a portion of the sushi offerings.
Chroni and Mary compare cameras as Jad sets out sushi on the table.
The panoramic view of Kavousi from Stefi's house didn't hurt the ambiance much.
I never knew I loved Greek food...
In fact, I've always been fairly unimpressed by Greek cuisine as I know it in the States. Which I guess just refers to feta, olives and spanakopita in my mind. But the food here, perhaps because its Cretan (and not just Americanized Greek) is incredible. Or at least, I have yet to have anything that wasn't incredible.
One of the best thing about the tavernas in Pachia Ammos is that every time you order a beer it comes with assorted sides. And they're different every time. And amazingly delicious every time.
Snails are a big thing here. I didn't know I loved snails, but I do.
There are dolmatas of course, and my favorite - a dish called dakos. This is a classic Cretan dish, made with a barley rusk, covered with tomatoes and cheese. Simple and wonderful.
Mochlos
We were called last week to assist with one of the excavations, at a site called Mochlos just down the road from the center. They found a large section of intact plaster, and needed help lifting it from the ground. So we got a field trip to the island of Mochlos, where archaeologists have been excavating the remains of a Minoan city for more than 10 years. Amazing.
The view of modern Mochlos from Minoan Mochlos.
This is how everyone gets to site in the morning.
This is the Minoan road, snaking through the town. I find it
unbelievable that you can actually walk down the original road
and walk into individual houses.
This is me preparing cheesecloth for the excavation of the plaster.
...and doing other fancy conservator stuff.
This tupperware makes things very official.
This is the house we were working in.
Dirt.
Taking photos of the plaster. It was (and always is) very hot, in case you are wondering why none of the strapping excavators in the background have shirts on.
INSTAP
My internship on Crete is at the INSTAP (Institute for the Study of Aegean Prehistory) Study Center, a full service facility which provides space and archaeological services to excavations in the area. The conservation staff assists with materials from the excavations, helping with the recovery of delicate materials, processing artifacts, and conserving important finds. The center is located on a hilltop in Pacheia Ammos with a view of the town, the mountains, and the Mediterranean, and might win the award for most scenic place I've worked to date.
The entrance.
The central courtyard. The building was designed to reflect typical Minoan construction.
I have no idea what this sign says.
The view of the mountains from the back terrace.
The conservation lab.
Tables for sorting pottery.
Pachia Ammos
My next internship is in the sleepy town of Pachia Ammos. This town rivals Yassıhöyük in size, with only 800 people, but boasts 5 tavernas, 4 cafe bars, and 2 raki houses, 3 mini-markets, 1 bakery, and a souvlaki stand. It is beachy and amazing, and quite a contrast from Turkey.
Luckily, they translate the signs here, or I might never
find the beach.
The main road through Pachia Ammos.
The bus stop, with funeral notices posted.
Another panorama, because I am so enamored with Photoshop's merging capabilities. Click for a better image. This is Pachia Ammos in its entirety.
Athens
So as not to mislead, I saw very little of Athens. Mainly because it took so long to deal with my lost luggage that I only had time to go straight to the port to catch the ferry to Crete.
The train station at Piraeus.
I've never been on a cruise, but if they are all this exciting, I might change my opinion on the whole subject. The boat was huge, and had multiple restaurants, bars, internet, and even a nightclub. Everyone seemed to be heading off for vacation, and was having a great time. I only wish I hadn't been exhausted and alone. I might have to come back with other people and really live it up on the overnight ferry.
My adorable little cabin.
The mighty ship.
Loitering teenagers.
The upper deck of the ship.
We arrive in Heraklion at 5AM.
Next Country
I stepped off the plane in Greece, and realized I am now in a foreign country where not only do I not speak the language, and but I can't even read the writing. And they lost my luggage. I would like to go back to Turkey, please.
Kaman (Part 2)
The site itself deserves some attention, as this is safely one of the strangest places I have ever visited.
The compound is in a stunningly beautiful setting, with lush surroundings and mountains in the distance.
It is also very Japanese, and rules abound.
No shoes in the buildings.
Drinking only between 9 and 11.
No showering after 11.
Compulsory karaoke on Saturday nights.
Assigned seating at meals, and no one may get their food until the director is seated.
No leaving the compound without prior permission.
The list goes on, but I don't have a copy of the rule book handy.
The gated entrance on the right, and the main building on the left.
These paths keep you from dirtying your slippers between buildings.
Mostly I was struck by the emptiness of everything here. It reminded me of a newly build office park with no tenants. Lots of empty concrete courtyards and unused interior spaces.
Laundry.
They also have the largest Japanese garden outside of Japan. But, apparently a local dog has been eating all of the imported koi. Oops.
The view from the garden. Click on the picture to see it better.
Kaman
My next stop was Kaman-
The strange thing about this place is that the site has fully equipped conservation facilities and a chemical lab, in middle-of-nowhere Turkey. You wouldn't even know you had landed in a foreign country, except maybe for the Turkish cling-wrap. Coming from Gordion, where the lab consists of a sink and tables, this was especially surreal.
This is me spot-testing.
Try as I might, I am still terrified of concentrated acids.
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