I didn't take very good notes on this day because we were in and out of the bus a lot. I'm going to try to reconstruct the day using the pictures I took and the handouts from reports.
While in Arta (a modern city built on ancient Ambracia), we stopped at the museum,
read (or tried to read in spots) the ancient Greek epigram inscription at the polyandrion and heard Joe's report on the site,
had a look at a temple of Apollo,
saw the excavated "little" theater,
and went inside the Church of the Parigoritisa which was built in the 13th century.
The interior of the church was amazing given the shape of the exterior. Inside it feels very round and the dome has a giant painting of Christ. We were not allowed to take pictures inside because it is a still-functioning church and while we were there listening to Glen tell us about its history, patrons came in and kissed the glass surrounding the very old painting of the Virgin Mary and baby Jesus.
We had a look at a modern equestrian statue of Pyrrhus which fascinated the townspeople, many of whom stopped to ask us what we were doing.
We had lunch in Arta, too, and the cashier at the grocery store also seemed fascinated that American students were in town to look at their ancient sites.
Before we left town, we crossed the famous bridge of Arta built in 1602. There are folktales and a song about its construction involving the arduous and seemingly impossible task of its building.
We had to skip the Horraon because the site at Dodona closed at 3pm. We got to Dodona in time for Leigh to give her report and for us to have a look at the theater and sanctuary.
After we checked in to our hotel (http://www.palladionhotel.gr/enpage1.html), we walked to the Kastra, which is the citadel where Ali Pasha fortified himself in 1820 before being killed by Ottoman forces.
"Hermaphrodite"
and "On a boat"
While in Arta (a modern city built on ancient Ambracia), we stopped at the museum,
read (or tried to read in spots) the ancient Greek epigram inscription at the polyandrion and heard Joe's report on the site,
had a look at a temple of Apollo,
saw the excavated "little" theater,
and went inside the Church of the Parigoritisa which was built in the 13th century.
The interior of the church was amazing given the shape of the exterior. Inside it feels very round and the dome has a giant painting of Christ. We were not allowed to take pictures inside because it is a still-functioning church and while we were there listening to Glen tell us about its history, patrons came in and kissed the glass surrounding the very old painting of the Virgin Mary and baby Jesus.
We had a look at a modern equestrian statue of Pyrrhus which fascinated the townspeople, many of whom stopped to ask us what we were doing.
We had lunch in Arta, too, and the cashier at the grocery store also seemed fascinated that American students were in town to look at their ancient sites.
Before we left town, we crossed the famous bridge of Arta built in 1602. There are folktales and a song about its construction involving the arduous and seemingly impossible task of its building.
We had to skip the Horraon because the site at Dodona closed at 3pm. We got to Dodona in time for Leigh to give her report and for us to have a look at the theater and sanctuary.
After we checked in to our hotel (http://www.palladionhotel.gr/enpage1.html), we walked to the Kastra, which is the citadel where Ali Pasha fortified himself in 1820 before being killed by Ottoman forces.
Sarah, Andrew, and I walked along the walls of the Kastra and along the greenest water I've ever seen. Also, humorously named boats:
"Hermaphrodite"
I love the photographs of the theaters, large and small, and of the water.
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ReplyDeleteI love the coexistence of the ancient and the modern in the picture with the apartments behind the temple.
ReplyDelete(I deleted my other one because an extra 's' snuck in and I had to remove it.) (I didn't know it would leave that ugly 'this post has been removed by the author' thing.)(I won't be doing that again!)
I love the way the ancient and the modern meet. Here you have a 2500 year old theater and over here is where Ali Pasha was killed in 1820, and oh, over here is a garish "modern" building.... doing the time warp dance!
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