Fall Session Update

The group of fall students have been in Paros for nearly two weeks now.  Last Friday we hiked to the far valley beyond Lefkes and then returned to eat at Flora’s on the hillside overlooking  Naxos on the horizon. The last few days we  had torrential rains that flooded the streets and thunder crackled overhead.  Classes are all  underway and some readjustments are being made in schedules, what to pursue, what to drop.  Everyone seems busy and determined to excel.

Italy was hot but we kept up a steady pace seeing museums and churches.  Gelato was sampled and discussed and coffee took on an elevated status.  The meals at the villa were always noisy and satisfying, the garden beautiful but the mosquitos fierce.  We drew large perspective studies in the old chapel, photographed the fountain, sang acapella, and listened to Monteverdi.

Paros is welcoming and small in comparison to the grandeur of Rome and Athens but easy to negotiate and familiar.  We have settled in,  becoming  a bit more independent of the group.  The Greek economy may be in ruins but island life seems little changed. The beauty of the sea and the sky give us  longer vistas to contemplate.