The Elon University women's track and field and women's cross country programs are embarking on a trip of a lifetime as the teams are spending this upcoming week in Greece as a part of the Elon Commitment to its students achieving a global experience. Check in to elonphoenix.com to view the daily updates of the program from its athletes on the overall experience! Be sure to also check out posts and updates on the team's social media accounts on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
 
Also view the team's ongoing photo gallery on Facebook page here.
 
Day Five (Nov. 24)

Today we celebrated Thanksgiving in Greece! Sadly, we had to pack up our bags in the morning and leave the beautiful hotel Europa in Olympia, only after going for a casual run up the mountain of course. We had about a four-hour trip to our next destination, Delphi, ahead of us, but we made a few stops on the way!
 
Our first stop was the near-shore city of Patras. It is a major port of Greece, located by the clear blue Ionian Sea. As we neared the city, we could look out over the water and see the mountains and huge suspension bridge— one of the largest in the world—in the distance. Our tour-guide told us some interesting history about the city and pointed out a large church from the Byzantine empire. Today, Patras is a modern and trendy city where many cruise ships and tourists stop by. Since Roman times, it continues to be a large port for trade and is one of the most populated cities in Greece. The team shopped and got food—gyros, kabobs, sandwiches, crepes, and pastries—for about an hour before getting back on the bus.

Our next stop was Nafpaktos, a cute town situated right on the Gulf of Corinth. Before that, we stopped along the suspension bridge, took some pictures and admired the view. Nafpaktos is known for the legendary Battle of Lepanto, in which the Ottoman Empire was defeated by the Christians in 1571. However, Nafpaktos switched between Venetian and Ottoman rule in subsequent years, and finally became part of independent Greece in 1829. Today, the city is known for romance and relies heavily on tourism. The sight of the Ionian Sea and beaches, and the beautiful stone buildings and castles nestled in the mountains, was truly beautiful. The team walked around the town for about an hour, relaxed and obviously took more pictures.

We had another two hours before we arrived at Hotel Amelia in Delphi. However, the team got to admire more of Greece's beauty as we traveled through the mountains, seeing mountain goats and aluminum mines along the way. Delphi is a historic village known for its archeological sites of ancient Greek monuments built by the city-states. Tomorrow, we will learn more about the history and visit one of the sites!

In the evening, the team got dressed up and walked into the small town for dinner, where we were served a delicious five course meal consisting of soup, tiropita, salad, meat, and chocolate cake. It wasn't our typical Thanksgiving dinner, but it was definitely something to be thankful for!
           
Overall, today was a pretty laid-back day for the team. With only two more days left in Greece, our trip is nearing the end. However, we're all excited to explore more of Delphi tomorrow and to race again on Saturday! On Thanksgiving, I know we are all thankful for this amazing opportunity to travel abroad.

Molly Offstein