Though we didn’t have to be ready by 8 am today, some of us still had to get up early in order to pack for Crete and move our larger bags into storage. At that time, we still weren’t sure if we would be getting on the boat to Crete that night, but lucky for us, we found out that the boat was scheduled to leave on time. We spent the early hours of the day in the Kerameikos cemetery. Though it was sunny for the first time in a couple of days, it remained cold, and most of us had to don on extra layers. Fighting off the bitter wind, we walked among the remains and grave stelai of the Kerameikos. However, after a few hours outdoors, we were more than glad to head to the Oberlaender Museum to warm up.
The group then made a mad dash for the National Museum where we got to examine some of richest grave deposits found in Mycenae. There was so much to see and so little time that most of us resigned to return some other day. We then had to embark on the long trip back to our hotel, where we had a few hours to spare before heading off to Piraeus. During that time, most of us grabbed a bite to eat while Caleb had his seventh tiropita. Sarah Murray, a former student and classmate of ours, dropped by and regaled us with her stories about her own FSP and what she’s been doing since she graduated.
At 6 pm, we got our things in order and took the Metro to Piraeus. We had a long wait in store for us as the boat had not yet arrived. We spent the next couple of hours out in the cold trying to find ways to pass the time, which included writing in our journals and talking about “I Love Lucy” episodes. All of us cheered up when the boat finally came in to dock. We were surprised to find that the boat was huge and was quite luxurious as well; its features included a restaurant, bar, cinema, and a swimming pool (though it was outdoors). So after having heaping bowls of spaghetti and walking about a bit, the group called it a night and decided to turn in as we all have to be prepared for the 5 am wake up call.