Brentwoodian 2019

11 set there. In the evening, after we arrived at our hotel in Athens, a select group of the biggest Classics geeks on the trip (sadly including me) took the Metro to the National Archaeological Museum. This was without a doubt one of the most valuable parts of the trip; we got to see all kinds of excavated Greek household objects, pottery, statues, et cetera, as well as a really cool exhibition featuring a reconstruction of how Greek perfume might have smelt. I have to say the next day was definitely the highlight of the trip for me and probably many others. We were lucky enough to be able to visit the Acropolis of Athens, a focal point of the Ancient world and a surreal experience for any classicist. We first arrived at the Theatre of Dionysus, the location of the famous Dionysia Festival. We then climbed up to the main site and saw the Parthenon itself, the world-famous temple dedicated to Athena. This was of course an incredible experience and one I will never forget. After learning about the architecture and history of the Parthenon, and exploiting the temples and walls of the Acropolis for a few Instagram pics, we headed to the Agora of Athens and saw the Temple of Hephaestus; later on we visited the Acropolis Museum, which was both extremely educational and actually a really nicely done and fun place to be. This was overall a fantastic day where I learnt so much and saw so many amazing things that have further inspired me to pursue the study of Classics. On the seventh and final day, we briefly played ‘Go Fish’ on the beach at Lavrion before enjoying lunch in an airy restaurant and heading to Cape Sounion, a beautiful site where the Temple of Poseidon overlooks the Aegean Sea, which the king, Aegeus, famously threw himself into after mistakenly believing his son Theseus had died. With yet another tragic death weighing on our minds, we took in the stunning view and rich culture before returning to the airport to fly back home. This was a trip with the perfect blend of fun and learning and one that I will never forget. On behalf of everyone on the trip, thank you so much to Dr Tsaknaki for organising this trip, and thank you to all the staff who gave up their time to come with us. Thanks also to whoever invented ‘Go Fish’ for entertaining us on those never-ending coach rides. By Beth Whiskerd