We gathered at The Wilkens Science Center, anxious, nervous, yet excited to start our trek and follow in the steps of the Athenian general, Thucydides. With the help of a number of allies, family and friends, we reached Logan airport in Boston our departure point for this adventure. Our trip was uneventful, yet long, but our spirit was never broken and our determination got stronger as we reached Germany in the early Saturday morning or late Friday evening it was increasingly unclear as we were traveling across time-zones and continents. The Athenians and their fellow Hellenes, their furthest expedition was to Sicily, so our task was more daunting. We were determined that nothing was going to break our spirit on this trip, regardless, the long lines at the passport controls or the additional security checks. However, the lack of sleep was beginning to creep up on us.

Our arrival to Athens was glorious, as the bright Attica sunshine, allowed to see as we were landing what the Attica region meant to the Athenians. An area that surrounded the city of Athens that became the spiritual home and the homeland of an empire. Access to the coastline and well protected harbors of Pireas and Rafina, while the surrounding mountains provided shelter at times of crisis. The land of Attica was the basis of Athenian wealth. The marble from the quarries on Mount Imittos and Mount Penteli was used for the temples and sculptures of Athens, the silver from Lavrion financed their construction and the produce from the local agricultural areas fed the growing population.

After a nice ride up the Attica coast to our hotel in the Athenian suburb of Glyfada, we made camp at the Emmantina Hotel. (It was taken as a good sign by all, that the Hotel Emmantina, not only shared its first four letters with Emmanuel, but had the same blue and gold colors.)

We gathered later in the day, and took the trolley to Floisvos Marinam where we visited the reproduction of an Athenian Trireme that is currently being prepared to bring the Olympic flame to the 2012 London Summer Olympics.

We were allowed by a very friendly guard to peak through and witness the marvel of 5th century BC Athenian engineering, and certainly a group picture.

It was now time for our welcome dinner, a walk and back to our hotel, as the sun had set on the Saronic gulf, that surrounds Athens, our first day in Athens was also coming to an end. Tomorrow, Sunday, promises to be another spectacular sunny day, as we will gather at the Keramikos cemetery, the place of Pericles' Funerary Oration, a walk along the Panathenian Way to the Ancient Agora, the place of Athenian debate and democracy, only to be followed by a visit to the Parthenon, the new Acropolis museum, and of course a number of stops for food, coffee, and shopping along the way.