A 4C’S Students’ Adventures in Greece; Part 1

by Dawn Christakis

Hello everyone!

I am Dawn Christakis, the staff photographer of the MainSheet.

I've been planning my trip to Greece for the longest time, and I am finally here.

I'll be staying until the middle of October, so there's still plenty of time for new discoveries.

I'm here in Greece because I wanted to visit my family and friends. Additionally, I wanted to dive deeper into Greece’s history and check out all those amazing monuments.

I’ll be exploring its culture, history, and lifestyle. My plan is to document my experiences thoroughly and share them with my fellow students. I'll be visiting historical sites, tasting authentic Greek cuisine, and soaking up the local environment.

When I first visited the village of Kavousi in Crete, an elderly woman told me to visit the ancient tree. I thought, “A tree? What is so special about an olive tree?” It turns out the tree is 4,000 years old. It is one of the oldest olive trees in the world.

So I got up early on a Saturday, and I took off on the road to the monument.

The ancient tree is located in Eastern Crete, 19km northeast of Ierapetra (a town of the region Lasithi) in the village of Kavousi which in Cretan dialect means “water source.”

It was an 8-minute drive from the village, but it felt longer since it was a very bumpy road.

The bumpy road. (Dawn Christakis)

We finally arrived high up in the mountains. The view was breathtaking, the olive tree even more so. I had expected it to be ancient and lifeless, but to my surprise, the olive tree was full of life.

Olive trees have played a very important role in Cretan mythology, tradition, religion, and art for over 9,000 years.

In 2004, the local inhabitants of the Lerapetra region proposed a unique and symbolic gesture. They suggested that the first female winner of the marathon run at the Athens Olympic Games be honored with a wreath made from a branch (cotinos) of the wild rootstock of this ancient olive tree. The olive branch was cut at a special ceremony to which official representatives of the State and the Church attended, together with a multitude.

The sign that directs you to the tree. (Dawn Christakis)

 The ancient tree. (Dawn Christakis)

 The ancient tree. (Dawn Christakis)

 The ancient tree. (Dawn Christakis)

The view when you arrive at the location. (Dawn Christakis)

The signs about the tree were old and crusty, but they still held valuable information.(Dawn Christakis)

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