Nafplio!

SPARTA! 😀 Today we went to the beautiful city of Nafplio.  Along with our trip to Poros, this is one of my very favorite places that we visit on this trip.  Nafplio is one of the most diverse cities in all of Greece. Populated by the Italians, the Knights of Rhodes, the Turks, the Ottomans, and the Greeks, it is a beautiful melting pot of a city, both in architecture, food, and tradition.

Nafplio is home to a massive fortress on the top of a cliff, where there are just over 1,000 steps you must take to get to the top.  Many of our students braved going up the steps in the 101 degree heat today (and some smart people took the bus to the top instead 😉).

Upon reaching the top, the reward is the gorgeous views of the Mediterranean.  Because today was like baking in an oven, it was also very hazy and harder to see the water, so I am using pictures from a trip a few years ago so you can see how lovely it really is.



After making it back down to town, we had delicious gyros for lunch.  Nafplio is also home to incredible gelato.  One thing that being in Greece always does for me is encourage bravery to try new things.  Today I tried a chocolate banana gelato and it was incredible!  I wonder sometimes how much we miss because it is easier to stay with what we know than to risk and try something new...




One of the best parts of Nafplio, besides the incredible beauty of the water, is the reminder of how special it is when many different people come together and build something. Jesus led by example in His time on earth, reminding us that we are one in Him and that we don’t need to be worried about the things that make us different. Rather, what could be possible if we were to embrace the idea that the law we follow now is love and we don’t have to worry about our differences? As a counselor (and even just a human being), we learn that everyone who walks into our office, no matter how similar to us they may seem, is different. We will not agree with people’s lifestyles or choices at times. We will not understand why people cannot see easy answers for themselves. We will struggle to hold space for people unwilling to change because the unknown is scarier than the familiarity of their current pathology.

However, what happens when we remember that everyone we encounter is a fellow image bearer?  Everyone has a story.  Our job is not to change people or convince them they are wrong.  Our job is to see them as our equal.  We are one in Christ Jesus.  There is no separation.  Every encounter is sacred.  We are called to love and to love well.  I saw this sign as I was leaving the shopping area in Nafplio today and thought it captured well what it is we are trying to teach and learn on this trip.



Our time in Greece is coming to an end soon, which is very bittersweet.  We have had such an incredible time of bonding and shared time together, and I am so proud of our students!  They have risked and challenged and grown and learned things that they will carry with them the rest of their lives.  Tonight after dinner we celebrated by sharing a variety of pies and cakes from a local shop.



Thank you for following along on our journey so far!  We look forward to sharing our final blogs with you and finishing this trip well as we wrap up our time in Greece.  For now, off to some much needed sleep!

~Dr. Tiffany Jones

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