Day 3 started with one of the best breakfasts I have ever had. The food was so fresh and I was able to try a ton of new foods that I would not have been able to ever try in the states. After our lovely breakfast we made our way to the University of Nicosia for our lectures of the day. It was interesting comparing the professors at the university to the professors we have at Pitt. 

After our first orientation lecture, we moved on to the history lecture. I had no idea how complex Cyprus’ history was, especially when it came to how many times it has switch rule, and attitudes toward the Turkish part of the island. It was interesting to hear locals from the greek side talk about this, as it proved to be more of a controversial topic than I was expecting. I did not realize there was that strong of tension between the 2. I also found it very interesting that in the Turkish side of the island, there is a different political administration, controlled by Turkey. This is all very interesting considering this part is not considered an independent state internationally, but is within the area. 

After this lecture we had an amazing school lunch (definitely better than eatery food) and soaked up some sun before heading back to our lecture on a crash course in Greek. It was interesting to learn more about the language, because going in I really did not know anything about it. It seems more difficult a language to learn than I would’ve thought. 

Later, we came back on the bus from

Nicosia and took a walking tour of Limassol. I learned so much more about the architecture, specifically when we looked at the cathedral, we noted the dome shape steeples that highlighted the christian architecture. It was also cool to see how the town has transitioned some of their older aspects to be more modern. For example in the square that once housed an open air market, there is a place called the agora, which is a mall-like place with restaurants, shops, and more. It just goes to show how they kept some of the older architecture and character of the city, while developing the businesses to be more modern and up to date. 

Finally, we ended with ur day having an amazing group dinner. We got to try a ton of new foods, including a sausage made w spices used to make black licorice. It was not my favorite, but I am still glad I got to try it and experience a new part of Cypriot culture. 

It was super interesting and informative day, and I can’t wait for tomorrow to go to the Turkish side and go to the beach !