A recent fully funded five-day visit to Greece for fourteen students of the Classics Department was made possible by the generosity of the Jamie Rumble Memorial Fund. The student trip took place in late June 2023, and focused on the highlights of Athens, ancient through modern. Koraes Professor Gonda Van Steen led the fieldtrip, which was part of her undergraduate module ‘Adventures in Ancient Greek Drama’. The fourteen participants visited museums and sites, with a focus on classical drama and art and architecture. In addition to the must-see sites of Athens (Theatre of Dionysus, Acropolis, ancient art museum), the students also visited the spectacular Basil and Elise Goulandris Foundation Museum, where they enjoyed a guided tour of major works of art in the collection. Also, they found themselves shopping for fresh fruits and vegetables at the colourful Friday farmers’ market in Pangrati and enjoyed interacting with the local coffee shop owners. The students liked staying in the modern student apartments provided by The Athens Centre, which added to their living experience of a residential neighbourhood in downtown Athens. Some apartments offered spectacular views of the mountains and the sea, and they became evening gathering hubs. Several students managed to fit in late afternoon beach visits as well, since the weather was perfect for swimming and sunbathing. Everyone returned safely and satisfied. We are grateful to the generous sponsor for making the 2023 Rumble trip possible.
More information about the Rumble trip can be found here. For further information about the Rumble Fund in King’s Department of Classics and the activities it supports in the fields of Art and Archaeology, please contact Professor Van Steen and Dr Will Wootton.
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