Tasting Culture: Nordic & Mediterranean Food, Tradition & Nutrition (Copenhagen, Island of Samsø; travel to Athens, Island of Ikaria)
NOTE: This course goes to the following locations: Copenhagen, Island of Samsø; travel to Athens, Island of Ikaria
Applications are processed through DIS. Apply through DIS directly for this course.
CYA and DIS [Study Abroad in Scandinavia] offer a joint summer course from June 16 to July 12,  2025, with two weeks in Copenhagen (including a short study tour to the island of Samsø) and two weeks in Athens (including a short study tour to the island of Ikaria). The course will be co-taught by CYA and DIS faculty, Aimee Placas and Anders Larsen.
Over four weeks, students will explore the cultural side of food. We eat to live, but food isn’t just about survival. We express who we are through our food. How we eat is also shaped by other forces, often invisible to us in our daily lives. Students will experientially bring this study to both Greece and Denmark, allowing them to understand both the commonalities and the differences that such forces bring to food and cuisine, as well as people’s imagination and inventiveness in creating something to eat.
Course Details
Enrollment
This course requires a minimum enrollment of 15, with a maximum enrollment of 24.
Credit
60 contact hours
Transportation from Copenhagen to Athens in the middle of the course is included in the course fee. Transportation for island study travel and day excursions is also included in the course fee.
IMPORTANT NOTE:
This course involves extensive travel, including travel by air. Be wary of overpacking. Pack only what you can carry comfortably. It will also be useful to bring with you travel-size cosmetics.
The airline tickets from Athens to Copenhagen as well as the ones from Athens to the island of Ikaria are included in the course fee; however, luggage allowance is limited to the following:
For trans-European flights the limit is ONE checked-in piece, up to 23 kgs, plus ONE carry-on up to 8 kgs. Students are advised to adhere to these luggage limits for their transatlantic flights as well, in order to avoid overweight surcharges on the flight from Athens to Copenhagen.
For the flight from Athens to Ikaria the limit is ONE checked piece up to 20 kgs, plus 1 carry-on up to 8 kgs. While in Greece students may leave luggage behind in their apartment and fly to Ikaria with only what they need for the trip.
Housing
While in Athens, students are housed within walking distance of the CYA Academic Center in CYA student apartments located in the Pangrati neighborhood of central Athens. CYA apartments are simply furnished and equipped with a full kitchen and air-conditioned bedrooms; towels, linens and housekeeping service will be provided.
Hotel accommodations during study travel will be in simple 2- or 3-star hotels, double- or triple-occupancy, with air-conditioned rooms.
Facilities
The CYA Academic Center is located next to the Athens Marble Stadium and houses classrooms, the library, the student lounge and cafeteria, computer facilities (including wireless access for those students who choose to bring laptop computers), laundry facilities, and administrative offices. The Academic Center is accessible Monday-Thursday 9:00 a.m.-7:00 p.m., Friday 9:00 a.m.-6:00 p.m.
Meals
When class is in Athens a full mid-day meal will be served weekdays in the CYA cafeteria between the hours of 12:00-3:00 p.m. During study travel, breakfast will be offered at the Hotels. A welcome and a farewell dinner are also included in the course fee.
Day-to-day Program & Itinerary
The day-to-day program and itinerary of the course are subject to change. Students are advised not to make plans for their free time or weekends in advance, as class schedules and site visits may be re-scheduled depending on local conditions.
