We will depart from Jackson International Airport to Athens.
Left:
An overview of the city of Athens, a city of four and a half million inhabitants.
Right:
A close up of the Acropolis from the Aeropagus Rock.
Day
2: Monday,
May 15
Athens
Hotel
Arion
After a rest, we will
walk to the Pynx, the site of Athen's democratic assembly, where key decisions
of the Athenian city-state were forged. There will be a welcome dinner
in Old Town Plaka, a maze of traditional architecture, Greek ruins and
shops. Overnight and breakfast in Athens.
Left:
Theatre of Dionysius.
Right: The Parthenon.
Day 3: Tuesday,
May 16
Athens
Hotel
Arion
Guided walking tour
of the Acropolis, including the Parthenon, the Erechtheum with its famous
Caryatid columns, the fantastic Acropolis Museum with its art work from
the 6th to the 4th Century BC, The Roman Odeum, the Theater of Dionysos
where the plays of Aeschylus, Euripides and Sophocles were originally
presented, and the Agora, where Socrates taught, was put on trial, and
died. Overnight and breakfast in Athens.
Left:
A glimpse of the Athena Nike Temple on the Acropolis through the Entrance
Gates.
Right: The Erechtheum on the Acropolis.
Corinth, Epidaurus, Nauplion:
Hotel Marianna Pension
Click here for a picture of Nauplion from a previous trip
We start our mainland tour in a comfortable private coach. Our first stop will be Corinth, the city of Medea and site of Pauls's Letters to the Corinthians. Our next stop will be Epidaurus, the site of the healing cult of Aesclepius and the stunning theater of Epridaurus. We overnight (with breakfast) in the charming city of Nauplion, once the capital of Greece.
Left:
The Corinth Canal built in the 1880's.
Right: An overview of the ancient theater at Epidaurus.
Day 5: Thursday,
May 18
Mycenae, Sparta
Hotel
Menelaion
Click here for Picture of Mycenae from last trip
From Nauplion, we proceed to the heart of Bronze Age Greece, a fantastic civilization 5000 years old. We will visit Mycenae, with its massive Cyclopean walls, the famous Lion Gate, shaft graves and domed tombs - all of which were first excavated by Schliemann. From Myceneae we travel onwards to Sparta, and the sublime Byzantine ruins at Mystras with its beautiful icons. We overnight with breakfast in Sparta.
Left:
The Massive Lion Gate at Mycenae.
Right: The Byzantine Monastery at Mystras.
Day 6: Friday, May
19
Olympia
Hotel
Europa
From Sparta we travel over the Arcadian Mountains to Olympia, the verdant
and peaceful site of the original Olympian Games. There are two new museums,
filled with wonderful art (Praxiteles' Hermes and Dionysius is included
in the collection) and the history and practices of the Olympic Games.
We dine and overnight (with breakfast) in the beautiful Hotel Europa.
Left: Praxiteles' statue of Hermes.
Right: Palaestra at Olympia.
Delphi
Hotel Lycoria
From Olympia, we again journey over mountains to the port city of Patras and crossing over the new bridge drive on to Delphi, the truly breathtaking site of the famous oracle of ancient times. We dine and overnight (with breakfast) near Delphi in the picturesque mountain village of Arachova. Hotel Lycoria.
Left:
A Greek Donkey
on a Hill in Arachova.
Right: The Charioteer Statue in the Delphi Museum.
Left: The Greek Theater at Delphi with the Temple of Apollo.
Delphi, Osios Loucas, Crete
Hotel Lato
The morning will be spent exploring Delphi, with its theaters, temples, treasuries, stadium, and great art works including the bronze statue of the Charioteer. After lunch we proceed to Osios Loucas, a Byzantine monastery with beautiful views and golden frescos. We travel on to the Piraeus, the famous port of ancient and modern Greece, where we will board an overnight ferry (the size of a cruise ship) to Heraklion, Crete. Our 2 bedded cabins contain air conditioning, private showers and toilets.
Right: The Monastery of Osios Loucas
Day 9: Monday, May
22
Crete,
Heraklion, Knossos
Hotel Lato
.
When we arrive, we transfer to our hotel for breakfast and then explore
the tremendous riches of Minoan Civilization, a civilization famed in
myth with the stories of the Minotaur, Theseus and the Labyrinth. But,
until the 20th century excavation by Evans, these stories were not considered
"historical". We will visit the amazing ruins of Knossos, with
its bull-fighting courtyard, indoor plumbing, and beautiful architecture
and frescos. We will then travel on to the picturesque mountain village
of Archanes (an optional lunch included) and, after a visit to a winery,
we will overnight (with breakfast) in Heraklion.
Left:
Minoan Goddess from Knossos.
Right: Prince of the Lilies Wall Fresco from Knossos.
Day 10: Tuesday,
May 23
Crete, Phiastos
Hotel Lato
We drive into the fertile Cretan countryside, visiting Gortys, a city
inhabited from the Neolithic to the Roman days, famous for the inscription
of its still visible 5th century law code, the first in Europe. We proceed
to the gorgeous Minoan palace ruins of Phaistos and then on to a swim
in the Libyan Sea. Dinner in a selected"ouzeri" with many Cretan
specialities Overnight in Heraklion.
Left:
View from the Palace at Phaistos across the fertile Cretan fields towards
the mountains.
Right: Sea in Crete.
Day 11: Wednesday,
May 24
Santorini
Hotel
Santorini Palace
We leave Crete to travel to Santorini, the island of black sands and blue
monkeys. Many believe this island is the source of the Myth of Atlantis,
because of a great volcanic eruption. Its immense caldera and gleaming
white cities atop volcanic mountains framed by a deep blue sea make Santorini
the most photographed spot in Greece. Dinner and overnight in Santorini.
Views of Santorini
Akrotiri
Hotel Santorini Palace
We start the day with a tour of Akrotiri, a Bronze Age city buried under volcanic ash, and excavated within the last 50 years. The daily life of a Bronze Age city comes to life in the archeological site and its beautiful frescos. We will also visit the monastery of Prophet Elias and the Santos Winery at the Caldera. Afternoon free. Overnight (with breakfast) in Santorini.
Frescos from Akrotiri
Day 13: Friday,
May 26
Santorini,
Mykonos
Aphrodite Beach
Hotel
In
the morning we will have time to spend with gorgeous and brilliantly recreated
reproductions of the Akrotiri frescos (some of the originals are in the
National Archeological Museum which we will visit later), and the historical
museum. Then we will journey to Myconos, another lovely and much photographed
Cycladic island. Dinner and overnight in Myconos.
Delos, Mykonos
Hotel Alexandros
Breakfast and transfer to port for boat trip to the island of Delos, the birthplace of Apollo and the center of ancient trade. A lovely museum, famous Archaic lions, and a Hellenistic city, complete with mosaics and theater, are found on this tiny, charming island. From Delos, we return to Mykonos and then we will ferry to Piraeus (4-5 hours) and transfer to our hotel in Athens. Overnight (with breakfast) in Athens.
Left: The sacred lake and palm tree where Apollo was born.
Right: Archaic lions of Delos.
Day 15: Sunday,
May 28
Athens,
Cape Sounion
Hotel
Alexandros
In the morning we will visit the great National Archeological Museum and
later we will drive up the coast to Cape Sounion for a visit to the Temple
of Poseidon, whose gleaming white columns perch above a deep blue sea.
Farewell dinner and overnight (with breakfast) in Athens.
Left:
A early Classical statue of Zeus at the National Archeological Museum.
Right:
Columns from the temple of Sounion at sunset.
Day 16: Monday,
May 29
Athens-US
Transfer by bus to the airport as we say farewell to the Plaka and to the monuments of Athens.
Left:
View of the Plaka
Right:
The Olympeion Temple to Zeus. Behind its massive columns you can see the
original Olympic Stadium for the 1896 Games.
Here is the air schedule:
BE AT THE AIRPORT AT 6:30AM
DL 562 14May Jackson Atlanta 755a 1033a
DL 1643 Atlanta JFK 1221p 228p
DL 132 JFK Athen 530p 1015am (15May)
DL 133 29May Athen JFK 1205p 400p
DL 175 JFK Atlanta 530p 805p
DL 739 Atlanta Jackson 1050p 1111p
