The Schedule for the Greece Trip

Day 1, SUN, MAY 16                  USA/ATHENS

Depart U.S.A. for Athens.

Day 2, MON, MAY 17                ATHENS

Arrive in Athens and transfer to the Hotel Athens Acropol with the remainder of the day at leisure.  Dinner and overnight at our hotel.

Day 3, TUE, MAY 18                ATHENS

Today we visit the Acropolis with the Parthenon shimmering in its ageless grace and unmatched design and the unique Erechtheion (the only double temple).  Nearby we climb the Areopagus (Mars Hill), where the apostle Paul addressed the philosophic court.  Our full day of touring also features a visit to the Acropolis Museum and a walking tour of the Plaka and old town area of Athens, as well as a panoramic tour including Embassy Row, the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, the National Palace, the House of Parliament, and the University.

Day 4, WED, MAY 19        ELEUSIS/ISTHMIA/

                     CORINTH/ATHENS

Today we drive to Eleusis, birthplace of Aeschylus and also well-known for having been the site of the Eleusin- ian Mysteries, one of the major cults of ancient Greece.  We visit Isthmia, where the remains of the ancient sanctuary of Poseidon are located, and then continue to Corinth, the capital of the Roman province of Achaia and the city of Paul's extensive personal ministry and challenging letter writing.  Dominated by the Acro-corinth rising 1700 feet above the ruins, the Market Place is still laid out as it was in Paul's day with its stone Bema (judgment dais) where Gallio refused to condemn Paul

(Acts 18).  Nearby in a prominent place is the Temple of Apollo with its Doric columns. A superb collection of Corinthian artifacts greets the visitor in the museum.  We return to Athens for dinner and overnight.     

Day 5, THU, MAY 20        ATHENS

Our touring this morning features a visit to the ancient Agora, a marketplace that contained temples, courts, administrative and commercial centre of the city was transferred from the Ancient Agora to the Roman Agora, which we will also see this morning.  The afternoon is at leisure for you to explore Athens on your own, with dinner and overnight at our hotel.       

Day 6, FRI, MAY 21          PIRAEUS/MYKONOS

This morning we board our cruise ship in the Port of Piraeus (Athens).  We arrive in the afternoon at the world famous Greek island of Mykonos.  Mykonos combines the dazzling white beauty of a typical Cycladic island with a sophisticated jet-set atmosphere.  Stroll at leisure through the white-washed, flower-decked alleyways to the church of Paraportiani, and along the waterfront to the famous windmills.      

Day 7, SAT, MAY 22     RHODES

The Colossus of Rhodes, one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World, once dominated the strategic harbor entrance.  Later it served as a crucial outpost for the Crusaders in many of their ill fated journeys to Israel during their conflicts with the Muslim conquerors.  Take an optional tour ($80) to discover more about its fascinating history.  Wandering through the old city you can see its fortifications, the Street of the Knights with medieval stone mansions, the Palace of the Grand Master and the Hospital of the Knights (now a museum).  There are also art shops as well as many lovely beaches.    

Day 8, SUN, MAY 23         PATMOS/EPHESUS

We arrive at the former Roman prison island of Patmos where John received his "Revelation," visiting the Grotto named for his book and the Monastery of St. John which houses ancient manuscripts including one of the Gospel.  From here we continue to the busy resort town of Kusadasi, Turkey, where we journey inland to Ephesus and walk through history in a city founded as early as the 10th century B.C. Wander among the magnificent excavations and see streets lined with wonderful public buildings such as the Baths of Scholastica, the Library of Celsus, the Temple of Hadrian, the Basilica of St. John and the great Theatre.      

         

Day 9, MON, MAY 24            DELPHI/ATHENS

After an early morning arrival of our cruise ship at the port of Piraeus, we drive to Delphi.  Site of the famed Oracle, Delphi's prestige extended far beyond the boundaries of the Hellenic world.  On the slopes of Mount Parnassus, in a landscape of unparalleled beauty and majesty lie the ruins of the Sanctuary of Apollos Pythios.  We visit the treasury of the Athenians, the Temple of Apollo and the museum containing such masterpieces of ancient Greek sculpture as the bronze charioteer and the famous Athlete Aghias.  We return to Athens for dinner and overnight.         

Day 10, TUE, MAY 25                   ATHENS/USA

We transfer to the airport this morning for our flight to the USA