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DAY 01: NORTH AMERICA
/ EUROPE. Tour members will gather at the
ticket counter at the airport two hours prior to their departure to
Europe.
DAY 02: ATHENS /
THESSALONIKI.
Paul
came to Thessaloniki with Silas and following his usual custom, he went
to the Synagogue where he used the Jewish scriptures as the source for
his preaching (Acts 17:2-4).
 Considered the second capital of Greece, Thessaloniki
was founded in 31 BC by one of Alexander the Great's generals, Cassander,
who was married to Alexander's stepsister, Thessaloniki. In her honor,
he named the town built in the form of an amphitheater at the head of
Thermaikos Gulf. Dinner and overnight in Thessaloniki.
DAY 03: KAVALLA / PHILIPPI.
"Setting sail therefore from Troas, we made a great voyage to Samothrace
and the following day to Neapolis” (Acts 16:11)
“And
from thence to Philippi which is the chief city of that part of
Macedonia, and a colony; and we were in that city abiding certain days
(Acts 16:12)
We visit the beautiful city of Kavala (ancient
Neapolis), and from there on to Philippi, which was a Roman garrison
town and the chief city in the province of Macedonia. It was here that
Paul won his first European convert, a woman named Lydia from the city
of Thyatira, a seller of purple goods. Visit the Baptistery of Lydia.,
the market place (where Paul and Silas were brought before the rulers),
the cistern which tradition identifies as the place where St. Paul was
imprisoned. We return to Thessaloniki for dinner and overnight.
DAY 04: THESSALONIKI / METEORES /
ATHENS. Continue to the Meteora Monasteries,
perched upon the summits of gigantic rocks, which have
 been
etched into variety of strange shapes. Grey gigantic stalagmites rising
towards the sky, they seem to be nature's gift to the pious who opted
for monasticism and for a life totally dedicated to the worship of God.
The monastic history of the Meteora goes back to the 11th century A.D.
when the first hermits sought peace and solitude in the rifts and caves
of these rocks, but the first monasteries were not built until the 14th
century A.D. attaining their peak in the 16th. Of the 13 large and 20
small monasteries and hermit’s cells, only four are not occupied: Megalo
Meteora, Monie Varlaam, Monia Aghias Triadas and Moni Aghiou Stefanou.
Continue to Athens for dinner and overnight.
DAY 05: ATHENS / CRUISE.
Transfer to the port and embark the
cruise vessel for your 3-day cruise. Our first port of call is the
island of Mykonos; cubic white houses and those world famous windmills.
Free time to explore this lovely island.
DAY 06: RHODOS.
Rhodos, the island of “roses”, is the legendary home of the sun god
Apollo. The old town (which is the largest inhabited medieval town of
Europe) and its mighty fortifications (built by the crusaders of St.
John) are the finest surviving example of defensive architecture and is
of great interest to all visitors.
DAY 07: KUSADASI / PATMOS.
“And it came to pass, that, while
Apollos was at Corinth, Paul having passed through the upper coasts came
to Ephesus; and finding certain disciples.” (Acts 19:01)
 Continue
to Kusadasi, a lively Turkish port and gateway to ancient Ephessos. We
continue our cruise for the island of Patmos; considered a holy island
for the Christian religion. It was here in Patmos where John the Divine,
while in exile, wrote the Apocalyptic Revelations that constitute the
last part of the New Testament.
DAY 08: PIRAEUS / ATHENS.
"Men of Athens, I perceive that in
every way you are religious. For as I passed along and observed the
objects of your worship, I found also an altar with this inscription ‘to
an unknown God’. What therefore you worship as unknown, this I proclaim
to you . . .”
After we disembark from the ship, we visit Athens, one
of the most glorious cities in the world and the cradle of western
civilization, as we know it today. For twenty-five centuries, the
panorama of this city is dominated by the rock of the Acropolis. After
we disembark the ship, we see the ruins of the Parthenon, the Erectheum
and the Propylae. Then we will ascend Mars Hill where Paul spoke to the
ancient Athenians about the one and only God. From here we have an
excellent view of the ancient agora; former center of the Athenian
public life. We continue for a drive through the city to see the House
of Parliament on Syntagma Square, the evzones in their picturesque
uniforms guarding the Presidential Palace and Tomb of the Unknown
Soldier. We also see the Library, the University, the Panathenaic
Stadium where the first Olympics of the modern era were held, the temple
of the Olympian Zeus and Adrian's Arch.
“Do not
be afraid, but speak and do not be silent; for I am with you, and no man
shall attack you to harm you; for I have many people in this city. "
(Acts 18:9)
We board our coach for Corinth, taking the coastal
road along the Saronic Gulf to
the Corinth Canal, which connects the Aegean Sea with the Ionian Sea.
Short stop for pictures and continue to the site of ancient Corinth,
Paul's beloved city and site of his most extensive ministry. Dominated
by the Acro-Corinth rising 1700 feet above the ruins, the marketplace is
laid out exactly as it stood in the days of the great Apostle. We see
the bema (the judgment seat) where Paul stood before Galilo and preached
(Acts 18). The museum contains a superb collection of artifacts
portraying life in ancient Corinth. Return to Athens for dinner and
overnight.
DAY 09: ATHENS / NORTH AMERICA.
After our arrival in Piraeus, we transfer to the airport for our flight
home. The end of an unforgettable journey.
*Optional tours are available on the Aegean Cruise at
Kusadasi, Patmos and Rhodes and may be purchased aboard the ship. |
