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DAY 01:
NORTH AMERICA / ATHENS.
Tour members will gather at the ticket counter at the airport two hours
prior to their departure to Europe.
DAY 02:
ATHENS.
Upon arrival in Athens, you are met by your guide and bus driver.
Transfer to your hotel with the rest of the day at leisure. Dinner and
overnight at the hotel.
 DAY
03: ATHENS / CORINTH.
"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 . . .”
Today 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; we see the ruins of the Parthenon, the Erectheum and the
Propylae. Thereafter, 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 1,700 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
04: ATHENS / VERIA / THESSALONIKI.
“The
brethren immediately sent Paul and Silas away by night to Beroea; and
when they arrived they went into the Jewish synagogue.” (Acts
17:10-14)
We continue
to Veria (Beroea) where we visit the monument dedicated to Paul; we see
the Bema where he stood and preached to the people of Veria. Continue
for Thessaloniki.
“Paul
came to Thessaloniki with Silas and following his usual custom, he went
to the Synogogue where he used the Jewish scriptures as the source for
his preaching.” (Act 17:2-4)
We become
acquainted with this great city, the “Queen of the North”, where Paul
wrote two epistles to the ancient Thessalonians. Built by King
Cassandros and named after the sister of Alexander the Great, the city
flourished under the Byzantine Empire and it’s most important buildings
date from those days. Today it is considered the second capital of
Greece, the Queen of the north. Our city tour takes us along the water
front to the massive White Tower and nearby Triumphal Arch of Galerius,
built in 303 AD. We shall also see St. Demetrios Church with its
valuable mosaics and frescoes will drive up to the upper town which
offers a marvelous view of the city. The site where the monastery of
Vlatadon was built is believed to be the location where Jason’s house
once stood and where Paul was accommodated during his visit to
Thessaloniki. Dinner and overnight in Thessaloniki.
DAY 05:
KAVALLA / PHILIPPI.
“Setting
sail therefore from Troas, we made a direct voyage to Samothrace and the
following day to Neapolis " (Act 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.”
(Act 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, the market place (where Paul and Silas
were brought before the rulers), the cistern which tradition identifies
as the place where St. Paul were imprisoned. We return to Thessaloniki
for dinner and overnight.
 DAY
06: THESSALONIKI / METEORES / KALAMBAKA.
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. Apart from portable icons,
miniatures, ecclesiastical robes, utensils and crosses, all of them
excellent examples of Byzantine art, the Meteora Monasteries also
contain rare editions and manuscripts. Overnight in Kalambaka.
DAY 07:
KALAMBAKA / ATHENS.
We depart for Athens, driving through the beautiful countryside of
Greece, on past many picturesque towns and villages. We arrive Athens in
afternoon for dinner and overnight.
DAY O8:
ATHENS / ROME.
Today we fly to Rome, Italy. Upon arrival we will be met and
transferred to our hotel. Dinner and overnight.
 DAY
09: ROME.
Our tour will take us along the Via Veneto (the fashionable street of
Rome) past the American Embassy, Moses' Fountain and the Piazza Della
Republica to the Basilica of St. Mary Major, built in 432 A.D. on the
Esquiline Hill. Continue to the Vatican City, St. Peter in Chains -
with the infamous statue of Moses by Michelangelo - the Roman Forum,
Arch of Titus, the Coliseum and the Basilica of St. Paul's Outside the
Wall. Visit the catacombs before returning to our hotel for dinner and
overnight.
DAY 10:
ROME.
Today is a half day sightseeing of the Villa Borghese - Via Veneto -
Piazza Barberini - Spanish Steps - Trinity Church - Piazza del Popolo -
Vatican City Walls - Vatican Museum (visit) - Tapestry Gallery - Map
Gallery - Raphael Rooms - Sistine Chapel with Michelangelo's
masterpieces - Vatican Library Hall. This afternoon is free at leisure
for activities of your own.
DAY 11:
ROME / NORTH AMERICA.
This morning we will be transferred to the airport for our return flight
to the United States of America. The close of our unforgettable tour -
to have walked in the paths of the Master and the early Christians. |
