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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 / 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 Synagogue 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 04:
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 05:
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 06:
KALAMBAKA / ATHENS.
We depart for Athens, driving through the beautiful countryside of
Greece, on past many picturesque towns and villages. We arrive Athens in
late afternoon for dinner and overnight.
DAY 07:
ATHENS / PIRAEUS.
Transfer to port and embark the cruise vessel for your 4 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 08:
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.. " (Act
19:01)
Arrive this morning
at Kusadasi, a lively Turkish port and gateway to ancient Ephessos. Our
optional tour takes us to visit Ancient Ephessos, the Greek colony
founded by the Athenians. Here history truly comes to life; walking
towards the ancient harbor down a marble road rutted by the wheels of
countless chariots. You pass architectural masterpieces like the
Magnesian Gate and the Library of Celsus before arriving to the Great
Amphitheater where Paul spoke to the Ephesians. 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 which constitute the last part of the
new Testament. Optional tour takes us up to the monastery of St. John
which still keeps its character of a medieval fortress. Inside the walls
you will be able to admire the Byzantine wealth of the Christian
Orthodox religion while from its ramparts you will have the most
stunning panoramic view of the luminous sea.
DAY 09:
RHODES. 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. An optional tour takes us to Lindos. This
entire city is guarded by medieval walls which were constructed by the
Knights of St. John in the 14th century. Within, stands the ancient
Acropolis of Lindos, 400 feet above the sea. From the Acropolis a
breathtaking view covering the great expanse of the Aegean Sea and St.
Paul's Bay, where the Apostle cast harbor during his historic voyage to
Ephessos. Continue to our next port of call, Heraklion, Crete.
Overnight on-board our cruise ship.
DAY 10:
CRUISE.
Early morning arrival to Heraklion, Crete, legendary birthplace of Zeus
and where the Minoan civilization began. Optional visit to the Palace
of Knossos. Next we visit Santorini - one of the most beautiful of the
Greek Islands. Optional visit to Acrotiri. Often compared to Pompeii,
Acrotiri boasts a much earlier age and preserves amazing ruins dating
from the second millennium B.C. See beautiful pottery, the two and
three story houses, once decorated with renowned wall paintings,
staircases and a great variety of rooms; the roads and the squares of a
city 3,500 years old.
DAY 11:
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. . .”
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 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 12: ATHENS / NORTH AMERICA.
Transfer to the airport for your flight home, the end of a marvelous
tour. |
