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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: ISTANBUL.
Arrival in Istanbul
where we will be met by our guide and driver. We will be transferred to
our hotel for the afternoon at leisure. Dinner and overnight at our
hotel.
DAY
03: ISTANBUL. Istanbul is considered by many travelers to be the most
beautiful city in all the world. In this wondrous city you can see St.
Sophia Museum, Hippodrome, Suleymaniye Mosque and the Topkapi Palace,
home of the Ottoman Sultans, with its jewel-encrusted thrones, the
world's largest emerald and the famous Topaki dagger (general admission
included). You won't want to miss the legendary Blue Mosque with six
minarets, or the Grand Bazaar, a covered labyrinth with over 4,000
shops Then we board our ship for an Aegean Cruise.
DAY 04:
Cruise to Bosphorus.
DAY 05: CRUISE .
Our next port of call
is the dazzling white island of Mykonos.
DAY 06: CRUISE / PATMOS EPHESUS.
Sail for Patmos, a holy island for the Christian religion. It was here
on this island where John wrote the book of revelations while on exile
by the Roman state. In the afternoon we arrive at Kusadasi and drive to
Ephesus, where Paul spent three years during his ministry. It was to
this community that Paul may have written his Epistle to the Ephesians.
Visit the ruins of St. John's Basilica where early Christian tradition
tells us the "disciple whom Jesus loved" was buried. You will see one
of the "Seven Wonders of the Ancient World," the ruin of the Temple of
Diana (Artemis).
 DAY
07: CRUISE / 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.
DAY 08: CRUISE / HERAKLION
(CRETE) / SANTORINI.
Optional visit to the Palace of Knossos, once the capital city of the
prehistoric Minoan civilization. Knossos, with its hundreds of
apartments and intricate passageways, is thought to be the basis for the
original Labyrinth housing the mythological Minotaur. Our next stop is
Santorini, one of the most beautiful of the Greek Islands for an optional
visit to Acrotiri. Often compared to Pompeii, Acrotiri boasts a much
earlier age and preserves amazing ruins dating from the second
millennium BC. 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 09: 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 disembark our ship and 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.
 DAY
10: ATHENS / CORINTH / OVERNIGHT FERRY.
“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.
Continue to Patras for our overnight ferry to Italy. Dinner and
breakfast served on the cruise, and double occupancy cabins on board.
DAY 11: ITALY / ROME.
This morning we
disembark our ferry and travel by motor coach to Rome. On the way we
drive though Sorrento and visit Pompeii. Dinner and overnight at our
hotel.
 DAY
12: ROME.
A morning visit to the Vatican City includes the Museum, the Sistine
Chapel, St. Peter's Square, Church of St. Peter, Basilica of St. Paul,
the ancient Appian Way and the catacombs of St. Caliztus. Afternoon
sightseeing will include Moses' Fountain, Quirinale Palace, Pantheon,
Roman Forum, Arch of Titus, the Coliseum - site of early Christian
martyrdom - and Mamertine Prison, possibly the final place of
confinement of the Apostle Paul before his execution. Dinner and
overnight at our hotel.
DAY 13: ROME.
Today is at leisure to
visit other sites and do shopping. Dinner and overnight at our hotel.
DAY 14: ROME / NORTH AMERICA.
We transfer to the airport for our departure from Rome to North
America. The close of our unforgettable tour - to have walked in the
paths of the Master and the early Christians. |
