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DAY 01: BEGINNING OUR ADVENTURE Departure from North America via jet service for our journey to Greece. Meals will be served on board.
DAY 02: THESSALONIKI Arrival in Zurich. You have the opportunity to participate on an OPTIONAL full day tour of Zurich. Upon arrival in Zurich you will be met by our representative and transferred to your motorcoach. Drive through the Lowenstrasse or commerical area of Zurich, past Talstrasse (airline district) to General Guisam Quai, Tessinerplaz in Enge, then to Rietberg Museum where Richard Wagner lived. Drive to Belvoir Park where a famous hotel school is located. Drive along the lake to Enge Hafen. Continue across the Bahnhofstrasse, the famous shopping area to the River Limmat. Enter the old part of the city passing by the city hall, Grossminster Church terminating at Munsterhof. On foot, continue to Lindenhof, visit St. Peter's Church and the Fraumunster Church to see the Chagall windows. Reboard your motorcoach and continue your drive to the Dolder area (residential area) of Zurich and then to the university area. From the terrace of the ETH (Technical University) enjoy the beautiful view of the old part of the city of Zurich. From Zurich drive to Winterthur and on to the picturesque town of Stein am Rhein, where you will have time to admire the beautifully decorated houses. Continue to Shuffhausen and on to the Rhine Falls which are the highest waterfalls in Europe. Return to Zurich Airport for your flight to Thessaloniki. Upon arrival in Thessaloniki. you will be met by our hospitality host and transferred to our hotel.
DAY 03: THESSALONIKI / KAVALA / PHILIPPI / NEAPOLIS Today become acquainted with Thessaloniki, built about 315 BC by Cassander, brother-in-law of Alexander, where Paul wrote two epistles to the ancient Thessalonians. Then skirt the Lakes Koronia and Volvi into the modern port city of Kavala, ancient Neapolis, where Paul, accompanied by Silas, Luke and Timothy, first set foot in Europe. Aside from the great panoramas of Kavala, the city has a Byzantine castle, aqueduct, and museum containing finds from Ancient Amphipolis and Philippi. Follow the Via Egnatia, remnant of Rome's highway system, viewing Roman and Greek tombstones and ruts of ancient chariot wheels. Some ten miles northwest of Kavala is Philippi, where Paul delivered his first sermon in Europe and sowed the seeds of Christianity. Here Paul baptized "a certain woman named Lydia" the first Christian convert in Europe. The Roman Forum, completely excavated, was built after Paul's time. Among the ruins, located on the rocky ledge above the town's main road, is the "prison" where Paul and Silas were thrown. In the rocks you will find inscriptions and carved reliefs of deieties. It was in Philippi that Octavian and Antony defeated Brutus and Cassius, last defenders of the Roman Republic in 42 BC. Return to your hotel in Thessaloniki.
DAY 04: THESSALONIKI / DELPHI / ATHENS Depart from Thessaloniki for Delphi via the National Highway passing near Thebes-Levadia and the picturesque village of Archova. Visit the museum with its renowned bronze sculpture, "The Charioteer" and other famous pieces. In the afternoon visit the Temple of Apollo, the Athenian Treasury and Castillian Spring. Continue southward to Athens for dinner and overnight.
DAY 05: PIRAEUS / MYKONOS Morning transfer to the port of Piraeus to embark on our four day / three night cruise. Sail to Mykonos This romantic, whitewashed isle has long been a favorite of pleasure-seeking travelers, partly because of its vivid coloration. Contrasting against a dazzling whiteness, the pastel hues of windmills, street and buildings sparkle like jewels. Today, alongside its picturesque fishing boats and many churches, we will find fashionable boutiques that rival the Via Veneto.
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DAY 06: RHODES / LINDOS Drive along the eastern coastline, scattered with white-washed villages to Lindos, the most important of the three great cities of ancient times. See how 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, on the brink of a precipice 400 feet above the sea. From the Acropolis, marvel at the breathtaking view covering the great expanse of the Aegean Sea and St. Paul's Bay where the Apostle cast anchor during his historic voyage to Ephesus. Proceed on foot uphill to the Great Staircase leading from the Hellenistic portico to the Temple of Athena. Enjoy free time in Lindos Village before returning to Rhodes where you will enjoy a panoramic drive through the new part of the city. Continue to Mount Smith where you will view the ruins of ancient Rhodes, the Temple of Apollo and Diagoras Stadium. Return to the ship.
DAY 07: KUSADASI / PATMOS Through the colorful town of Kusadasi, drive along the coast and into the verdant countryside to reach Ephesus, famous in antiquity for its for its Temple of Diana - one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World - and later the home of St. John. During the Roman Empire, the Greek port of Ephesus became the greatest city in Asia Minor. Enter the ancient site through the Magnesian Gate and discover innumerable monuments including the Forum, the Odeon, the Library of Celsus, the Thermal Baths of Scholastica and the great Theatre built in the Greek era and reconstructed in the Roman period, which is still noted for its remarkable acoustics. View the symbols all around and marvel at the fact that one is still able to read the inscriptions in the ancient Greek language. Walk back to the bus along the Arcadian Way, where once Mark Antony and Cleopatra rode in procession. Just outside Ephesus, on a hill above Seleuk, view the Basilica of St. John, which was erected over his grave in the 6th century by the Emperor Justinian. Downhill lies the site of the famous Temple of Diana, today in ruins. Before returning to the ship, enjoy free time in Kusadasi for shopping. Depart the port of Scala and enjoy a short journey to the village of Chora where the Monastery of St. John is built within the walls of a strong fortification. As you walk uphill to the entrance of the Monastery, marvel at this magnificent building, built 900 years ago, exceptional in its architecture. Visit the main church and note the outstanding frescoes and interior decoration. See the ecclesiastical treasures housed in the museum: books and manuscripts, mosaic icons, splendid medieval textiles and vestments as well as jewelry. Return to the bus to continue to the nearby Grotto of the Apocalypse, above which stands the Church of the Apocalypse, a sub-unit of the main Monastery. Visit the Grotto and see the silver niches in the wall that mark the pillow and the ledge used by the author of the Book of Revelations and the three-fold crack made by the Voice of God to emphasize the honor of the Trinity. Return to Scala to re-board the ship.
DAY 08: PIRAEUS / CORINTH Arrive back to the port of Piraeus in the morning where we will proceed for a sightseeing tour of ancient Corinth, seeing the Archaeological Museum, the Bema, and the Market Place and Temples. Corinth was home to St. Paul for 18 months. From the Bema at Corinth, Paul spoke to the Corinthians about Our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. On the way to Corinth, we will stop for a few minutes at the Corinth Canal, which separates Pelopnese from the Greek Mainland and connects the two Seas (Ionian and Aegean). Return to your hotel in Athens for dinner and overnight.
DAY 09: ATHENS Morning city sightseeing of Athens which will include a visit to the world renowned Acropolis, with the ruins of the Parthenon, Erectheum and Propylea. Thereafter, ascend Mars Hill, where Paul preached. Also, view the Agora (ancient market place and former center of Athenian public life), the House of Parliament, the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier and the Palace, now called the Presidential Palace. Return to the hotel for the balance of the day at leisure.
DAY 10: ATHENS / NORTH AMERICA Transfer to Athens International Airport for our flight home. Arrival in the afternoon local time of the same day.
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