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MON. DAY 01: BEGINNING OUR ADVENTURE Depart North America via jet service for our journey to Greece. Meals will be served on board.
TUE. DAY 02: THESSALONIKI Arrival in Zurich in time to connect with your continuing flight to Thessaloniki. OPTIONAL Tour of Zurich. Upon your arrival 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.
WED. 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.
THU. 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.
FRI. DAY 05: ATHENS / PIRAEUS 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 we will 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. Transfer to Piraeus, the port of Athens to board your cruise ship.
SAT. DAY 06: AT SEA. Arrival in Istanbul in the evening local time. After dinner, you may wish to visit on your own the Grand Bazaar - one of the most popular places in Istanbul with over 4,000 shops offering a large variety of gold, carpets, leatherware, souvenirs and antiques.
SUN. DAY 07: ISTANBUL Depart from the port through the new city, across the Galata Bridge and over the Golden Horn to the majestic Haggia Sophia. Once the biggest church of the Christian world, this 15 century old building was initially built by the great Byzantine Emperor Constantine, in the 4th century and rebuilt by Justinian in the 6th century following a tragic fire. It was converted into a mosque by Sultan Mehmet II, after his conquest of the city in 1453 and finally into a museum by Ataturk in the 1930's. Continue to visit the Hippodrome that once was one of the largest chariot race grounds of the Byzantine Empire and where the soldiers revolted against their emperor shouting the name of the victory goddess "Nike". Then visit Sultan Ahmet Mosque which stands in all its magnificence, opposite Haggia Sophia. This Grand Mosque is where large groups of pilgrims started their pilgrimage to Mecca. Return to the ship. Sail to Kusadasi.
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MON. DAY 08: KUSADASI Through the colorful town of Kusadasi, drive along the coast and into the countryside to reach Ephesus, famous in antiquity for its Temple of Artemis - one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World, and later the home of St. John. During the Roman Empire, the Greek port city of Ephesus became the greatest city in Asia Minor. Enter the ancient site through the Magnesian Gate and find innumerable monuments: the Forum, the Odeon, the Library of Ceisus, the Thermal Baths of Scolastika, the Great Theater built in the Greek era (reconstructed in the Roman period) which has remarkable acoustics. See the symbols all around and note that you are still able to read the inscriptions in the ancient Greek language. Walk back to your motorcoach along the Arcadian Way where once Mark Antony and Cleopatra rode in procession. Just outside Ephesus, on a hill above Seleuk, you will be able to view the Basilica of St. John, erected over his grave in the 6th century AD by the Emperor Justinian. Downhill lies the site of the famous Temple of Artemis, today in ruins. Board the ship and sail to Patmos.
TUE. DAY 09: PATMOS / MYKONOS Board your motorcoach at the port of Scala and embark on a short journey to the village of Chora, where the Monastery of St. John is built within the walls of a strong fortification. Walk uphill to the entrance of the Monastery built 900 years ago, which is rich in chapels and treasures. Outstanding are the frescoes in the church and the treasures of the museum: books, manuscripts, mosaic icons, splendid medieval textiles and vestments as well as jewelry. Continue to the Grotto of the Apocolypse. Above the Grotto stands the Church of the Apocalypse, part of the main Monastery. Visit the Grotto and see the silver niches in the wall that mark the pillow and the ledge used as a desk 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 the ship. Sail to Mykonos. Explore on your own this romantic, whitewashed isle which has long been a favorite of pleasure-seeking travelers, partly due to its vivid coloration. Contrasting against a dazzling whiteness, the pastel hues of windmills, streets and buildings sparkle like jewels. Today, alongside its picturesque fishing boats and many churches are found fashionable boutiques rivaling the Via Veneto. Sail to Rhodes.
WED. DAY 10: RHODES / LINDOS Drive along the picturesque eastern coastline, scattered with white washed villages, to Lindos. The most important of the three great cities of ancient times is guarded by medieval walls 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 there are breathtaking views 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. Return to Rhodes. Enjoy a panoramic drive in the new part of the city, stop for a view of the walled old town from Mt. Smith and then see the ruins of ancient Rhodes town, the Temple of Apollo and Diagoras Stadium.
THU. DAY 11: CRETE (HERAKLION) / SANTORINI It is a short drive from the Venetian lion-guarded port of Heraklion town to Knossos, once the capital of the prehistoric Minoan civilization, and thought to be the basis for the original Labyrinth housing the mythological Minotaur. Visit a portion of the excavated and partially reconstructed Palace of King Minos, as well as the surrounding area. The Palace houses the Hall of the Royal Guard, decorated with frescoes and shields, the Hall of the Double Axes, and the King's Chamber and the Queens Apartment (currently closed for restoration). Returning to Heraklion enjoy a visit to the extraordinary Heraklion Archaeological Museum. Return to the ship for lunch. Sail to SANTORINI. Enjoy a short trip by local caique to Athenios harbor. Take the cable car up to the Caldera rim where the land slopes gently in one direction and falls steeply into the sea on the other. Enjoy the town at leisure. Here is the ideal spot to gaze down upon Kamenes, the two black volcanic islets in the Caldera Bay. Take the cable car down to the small pier of Scala from where the vessel's tenders will return you to your ship.
FRI. DAY 12: 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.
SAT. DAY 13: 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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