Quintessential St. Paul

DAY 2 / NOTHERN GREECE I

Tutor: Karakolis (Dr)

We will start our day with a road-trip to Amphipolis and the recently discovered tomb at Kasta hill where you shall be initiated to its secrets and left to decide for yourself whether Alexander the Great was actually buried in it or not. We will then proceed to ancient Philippi where St. Paul first addressed the Macedonians following his vision of a Macedonian man that diverted him from his initially intended journey to Asia Minor.

Our next stop will be the picturesque city of Kavala, also called the blue city as it is overlooking a cosseted blue bay.

You shall be treated to local delicacies and desserts during lunch, and then we will set off on foot to explore the narrow streets and the history of the city.

Dinner will be enjoyed in one of Thessaloniki’s traditional mezze restaurants upon our return to the hotel.

 

 Breakfast     Lunch     Dinner

---

DAY 3 / NOTHERN GREECE II

Tutor: Karakolis (Dr)

The city of Thessaloniki has so much to offer - it truly is an open-air museum with a plethora of ancient Greek, Roman, Byzantine and Ottoman landmarks, and a truly vast history.

We shall spend our day immersing ourselves in 2,000 years of Greek history as we visit the Archaeological Museum and the Museum of Byzantine Culture to experience the city's imposing status in the longest surviving empire known to man, the Byzantine. We shall attempt to commune with God in Thessaloniki's captivating byzantine churches - Aghia Sophia, Aghios Demetrios, Aghios Georgios and Prophet Elias - as well as appreciate Greek ingenuity in the form of the White Tower, the Byzantine Castles and the Arch of Galerius.

Lunch and dinner shall walk you through the city's unique gastronomic influences over the course of three millennia.

 

 Breakfast     Lunch     Dinner

---

DAY 4 / NOTHERN GREECE III

Tutor: Liantini (Dr)

We depart Thessaloniki and central Macedonia to explore western Macedonia and the city of Veria where St. Paul preached the gospel, faith, salvation and love to the local Jewish community and Verians, who were worshipping the Gods of Olympus at the time.

We then resume our road-trip to Kalambaka, home to arguably the most breathtaking landmarks of mainland Greece – the monasteries of Meteora. Sitting atop gigantic boulders, their sight is - figuratively speaking - out of this world. No wonder then these picturesque byzantine monasteries inspired the producers of Game of Thrones in creating The Eyrie! You shall spend the second half of the day here communing effortlessly with God while learning all about monastic life from our expert professor and the monks themselves.

You shall be treated to traditional local delicacies for both lunch and dinner at Kalambaka where we will be spending the night.

 

 Breakfast     Lunch     Dinner

---

DAY 5 / DELPHI

Tutor: Liantini (Dr)

We start our day with a road trip up Parnassus Mountain, home to the Delphic Oracle and the Temple of Apollo. We spend the day touring the ancient site, learning about its life and importance through the centuries, its decline and eventual demise, as well as the excavations that brought it back to surface for all visitors to appreciate through eternity. We will then proceed to visit the local museum before heading off to a local restaurant to try local delicacies over the stunning view of the Corinthian Gulf.

On our way back, we will stop to appreciate tholos – a rare circular and beautifully decorated building dedicated to Goddess Athena. Should the day permit it, the sunset view is believed to be second to none!

Dinner will be served at Arachova, a picturesque mountain resort, popular with Athenians who visit for skiing and local cuisine.

 

 Breakfast     Lunch     Dinner

---

DAY 6 / ATHENS RIVIERA & THE ACROPOLIS MUSEUM

Tutor: Despotis (Dr)

We start our day with a short drive to the church of St. George at the ancient port of Faliron, where St. Paul first set foot in Athens. Our next stop will be one of the city’s most celebrated modern buildings, the Niarchos Foundation Cultural Center. Designed by the world-renowned architect Lorenzo Piano, it houses the new National Library of Greece and the new Greek National Opera. It is the first cultural project of such scale to earn the LEED Platinum Certification in Europe. You are guaranteed to take amazing pictures of the Saronic Gulf and the city of Athens from both its rooftop and stunning gardens. However, this shall not be the only rooftop to sweep you off your feet today!

Lunch will be served at a picturesque tavern offering traditional Greek delicacies.

Next stop is the world-famous Acropolis Museum, built to honor the spirit and former grandeur of the Parthenon. You will spend the evening being guided by our expert Professor through its halls and exhibits, and perhaps you may then share the PanHellenic aspiration to repatriate the Parthenon marbles currently on display at the British Museum. The Museum’s terrace is the perfect venue for our dinner tonight as we promise you that the night view of the Parthenon will be imprinted on you for the rest of your life!

 

 Breakfast     Lunch     Dinner

---

DAY 7 / TOURING CLASSICAL & ROMAN ATHENS

Tutor: Liantini (Dr)

A busy city, a naval power, the head of arguably the most powerful league of its time, the city of Athens had always seen its commercial, cultural and civic life concentrate around its agorae where traders, politicians, poets and philosophers met, conversed and fiercely disagreed.

We start our day by exploring Keramikos, the clay potters’ quarter of the city, where excavations have given the world some of the finest examples of Athenian vases. We will then continue our walk to the Museum of Keramikos, Thission and the Roman agora, immersing ourselves in the city’s history and vibrant energy.

Traditional Mediterranean lunch will be served at a charming little taverna before we head off to Europe’s prime landmark and UNESCO’s World Heritage Site, the Acropolis.

We will spend the afternoon touring the Acropolis rock with our expert professor and you shall experience the site’s architecture through the ages with the help of Augmented Reality (AR). Goddess Athenas’ statue in the Parthenon may be missing nowadays, but you shall still be able to see it in its grandeur through AR on the iPads we shall provide you with.

Following a 10’ walk, we will visit the western hills where the Assembly of the city of Athens met and exercised their democratic rights. You shall have the privilege to stand at the exact spot where Pericles addressed his fellow Athenians and St. Paul preached Jesus’ word.

Dinner will be taken at a traditional Greek taverna in Plaka where you shall have the opportunity to purchase whatever memorabilia suit your taste, from ancient Greek masks to olive branches, and blue-eyed jewelry to little tsoliades (traditional Greek guards)!

 

 Breakfast     Lunch     Dinner

---

DAY 8 / THE PELOPONNESE I

Tutor: Despotis (Dr)

Our day holds a beautiful road-trip across Corinth’s canal to Corinth and ancient Kechriae where St. Paul addressed ancient Corinthians and lived for 18 months working as a tent-maker. We will visit the archaeological sites of ancient Corinth, evident of the city’s classical glory that not only rivaled Athenian and Spartan domination, but also gave the world a most beautiful and ornate architectural style.

Lunch shall be enjoyed by the sea before we proceed to ancient Kechriae where we will be spending the second half of the day.

Dinner will be taken in Athens upon our return in the evening.

 

 Breakfast     Lunch     Dinner

---

DAY 9 / THE PELOPONNESE II

Tutor: Despotis (Dr)

We start our day with a short drive to Faliron where we shall board a small boat for a most memorable day cruise of the Saronic Gulf. The cruise shall take us to Epidaurus where an once-in-a-lifetime experience will be awaiting you.

We will enjoy lunch at a fish tavern by the sea before we proceed to visit the archaeological museum of ancient Epidaurus.

Dinner shall be taken at the foot of the ancient theatre before we take our seats at its 2,200-year-old marble stalls for a rare treat - a subtitled authentic ancient Greek drama or comedy, amongst hundreds of fellow spectators gathered from all over the country.

 

 Breakfast     Lunch     Dinner

---

DAY 10 / DEPARTURE

All good things must come to an end. After 9 days of tracing St. Paul’s steps through his missionary journeys in Greece, it is time to part our ways until the next time we meet again!

Whether you felt his spirit the strongest at Pnyx, where he preached to the ancient Athenians, or while conversing with the monks at the magnificent byzantine monasteries of Meteora, your heart and mind will undoubtedly be filled with new knowledge, stories, images, thoughts, sounds and flavors, and the abundant Greek kallos!

 

 Breakfast