Join The College of Saint Thomas More faculty in a tour of the sites most important in the civilization of ancient Greece and its subsequent Christianization! Come with us as we explore and study Athens' Acropolis and temples, Apollo's sanctuary at Delphi,   Agamemnon's castle at Mycenae, the quintessential outdoor Greek theater at Epidaurus, the site of the first Olympian Games, and the place where Saint Paul preached to the Corinthians. Our tour will also include study of the ancient Minoan site found on the spectacular island of Santorini, as well as an optional extension tour of the island of Rhodes, site of the last Crusader’s fortress and one of the most beautiful Greek islands, and the island of Patmos, the site of the Cave of the Apocalypse, where St. John received the vision recorded in the Book of Revelation.

A preparatory class for the tour will be held at the College in spring semester, 2012, to introduce participants to the sites to be visited and provide background information and reading materials. Tuition for the class is included in the program tour fee, and all participants of the tour are welcome to attend the preparatory class. For those unable to do so, the College will provide a reading list which may be pursued at the participant's leisure. On-site lectures will be given both by College of Saint Thomas More faculty and experienced local guides.

The tour is open to all persons of every age and background. Interested persons may, if they wish, participate in the Rhodes / Patmos tour only.

ITINERARY:

Monday, June 4:  Depart USA.

Tuesday, June 5:  Arrive Athens. Transfer to centrally located hotel in the Plaka area. Time allowing, short orientation tour in the area of the hotel and Plaka. Welcome dinner in Plaka area. Overnight and breakfast at the hotel.

Wednesday, June 6:  Athens. Sightseeing in Athens, including guided tours of the Acropolis (Parthenon, Temple of Athena Nike, Erechtheion, and Acropolis Museum), Theatre of Dionysus, Theatre of Herodes Atticus, Temple of Oympian Zeus, and Agora, where Socrates engaged Athenians in philosophical conversation and where a Temple of

   

Hephaistos still stands. The Areopagus, where the first Athenian law court was established (as told in Aeschylus' Oresteia) and where Saint Paul preached in 54 A.D. and received his first Athenian convert to Christianity, can be viewed from the Acropolis. Afternoon free. Overnight and breakfast in hotel.

Thursday, June 7:  Athens - Sounion - Athens. Morning free to visit museums such as the Cycladic or Benaki Museums or guided tour of the National Archaeological Museum. Noon time drive along the coast to Cape Sounion, dominated by the Temple of Poseidon, magnificently and appropriately situated at the edge of the cape where seafarers would have arrived and disembarked. Continue to Lavrion to visit a small working nunnery of St. Paul, where the nuns will talk about their monastic life. Dinner on the return drive in a typical Cretan taverna in the Glyfada area. Overnight and breakfast at the hotel in Athens.

Friday, June 8: One-day three-island cruise visiting the islands of Aegina, Poros, and Hydra. Embark at 8:15 a.m. from Athens’ port of Piraeus for excursion with multilingual tour leaders in a relaxed and friendly atmosphere. Our first stop is the island of Aegina with its magnificent 5th century B.C. classical Greek temple of  Aphaia, rising above a breathtaking scenery of dark green pine trees and deep blue sea. The three temples of Aphaia (Aegina), Parthenon (Acropolis), and Poseidon (Cape Sounion) form the famous “Golden Mean Triangle.” Other options on Aegina include a guided tour of the island and visit to the Greek Orthodox Church of Saint Nektarios. A bustling fish market, floating fruit market, and Aegina’s pistachio nuts are other attractions awaiting visitors. The next port of call is the little island of Poros, where one may walk along winding streets among rich pine forest and lemon trees to the top of a panoramic tower clock view of the Peloponnese. Alternatively, one may relax at a portside café and enjoy the scenery. The locals think of Poros as Little Venice, due to the narrow canal separating the island from the Peloponnese mainland, its Venetian-style houses, and the fact that Poros is actually composed of two smaller islands connected by a small bridge. Finally, Hydra, one of the most cosmopolitan of the Greek islands, favored by the jet set and an artists’ retreat dotted with art galleries. Its narrow picturesque streets, white-washed houses, stores of folklore art, jewelry, and local delicacies, along with its crystal waters and multiple cliff face views, justly make this island a jewel of the Aegean Sea, ideal for shopping, swimming, and photographs. AND, best of all, there are no cars allowed on the island. On the way back to the port of Piraeus, passengers are invited to the main lounge to enjoy an international live orchestra and local Greek folk dances. This cruise is the ideal introduction to the “Greek Spirit” – the life, the culture, the entertainment, and the famous Greek hospitality (“filoxenia”). Lunch and dinner on your own, either on the boat or at one of the islands.

Saturday, June 9: Athens – Corinth – Epidaurus – Nauplion.  Begin six-day coach tour of Peloponnese and mainland Greece.  We will tour the site of ancient Corinth, where Saint
Paul preached to the Corinthians, and its small museum, after which we will proceed to Epidaurus.  Epidaurus is the site of the best-preserved and constructed theater of ancient Greece (plays are still performed there); it was regarded as a place of healing and renewal for those attending the tragedies presented. Dinner, with folk dances, and overnight in the delightful seaside resort of Nauplion.

Sunday, June 10:  Nauplion - Tiryns – Mycenae – Nauplion.  Our first visit is to Tiryns, birthplace of Hercules, with its massive Cyclopean walls and fortifications.  From Tiryns, which served as a satellite fortress for the Mycenaeans in the 13th century B.C., we proceed to Mycenae itself.  Mycenae was the home of the Achaian warrior and king Agamemnon, who marshaled and led the Greek troops in their ten-year siege of Troy after the Trojans' abduction of Helen, the wife of Agamemnon's brother, Menelaus. We will visit the ruins of Mycenae, where the famed lion gates guarding Agamemnon's palace can still be seen, along with the palace walls, rooms, famous "beehive tombs," and other artifacts.  Our afternoon includes a swim stop at Tolos Beach and an optional climb to the Palamidi Fortress back in Nauplion, with its beautiful scenic view of the bay, or free time in the town, where the explorer can still find artisans creating icons in their own small studio shops. Group dinner at local taverna with Greek folk dancing demonstration. Overnight and breakfast in Nauplion.

Monday, June 11:  Nauplion – Dimitsana. Drive to Tripolis and Vytina on the way to Dimitsana. Visit the open-air watermill museum and hike along the Lousios canyon to the Greek Orthodox Monastery, a fascinating insight into the many retreats and monasteries carved into the sides of canyons which characterized the Greek Orthodox Church during a period of its history. Optional visit to the Folklore Museum in Stemnitsa. Overnight and breakfast in Dimitsana, a wooded mountain top site which usually surprises visitors by its forest and cool nights.

Tuesday, June 12: Dimitsana – Olympia. Visit the site of the first Olympian Games, Temples of Zeus and Hera, Phidias’s Workshop, and the Archaeological Museum (one of the best in all Greece), which contains Praxiteles’ celebrated statue of Hermes. Dinner, overnight, and breakfast at hotel in Olympia.

Wednesday, June 13:  Olympia – Patra – Antiro to Rio – Nafpaktos – Delphi. We will be crossing the Corinthian Gulf on the impressive new cable bridge of Rion/Anterion which was completed for the Olympic Games in 2004. We continue through the picturesque town of Nafpaktos and proceed by coach to Delphi, where we will tour this most celebrated and mysterious of the oracular sites of  ancient Greece, nestling on the side of Mt. Parnassus, and visit the museum. Delphi was the home of the oracle of Apollo, and Mt. Parnassus the home of the Muses. The site includes a theater as well as many temples and the “home” of the oracle, and overlooks a beautiful wooded valley which seems to extend to the horizon in the mountains which surround Delphi. Dinner, overnight, and breakfast in Delphi.

Thursday, June 14:  Delphi – Eleusis – Athens. On our drive back to Athens, we will visit  Eleusis, the site of the ancient Eleusinian Mysteries, based on the legend of Demeter and
Persephone. Although participants in the rites of the Eleusinian Mysteries were sworn to
secrecy, we know enough about the meaning of the ceremonies to know that they embodied the idea of the immortality of the soul, and, as such, were a most sacred and consoling ritual to the ancient Greeks. Overnight and breakfast in Athens.

Friday, June 15: Athens – Santorini. We transfer to Athens’ port of Piraeus for our beautiful  ferry ride to Santorini. Santorini is the most photographed, beautiful, and quintessential of Greek islands. Situated upon the rim of a giant volcanic caldera, it is said to be the site of the
legend of Atlantis, and looking down upon the sunset glowing red in the waters of the caldera, visitors believe the legend. Santorini is the site of extremely important excavations linking the Minoan civilization of ancient Crete to Peloponnesian cultures such as the Mycenaean. Also, not to be underestimated is the ferry ride itself, of which we have had a taste on the three-island trip earlier on the tour. Sailing on the wine-blue sea of Homer’s Mediterranean is a vital and integral part of our Greece study tour. No tour of Greece is complete without time spent on the beautiful waters so important in the stories of the Trojan War and the return voyage of Odysseus. Indeed, there is something about sailing on this sea which has a timeless quality, uniting the many experiences of the tour into a whole and linking our lives with those of the ancient Greeks. This, our first long venture on the beautiful waters of the sea, will afford us approximately seven hours of such contemplation.  We arrive in Santorini about 2:50 p.m. and transfer to our hotel in the main town of Fira. The afternoon is free. Overnight and breakfast at the hotel.
 
Saturday, June 16: Morning bus excursion with guide to the Prophet Elias Monastery, the Santos Winery, the Prehistoric Museum, and the site of the Minoan excavations (if open to visitors). Afternoon free for optional boat trip to the “black” island in the waters of the caldera, where one can swim in water steam-heated by the slumbering volcano. Among numerous alternatives are a hike or local bus trip to Ancient Thira of Doric times, swimming at Kamari, Perivolos, or other beaches, scuba diving, visiting the Nomikos Foundation with its beautiful life-sized replicas of the Minoan frescoes found on Santorini, riding the cable car down and up the volcanic cliff to Fira, or visiting the town of Oia at the northern tip of the island for a spectacular sunset. Overnight and breakfast at the hotel in Fira.

Sunday, June 17: Free day. Overnight and breakfast at hotel in Fira.

Monday, June 18: Free day. Overnight and breakfast at hotel in Fira.
                                                             
Tuesday, June 19:  Santorini – Athens. Early morning transfer from hotel to port for return passage to Piraeus. Arrive late afternoon and transfer to hotel in Athens for overnight. Farewell dinner in Plaka area.

Wednesday, June 20: Athens – USA: Breakfast and transfer to the airport for departure to the USA.  For those wishing to join the Rhodes / Patmos extension tour, the itinerary continues below. Or, for those wishing to add alternative visits to their tour, the options abound. For instance, Santorini is a four to five hour ferry ride from Crete, and individual participants could sail to Crete from Santorini rather than go back to Athens. Advice on such individual tours is available from our Greek travel agent.

The itinerary is subject to change as necessary to accommodate revised inter-island sailing and unforeseen site/museum closings.

COST: $3,416 per person for a minimum of 10 participants
Rate based on exchange rate of 1 Euro =  $1.45 (as of July 21, 2011) and subject to change in case of a further increase/decrease of the Euro to the US dollar prior to the time of final payment.

Supplement for single room occupancy: $695

Extra overnights in Athens: $170 per person in single room / $90 per person in double

INCLUDES:
* Accommodation for 15 overnights in double rooms, all with private facilities, air-conditioning, TV, in first-class hotels in Athens and Olympia and superior tourist-class hotels in Nauplion, Dimitsana, Santorini, and Delphi
* Six (6) dinners including the welcome and farewell dinners in Athens
* Daily breakfast buffet
* Transportation by private, comfortable motor coach with air-conditioning and professional driver throughout the mainland tour as per itinerary
* English-speaking guide/lecturer throughout the mainland and three-island tour and local guide for one day on the guided tour in Santorini (in addition to College faculty throughout).
* Boat tickets to/from Santorini with reserved seats (N.B. There is also plenty of outside seating for those who like to be closer to the water and Mediterranean air)
* Transfers to/from port to hotel in Santorini
* One-day sightseeing tour with private bus and guide in Santorini
* Round-trip boat tickets for the one-day three-island tour
* Cell phone with start-up minutes for your stay in Greece
* Greek folk dancing performance in Nauplion.
* Round trip transfers to airport and all ports

* 24-hour Assistance from our office in Athens and our representative in Santorini

NOT INCLUDED:
* Airline tickets to/from United States and Greece
* Lunches and all other meals and services not mentioned in the itinerary
* Guide services if not mentioned on the itinerary
* Gratuities to guides and drivers are not included and are an integral part of their salaries. Please allow two (2) Euros per day per person for the drivers and three (3) Euros per day per person for the guides. Also it is customary to leave a tip for chambermaids at hotels (1 Euro per night per occupant suggested)
* Admission for students - Free admission to all state sites and museums is usually granted based on the guards’ discretion if you have a guide with a valid guide permit with you, but it is not guaranteed. Otherwise, students receive 50% discount on all admission fees with a valid student ID card
* Personal assistance for bus transfers from airport to hotel for flights arriving between 12:00 a.m. and 8:00 a.m.

ACCOMMODATIONS
   Hotels are chosen for their quality of accommodation and service and for their proximity to sites (the hotel in Athens, for example, is within walking distance of the Acropolis). The hotels range from superior tourist-class to first-class and three- and four-star hotels. All hotels have air-conditioning, private facilities, and TV’s.

MEALS

   As noted above, all breakfasts throughout the trip are included in the trip cost, along with six dinners, including a welcome and a farewell dinner in Athens. Dinners include three courses plus salad in hotels or selected tavernas (about 33 Euros for a complete dinner as described). Lunches are on your own, and you have the options  of having a quick snack-type lunch such as souvlaki, spinach or cheese pie, sandwiches, etc., such as most tourists and Greeks prefer in the summer (about 5-6 Euros with drink included), or of having a sit-down lunch (8-10 Euros).

Trip cost does not include transatlantic airfare. Participants are encouraged to seek their transatlantic tickets through brokers and/or the internet, where such tickets can be found at greatly reduced prices.  If you find a cheaper ticket which requires you to arrive a day or more early, hotel accommodations can be made for your extra days.

ITINERARY FOR RHODES / PATMOS EXTENSION

Wednesday, June 20: Athens – Rhodes. Breakfast and transfer to the airport for flight to Rhodes. Arrive around noon and transfer to hotel. Afternoon free. Rhodes has a long and varied history, having been occupied in the centuries before Christ by the Minoans, Myceneans, and Dorians, who built the three important cities of Lindos, Ialyssos, and Kameiros. The island, later part of the empire of Alexander the Great, was famous for its schools of philosophy, science, literature, rhetoric, and astronomy, as well as a rich dramatic

style of sculpture which became known as “Hellenistic Baroque.” Saint Paul brought Christianity to Rhodes, which reached its zenith in the 3rd century A.D. In 395, Rhodes’ long period as part of the Byzantine Empire began, although it was occupied by Muslim forces in 672 and 1090 A.D. Rhodes was recaptured from the Muslims during the First Crusade. In 1309 the Byzantine period ended with the arrival of the Knights Hospitaller, or Knights of Rhodes, who rebuilt the main city of Rhodes upon the model of a European medieval city, creating Rhodes Old Town, the largest walled medieval city in the Eastern Mediterranean and a fascinating site for today’s visitors. It was during this period that the Palace of the Grand Masters was also built. The Knights of Rhodes were forced to retire to Sicily, and later Malta, with the fall of Rhodes to Suleiman the Magnificent in 1522, and the island remained a possession of the Ottoman Empire for four centuries. In 1912 Italy seized Rhodes from the Turks. It was later occupied by German forces during World War II, who sent 2,000 Rhodesian Jews to the concentration camps. Rhodes was freed and united with Greece in 1947. Among the many sites to explore in Rhodes are the Old Town, the Apollo Temple and Acropolis of Rhodes, the Governor’s Palace, the Palace of the Grand Masters, the Archaeological Museum, and the Rhodes Footbridge, the most ancient Greek arch bridge, constructed during the 4th century B.C. or the early Hellenistic Period. Also in the main city of Rhodes is the Kahal Shalom Synagogue in the Jewish Quarter, built in 1557 and the oldest synagogue in Greece. Out of the city of Rhodes lie the Acropolis of Lindos and ancient Kameiros (5th c. B.C.), considered one of the best preserved classical Greek cities, since it was abandoned between 300 – 400 A.D. and not discovered and excavated until 1859 and 1929, respectively. The island of Rhodes also contains magnificent castle ruins at Monolithos and Kritinia, as well as the secluded, sandy Fourni Beach, with restrooms and taverna, near Monolithos. Having been occupied by Italy, Rhodes contains a significant Roman Catholic population in addition to the Jewish community which dates from the 1st century A.D.

Thursday, June 21: Rhodes. Free day. Take the local bus to Rhodes Old Town, visit the Grand Masters Palace, Governor’s Palace, Acropolis and Temple of Apollo, Kahal Shalom Synagogue, Archaeological Museum, Rhodes Footbridge, and the modern town with its sidewalks and seaside avenues. Overnight and breakfast at hotel.

Friday, June 22: Rhodes. Guided tour of the island with visit to Lindos and its Acropolis and ancient Kameiros with lunch break at the seaside (lunch cost not included). Overnight and breakfast at hotel.

Saturday, June 23: Rhodes – Patmos. Bus transfer to the port for ferry to the island of Patmos. Departure time usually in the late afternoon with arrival in Patmos about midnight (departure times are subject to the existing ferry schedule on the day of departure). Transfer to hotel in Patmos. Overnight with breakfast at hotel.
Sunday, June 24: Patmos. Late morning and afternoon guided tour of St. John’s Grotto and St. John’s Monastery. The Romans used Patmos as a place for exiles, which explains the presence of St. John on the island. He was ostracized from Miletus by the Roman governor for preaching the Christian faith in AD95 and stayed on Patmos for two years.  The Cave of the Apocalypse, or “Holy Grotto,” lies between Chora and Skala and is the site of St. John’s vision. There is a crack in the roof where Jesus appeared to him and St. John dictated his vision to his disciple Prochorus—the vision recorded in the Book of Revelation. In the Cave you can see a cross engraved on the rock which, according to tradition, was made by St. John. The Cave is surrounded by the monastery, and together the Cave and the monastery are among the most important religious centers in Greece, leading to Patmos’s description as “The Jerusalem of the Aegean.” One passes from the Cave to the chapels of St. Nicholas, St. Artemios, and St. Anna to enter the monastery. The Greek name of St. John’s Monastery is Agios Ioannis o Theologos ("St. John the Theologian"), and it looks like a huge fortress above Chora. In fact, although it was first planned as a monastery by the blessed monk Christodoulos in 1088, it was enhanced as a fortress in the 16th century. (The monastery itself was built over an ancient temple to Artemis, who was worshipped on the island in antiquity.) In the monastery you can visit the Byzantine church decorated with exquisite frescoes and the Byzantine icon of St John, donated to the monastery by the Emperor of Byzantium, Alexios Komninos. In a crypt inside the church are the relics of the blessed monk Christodoulos. The treasury and museum are also worth seeing, with their priceless icons, ecclesiastical ornaments, embroideries, vestments, etc. The two chapels next to the Church of St. John are dedicated to the Virgin Mary and to Christodoulos. PLEASE NOTE: Women must wear long skirts and cover their shoulders and men must wear long trousers to the

Holy Grotto, St. John’s Monastery, and all other monasteries and convents mentioned below.
Monday, June 25: Patmos – Athens. Monday is a free day to explore the many interesting facets of Patmos, such as the traditional medieval town of Chora, built on the high hill surrounding the monastery. Chora is known for its elegant architecture, its labrynthine streets (to confuse invading pirates), and its shops. Patmos has many excellent beaches (Skala beach is the most popular). One may visit other charming towns, such as the village of Kambos (5 km from Skala) with its beautiful Church of the Annunciation, or the convents of Zoodochos Pigis and Evangelismos, as well as the monastery of Profitis Elias, situated on the highest point of the island with a breath-taking view of neighboring islands and the coast of Turkey. And, in the Kastelli hills, one may see the ruins of the ancient citadel of the first capital of Patmos with a fortification wall, the foundations of three towers, and a temple dedicated to Apollo. Local buses and taxis run between the towns and buses, taxis, and small boats run between the beaches. Evening departure by ferry to Athens. Overnight at the hotel in Athens or on the ferry, depending on the ferry schedule.
Tuesday, June 26: Athens – USA. Arrival in Athens and transfer by taxi or private bus from the port of Piraeus to Athens International Airport for transatlantic flight to USA.

Supplementary cost for Rhodes / Patmos extension:
            $1,646 per person for a minimum of 10 participants

Supplement for single room occupancy: $335

INCLUDES:
* Accommodation for 5 overnights in double rooms with private facilities in first-class hotel in Rhodes, Athens, and Patmos
* Daily breakfast buffet
* Air tickets to Rhodes (economy class), including all taxes
* Tour of Lindos and Kameiros including private air-conditioned coach and private English-speaking guide
* Tour of St. John’s Cave and St. John’s Monastery with private English-speaking guide
* Boat tickets in two-berth cabins from Rhodes to Patmos and from Patmos to Athens
* Transfers to/from airports/hotels in Athens and Rhodes
* Assistance from our representative in Rhodes, as well as from College of Saint Thomas More faculty

NOT INCLUDED:
* Admission fees
* Airline tickets to USA
* Gratuities to driver and guide (see p. 6 above)
* Meals and other services not mentioned

MATRICULATED STUDENTS ARE REMINDED THAT STUDENT LOANS ARE AVAILABLE FOR THE GREECE STUDY TOUR BECAUSE IT IS A THREE-HOUR CREDIT COURSE IN THE CURRICULUM OF THE COLLEGE.

PAYMENT SCHEDULE; DEPOSIT; and REFUND/CANCELLATION POLICY
 Full payment must be received by the College of Saint Thomas More by April 12, 2012.
A non-refundable deposit of $600 must be received by the College of Saint Thomas More by March 9, 2012.

Dr.Judith Stewart Shank
Director of Overseas Programs
Senior Tutor in Literature and in Philosophy
The College of Saint Thomas More
3020 Lubbock Ave.
Fort Worth Tx, 76109
817-923-8459

Cancellation conditions: 45-15 days prior to departure: 50% cancellation fee per person.
14-0 days prior to departure: no refund.
Participants are strongly advised to buy full cancellation/accident insurance.

Registration Form

Name:__________________________________________________

Address:_________________________________________________
           
________________________________________________________

Telephone: ______________________ cell_____________________

 E-mail: _____________________________________________

Program Fees For Basic Greek Study Tour (Mainland & Santorini):

            (10 participants)          $3,416

Single Room Supplement        $695

Supplementary Program Fees For Rhodes / Patmos Study Tour:
           
            (10 participants)          $1,646

Rhodes / Patmos Single Room Supplement   $335

Deposit enclosed        $  600___

Balance due              _________

Greek port taxes are included, and no Greek visa is required.

PROOF OF HEALTH INSURANCE IS REQUIRED AND SHOULD BE CARRIED BY THE PARTICIPANT, AS SHOULD STUDENT ID CARDS.