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St. Mary's
College
of Maryland's
Greece
Study Tour
Itinerary
Wednesday, May 14 through Thursday, June 12, 2008
Ancient Korinth,
Isthmia, Nauplion, Nemea, Mycenae,
Argos, Epidaurus, Delphi, the island of Crete, the island of
Aigina, and Athens
Professors Linda Hall and
Michael Taber
The itinerary for the Greece
Study Tour for summer 2008 is divided into two equal halves:
- A stay of two weeks in the
small and welcoming village of Ancient Korinth (a few kilometers
from the modern city of Korinth)
- A circuit tour of 5 stops
(over the remaining two weeks) on a chartered, air-conditioned
coach and via ferry, with nights spent in Nauplion, Delphi, the
island of Crete, the island of Aigina, and Athens
This division allows students to
acclimate themselves to Greek ways and the Greek language in the
context of a friendly village with a century of familiarity with
American scholars, and with 6 years? familiarity with St. Mary's
College of Maryland. The shopkeepers and cafe owners are warm and
generous people, who take a special pride in hosting us. This is
measured not only in the discounts offered in the village gift
shops to those who are from St. Mary?s College of Maryland (you
won't need to identify yourself as such; they'll know!), but more
lastingly in the smiles and conviviality of the merchants. (For
our part, we WILL act as though we neither deserve nor expect such
treatment. The Greeks take an ancient pride in ensuring that
guests leave with warm memories, and such heartfelt hospitality is
to be treated as itself a gift?graciously, without any hint of the
international stereotype of the ugly American.)
Here is a more detailed
itinerary:
Day 1. USA - ATHENS
Depart D.C./Baltimore
area airport for Athens
Days 2-15.
ATHENS - ANCIENT CORINTH
Arrive in Athens and
transfer by private coach to Ancient Corinth.
Stay at Rooms Marinos
in the village of Ancient
Corinth.
Day 16 . ANCIENT CORINTH - NEMEA - ARGOS - NAUPLION.
Nemea was the site of
the Nemean games. Argos
has a well-preserved
theater, a Roman bath, and an excellent set of Roman mosaics in
its museum. Nauplion is a charming, small city that
combines Greek and Venetian influences, and was the first capital
of Greece when it won independence from the Ottoman Empire in the
1820's. Overnight in Nauplion.
Day 17. NAUPLION - MYCENAE - EPIDAURUS.
The mountaintop citadel of
Mycenae
houses the palace of
Agamemnon and Clytemnestra,
with the dramatic ?beehive? tombs nearby. At
Epidaurus
we will visit the most famous theater in the Greek world, as well
as its neighboring medical site sacred to the healing god
Asklepios. Return to Nauplion for optional dinner with
Greek folkdances in a traditional taverna. Overnight in
Nauplion.
Day 18. NAUPLION.
We stay in town and explore the Palamidi fortress overlooking the
center of town, and the island fortress, the Bourtzi. Lunch in
Nauplion on your own. In the evening, we take the bus to watch
a play at the ancient theater of Epidaurus. Overnight in
Nauplion.
Day 19. NAUPLION - DELPHI
Drive
three hours to
Delphi.
Lunch in selected taverna (not included). Afternoon visit of the
archaeological museum of the Delphi site. Overnight in
Delphi
at Hotel Acropole.
Day 20. DELPHI - OSIOS LOUKAS - PIREAUS
Morning visit (8:00
a.m.) of the archaeological site that includes the Temple of
Apollo,
which housed the Delphic oracle. Spend early afternoon in town of
Delphi. Depart with
private coach to stop at working monastery of Osios Loukas, and
then on to the port of
Pireaus. Arrive around
7.30pm to embark on
overnight ferry to
Crete. Dinner (not
included) on board and overnight in 4-berth cabins with private
shower and WC.
Day 21 . HERAKLION
6.00am arrival in the
capital of Crete, the city of Heraklion. Transfer by private bus
to your hotel for breakfast. After breakfast, visit the
Archaeological Museum of Heraklion with treasures of the
Minoan civilization. Continue by bus to the
Knossos
Palace site. Continue
to the village of
Archanes for lunch.not
included Continue to the
village
of Peza, at the local
co-operative of wine merchants. Dinner, optional,
in a selected taverna with Cretan specialties. Return
to Heraklion for overnight.
Day 22 . HERAKLION-
GORTYN - PHAISTOS -RETHYMNON
Early morning departure by private coach to visit the sites of
Gortyn, Festos and Agia Triada.
Lunch not included by the seaside town of Matala. or Komo
Possibility of swim. Continue by bus to the Venetian town of
Rethymnon;
optional visit to the
Monastery of Arkadi,
in a beautiful natural setting, built in the 16th century.
Overnight in Rethymnon.
Day 23 . RETHYMNON -
CHANIA
Morning departure by
private coach to the picturesque town of
Chania.
On the way, stop at the
village of Vamos
for a cooking demonstration of Cretan specialties by local women.
Lunch (not included) in the village. Afternoon visit by bus to
Akritiri area to visit the El.Venizelos tomb and marvel at a
beautiful view of Chania. Return to Chania for overnight.
Day 24. CHANIA
SAMARIA GORGE HIKING
(The night before, each student should prepare a small lunch box
with snacks and water to have with them)
6.00am morning departure by bus to Omalos. Leave the bus there
and enter the Gorge at Xiloskalo. Start the 18 kilometers long
crossing (it takes about 4-6 hours) and marvel at the beautiful
natural landscape.
www.west-crete.com/samaria-gorge.htm
Take the boat from Agia Roumeli to Hora Sfakion where the bus is
going to be waiting there for you. Return to Chania for overnight.
Day 25. CHANIA - PIREAUS
Free morning to stroll around the town of
Chania,
visit the local market place from the Ottoman era, the small
arch.museum with Minoan treasures, the small Venetian port.
Continue by private bus to
Gonias Monastery
for visit and continue drive to
Falassarna-
an ancient port with remains of the docks for swim in the magical
blue waters of this beautiful beach. Return to Chania in the
evening for overnight ferry to Pireaus around 8 pm. Overnight
onboard in 4-berth cabins with private shower and WC.
Day 26. ATHENS
Morning arrival to the
port of
Pireaus. Transfer by private
coach to your centrally located hotel Philippos for breakfast.
Visit to the Acropolis on foot, followed by visit to the newly
renovated National Archaeological Museum. Overnight in Athens.
Day 27. ATHENS
Visit to the Museum of Cycladic Art, the Benaki Museum,
or to the Byzantine and Early Christian Museum. Afternoon free.
Overnight in Athens.
Day 28. ATHENS-AIGINA
Morning departure by
private bus to the port of Pireaus to board ferry to the nearby
island of Aigina,
famous for its pistachios. (1 hour boat trip). Arrive in the
island and visit the famous Temple of Aphea. Lunch (not included)
in a picturesque fishing village with possibility of swim. Return
to the town of Aigina to buy pistachios and gifts. Take late
afternoon return ferry to Pireaus. Transfer to Athens hotel
for overnight.
Day 29. ATHENS
Morning guided visit of
the Agora and Kerameikos cemetery. Afternoon free. Farewell dinner
in traditional taverna in Plaka area. Overnight in Athens.
Day 30. ATHENS - USA
Transfer by BUS at
5:30am from hotel to Athens airport and arrive in
USA on the same day. |
