Pictures from Turkey

Pilgrimage to Holy and Classical Sites of Greece

In the Footsteps of Paul

Led by:

The Rev. Jim Nixon
St. Catherine’s Episcopal Church
Marietta, Georgia

March 2 – 12, 2013

Trip map

DAY 1: Saturday, March 2, 2013 - Depart Atlanta, GAfor your nonstop flight to Frankfurt, Germany where you will connect to your final flight intoThessalonica. M

DAY 2: Sunday, March 3, 2013 - Arrive at Thessalonica, Greece (Acts 17:1-13).  Here we meet our guide and board our waiting motorcoach.  We will settle into our hotel and enjoy some free time to explore.  This city has seen the rise and fall of many civilizations:  Macedonian, Hellenic, Roman, Byzantine, Ottoman, that of the Jews and of the modern Greeks.  Paul wrote two letters to the people here.  Overnight Thessalonica. MD

DAY 3: Monday, March 4, 2013 - Today we visit Kavalla where Paul landed after sailing from Troas (Troy) in Turkey.  Then we move on to Philippi, the city to which Paul wrote his Epistle and visited twice on missionary journeys.  We will renew our Baptismal vows here at the site where Lydia, Paul's first European convert, was baptized (Acts 16:12-16) as he opened the continent of Europe to the Christian faith.  Also view the Roman Baths, the Agora where Paul and other missionaries were dragged before the magistrates, the 5th c. Basilica and the possible prison from which Paul was set free (Acts 16:19-24, 35-40).  Return to Thessalonica for overnight. BD

DAY 4: Tuesday, March 5, 2013 - Today we explore Thessalonica where we will see gold artifacts of Alexander the Great in the Museum, then to Agios Georgios and St. Demetrious Church, probable sites of Paul's preaching.  We depart via Pella, where Aristotle lived as he tutored Alexander the Great, to Veria, where Paul preached the new faith and see the monument erected in honor Paul.  We proceed to Kalambaka for dinner and overnight. BD

DAY 5: Wednesday, March 6, 2013 - We explore the Hanging Monasteries of Meteora, built 1356-1372, on strangely shaped pinnacles that rise out of the Peneus Valley.  We will tour the Hanging Monasteries of Meteora.  In the 9th c. ascetic hermits were living in the rock crevices, eventually forming religious communities.  In 1336, the monk Athanasios built a monastery here which eventually attracted many devotees.  By the 16th century, there were at least 20 smaller settlements and 13 monasteries many of which were embellished with frescoes and icons by great artists of the times.  Today 6 monasteries are open to the public.  (Men should wear long pants and ladies should wear skirts to the knees and both sexes should have their shoulders covered to visit these monasteries.)  We travel to Delphi for dinner and overnight. BD

DAY 6: Thursday, March 7, 2013 - Today we explore Delphi, considered to be the most important sanctuary of the ancients.  We visit the museum, filled with architectural sculpture and art; the Temple of Apollo, the Greek God and, in later times, the Roman God of sunlight, music, prophesy and poetry; the Athenian Treasury; the Sanctuary of Athena; and the Stadium.  We will travel the short distance to the Monastery of St. Lukas (St. Luke) where we will celebrate Holy Eucharist.  Dinner and overnight in Delphi. BD

DAY 7: Friday, March 8, 2013 - Today we visit Olympia, the ancient sanctuary known as Altis which, within the ancient enclosure, contains the Temple of Zeus and the Temple of Hera, the Pelopion and the altar where sacrifices were made.  Olympia is the home of the ancient Olympic games which reportedly began here in 776 BC.  We will visit the Olympic Museum and overnight at Olympia. BD

DAY 8: Saturday, March 9, 2013 - Cross the Gulf of Corinth by ferry to Corinth to visit the ruins where Paul lived and worked for 18 months and where he founded a church.  At one time Corinth was the chief city of the Achaean confederacy and the chief city of Greece.  By 44 BC, Corinth was huge with 300,000 citizens plus 450,000 slaves.  Many ruins have been excavated and 7 of the original 38 columns of the Temple of Apollo are still standing.  After Corinth we head for Epidaurus, whose theater is famed for its acoustics and is the best preserved Greek Theater anywhere.  In the site museum, we find an exhibit of ancient medical instruments.  Then on to Mycenae, home to Agamemnon.  We see the ancient citadel, the Lion Gate, the Granary and more.  Then we continue to beauiful Nauplion on the shores of the Gulf of Argos for dinner and overnight. B

DAY 9: Sunday, March 10, 2013 -Today we head for bustling Athens full of a mixture of ancient and modern.  We will take a panoramic sightseeing tour to orient ourselves to Athens.  On our drive we will see Constitution Square, Presidential Palace, Olympic Stadium, the Acropolis and the Parthenon.  We will visit the Byzantine Museum, located in the mansion of the Duchess of Plaisance.  We will see the rose gardens, the famous icons and the many rooms which are designed to look like Greek churches of different eras.  We will also visit the Acropolis Museum this afternoon.  Dinner and overnight Athens. B

DAY 10: Monday, March 11, 2013 - We will climb to the top of Mars Hill where Paul preached to the Court of Areopagus (Acts 17:22-34).  Another museum of interest that you may want to visit on your own is the National Archaeological Museum which houses pieces from the Mycenaean period and frescoes from Santorini.  We will join together for a gala farewell dinner this evening.  Overnight Athens. BD

Day 11: Tuesday, March 12, 2013 - Depart for the airport where we bid our driver and guide goodbye and return to the US with a better understanding of ancient and modern Greek culture and the important role Greece plays in early Christianity. BM

Price: $3,299.00.  Price is based on 15 – 19 pilgrims double occupancy with roundtrip air from Atlanta's Hartsfield Airport without airline taxes and fuel surcharges.  Air transportation available from other cities.  Single supplement:  $399.00

Pricing is based on the exchange rate of 1.30 Euro to the dollar.  If rate changes, price will change.  Pricing excludes airline taxes and fuel surcharges which are currently $686.00 and may change.  These will be added to your final invoice.

$200.00 per person deposit due with application

Final payment due December 1, 2012

Cancellation Penalties
◊ Until November 30, 2012: $100 per person plus any unrecoverable fees.
◊ After December 1, 2012: NO REFUND

If this group should be forced to cancel before November 15, 2012 because of too few pilgrims, all payments will be refunded.

An application for travel insurance will be included with the receipt for your deposit.  We strongly recommend that you seriously consider this coverage.

Meals: B Breakfast, L Lunch, D Dinner, S Snack

The itinerary is subject to change due to local conditions or at the discretion and direction of the leader or guide.