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IN THE FOOTSTEPS OF SAINT PAUL – OPTION 1
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Day 1: ATHENS
Arrival in Athens – assistance and transfer to the hotel.
Balance of day at leisure.
Overnight in Athens.
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Day 2: ATHENS - ANCIENT CORINTH
Breakfast at the hotel.
In the morning city tour of Athens which will give you the opportunity to observe the striking contrasts that make Athens such a
fascinating city. Your guide will take you to the center : Constitution Square, the House of Parliament, the Memorial to the Unknown
Soldier. Driving down Herod Atticus street you will see the Evzones in their picturesque costume and the Presidential Palace. On
your way to the Acropolis you will see the Panathenaic stadium (where the first Olympic Games of the modern era were held in 1896)
and the Athens of the 2nd century A.D. , the temple of Olympian Zeus and the Adrian’s Arch. On the Acropolis visit its museum and the
architectural masterpieces of the Golden Age of Athens : the Propylaea, the temple of Athena Nike, the Erechteion and finally, the
“harmony between matter and spirit”, the monument that “puts order in the mind”, the Parthenon. Afterwards pass by the Mars Hill
(Areopagus) where Saint Paul preached Christianism to the Athenians. Time for lunch and in the afternoon visit to the Ancient Corinth.
Drive down the coastal road along the Saronic Gulf to the Canal of Corinth which connects the Ionian Sea with the Aegean Sea (short
stop) then continue to the Ancient Corinth. Here Saint Paul spent some 18 months preaching to the Jews and the Gentile. The site is
overlooked by an Acropolis housing the remains of the temple of Aphrodite, the goddess of love. In Corinth Paul worked with Aquilla
and Priscilla. Paul’s trial by Gallio took place in the Agora. The community he founded here caused him much grief and prompted
from him at least 4 letters. It is from Corinth that he wrote to the Thessalians. Return to Athens.
Overnight in Athens.
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Day 3: ATHENS - PIRAEUS - MYKONOS
Breakfast at the hotel and transfer to the port of Piraeus.
Embarkation for the 3-day cruise to the Greek islands and Turkey. At 11h00 sailing to Myconos, the jewel of the Cyclades. Lunch on
board. In the afternoon arrival in Myconos. Free time for shopping and strolling through the narrow white washed streets of the
picturesque town. In the evening sailing to Rhodes.
Dinner and overnight on board.
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Day 4: RHODES
Breakfast on board.
Early morning arrival in Rhodes, the capital of the Dodecanese islands.
Time at leisure or optional excursion to Lindos and the
Medieval town (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 Saint John in the 13th 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 to the great expanse of the Aegean Sea and
Saint Paul’s Bay where the apostle cast anchor during his historic
voyage to Ephesus. You will proceed on foot uphill to the
Great Staircase leading from the Hellenistic portico to the temple of Athena.
Return to Rhodes city. Enjoy a stroll through the
Medieval town and view the Palace of the Grand Master, the Medieval houses and
the
Hospital of the Knights of Saint John
housing now the archeological museum. In the evening sailing to Patmos.
Lunch / dinner and overnight on board.
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Day 5: PATMOS - KUSADASI
Breakfast on board. In the morning arrival in Patmos.
This serene island is known as the site of the apocalyptic revelations of Saint John the Divine, written here during his exile from the
Roman Empire. The cave where he is said to have lived is now the site of the monastery of the Apocalypse founded in the 11th
century by the abbot Christodoulos. It houses priceless icons and manuscripts in its treasury. At noon sailing to Kusadasi (Turkey).
Lunch on board. In the afternoon arrival in Kusadasi. This seaside resort has undergone vigorous development in recent years and
is an excellent place to shop for Turkish goods. The optional to nearby Ephesus is not to be missed, for here the history truly comes
to life. Walking towards the ancient harbor, down a marble road rutted by the wheels of countless chariots, you pass such
architectural masterpieces as the Magnesian Gate and the Library of Celsus before arriving at the great amphitheater where
Saint Paul was arrested and cast out of the city. In the evening sailing to Piraeus.
Dinner and overnight on board.
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Day 6: PIRAEUS - ATHENS
Early morning arrival in Piraeus.
After breakfast disembarkation and transfer to the airport.
* possibility in Kusadasi to disembark and continue the tour in Turkey.
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For details and prices, please contact us by email: info @ argonautravel.gr
and let us know of the number of participants as well as your requested dates
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