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Voyage Into the Classical World
There is nothing on earth quite like a voyage to the Aegean Sea. Each day you revel in new vistas, the royal blue sea, bleached cliffs, the silver green of olive groves, the whitewashed cubes of Cycladic villages, and – most breathtaking – the ancient ruins, exquisite statues, and proud columns of Classical temples. On this journey we explore the great monuments of Athens before embarking Corinthian II where we will sail to the peaceful island of Limnos and on to fabled Troy, where ongoing archaeological work has revealed the remains of a series of towns spanning the centuries. On the Turkish mainland explore the excavations at Ephesus and Priene and in Rhodes we examine the layering of the centuries and ideas in this seminal corner of cultural flourishing. We then cruise to Crete, Zeus’s birthplace and home to the Labyrinth of the Minotaur and to Santorini, where we will walk along the island’s caldera. Visits to the pristine islands of Delos and Syros conclude the voyage.
Special Offers:
• 2nd person pays only 50%
When two travelers book together, the second person
pays just half the double occupancy rate.
• No single supplement
The single supplement has been waived, a value of $2,900.
Single travelers will pay the first person rate as listed on the rates page.
Itinerary
Wednesday, October 7, 2009 • USA
Thursday, October 8 • ATHENS, Greece
Friday, October 9 • ATHENS | PIRAEUS | EMBARK
Saturday, October 10 • LIMNOS
Sunday, October 11 • CANAKKALE | TROY | ASSOS or GALLIPOLI | CANAKKALE
Monday, October 12 • KUSADASI | EPHESUS & PRIENE or APHRODISIAS | KUSADASI, Turkey
Tuesday, October 13 • RHODES | LINDOS | RHODES
Wednesday, October 14 • HERAKLION | KNOSSOS | HERAKLION, Crete
Thursday, October 15 • SANTORINI
Friday, October 16 • DELOS | SYROS
Saturday, October 17 •PIRAEUS | DISEMBARK | ATHENS | USA
View Detailed Itinerary
PROGRAM INCLUSIONS
• 1-night stay in Athens at the Hotel Grande Bretagne, with welcome cocktail reception and breakfast
• 8-night cruise aboard the all-suite, 114-guest Corinthian II
• Welcome and farewell cocktail receptions aboard ship
• All meals aboard ship, including house wine, beer, and soft drinks with lunch and dinner
• Open bar aboard ship throughout the cruise
• Complete program of tours and excursions
• Educational program of lectures and discussions by accompanying guest lecturers
• Professional Travel Dynamics International tour staff
• Complete pre-departure materials
• Baggage handling and transfers abroad on the designated program departure and arrival dates
• Port and embarkation taxes
• Gratuities to porters, guides, and drivers
Wednesday, October 7, 2009
USA
Fly from the U.S. to Athens, Greece.
Thursday, October 8
ATHENS, Greece
Arrive in Athens and transfer to the Hotel Grande Bretagne. Meet fellow travelers at a welcome reception this evening.
Friday, October 9
ATHENS | PIRAEUS | EMBARK
Birthplace of Western culture and one of the world’s most venerable cities, Athens boasts a plethora of splendid historic monuments. Tour the Acropolis, including the Erechtheion and the majestic Parthenon, one of the world’s most celebrated structures. After lunch at a taverna, continue to the National Archaeological Museum, with its display of superb works of art spanning the long history of Greece. Alternatively, travel northeast of Athens to visit Brauron’s graceful Sanctuary of Artemis before transferring to the port to embark Corinthian II. (B, L, D)
Saturday, October 10
LIMNOS
Arrive in bucolic Limnos, in the northeast corner of the Aegean Sea. Its capital and port, Myrina, is built below a rocky promontory, crowned by a Byzantine castle, and is graced with stone houses. Drive to Polyochni to explore one of the most ancient Neolithic cities in the Aegean. After lunch, continue to Hephaistia and Kabirion, both beautifully sited on the shores of a bay. Back in Myrina, view the superb artifacts at the Archaeological Museum. (B, L, D)
Sunday, October 11
CANAKKALE | TROY | ASSOS or GALLIPOLI | CANAKKALE
Guarding the strategic narrows of the Hellespont, or Dardanelles, Canakkale is our gateway for a variety of fascinating sites. Visit the Canakkale Museum, which contains two sarcophagi that were excavated personally by our guest lecturer, Dr. Brian Rose. Continue to Troy, where ongoing archaeological excavations have revealed nine different layers of cities superimposed in rings on a massive mound rising above the “windswept” Plain of Ilium. It was to one of these cities, as legend has it, that the Greeks fought the Trojans as told by Homer in The Iliad. In the afternoon, drive to the ancient ruins of Assos for a tour of its main highlight, the Temple of Athena, located atop a conical hill. Alternatively, return to the ship for lunch and spend time at leisure in Canakkale or cross by local ferry to the Gallipoli Peninsula to visit the World War I memorials commemorating the Battle of Gallipoli, which left 600,000 dead. (B, L, D)
Monday, October 12
KUSADASI | EPHESUS & PRIENE or APHRODISIAS | KUSADASI, Turkey
From Kusadasi, our excursion leads to Ephesus. Renowned as the center of worship of the mother-goddess Cybele, later known as Artemis, it was also the site where St. Paul addressed the Ephesians. A large site with considerable excavations still in progress, Ephesus is famous for the stunning facade of the Library of Celsus; the temple of Hadrian; the Great Amphitheater; and the Basilica of St. John, built by Justinian on the site of the Apostle’s tomb. Continue to Priene, founded by Greek colonists in 350 B.C. on a promontory of Mt. Mycale. Priene gives the opportunity to explore a wellpreserved town of the late classical period, with its theater, Temple of Athena, and other monuments. Alternatively, travel to the ancient site of Aphrodisias, located in a lovely orchard-filled region, near a picturesque small village. Set on a high plateau, remains include the temple of Aphrodite and the monumental gateway and baths built by the Roman Emperor Hadrian. (B, L, D)
Tuesday, October 13
RHODES | LINDOS | RHODES
The historic island of Rhodes was known in antiquity for its schools of philosophy, rhetoric, and sculpture. Explore Old Town, one of the largest medieval towns in Europe, whose labyrinthine streets and splendid open plazas owe much of their 14th-century charm to the Crusader Knights of St. John. Walk along the Street of the Knights, overflowing with mosaics, finely carved portals, balconies, and coats of arms. Also visit the Archaeological Museum, housed in what was once the Knights’ Great Hospital. In the afternoon, travel to the picturesque village of Lindos. Set high above the village, with spectacular views of the Aegean, are the remains of the Acropolis and the Doric columns of Athena’s Temple, among other structures. (B, L, D)
Wednesday, October 14
HERAKLION | KNOSSOS | HERAKLION, Crete
Crete, Zeus’s legendary birthplace, was home to the Minoan civilization, Europe’s first. Visit excavations at the Palace of Knossos, which reveal the brilliance and refinement of the Minoan civilization. The largest palace of the Bronze Age on Crete, Knossos is a labyrinth of corridors, stairways, and chambers decorated with frescoes illustrating life as it was 4,000 years ago. The partially renovated Heraklion Archaeological Museum holds a vast collection of artifacts from Knossos and other Cretan sites. There will also be an opportunity to visit other important sites, including Phaestos and Gortyn. (B, L, D)
Thursday, October 15
SANTORINI
Cruise into the flooded volcanic crater that forms the great circular bay of Santorini. From the sea, enjoy a beautiful view of the village of Phira, set atop a 1,000-foot-high palisade. In the second millennium B.C., volcanic eruptions shrouded the island in a blanket of pumice and ash, preserving many buildings in the town of Akrotiri. At the time of the eruptions, Akrotiri was inhabited by a sophisticated Bronze Age society. Visit the Nomikos Exhibition, where excellent reproductions of the frescoes at Akrotiri are on display, and the Prehistoric Museum of Thira. Continue on to visit the unspoiled town of Oia. (B, L, D)
Friday, October 16
DELOS | SYROS
Corinthian II calls at the pristine island of Delos, which legend identifies as the birthplace of Apollo and Artemis. A walking tour leads to the excavation of the main shrines of Apollo and Artemis, as well as to the Terrace of the Lions, guardians of the Sacred Lake. For centuries, Delos was considered so sacred that giving birth and dying were prohibited on the island. Later, it became the base of the confederacy of Aegean and Ionian states known as the Delian League. In the afternoon the ship calls at the picturesque island of Syros, whose main town is built against two hills and where graceful neoclassical buildings line the waterfront. Spend time at leisure. (B, L, D)
Saturday, October 17
PIRAEUS | DISEMBARK | ATHENS | USA
Disembark in Piraeus and transfer to the Athens airport for return flights to the U.S. (B)
