IMAGES
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Date/
(DAY)
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WHAT WE DID
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IMAGES
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Sat
31 Oct
(Day 1)
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Depart USA from Gulfport (GPT); connections in
Atlanta and New York (JFK);
overnight
flight from JFK to Athens.
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Sun
1 Nov
(Day 2)
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After our morning arrival in Athens; we drove to Sounion Bay for a
look at the dramatically sited Temple to Poseidon; then we moved north
to the Mycenaean
remains and Hellenistic acropolis of Orchomenos--which we climbed with
great effort; then it was off to Delphi, where we had a well-earned
pizza and good sleep.
See it in Google Maps:
AT LEFT: Paige and Amber at the Temple of Poseidon at Sounion
RIGHT: Andrew, Josh, and Luke atop ruins on the citadel of Orchomenos, you can almost make
out our vans way down below (you don't
get this on the bus tour!) |
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Mon
2 Nov
(Day 3)
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In the morning, we visited Delphi,
oracle of the god Apollo with dramatic mountainside ruins, the museum,
and Temple of Athena Pronaos below;
driving north, we stopped at the spring of Thermopylae and the site of
the last stand of "The 300;" a rare stop for lunch (at Goody's, a Greek
fast-food chain) preceeded a long drive to Meteora, where we enjoyed
spectacular vistas (and found a geocache), followed by dinner and overnight in Kalambaka
See it in Google Maps:
AT LEFT:
the group with the Athenian Treasury at Delphi
AT RIGHT: view of Varlaam at Meteora, where granite
columns have supported monasteries for centuries
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Tues
3 Nov
(Day 4) |
The morning brought serious rain and fog Meteora;
nevertheless, we made a visit inside Varlaam monastery before departing
on a rainy and even snowy drive through mountain tunnels to Thesprotia
in northwestern Greece; the rain cleared just in time for an
exploration of the Nekyomanteion of
Acheron, an ancient oracle for consultation of the Dead and environs;
moving back east
along the modern motorway "Egnatia Odos" (built on the route of the
Roman highway by the same name) we stopped at Dodona (the oldest oracle
in Greece) and Beroea (of Paul's 2nd Missionary Journey; Acts 16); at
the latter, we had dinner and a nocturnal visit to the the bema monument
to Paul before moving on to overnight above Thessalonica
See it in Google Maps:
AT LEFT: in the Nekyomanteion of the Acheron, an Oracle of the Dead
AT RIGHT: the morning view at Varlaam, which should have been approximately
the one on Monday, above |
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Wed
4 Nov
(Day 5)
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A morning drive
east to Kavalla (ancient Neapolis, where Paul first made land in
Europe) and its acropolis Castle with spectacular overlook, and a well-preserved Roman road;
a short distance away we explored the extensive ruins of Philippi (of Paul's 2nd journey)
and some decided to make the tough climb to the acropolis; a visit to
the traditional site of Lydia's baptism and the Hellenistic lion statue at Amphipolis
punctuated our return west to Jim Grill Place for a Greek dinner; some
made a side trip for night pictures of Thessalonica before overnight
See it in Google Maps:
AT LEFT, above: in
the Castle above Kavalla
AT LEFT, below: photographing Bo on the Via Egnatia, the Roman road
taken by Paul to Philippi
AT RIGHT, above: Amber in the theater at Philippi
AT RIGHT, below: Nate in a tower on the acropolis at Philippi
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Thurs
5 Nov
(Day 6)
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Early morning saw the stalwart make a
pre-breakfast dawn look at ancient Thessalonica among the modern
buildings of the city; after breakfast we moved to the Macedonian
capital of Pella (home of Alexander the Great) and Aigai/Vergina with
its spectacular necropolis, including the tomb of Philip II, father of
Alexander; a long van drive to the south, broken by stops at the
Platamon Castle and the Mycenaean remains of Gla, brought us to Piraeus, the port of
Athens, for our overnight ferry to Crete in deluxe
private cabins
See it in Google Maps:
AT LEFT,
above:
Bo inspects the Arch of Galerius--one of the last Emperors to persecute
Christians--in Thessalonica
AT LEFT, below: at the tomb of Philip II of Macedon, now part of an
underground museum
AT RIGHT: Paige, Amber, Lee, and Danielle on the citadel at Gla |
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Fri
6 Nov
(Day 7)
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Off the ferry in Crete at 6:00 am, we
headed across the island to the south shore to visit the site of Fair
Havens (Acts 27:8); then to the Minoan palace sites of Phaistos and
Agios Triada, the classical and early Christian site of Gortys, and
McDonalds, before the major Minoan site of Knossos, the "palace of Minos;"
after closing, we took in a few minor but impressive Minoan sites before
returning to the ferry for the overnight trip back to Pireus and the
mainland
See it in Google Maps:
AT LEFT, above: Danielle at Fair Havens on the south coast of Crete
AT LEFT, Bo poses for Paige, Amber, and Danielle at Fair Havens
AT RIGHT, above: Nate impresses the girls on the ceremonial steps at
Phaistos
AT RIGHT, below: a geocache at a Minoan temple site with evidence for human
sacrifice |
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Sat
7 Nov
(Day 8)
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Early
arrival at Piraeus permitted a stop at Cenchrea, eastern port of Corinth, and
entry to Epidaurus, site of the best preserved of all pure Greek
theaters and important center of Asklepius, at opening; we continued to ascend the mountain overshadowing Nauplion
to visit the Palamidi Fortress and its spectacular views, visit Tiryns, a Mycenaean
palace center, and Mycenae, cultural center of Bronze Age Greece and
capital of Agamemnon (legendary king of Achaeans in the Trojan War), and
finally to Corinth, important classical center and focus of Paul's 2nd
missionary journey; overnight in Isthmia, near Corinth
See it in Google Maps:
AT LEFT, above: Amber and Andrew at Cenchrea
AT LEFT, center: Luke, Josh, and Caldwell take in the scene at the
Epidaurus theater
AT LEFT, below: Joah and Charlie overlook Nauplion from the Palamidi
Fortress
AT RIGHT, above: at the Lion Gate of Mycenae
AT RIGHT, center: fleeing some unknown danger at the "Treasury of
Atreus," actually a tholos tomb at Mycenae
AT RIGHT, below: Nate and Andrew on Corinth's Lechaion Road, with the
Acrocorinth in the background
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Sun
8 Nov
(Day 9)
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Despite rain, we boldly climbed the
Acrocorinth to see the foundations of the Temple of Aphrodite and
stunning views, but we were above and in the clouds for the most part;
with rain clearing, we headed towards Athens via Eleusis, home to the
cult of Demeter and the Eleusinian Mysteries; in Athens, we checked into
our hotel and set out for the Archaeological Museum and then for views
of the Acropolis, the Acropolis Museum, and good gyros before bed
See it in Google Maps:
AT LEFT, above: Paige on the Acrocorinth
AT LEFT, below: trying for that good picture of the Acropolis
AT RIGHT, above: happiness is a good gyro!
AT RIGHT, below: learning to use the Athens Metro system
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Mon
9 Nov
(Day 10)
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Morning visit
to the famous Acropolis with the
Parthenon and other temples, the Areopagus ("Mars Hill," Acts 17:19,
22), and the Athenian Agora (the "marketplace" of Acts 17:17); lunch
and shopping in the Monastriaki and Plaka districts; afternoon visit to
the Temple of Dionysus; night ascent up the Lycabettus hill for vistas (and
dinner?); overnight in Athens
See it in Google Maps:
AT LEFT, above: behind the Parthenon
AT LEFT, below: the girls at the Hephaisteon in the Athenian Agora
AT RIGHT, above: the whole group at the Hephaisteon
AT RIGHT, below: nighttime exploration with the
Acropolis in the background |
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Tues
10 Nov
(Day 11)
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Transfer to airport for return flight to
the US
See it in Google Maps:
AT LEFT: saying goodbye to Athens . . . |
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