Greece
Study Tours

Itinerary

June 6 through June 28, 2012

Ancient Korinth, Isthmia, Nauplion, Nemea, Mycenae, Epidaurus, Sparta, Mystras, Olympia, Delphi, the island of Tinos with day trips to the islands of Delos and Mykonos, and Athens

Professors Linda Hall and Michael Taber

The itinerary for the Greece Study Tour for summer 2012 is divided into two portions:

• A stay of 8 nights in the small and welcoming village of Ancient Korinth (a few kilometers from the modern city of Korinth)
• A circuit tour of 6 stops (over the succeeding 13 nights) on a chartered, air-conditioned coach and via ferry, with nights spent in Nauplion, Sparta, Olympia, Delphi, the island of Tinos, 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 many 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.)

[We in the U.S. occasionally hear about protests in Athens stemming from the Greek efforts at economic reform, and located in front of their parliament building (Syntagma Square) or in their university area.  Both of these are interesting areas that we like to show the students, but neither is integral to our itinerary.  In fact, both are somewhat out of the way of our itinerary. In the summer of 2010, which was a time of demonstrations, our  Athenian travel agent keep us apprised of possible troublespots.  We turned out not only to not encounter any protests, but not to see even any evidence of protests. 
We will monitor the activity there, and in the unlikely event that the entire area of central Athens were to become restive, we could improvise an alternative itinerary for the days scheduled for Athens.  It would be a shame to miss Athens' acropolis and its Parthenon, but there is no shortage of other delights to show students outside of Athens.
Unfortunately, we DON'T hear about the fact that tourism to Greece is up 12% this year.  Or how the decline in buying power of the euro is lowering prices for those from places such as the U.S.]

Here is a more detailed itinerary:

Day 1 Wednesday, June 6: USA - ATHENS
Depart evening (EDT) from Washington, D.C.-area airport for Athens.  (Dinner and breakfast served on the overnight flights.) (D)

Day 2 Thursday June 7: ATHENS – CORINTH
Arrival in Athens and transfer by pre-arranged private coach to Ancient Corinth (1½ hrs.), arriving there to check into Rooms Marinos (proprietors Vasili and Chrysa).  Group lunch at Taverna Marinos (proprietors Vasili and Katerina).  Then a walk to small chapel of the Theotokos, with its cemetery, and the Temple of Apollo gift shop (aka “Yianni-World”).  Then return to Rooms Marinos for showers and post-flight naps.  Dinner (included) at Rooms Marinos at the usual time. Of 9:00. Stay at Rooms Marinos in the village of Ancient Corinth for 9 nights, departing after breakfast on June 11. Dinner and overnight with breakfast at Rooms Marinos. (B, L, D)

Day 3 Friday June 8: ANCIENT CORINTH
Seminar 1: Meeting after breakfast in the courtyard at Rooms Marinos about Paul's First Letter to the Corinthians (and excerpts from Acts and Romans).  Followed by morning walk through village, and then to archaeological site and museum of Ancient Corinth. Group picnic lunch.  Evening seminar 2 (6:30-8:30 at Tavern Marinos): Euripides' Medea. Dinner and overnight with breakfast at Rooms Marinos. (B, L, D)

Day 4 Saturday June 9: NEW CORINTH
We take the public bus to New Corinth, for shopping at the Laïki and the beach.  Taxis or bus back to AK as we wish. Dinner on your own. Overnight with breakfast at Rooms Marinos. (B)

Day 5 Sunday June 10: ANCIENT CORINTH
After optional church service (Church of St. Paul, of course), 10:00 morning walk to the remains of the ancient Kraneion Church and then to the Asklepeion & Fountain of Lerna complex. Group picnic lunch. Free afternoon. Evening seminar 3: Aeschylus' Agamemnon. Dinner and overnight with breakfast at Rooms Marinos.  (B, L, D)

Day 6 Monday June 11: ACROCORINTH
[Before today’s walk, have read Camus’ “The Myth of Sisyphus.”]  After breakfast, walk up to fortress on Akrokorinth, used by classical Greeks, Romans, Byzantines, Ottomans, Venetians, and during Greece’s war for independence (1820's).  Site report on the fortress gates and on other structures on Akrokorinth.  Spend late morning and early afternoon exploring the extensive remains there in small groups. Group picnic lunch. Evening seminar 4: remainder of Aeschylus' Oresteia trilogy: The Libation Bearers and The Furies. Dinner and overnight with breakfast at Rooms Marinos.  (B, L, D)

Day 7 Tuesday June 12: ISTHMIA
Morning taxis to Isthmia, for orientation tour of the archaeological site, the museum, and the excavation house, with Dr. Timothy Gregory of The Ohio State University.  Site reports for temple of Poseidon and the Hexamilion wall and fortress.  Group picnic lunch. Evening seminar 5: Thucydides, through Thucydides’ judgment of Pericles. Dinner and overnight with breakfast at Rooms Marinos.  (B, L, D)

Day 8 Wednesday June 13:  CORINTHIA
Private bus to remains of Lechaion Basilica, Diolkos & Corinth Canal, Monastery of St. Patápios, Sanctuary of Hera Akraia and temenos of Hera Limenia in Perachora, and ending at Blue Lake, for lunch and afternoon swimming. Evening seminar 6: Thucydides, through the Melian dialogue. Dinner and overnight with breakfast at Rooms Marinos.  (B, D)

Day 9 Thursday June 14:  ANCIENT CORINTH
Last day in AK. Post-breakfast site reports. Group picnic lunch. Evening seminar 7: Miller's Arete: Greek Sports from Ancient Sources.  Dinner and overnight with breakfast at Rooms Marinos.  (B, L, D)

Day 10 Friday June 15:   ANCIENT CORINTH - NEMEA - NAUPLION
Depart at 8:30 a.m. with private bus for Nemea, the site of the Nemean games.  Then we visit Skouras winery (www.skouras.gr) to learn about wine-making in the Peloponnese. Then to Nauplion, 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 1830. We arrive and check in to the hotel, and then take the bus to the top of the hill overlooking the town center, to explore the Palamidi fortress.  Before groups split up for dinner, we take an orientation walk through Nauplion, to Captain Michael’s boat, which we take to the island fortress, the Bourtzi, in the Nauplion harbor.  Overnight with breakfast at Hotel Nauplia or similar at Nauplion. (B)

Day 11 Saturday June 16:  MYCENAE - EPIDAURUS
We leave early for the mountaintop citadel of Mycenae, which houses the palace of Agamemnon and Clytemnestra, with the dramatic "beehive" tombs nearby.  Site reports on the Lions’ Gate, Grave Circle B and tombs of Aegisthus and Clytemnestra, and Linear B.  We will proceed to Epidaurus, home of the most famous theater in the Greek world, as well as its neighboring medical site sacred to the healing god Asclepius.  Group dinner (included) at “Fanaria” tavern, with Greek folk dancing performance.  Overnight with breakfast in Nauplion at hotel Nauplia or similar. (B, D)

Day 12 Sunday June 17:  NAUPLION – SPARTI
Morning departure for the small city of Sparti, with stops at the Spartan acropolis and the Museum of the Olive and Greek Olive Oil, arriving at Sparti hotel about four hours after departure from Nauplion. Evening seminar 8: Plato's Apology and death scene of the Phaedo. (B)

Day 13 Monday June 18:  SPARTI – OLYMPIA
Morning trip by bus to high side of remains of Byzantine city of Mistra, to arrive at its 8:00 opening, walking gradually down the incline to meet up with our bus three hours later.  Quick sandwich lunch at a restaurant outside of Mistra, before proceeding to Olympia, 4 1/2 hours away.  Visit either archaeological site or archaeological museum, depending on weather. Overnight with breakfast at Hotel Europa or similar. (B)

Day 14 Tuesday June 19:  OLYMPIA - DELPHI
8:00 visit to Olympia's site or museum (depending on what we do the previous afternoon).  Then via ferry across the Corinthian Gulf, we will arrive at Delphi. After a group lunch (included at “Bacchus”), afternoon visit of the archaeological museum, then the treasuries, the temple of Apollo, the theater and the stadium of the upper site, and the Athena temple and the tholos temple at the lower site, washing our hair at the Castilian spring in between. Overnight with breakfast at the Hotel Leto or similar in Delphi. (B, L)

Day 15 Wednesday June 20:  DELPHI - OSIOS LOUKAS – PORT OF RAFINA - TINOS
Morning on our own in Delphi. We depart late morning for an hour-long visit of the Monastery of Osios Loukas, then, after a highway stop at snack place like “Everest,” for lunch, on to the port of Rafina, arriving around 4:00pm to embark Hellenic Seaways ferry departing to Tinos at 5:45pm. Late evening arrival Tinos, at 10:00pm, and transfer to hotel for overnight with breakfast. (B)

Day 16 Thursday June 21:  TINOS
Morning departure by bus for tour of TINOS. Visit a marble museum in the picturesque village of Pyrgos, including the house of the  famous Greek sculptor, Halepas, taste some local sweets, and then visit the monastery of St. Pelagia and the Temple of Poseidon in Konia (among others). Evening seminar 9:  Marcus Aurelius' Meditations.  Overnight in Tinos(B)

Day 17 Friday June 22:  MYKONOS – DELOS – TINOS day cruise
At 8:30 a.m. walk to the port to embark on the speedboat “Flying Cat” of Sea Jets Consortium or “High Speed” of Hellenic Seaways that both of them depart at 9:25am and arrive at Mykonos at 9:40am. Walk towards the small port at the center of Mykonos and embark the local excursion boat that departs at 10:00am and at 11:00am to the sacred island of Delos. Return to Tinos by the same way. Last excursion boat departs from Delos to Mykonos at 3:00pm. From Mykonos to Tinos: by Sea Jets Consortium 7:20pm-7:35pm or by Hellenic Seaways 7:00pm-7:15pm. Overnight with breakfast at Tinos. (B)

Day 18 Saturday June 23:  TINOS
Free day to enjoy the town of Tinos. Visit the famous Church of Megalohari (Virgin Mary), the Lourdes of Greece, on top of the hill in the center of Tinos town, well known for its miracles and special dedications in Greek orthodox.  Enjoy the beach of Porto/St Ioannis, not far from the town. (B)

Day 19 Sunday June 24:  TINOS – ATHENS
Morning transfer to port to embark return Hellenic Seaways ferry departing at 10:40am, arriving at 2:45pm in Athens, via the port of Rafina.  Transfer by private bus to Athens hotel, Hotel Philippos or similar.  After rest, visit to the new Acropolis Museum (open until 8:00 p.m.) Then a short orientation tour to Plaka area on foot. Overnight with breakfast at Philippos hotel or similar. (B)

Day 20 Monday June 25:  ATHENS
After breakfast, morning visit to the new Acropolis Museum (reservation required for groups of more than 15 participants), and then to the Acropolis, followed after a group lunch (not included) at a tavern, by tour of the Agora and its museum.  Site reports on Theater of Dionysus, temple of Athena Nike, and the Erechtheion.  Afternoon on our own.  Overnight with breakfast at Philippos hotel or similar. (B)

Day 21 Tuesday June 26:  ATHENS
Morning visit via subway to the National Archaeological Museum.  Optional afternoon to . Evening seminar 10:  Sophocles' Antigone. Overnight with breakfast at Philippos hotel or similar. (B)

Day 22 Wednesday June 27:  ATHENS
Morning walk by the Arch of Hadrian, to the Columns of Olympian Zeus, photo op at the Panathenaikon stadium, past the president’s houses, to the Benaki Museum and to the Goulandris Museum of Cycladic Art.  Some may continue on to the Byzantine and Early Christian Museum or to the Eleutheroudakis bookstore. Afternoon free. Group farewell dinner. Overnight with breakfast at Philippos hotel or similar. (B, D)

Day 23 Thursday June 28: ATHENS - USA
Morning transfer by private bus from hotel to Athens airport for departure to the U.S., arriving on the evening of the same day. (B, L, D)