The over night ferry will dock in Brindisi, Italy and a bus will be waiting to take us to visit Pompeii. It will be about a 5 hour bus ride (there will be washroom stops along the way) and when we arrive we will meet our guide for a tour of Pompeii plus have some time to shop for souvenirs and probably lunch. We will then have another 3 hour bus ride to Rome.
On August 24, 79 AD, Vesuvius erupted, burying the nearby town of Pompeii in ash and soot, killing around 3,000 people and preserving the city in its present state. Over 20,000 people were able to escape that fateful day. Pompeii is an excavation site and outdoor museum of the ancient Roman settlement. This site is considered to be one of the few sites where an ancient city has been preserved in detail - everything from jars and tables to paintings and people were frozen in time, providing visitors with an opportunity to see how the people lived two thousand years ago.
I found a video about Pompeii and added a link for it. There are numerous videos available on You Tube and you may want to check them out. There is also a new release movie called Pompeii, although it isn't getting good reviews I think it has some great special effects. Maybe it will be one of the movies shown in flight!!!
Sunday, March 30, 2014
Saturday, March 22, 2014
Our Visit to Greece
We will be arriving at the port of Piraeus on Monday morning. Greece is considered to be the birthplace of democracy, the Olympic Games, Western literature and drama, (including both tragedy and comedy) and major scientific and mathematical principles. The cultural and technological achievements of Greece have had a great influence on the rest of the world. Greece is a country very rich in history and our tour guide will be sharing many stories as we travel around Athens and Delphi. The country of Greece has beautiful beaches, mountain ranges, fertile valleys known for their vineyards and olive groves and lush forests in the north. The climate is very temperate and hopefully we will be treated to lots of sunshine and warm weather when we are visiting Greece. The majority of the people belong to the Greek Orthodox religion.
We can look forward to sampling many delicious dishes when we are in Greece. There are many similarities between Greek, Turkish and Italian cuisine but each country has items that are unique to the country and/or region. Olives and olive oil, vegetables and grains, various meats, vegetables such as eggplant and zucchini and yogurt and cheese are widely used in cooking. Many food items are wrapped in filo pastry.
Athens is the capital city of Greece. The population of the city is approximately 3.7 million. The city of Athens is bounded on three sides by mountains and inside the city of Athens are twelve hills. The Acropolis and Lykavittos are the most prominent hills in Athens. From the hills we will see amazing views of the city.
We will begin our tour with a visit to the Acropolis, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The Acropolis is built on a rocky hill that towers about the city and consists of a cluster of ancient buildings that once acted as a fortress. Each building was created to show the splendour and wealth of Athens during the 5th century. Some of the highlights of the Acropolis include the Parthenon. The Parthenon is a temple dedicated to the maiden Goddess Athena. It is the most important surviving building of Classical Greece. We will also see the Propylaea gateway and the Temple of Athena Nike, a monument built to represent Athens' ambition as the most powerful Greek city.
We will continue with a walking tour of the historical district of Athens and a visit of the Plaka District. Narrow, paved streets nestle into the northeastern slope of the Acropolis and are filled with traditional Greek restaurants and souvenir shops.
We will also visit the Temple of Olympian Zeus, which has been ruin almost since it was built. The Temple was dedicated to the worship of Zeus, king of the gods of Mount Olympus, and once contained a huge statue of the god. Only 15 of the original 104 columns still remain. Much of the marble has been recycled or stolen for other temples over the centuries. We can also look forward to Carol, our EF Tour Director, showing us many other fabulous and wonderful sites in Athens.
We will end our first day in Athens attending the Greek evening. We will be treated to a wonderful meal and entertained by dancers and musicians. Be sure to bring your cameras (and maybe your dancing shoes!!)
Our second day begins with a visit to Corinth. The city of Corinth is about 78 km southwest of Athens. It is one of Greece's most significant locations, with over 6,000 years of history. It is the birthplace of many Greek myths and folklore. We will also visit ancient Corinth and see the medieval acropolis that overlooks the ancient city. The Corinth Canal is almost 4 miles long and is considered one of Greece's most important engineering feats ever. after our visit to Corinth we will return to Athens and Carol, our EF Tour Director, will show us many other fabulous and wonderful sites in Athens.
Our last day in Greece will begin with a 3 hour bus trip to Delphi, one of the most important archeological sites in Greek history. According to mythology, Zeus sent two eagles out from opposite ends of the universe and they met at Delphi and it was declared the centre of the universe. The archeological site of Delphi includes two sanctuaries, dedicated to Apollo and Athena, and other buildings, mostly intended for sports. Our local guide will also take us to the Delphi Museum where ancient artifacts that were found at Delphi are on display.
We will board the overnight ferry in late afternoon and head for Italy.
We can look forward to sampling many delicious dishes when we are in Greece. There are many similarities between Greek, Turkish and Italian cuisine but each country has items that are unique to the country and/or region. Olives and olive oil, vegetables and grains, various meats, vegetables such as eggplant and zucchini and yogurt and cheese are widely used in cooking. Many food items are wrapped in filo pastry.
Athens is the capital city of Greece. The population of the city is approximately 3.7 million. The city of Athens is bounded on three sides by mountains and inside the city of Athens are twelve hills. The Acropolis and Lykavittos are the most prominent hills in Athens. From the hills we will see amazing views of the city.
We will begin our tour with a visit to the Acropolis, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The Acropolis is built on a rocky hill that towers about the city and consists of a cluster of ancient buildings that once acted as a fortress. Each building was created to show the splendour and wealth of Athens during the 5th century. Some of the highlights of the Acropolis include the Parthenon. The Parthenon is a temple dedicated to the maiden Goddess Athena. It is the most important surviving building of Classical Greece. We will also see the Propylaea gateway and the Temple of Athena Nike, a monument built to represent Athens' ambition as the most powerful Greek city.
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| Acropolis |
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| Plaka District |
We will also visit the Temple of Olympian Zeus, which has been ruin almost since it was built. The Temple was dedicated to the worship of Zeus, king of the gods of Mount Olympus, and once contained a huge statue of the god. Only 15 of the original 104 columns still remain. Much of the marble has been recycled or stolen for other temples over the centuries. We can also look forward to Carol, our EF Tour Director, showing us many other fabulous and wonderful sites in Athens.
 |
| Temple of Zeus |
We will end our first day in Athens attending the Greek evening. We will be treated to a wonderful meal and entertained by dancers and musicians. Be sure to bring your cameras (and maybe your dancing shoes!!)
Our second day begins with a visit to Corinth. The city of Corinth is about 78 km southwest of Athens. It is one of Greece's most significant locations, with over 6,000 years of history. It is the birthplace of many Greek myths and folklore. We will also visit ancient Corinth and see the medieval acropolis that overlooks the ancient city. The Corinth Canal is almost 4 miles long and is considered one of Greece's most important engineering feats ever. after our visit to Corinth we will return to Athens and Carol, our EF Tour Director, will show us many other fabulous and wonderful sites in Athens.
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| Corinth Canal |
We will board the overnight ferry in late afternoon and head for Italy.
Wednesday, March 12, 2014
Cruisin' Through The Greek Islands
We will be cruising through the Greek Islands with Louis Cruise Lines. We will board the ship on Saturday morning and depart for Athens with stops in Patmos, Heraklion and Santorini, Greece. There are optional shore excursions available at each of the ports of call from the cruise line. There is an additional charge for each of the shore excursions as explained in the document I forwarded about a month ago. Travelers may choose to join one or more of the shore excursions, however, we will also be providing activities for those who do not wish to purchase the additional excursions. Our meals will be served on board, but we will also have opportunities to sample Greek food and drink when we are visiting the islands. If the weather cooperates, our group might be able to check out some of the beaches on the Greek Islands and the brave and adventurous can go for a swim in the Aegean Sea!!
Our first stop is the island of Patmos. Patmos is a small Greek island in the Aegean Sea. The population is approximately 3000. The main communities on the island are Chora which is the capital city and Skala which is the commercial port. Most of the people follow the Eastern Orthodox religion. The main tourist attractions on Patmos is the Monastery of St John and the Grotto of the Apocalypse.
We will be visiting the city of Heraklion on the island of Crete on Easter morning. Easter is the most important festival of the year for the Greek people. Easter in the Greek Orthodox Church can fall from one to five weeks after Protestant or Catholic Easter, however, this year it falls on the same day. Easter Sunday (Kyriaki tou Paska) is a day dedicated to celebration with music and dance and eating, and time spent with friends and family. Lamb is the traditional food served around the Greek Islands on Easter Sunday and it is traditionally roasted on a spit that is located outside.
Our final stop on the cruise is the island of Santorini. Santorini is about 200 km from Greece's mainland. It is the largest island of a small, circular archipelago that is a remnant of a volcanic explosion of the former single island. A giant rectangular lagoon or circular bay area is where most of the cruise ships anchor when they visit the island. The lagoon is surrounded by steep cliffs on three sides. The capital city, Fira, clings to the top of a cliff looking dow on the lagoon. Fira can be accessed by cable car, on foot or by donkey. Santorini is well known for growing produce, especially tomatoes and eggplants.
We will disembark at the port near Athens and continue on our tour of Greece. There are a few videos available that are worth watching if you are interested in learning more about the Greek Islands or if you would like to see what the excursion to the Monastery of St John on Patmos would include.
)
Our first stop is the island of Patmos. Patmos is a small Greek island in the Aegean Sea. The population is approximately 3000. The main communities on the island are Chora which is the capital city and Skala which is the commercial port. Most of the people follow the Eastern Orthodox religion. The main tourist attractions on Patmos is the Monastery of St John and the Grotto of the Apocalypse.
We will be visiting the city of Heraklion on the island of Crete on Easter morning. Easter is the most important festival of the year for the Greek people. Easter in the Greek Orthodox Church can fall from one to five weeks after Protestant or Catholic Easter, however, this year it falls on the same day. Easter Sunday (Kyriaki tou Paska) is a day dedicated to celebration with music and dance and eating, and time spent with friends and family. Lamb is the traditional food served around the Greek Islands on Easter Sunday and it is traditionally roasted on a spit that is located outside.
Our final stop on the cruise is the island of Santorini. Santorini is about 200 km from Greece's mainland. It is the largest island of a small, circular archipelago that is a remnant of a volcanic explosion of the former single island. A giant rectangular lagoon or circular bay area is where most of the cruise ships anchor when they visit the island. The lagoon is surrounded by steep cliffs on three sides. The capital city, Fira, clings to the top of a cliff looking dow on the lagoon. Fira can be accessed by cable car, on foot or by donkey. Santorini is well known for growing produce, especially tomatoes and eggplants.
We will disembark at the port near Athens and continue on our tour of Greece. There are a few videos available that are worth watching if you are interested in learning more about the Greek Islands or if you would like to see what the excursion to the Monastery of St John on Patmos would include.
)
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