8/4/2019 PCC Travel | Greek Odyssey 2012

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Cost:

GREEK ODYSSEY 2012

May 25June 3, 2012History and mythology come tolife in Greece. Visit all the wellknown remnants of the Minoan,

Egyptian, Greek, Roman, andOttoman Empires. Upon arrivalpass through customs and meetwith your driver and guide andthen board your luxury motorcoach for a short orientation bustour of Athens, the capital of Greece, stopping to see the OlympicStadium.

Your hotel is in the Plaka area, a wonderful, vibrant, ancient part of

Athens located beneath the Acropolis. The neighborhood - Athensoldest - is closed to automobiletraffic. Most of the streets havebecome pedestrian walkways.The charm of the neo-classicalcolors, the architecture of thehouses and their lovingly-tendedlittle gardens make the totalatmosphere of the area a truedelight.

After a buffet breakfast begin yourexploration of Athens. The city is a true outdoor museum. Everywhereyou look you see ancient ruins. We will visit the Parthenon andAcropolis Museum, the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, the RoyalPalace, the Temple of Olympian Zeus, Panathenian Stadium, and theflea market.

The next day we board our ship for a cruise of the Greek Islands andKusadasi, Turkey. The first stop is the port of Mykonos where you willhave leisure time to walk to the famous windmills, meander through

Gary Palmer

(971) 722-6621gpalmer@pcc.edu

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Cost:

$4,295. LTT$222 PCC

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the whitewashed streets or you can join an optional tourof the island.

The ship arrives the next morning in Turkey and theport of Kusadasi. A short bus ride will take us to one ofthe worlds most spectacular ancient sites, Ephesus.This was once the commercial center of the ancientworld. A city, whose wealth and patronage supported

its splendid architectural program. A city dedicated tothe goddess Artemis. The enormous temple isconsidered one of the Seven Wonders of the AncientWorld and has been rebuilt several times. It is here that you can stroll through the ruins fromthe period of St. Paul, seeing the Odeon, the monumental fountain, temples, the Library ofCelsius, the great theatre, the Baths of Scolastica, the old Roman Forum of Agora and theDouble Church.

From Turkey we sail on to Patmos a sacred island for Christians, where you can see thefamous Monastery of the Apostle John on the hilltop overlooking a landscape of striking

beauty. It is believed that this is where John wrote the book of Revelations.

Next you get to enjoy Rhodes, the island of butterfliesand roses. Historically, Rhodes was famous worldwidefor the Colossus of Rhodes, one of the Seven Wondersof the World. The medieval Old Town of the City hasbeen declared a World Heritage Site. There will be anoptional tour to the Acropolis of Lindos and the Old town.At the end of the day set sail for the island of Crete toarrive in Heraklion, the largest and most southern Greekisland. It is rich in historical remains and scenic variety.

Heraklion is believed to be the legendary birthplace of Zeus and where the Minoan civilizationbegan. An optional tour will be offered to visit the Palace of Knossos and Museum. Theimposing Palace is built on the hill of "Kefala" next to the river "Kairatos," in a site which waschosen for its natural advantage, good water supply, access to the sea, and proximity to alarge fertile forest. The site itself includes the Palace of Knossos, the Minoan Houses, the"Little Palace," the "Royal Villa," the villa "Dionysos" with famous Roman mosaics, the southRoyal Temple - Tomb and the "Caravanserai."

Afterwards set sail for the volcanic island of Santorini, which is famous for being the legendarysite of the Lost City of Atlantis." You may choose to take an optional tour of the island.

Back in Piraeus we disembark the ship and drive through the mountains and some of the mostbeautiful scenery ever seen, until we reach ancient Delphi. You can climb to the top of themost wondrous archeological site in Greece. Here you can imagine yourself back in the daysof the ancients, holding court with political men from Rome, sitting in the theater hearingdebates, and gaining the knowledge that was inscribed upon the Delphi oracle: Know thyselfand nothing in excess, and upon these all other precepts depend.

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Our guide will lead us through the Delphi Museum, which houses the famous NaxianSphinx - part bird, lion and woman, the bronze charioteer and other wonders ofancient days.

Back in Athens we will visit the Archaeology Museum which houses the Mycenaean

Room that includes gold jewelry, artifacts, and masks discovered by the archeologistHeinrich Schliemann. The famous Mask of Agamemnon brings to life Homer's wordsfrom the Iliad: "He was the King of Men distinguished among many and outstandingheroes." In the Cycladic Room, you will see marble statues dating from the 3rdmillennium. The Vase Gallery displays a wide variety of ceramics. One of the mostinteresting rooms is the Fresco or Thira Gallery, which displays the reconstructedfrescos, found at Akrotiri, a Minoan City on the island of Santorini.

Our last evening will be celebrated with a farewell dinner at the Dionysus Restaurantlocated at the foot of the Parthenon. Do not forget your camera!

Then it is farewell to Greece as we transfer to the airport for our flight to Portlandarriving home with our hearts and minds filled with many happy memories of ancientand modern day Greece.