ROME

November 2 - 6

NAPLES/BOAT TO SICILY

November 8

Next we will take an overnight boat from NAPLES to the capital of Sicily, PALERMO.

PALERMO

November 9 - 10

Although Sicily is part of Italy its feel and culture are noticeably different. While in Palermo we will take note of the mix of Norman, Baroque and Arab architecture present in the city. During our walking tour of the city we will pass through the Baroque center of the city at the Quattro Canti. One of the highlights of our stay will be an excursion to Monreale, which is a Norman cathedral just outside of town. It is famous for beautiful medieval mosaics. We will also visit the famous Cappuccini Convent where we will tour the catacombs that contain more than 8,000 preserved bodies.

AGRIGENTO

November 11 - 13

The area of AGRIGENTO contains some of the finest and best preserved classical Greek temples in the world. On our visit to the Valley of Temples we will see the wonderful Temple of Concord which owes its remarkable preservation to a man called St. Gregory of the Rhubarb. We will also make time for a visit to the Museo Nationale Archeologico di San Nicola with its collection of vases of Sicily. Before moving on to Syracuse, we hope to relax at the nearby beach and catch up with our reading.

SYRACUSE

November 14 - 15

SYRACUSE, founded by the Greeks in 734 BCE, is also showplace for ancient Greek and Roman architecture. Although it was sacked by the Romans in 211 BCE, many of the ancient monuments still retain their character. In the Archaeological Park, we will see the Greek theatre where The Persians by Aeschylus was first performed; the Orecchio di Dionigi, a grotto used by the tyrant Dionysius to keep prisoners; the Altar of Hieron II, one of the largest in the world; and the 2nd century Roman amphitheater which is still used for performances today.

REGGIO DI CALABRIA

November 16

On the road to Brindisi and the ferry to Greece, we will have the opportunity to stop at National Museum of REGGIO DI CALLABRIA which contains some of the the most impressive bronze pieces from the ancient world. We hope to see the Bronze Warriors of Riace which date back to the 5th century BCE and were preserved in the waters off the coast for over 2000 years.

TO TARANTO

November 17

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CRUISING DAY

November 17

We will cross Italy by train to BRINDISI where we will board a ferry for PATRAS, Greece. In the early morning on a clear day, you may see the sun rise over Albania from the deck of the ferry. We will land in the afternoon in PATRAS, where a chartered bus will be waiting to take us to DELPHI, where we will spend the night overlooking the Gulf of Itea.

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DELPHI

November 19

We will visit DELPHI, one of the most important archeological sites in Greece and probably the most strikingly situated. It is here that the Delphic Oracle was consulted by the ancient world. We will walk up the Sacred Way and visit the great Temple of Apollo, the Thalos, dedicated to Athena, and the well preserved Theatre and Stadium. We will also visit the Delphi Museum with the magnificent frieze of the "Siphnian Treasury," the bronze "Charioteer" and the two Kouroi who were dedicated to the Delphic sanctuary by the Argives in the early 6th century.

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ATHENS

November 20 - 24

While in ATHENS, two unique sites are a must, the Acropolis and the National Archeological Museum. Our visit to the Acropolis will take the major part of one day. We plan to visit the Parthenon, the Temple of Athena Nike built in the last third of the fifth century, the Propylaea and the Erechtheum. We will also stop by the Acropolis Museum, which houses the famous caryatids of the Erechtheum. We will visit the Theatre of Dionysos, the Temple of Hephaistos, probably the best preserved classical temple in Greece, and the Agora, which contains the ruins of the administrative center of ATHENS. In the National Archeological Museum we will view the magnificent collection of Mycenaean treasures discovered by Heinrich Schliemann including the "Mask of Agamemnon" and "Nestor's Cup," as well as bronze daggers with gold inlay, the famous collection of Greek vases and the Santorini frescoes.

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MYCENAE

November 25

From ATHENS we will travel by chartered bus, on a day long excursion of the Argolid in the Peloponesus. Having crossed the Isthmus of Corinth, which separates the Peloponesus from Attica, we will visit MYCENAE, the fortress-like city of Homeric fame. We will approach the Cyclopean Walls and enter through the Lion's Gate into the Citadel, which dates from the 13th century BCE. Leaving the Royal Tombs on our right, we will ascend the ramp to the highest part of the Citadel, where we will visit the Palace and the Royal Apartments where Orestes killed his mother Clytemnestra and her paramour Aegisthus to avenge his father's death. At "Treasury of Atreus," we'll see the famous Beehive Tomb, the most splendid monument of its kind. Before returning to ATHENS, we may be able to visit the Theatre of Epidaurus, the best preserved and most impressive of ancient Greece. Built in the fourth century, it could hold 12,000 people and was unrivaled for its acoustics. From EPIDAURUS we will return to ATHENS, where we plan to board the ferry at Piraeus for an overnight cruise to the island of CRETE.

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CRETE

November 26 - 27

On CRETE we will visit Knossos, undoubtedly the most famous archeological site on the island, where King Minos, the son of Zeus and Europa, ruled, and Daedalus constructed an intricate labyrinth to hide the Minotaur. At this site, we will visit the Palace, with the famous Throne Room, the Queen's Bedroom with its toilet, and the Granaries with their rows of huge ceramic urns which stored grain and oil. We will also visit the Archeological Museum in Iraklion with its collection of Minoan vases, the famous statue of the mother goddess entwined by snakes, the Hall of Minoan Frescoes with the "Bull-Leaper" from Knossos, the "Red and White Lilies" from Amnissos and the "Sarcophagus" from Agia Triada.

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CRUISING DAY

November 28

A day long sea cruise will take us to the Greek island of RHODES.

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RHODES

November 29 - 30

A legendary aura permeates RHODES. The island holds unparalleled medieval architecture, impressive ancient ruins, and splendid beaches and coves. The city of RHODES is dominated by the massive and beautifully restored Crusader Castle of the Knights of St. John. We shall start our exploration of the medieval city from the Hospital of the Knights, on Argykastrou Square, an imposing fortress that houses the Archeological Museum. On Ippotou Street, which heads uphill from the square, is the historic Avenue of the Knights, on which the different national orders of the Crusaders kept their inns. At the top of the street stands the castle itself, complete with moats, drawbridges, and colossal battlements.

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MARMARIS

December 1

From RHODES we will take a ferry to the beautiful port city of MARMARIS, our first stop in Turkey. We will have an opportunity to sample Turkish ice cream and visit the Bazaar. There may be time to walk along the long sandy beach and watch the sunset over the harbour. In the morning we will depart for SELÇUK.

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DIDYMA/MILETUS/ SELÇUK

December 2

We will travel to SELÇUK by chartered bus, visiting the sites of DIDYMA and MILETUS along the way. DIDYMA has the ruins of "The Temple of Apollo," one of the most magnificent temples of the ancient world. At MILETUS we can see the archeological remains of one of the great ancient Greek cities where the birth of philosophy probably took place. If time permits, we may visit the hilltop city of Priene. Our chartered bus will then take us to SELÇUK--our home base for the next few nights.

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SELÇUK/EPHESUS

December 3 - 4

SELÇUK is a small and pleasant city where we will stay during our visit to the great ruins of EPHESUS, the city that served the Romans as their capital for the province of Asia. The Theatre, the Odeon and the Celsus Library are beautifully preserved, as is the Marble Road that ran through the heart of the city. The Apostle Paul visited here, and although little remains of the Temple of Artemis, one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World that he came to denounce, we will still leave with a powerful impression of a great ancient city.

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KONYA

December 5

On the way to CAPPADOCIA we will stop for a short visit to KONYA, the ancient capital of the Selçuk state and the Tomb and Museum of Mevlana, one of the greatest mystics and thinkers of the Islamic world and founder of the Whirling Dervishes. Outside of Konya we will also visit the famous neolithic site of Çatal Hüyük.

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CAPPADOCIA

December 7 - 8

In CAPPADOCIA we plan to visit the Goreme region with its pointed rock formations made of "tufa," which served as residence to monks and peasants throughout history. Rich with frescoes, some of these cells and chapels dug into rocks show a definite blend of Egyptian, Syrian and Anatolian influences in planning and style. Wandering about the fairy chimneys in the valleys and visiting the churches and monasteries with their colorful frescoes will definitely be a memorable experience.

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HATTUSAS/YAZILIKAYA/ANKARA

December 9

We will leave early in the morning by chartered bus for ANKARA. On the trip to ANKARA we will travel to HATTUSAS, the ancient Hittite capital. If time permits, we will travel to the open-air temple site of YAZILIKAYA where gods and goddesses of the Hittite pantheon are carved into the rock. We will arrive in ANKARA in the evening.

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ANKARA

December 10

Ataturk, the founder and westernizer of modern Turkey, made ANKARA his capital. We plan to visit his Memorial and the wonderful Museum of Anatolian Civilizations containing artifacts from the Hittite and neolithic sites in Turkey. We will travel overland to ISTANBUL, then travel by ferry across the Bosphorus, the body of water that separates Asia from Europe.

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ISTANBUL

December 11 - 16

ISTANBUL, although no longer the capital city of an empire, has a rich history stretching from its origins as the Greek colony of Byzantium to its present status as the cosmopolitan metropolis of Turkey. The city was named Constantinople by the Emperor Constantine, who made it the capital of the Roman Empire. Later, it flourished as the capital of the Byzantine Empire, and in 1453 when the Turks took Constantinople, Mehmet the Conqueror made it the capital of the Ottoman Empire.

In ISTANBUL we will visit Hagia Sophia, the largest church in Christendom for a thousand years following its construction by the most powerful of the Byzantine emperors, Justinian. We will also visit the great mosques of the city, the Suleymaniye Mosque built by the most powerful Ottoman emperor, Suleyman the Magnificent, and the Blue Mosque.

We will also tour Topkapi Palace, heart of the Ottoman Empire from its completion in 1478 to the early 19th Century when the Ottoman emperors began to prefer the more European palaces they had built up the Bosphorus. We will see the Treasury and be given a guided tour of the Harem.

We also plan to visit the Museum of Turkish and Islamic Art with its rich collection of Ottoman calligraphy and its instructive displays on rug-making and nomadic habitats. There will be time to visit the famous Bazaar and to enjoy the cafes that dot both shores of the Bosphorus. We will have our final review, finish all course work and prepare to return home.

End of Tour

Return to U.S.A.

December 17