Autumn 2009 Pilgrimage to Greece |
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A twelve-day pilgrimage walking in the footsteps of Saint Paul in Greece |
Planned Itinerary |
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Our planned twelve-day itinerary is as follows. |
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Day 1: Monday, Oct. 26 |
Depart Denver for flights to Thessaloniki. |
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Day 2: Tuesday, Oct. 27 |
Arrival in Thesaloniki and transfer to Hotel. |
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Day 3: Wednesday, Oct. 28 |
Travel by motorcoach to Kavalla (Neapolis) and visit the site where the Apostles Paul, Luke, Timothy, and Silas landed, bringing Christianity to the European continent for the first time. Visit the archaeological site of Philippi and see the jail cell where the Apostles Paul and Silas were imprisoned. Also visit the site along the Zygaktes River where the Jewish community of Philippi was meeting when the Apostles arrived, and where the first European convert, Saint Lydia, was baptized. Return to Thessaloniki. |
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Day 4: Thursday, Oct. 29 |
Travel by motorcoach to visit the Monastery of the Annunciation at Ormylia in the morning, and the Monastery of Saint John the Theologian at Suroti in the afternoon. Return to Thessaloniki. |
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Day 5: Friday, Oct. 30 |
Full day walking tour of Thessaloniki including: Vlatadon Monastery where Saint Paul preached and lodged in the house of Jason; Osios David to view the fourth-century mosaic icon depicting the vision of Ezekiel; the Cathedral Saint Gregory Palamas to venerate his relics; the sixth-century church of Agia Sophia (Holy Wisdom); the fifth-century Acheiropoiitos church;and the Basilica of Saint Dimitrios to venerate his relics. |
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Day 6: Saturday, Oct. 31 |
Travel by motorcoach toward Kalambaka. Enroute make a brief stop at Veroia (Berea) and see the marble synagogue steps from which Saint Paul preached. Continue to Kalambaka and visit Saint Stephanos monastery at the top of the Meteora mountains. Spend the night in Kalambaka. |
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Day 7: Sunday, Nov. 1 |
Matins and Divine Liturgy at a parish church in Kalambaka. Travel by motorcoach to Athens, visiting the magnificent eleventh-century monastery of Osios David which contains what are perhaps the most-impressive Byzantine church architecture and mosaic iconography in all of Greece. Arrive at hotel in Athens. |
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Day 8: Monday, Nov. 2 |
Full day excursion in Athens and Corinth. Walking tour in the morning to the Acropolis in Athens and the Parthenon. Visit Mars Hill where Saint Paul preached to the Athenians. Travel by bus to the archaeological site at ancient Corinth and stand in the very place where Saint Paul was put on trial. |
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Day 9: Tuesday, Nov. 3 |
Leisure day in Athens to visit sites of interest and shop. |
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Day 10: Wednesday, Nov. 4 |
Full day excursion to the island of Aegina. Travel to the port of Piraeus and journey by hydrofoil to Aegina. Visit Holy Trinity Monastery and venerate the relics of the most-well-known of twentieth-century saints: Saint Nektarios. Later, enjoy shopping in the city and return to Athens in the late afternoon. |
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Day 11: Thursday, Nov. 5 |
A second leisure day in Athens. |
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Day 12: Friday, Nov. 6 |
Depart Athens for return flights to Denver. |