GREECE TOUR SUMMARY:

Day 3 – Tuesday, July 2: Amphipolis, Philippi, Kavala, Thessaloniki

Today was our first full day here in Greece. The weather was sunny and warm (typical for the summer here in Greece), with a comfortable start in the 60s and highs around 90. We left the hotel shortly after 8 a.m. following a great breakfast. We read from portions of Philippians 1, 2, and 4 as we headed north for the day.

Amphipolis

Using the ring road around Thessaloniki, we drove north on one of Greece’s many great highways Amphipolis. The city was established in the 4th century BC and was visited by Paul (Acts 17). We saw the famous lion statue here from the 4th century BC.

Philippi

We re-boarded our bus and continued north. After a short rest stop, arrived at Philippi. We saw the theater, the Late Roman basilicas, the forum (marketplace), and the Praetorium (judgement hall, the most likely place of Paul and Silas’ imprisonment). We read from Acts 16 about God’s miraculous intervention on behalf of Paul and Silas. The jailor placed his faith in Christ that night too. We also got a quick glance of the traditional location for the prison of Paul and Silas (although this is a 2nd century structure and used as a cistern).

Following lunch and just outside the site of Philippi, we visited the river outside the city. It was somewhere along the Zygaktes River where Lydia (from Thyatira) heard and received the kingdom message of Christ from Paul and Silas (Acts 16). She and her household also received Christ and were baptized. Paul also confronted a Pythia, or fortune teller. She may have been one who gave oracles at Delphi (we visit this site in two days).

Kavala/Neopolis

Leaving Philippi and following a panoramic of the modern city of Kavala, we descended down to the harbor of the city once called Neopolis in Paul’s day. Paul sailed into this port following his Macedonian vision at Troas (Acts 16).Today, only the Late Roman aqueduct and the Byzantine (later Ottoman) fortress can been seen archaeologically. Outside a Greek Orthodox Church a modern monument is erected honoring Paul’s journey here. We also saw the aqueduct.

Downtown Thessaloniki

Before arriving back at our hotel in Thessaloniki we drove to the Roman Forum (marketplace) in the heart of the city. This was the marketplace mentioned in Acts 17 where Paul was. The text mentions a man named Jason who helped Paul and Silas. The text also mentioned the “city officials” (in Greek, Politarchs, as found on an inscription discovered here from the 2nd century AD). We also remembered certain believers mentioned by name (Aristarchus and Secundus) who were from this city (Acts 20:4, Romans 16). They served as later companion travelers with Paul. About one block away we made a brief stop to the Church of St Demetrius. This was an ancient church dedicated after Demetrius, a martyr who died in 303 AD. Today this well-used Greek Orthodox Church is a landmark in the city.

We returned to our hotel nearby at 7:15 for dinner and overnight.

Day 4 – Wednesday, July 3: Thessaloniki, Berea, Vergina, Meteora, Kalambaka

Today was our second full day. We enjoyed another great breakfast before we checked out of our hotel and loaded our bus. We welcomed the cool and clear morning before it heated up again throughout the day (highs in the upper 80s). We read from 1 Thessalonians 1 as we left the hotel at 7:45.

Thessaloniki

We started the morning by driving along the shoreline of the city and to the the White Tower, a 15th century structure (although previously built during the earlier Byzantine Period). This structure was used as a prison during there Ottoman/Turkish period. We also saw an impressive statue of Alexander the Great is also in this area of the coastline of the city. From here, we drove up the hill to see the ancient Late Roman fortress walls at the Acropolisof the city. The view was incredible of the city below, the second largest city in Greece today (1.2 million). We read from 1 Thessalonians 4 about the return of Jesus as King!

Berea

Driving about 50 minutes south across the agricultural plain from Thessaloniki, we came to Berea. It is called Verea in Greek. While there is no archaeology here to see dating to the time of Paul, we read the Acts 17 passage in front of a small modern monument constructed in the heart of this city. We recalled about how the believers here searched the Scriptures diligently. Sopater, a believer from the city of Berea (as well as Aristarchus and Secundus from nearby Thessalonica) was a new believer who eventually became traveling companion with Paul as well towards the end of his third missionary journey (see Acts 20:4 again). God transformed and called others to join Paul in ministry!

Vergina

About 20 minutes away is Vergina. We first walked to the archaeological ruins of the royal tomb of Philip II and Alexander IV.Discovered in 1977, these tombs were quite impressive! While there are actually four tombs to see here, the tombs of Philip and Alexander IV (or the “Prince”) are amazingly well preserved even after more than 2,300 years! These two tombs were found intact. In the museum we also saw many of the items found in these tombs, including many incredible gold pieces, armory and weaponry of Philip II, among other personal items.

After our visit to the museum, we enjoyed a very typical Greek lunch that included choices of traditional dishes such as moussaka, lamb, and Greek salad. It was a great meal!

Day 5 – Thursday, July 4: Thermopylae, Delphi, Athens

Today we drove south through more of the mountains of Greece, with a final destination in Athens. Again, the beauty of the high mountains (80% of Greece is mountainous), valleys, and plains of inland Greece was incredible to behold. The weather changed a bit too. We enjoyed partly sunny skies in the morning, and then some rain (with thunder in the air) at Delphi. We read from Philippians 3 (about “running the race”) as we left the hotel at 7:45 to begin the day.

Thermopylae

The mooning drive took us on a section of a beautiful brand new highway to the area of Thermopylae. It was here in the famous battle that took place in 480 BC where King Leonidas, along with 300 Spartan greeks (and incidentally along with 700 Thespian greeks) were defeated by the Persians. These Persians would be later defeated in a sea battle at Salamis shortly after. Today, only a monument stands in honor of the courage of these brave greek warriors.

Delphi

Continuing southward, we drove towards Delphi. Before climbing the final stretch of mountains, we first enjoyed lunch at Itea, a small quaint town along the Ionian (Adriatic) Sea coastline.

Following lunch, we arrived in Delphi. First, we walked through the museum. Many impressive artifacts are displayed here, including the famous bronze charioteer (dating to 476 BC), and the Gallio Inscription. This was written by a scribe named Claudius who mentions “my friend Gallio the proconsul of Achaia.” Luke mentions him as well as the one who listened to Paul at Corinth (Acts 18:13). It was discovered here in 1905.

The archaeological site nearby was quite impressive. Unfortunately because of the threat of lightning in the air, we could not climb higher than the theater. It began to clear a bit as we ascended through the site, complete with the famous Athenian Treasury, Temple of Apollo, and the theater. The Pythian Games were held at the stadium (which we could not see) here in Delphi every four years in honor of Apollo. Paul used the image of “running the race” often (i.e. 1 Corinthians 9, Philippians 3, etc…).

Delphi was known in this classical period of Greece as the place of oracles. The women who shared oracles were call pythia. Acts 16:16 uses the same word. Paul and Silas preached that accepting Christ as spoken in the very Word (e.g. oracle) of God and trusting in God’s Spirit is what gives purpose and direction for our lives! Paul would also say that we are there “temple of God” with God’s Spirit indwelling within us (1 Corinthians 3:16f).

Before leaving the site, most in the group walked down to see the Temple/Sanctuary of Athena and the Tholos, a unique rounded structure. It is the most photographed structure in all of Delphi.

Athens

Following the visit of this incredible classic Greek site, we drove to Athens. We arrived about 2.5 hours later. We checked into our hotel and enjoyed a late dinner together. During dinner, many of us took the elevator to the 9th floor to enjoy a spectacular rainbow over the Acropolis!

We are all looking forward to our three-day cruise that begins tomorrow morning.

Day 6 – Friday, July 5: Start our 3-night Aegean/Mediterranean Cruise

It was a little later start today, with a departure time of 9:15. We enjoyed a relaxing breakfast on the top of the hotel. It provided an incredible view of the Acropolis and Parthenon (we will visit this on Tuesday morning next week). Tasos (our Greek agent with us for the 3 day cruise) gave us tags for our bags for the cruise boat. We loaded the bus for the drive to the Laurion port of Athens (not the usual port of Piraeus). The drive to the port took a little over an hour.

Following the standard procedures of boarding the ship, the ship pulled out of the port in the early afternoon. We enjoyed the standard life-jacket drill and then lunch on the ship. The rest of the afternoon was a leisurely one as we sailed about 66 miles to our first Greek island, Mykonos. The deep blue waters of the Aegean was beautiful! Today’s weather also made it perfect, with full sun once again and highs in the 80s.

Mykonos

We arrive at the island of Mykonos about 6:00 p.m.  We disembarked the ship shortly after, taking smaller tender boats towards the main part of the harbor. We then strolled through the maze of walkways and white-washed buildings before arriving at the famous windmill area. We enjoyed the waterfront (called Little Venus) lined with shops and cafes. The sunset over the Aegean Sea was spectacular! After time walking around on our own, we returned to the ship on our own for a late dinner. While we sleep tonight we will travel to Kusadasi on the western coastline of Turkey.

Day 7 – Saturday, July 6: Kusadasi, Patmos

Following sailing through the night to Kusadasi (on the western coastline of Turkey), today was another bright sunny day, with blue skies and highs in the 80s again. It was a day of connecting to Paul’s ministry once again (at Ephesus), but also John’s ministry as he authored Revelation (from Patmos). The day started early, with a 7:15 a.m departure from the ship following breakfast.

Kusadasi

Here at Kusadasi (it means “bird island” in Turkish) is where we met our bus and local guide (Youllia). Located on the western coastline of Turkey, this port city is a vacation and retirement locations for many Brits and Europeans. From here we drove directly to Ephesus.

Ephesus

We arrived in Ephesus at about 8 a.m. This was a massive port city back in the days of Paul. Today the water’s edge is about 4-5 miles away! Paul spent about three years here during his 3rd mission journey.

Starting from the upper part of the city and walking on the ancient 2nd century BC stone pavement (used by Paul later) towards the port, we past by a vast number of archaeological ruins. This included the odeon (small theater), statues, pillars, arches, inscriptions, public latrenes, and the Celsus Library. Sitting together in the agora, we read from Acts 19 about the dramatic event that took place in the grand theater. It held about 22,000 people! Seeing the city and knowing about the Temple of Artemis (Diana) that once stood here helped us understand the challenges Paul faced in sharing the kingdom message.

On the way back to the ship we made a stop at a local rug shop/store (it’s an unavoidable part of the excursion deal). It was very interesting, however, to learn how Turkish rugs are made, whether from cotton, wool, or silk. Shortly after noon we re-boarded the ship and enjoyed lunch and some free time. It was fun being on the deck as the islands past by.

Patmos

As we set sail out of Kusadasi for the southwest, we past by the narrowest opening, with the coastline of Turkey on our left and the island of Samos on our right (Acts 20:15). Paul stopped here on this mountainous island at the end of his 3rd mission journey en route back to Jerusalem.

Later in the afternoon we gathered on the top deck as we approached the island of Patmos. This island is another one of the picturesque Greek islands. While imprisoned on this island, the Apostle John wrote the Book of Revelation from here. To get to the island, we had to use tender boats.

Upon arriving on the island, we skipped the guided tour to the Grotto of the Apocalypse (a very traditional stop where John supposedly was imprisoned and received his vision) and drove straight to the top of the island. About a five minute walk higher took us to a Greek Orthodox monastery. It is called St. John’s and it has been active for a little over 900 years! In the museum here we saw some manuscripts of texts that date back to the 6th century AD! The view from here of the harbor below was incredible.

This visit to Patmos reminded us that Revelation is a victory book written by John who was exiled here, that honors Christ! We read from Revelation 4,5, and 22 as we celebrated the promise of Christ’s redemption and victory over evil, His Second Coming, and the establishment of a new heaven and earth!

We returned back down to the water’s edge for some free time (with a number of us going swimming… the water was so, so nice!). Then at our leisure after exploring the port on our own, we took the tender boats back to the ship. We enjoyed a wonderful dinner, During the night hours while we sleep we sail to the island of Crete.

Day 8 – Sunday, July 7: Heraklion, Crete / Santorini

Today was another perfectly sunny day, with temps once again around 85. The Greek islands are known for its blue skies and beautiful islands. This would include a visit to both Crete and at the end of the day to Greece’s most famous island at the end of the day, Santorini.

Crete

Following breakfast, we disembarked the ship at around 7:20 for the first excursion of the day on the island of Crete. We arrived here early this morning as we sailed through the night. After a short ride through the town of Heraklion, we arrived at the Knossos excavations. Here we saw the archaeological discoveries of the Minoan civilization. They were probably one of the forerunners of the Philistines. Some suggest Caphtor (in Jeremiah 47:4, Amos 9:7) is the ancient island of Crete, while they were called the Sea Peoples by the Egyptian Pharoah, Ramses III in the late 13th-12th century BC.

As for the Minoans, this people group dates back to about 2,000 BC (about the time of Abraham). Here we saw the restored palace area, with many frescoes and other ruins. Biblically in the New Testament, it was Paul who left Titus here on this island, giving instructions on appointing church leaders in the towns (Titus 1:5ff). Also, Paul himself would have sailed around the lee of Crete (Acts 27:7) on his way to Rome. They found refuge from the wind in the port called Fair Havens.

Before leaving the island we enjoyed some free time walking around the shops and stores near the modern port (dating to the Venetians). Some bought olive oil (since Crete is well known for having the best!). Many also enjoyed the beautiful blue waters down at the port area.

Santorini

After re-boarding the ship, we enjoyed lunch and some free time before gathering once again on the top deck. The approach into the port of Santorini was incredible. Most of the city is perched high on the edge of this ancient volcano. It most likely erupted around 1550 BC (some suggest 1453 BC) and brought an end to the Minoans living here. After taking our turn taking the tender boats once again in order to get to the port, some took the cable car to the top while others walked up the steep donkey path. It is about a 1,000 foot climb.

The view from the top was breathtaking! No words can adequately describe  it!  Santorini is the most picturesque islands! From the top, most in the group explored on their own. Some enjoyed dinner on top, with spectacular views of the sunset and the “bowl” of the volcano below (now all water).

We returned back to our tender boats on our own by 9 p.m. Once back on board the ship, during the night we set sail back to the Laurion Port of Athens. We anticipate docking tomorrow morning by the time we wake up.

Day 9 – Monday, July 8: Corinth, Mycenae, Cenchrea, Athens

Today we disembarked from the cruise ship at 7:5 a.m. following breakfast. It was a great 3-day cruise! We met the smiling faces of Aliki and George at the Laurion port of Athens. The weather was still sunny, but with warmer temps in the high 90s. We read from Titus 3 and 1 Corinthians 3 as we left the port.

Corinthian Canal

Directly from the port we drove south to the Peloponnese of Greece. It took 1:45 hours. First we stopped at the famous Corinthian Canel. It was built over a 11 year span (1882-1893) and is 3.8 miles long, 75-85 feet wide (the width varies at each ends), 280 feet deep, with the water level around 26 feet. It is really a quite incredible engineering feat!

Ancient Corinth

We then traveled another 20 minutes to the ancient site of ancient Corinth. We first visited the archaeological site. We began in the small museum. Here, we saw an image of the Menorah and many clay sculptures of the body parts represented (dedicated to Asclepius, also see 1 Corinthians 12). Among the ruins we saw the Temple of Apollo (one of 14 total pagan temples), the forum (agora in Greek), and the bema (or judgement seat) where Paul shared his defense/testimony before Galllio, (see Acts 18). Paul was here for a year and a half during his 2nd mission journey. From here he wrote letters to the Thessalonica church in the north. During his brief stay here at the end of his 3rd mission journey, we wrote Romans. It was delivered by Phoebe (Romans 16). After lunch (gyros!), we walked down to the area of the theater where we saw the important Erastus Inscription (he donated his own money for the public works, see Romans 16:23).

Before leaving the area of Corinth, we drove up to the Acropolis for a peak of the Temple of Aphrodite and a spectacular view of the plain of Corinth 1800 feet below. The massive walls and gates date from between the the time of the Crusaders, Ottomans, and Venetians.

Mycenae

From here we drove about 30 minutes to Mycenae. Much of what we saw dates from 1,350 – 1,200 BC. After eating lunch at a local restaurant in modern Mycenae, we visited the site. We walked under the famous Lion’s Gate (1,200 BC). We also saw the shaft tombs (where over 30 pounds of gold was found in the 1870s excavations), the palace area, and the cistern. We also saw the Bee Hive tomb of King Agamemnon (or the Treasury of Atreus). We enjoyed singing the Doxology in the tomb.

Cenchrea

Leaving Mycenae, we started our way back to our hotel in Athens for a late dinner. But before leaving the area of Corinth we made a brief stop at Cenchreae (Acts 18) on the way. This was the harbor Paul used to sail to Ephesus and eventually back to Caesarea. Here Paul cut his hair because of the Nazarite vow he had made (Numbers 6:18). Phoebe also served the church established here (Romans 16:1). 

We drove back to the hotel, arriving for dinner at 7 p.m.

Lycabetus

Following dinner at the hotel, some of us walked to the top of Lycabetus. This is the highest hill around Athens. The view was a incredible from here since the top provides a panoramic view of all of Athens. This includes seeing the Acropolis and the port of Piraeus!

We all walked back to the hotel and back to our rooms to retire for the evening.

Day 10 – Tuesday, July 9: Athens: Acropolis, Rock of Areopagus, City Tour, Constitution Square, Plaka

Today was our last full day in Greece and was another great day. We once again enjoyed sunny blue skies, with warm temps in the mid 90s. We would spend the entire day in Athens, the capital of Greece. We read from Romans 12 as we left the hotel at 8 am.

Athens – Acropolis

We drove a short distance to the Acropolis. As we arrived, we began our climb up past the odeon (small theater that held 5,000) and the Temple of Nike, and through the Propylea (“gate-way” marked with huge pillars today). Reaching the top we saw the Erechtheum (a temple built in 421-406 BC honoring Athena, Poseidon, and Erechtheus a local goddess) and the Parthenon (built between 447-432 BC). Looking down on the top from the Acropolis in all directions we could see the Temple of Zeus, the Agora (the center of economic and public life) the Stoa of Attilos, and Mt. Lycabetus.

Leaving the Acropolis we stood at the base of the Rock of Areopagus (“Mar’s Hill) where Paul delivered his testimony. From here we could see the Agora a bit closer-up, which included the Temple of Hephaestus and the Stoa. We read Paul’s “defense” he gave (recorded in Acts 17) as he was seized and arrested and brought (epi-lambano in Greek) before this legal court (similar to how Socrates was seized for teaching something new to children in 399 BC).

In the context of the pagan customs and culture of the day, Paul was quite bold in proclaiming Christ here. Praise God for those who heard and responded to Paul’s message that day!

City Tour of Athens

Leaving this area, we boarded back on the bus and enjoyed a brief city tour of Athens. We drove past by the Temple of Zeus, Hadrian’s Arch, and the old Olympic stadium of Athens (made of all marble and restored for the 1896 Olympic Games). At Constitution Square some of us got off the bus and enjoyed seeing the changing of the guards. Some walked to the Plaka, while others enjoyed a restful afternoon back at the hotel.

We enjoyed our last dinner together at 6:30. We all fly home at various times tomorrow morning. It has been a great trip, with a great guide, driver, and group! 

Day 11 – Wednesday, July 10: Morning Flights to the U.S., Connecting Flights Home