ST PAUL Steps 8 Days

After breakfast, enjoy the panorama or hotel facilities before checking out. Transfer to Kusadasi Port and embark on our luxury ship for the next two nights. Our guide will meet us on the isle of PATMOS, helping us to get into the spirit of the island as we explore many sites. The Monastery of the Apocalypse dominates the hill above the village of Chora.  It was found in the 11^th century and used by pirates. Visit the small museum displaying priceless ecclesiastical treasures, man, uscripts, mosaics, icons, splendid medieval textiles, vestments and jewelry. Next we visit the Grotto of Saint John, where we will see the niches in the wall that mark the pillow and ledge used by John as a desk to write the book of Revelation.  Back to the port of Skala to enjoy some free time in this quaint and picturesque town

At 07:00 am arrival to RHODES famous for its Golden beach, legendary home of the sun god Apollo and one of the loveliest Greek islands. Drive along the picturesque south-eastern coastline, dotted with white-washed villages, to LINDOS, one of the most important of the three great cities of ancient times. See how this entire city is guarded by medieval walls which were constructed by the knights of St. John in the 13th Century. Within them stands the ancient Acropolis of Lindos, on the brink of a precipice 122 m above the sea. From the Acropolis, marvel at the breathtaking views covering the great expanse of the Aegean Sea and St. Paul’s Bay, where the apostle cast anchor during his historic voyage to Ephesus. Proceed on foot uphill, to the great staircase leading from the Hellenistic Portico to the Acropolis and Temple of Athena. Should you wish to make your way up by mule, a fee must be paid to the local muleteer. After the guided tour of the Acropolis, enjoy some free time on your own in Lindos village before meeting up with your motor coach. Return to Rhodes city and enjoy a panoramic drive through the new part of the city before continuing to Mount Smith to see the ruins of ancient Rhodes, the Temple of Apollo and Diagoras Stadium. Afterwards your motor coach will drop you off at Porte d’Amboise, the start of the walking tour through the medieval city of Rhodes. Follow your guide through the northern part where once lived the knights and their attendants. View the Grand Master’s Palace of the Knights, continue your walk down Chevaliers Road to the Marine Gate and return back to the ship. A short visit to a ceramic factory is included. Full board.

Arrive CRETE at 7:00 morning. Visit Knossos and the famous archaeological museum of Heraklion. Crete is the largest and the most rugged of the Greek islands. It is also the home of the great Minoan Civilization and the mythological home of Zeus. After a short drive through the town of Heraklion the tour will arrive at the Knossos excavations. Here, Sir Arthur Evan’s archaeological discoveries revealed a civilization dating back to 4000 B.C., when a great empire flourished on the island of Crete. Based on the wealth of artefacts that were found, Evans theorized that this was the site of the ancient Minoan Kingdom. These findings will be viewed in detail, as your guide will lead you on a journey of discovery to learn of the sophisticated culture that flourished thousands of years ago on this island. The Palace, decorated with frescoes and shields houses the Hall of the Royal Guard, the Hall of the Double Axes, the King’s Chamber with the alabaster throne, the Queen’s Apartment, beautiful courtyards and shrines. Having visited this remarkable site your coaches will take you back to the Venetian lion-guarded port of Heraklion to rejoin your ship. The ship will set sails again at 11:30 am. At 16:30 pm arrival in SANTORINI, the famous jetset holiday destination. Go ashore and take a donkey ride or the cable car up to the town of Fira to enjoy the spectacular view, sizzling black sandy beaches and dazzling sunset. Santorini is an island of white washed houses and stiff cliffs shaped by the volcano that formed it. The ship sails again at 21:00 pm. Full board.

Disembark after breakfast, and drive along the spectacular Greek coastline to ancient CORINTH (Acts18:1-18), Paul’s beloved city and site of his most extensive ministry. Stop for a photos at the Corinth Canal which separates the Peloponnese from mainland Greece, connect the Gulf of Corinth with the Saronic Gulf, completed in the late 19^th century. Corinth is the city that inspired many of Paul’s most familiar letters. See the Archaeological Museum, the Market Place, the Temples, the Bema (judgment seat) where Paul stood before Gallio and preached. Here we can also see the synagogue where Paul preached and the house of Justus next door. To enjoy a devotional in the midst of the ruins of the church of Corinth and see the pillars, steps, and public worship place where Paul preached will enhance your understanding and love of I & II Corinthians. The ruins of this important cultural centre are fascinating as we walk along the stone path that the Apostle Paul walked.  The engineering skill and intellect of these people are evident in the water systems that still flow from ancient to modern day. Our guide will be sure to show you the room dedicated to the medical care of that period. After lunch, tour the city of Athens (Acts 17),  the birth place of Democracy, one of the most glorious cities in the world and the cradle of the European civilization. For twenty-five centuries, the panorama of this city is dominated by the rock of the Acropolis with its temples. We see the House of Parliament on Syntagma Square, the Evzones in their picturesque uniforms guarding the Presidential/Royal Palace and the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. We also see the Library, the University, the Panathenaic Stadium where the first 1896 Olympics of the modern era were held, the temple of the Olympian Zeus and Adrian’s Arch.  Overnight in ATHENS.

After breakfast, we will visit the world renowned ACROPOLIS, with the ruins of the Parthenon, the Erectheum and the Propylae. Thereafter, we walk to nearby Mars’ Hill (or Areopagus) (Acts 17:22) where Paul delivered his well-known message to the Athenians. We also view the ancient agora, the heart of pubic life in Athens. Lunch in KAMENA VURLA beach with view of Skiathos island where the “Mamamia” movie taken place.Sighseeing LAMIA, the Heros’ city, to see the Liberty Square, Parkou Square, Cathedrals, then continue to KALAMBAKA where we will spend the night in the vicinity of METEORA.

After breakfast, visit the breathtaking and mysterious MONASTERIES OF METEORA, ageless and built atop huge gray rocks rising towards the sky, rooted deeply into the earth, yet completely isolated from the world around them, each standing unique and alone in space. This strange complex of rock formation seemed to be nature’s gift to the pious that opted for monasticism and for a life totally dedicated to the worship of God. Here we visit 3 Monasteraki  THE GREAT METEORON (Monastery of the Transfiguration of Jesus Christ), MONASTERY OF VARLAAM, and MONASTERY OF ST. STEPHEN. Lunch at local restaurant. Continue to BEREA to view the ancient synagogue where Paul spoke and the Bema surrounded by mosaics of Paul and the plaque of scripture regarding the “more noble” church. The New Testament books of I & II Thessalonians will come alive to us today. En route to the hotel we will view the old city ramparts; the newly excavated Forum, St. George Church, an ancient Roman monument which was transformed into a church and the Galerius Arch which rises over the famous Via Egnatia. Overnight in THESSALONICA, MACEDONIA.

Today we become acquainted with Thessalonica, the “Queen of the North,” where Paul wrote two epistles to the ancient Thessalonians. Built by King Cassandros and named after the sister of Alexander the Great, the city flourished under the Byzantine Empire and its most important buildings date from those days. We drive along the waterfront to the massive White Tower and nearby Triumphal Arch of Gallerius, built in 303 AD. Visit ST.DEMETRIUS BASILICA, dedicated to a distinguished member of the Roman army and a martyred Christian convert. Continue to PHILIPI, where Paul preached his first evangelical sermon and baptized the first Christians on European soil. Octavian and Anthony defeated Brutus and Cassius, the last defenders of the Roman Republic here in 42 B.C.  We will view the baptismal site where Lydia surrendered her life to Christ and visit a crypt dating from the Roman period that is thought to have served as a prison for Paul. See the famous Acropolis, the Market Place, Basilica, and the Theatre. Continue to KAVALA, Greece’s prettiest mainland port with a most elegant harbor. Paul landed here with Timothy, Silas and Luke. This ancient city of Neapolis was later renamed Christopoulis, because it was the first European city to accept Christianity. Imagine waling on the same sod as these men of the Bible! We will see the Roman Aqueduct and the ruins of the Acropolis in this beautifully located city known since the 5th century as KAVALA. Overnight in THESSALONIKI