GREECE 2018

Our Tour director was Marianna Xilinas, and our tour company partner was Explorica, Inc. Our student travelers/wedding party were Natalie, Mariah, Alyssa J, Simone, Emily, Alyssa R, Maria, Julissa, Lilia, Andrea, Adrienne, Jazmin, and Allyssa S. They were all wonderful traveling companions, great friends and excellent Americans while abroad. Air travel courtesy of Air Canada Rouge. Cruise accomodations provided by Celestyal Cruises.

Day One - LAX to Toronto to Athens.

The group at LAX, Terminal 6, Air Canada. Ready to go through security.

Lilia, Alyssa and Allyssa.

Mariah, Adrienne, and Emily.

Mrs. Tova Black and Andrea.

Maria, Simone and Julissa.

Jazmin and Natalie.

Day Two - Athens City Walk.

Met the tour director at the airport and checked into Candia hotel. Took the Metro to downtown for an Athens city walk: Syntagma Square, Hadrian’s Arch, Temple of Olympian Zeus. Lunch and shopping in the Plaka District.

View of the Acropolis from our hotel room balcony, Best Western Hotel Candia, Athens.

Adrienne, Andrea, Alyssa, and Lilia on the Metro, riding from the Metaxourgnio station to Syntagma.

In the National Gardens, Athens.

Syntagma Square.

Hadrian's Arch.

Temple of Olympian Zeus.

Residence in the Plaka District.

Tiny store in the Plaka District.

Ancient steps in the Plaka District.

Evening view of the Parthenon on the Acropolis from the hotel balcony.

Day Three - Athens Landmarks.

Athens guided sightseeing tour. Panathenaic Stadium, the site of the 2004 Olympic Games. Acropolis visit, Parthenon, Temple of Athena Nike. Erechtheion. Acropolis Museum visit. Shopping in the Plaka. Greek dance and culture show.

Lilia, Julissa and Andrea outside the Panathenaic Stadium.

The Odeon of Herodes Atticus.

The group listens attentively to our local guide, Ani, telling us about the original use of the Odeon.

Simone, Mariah and Alyssa in front of the Parthenon.

Simone, Alyssa, Mr. Black and Mariah. Caryatids holding up the entablature of the Erechtheion in the background (406 BCE).

Andrea, Lilia, Julissa and Mrs. Tova with all of Athens below them.

A caryatid is a sculpted female figure serving as an architectural support taking the place of a column or a pillar supporting an entablature on her head. The Greek term karyatides literally means "maidens of Karyai", an ancient town of Peloponnese.

The Parthenon is a former temple dedicated to the goddess Athena, whom the people of Athens considered their patron. Construction began in 447 BCE.

Athens, view from the Acropolis.

Emily drawing and taking notes in her journal.

Alyssa, Allyssa, Maria and Marianna, our tour director, relax in a lovely jewelry shop near the Acropolis.

Excellent lunch in the Plaka at Plakiotissa Taverna Mezedopolio.

Andrea with her Freddo Cappuccino at Coco's Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt.

Cool window display in the Plaka.

The Acropolis Museum.

Original caryatids, safely housed in the Acroplois Museum.

View from the museum.

Head of female statue, about 5th cent.BC

The plant head that topped the Parthenon pediment. Gypsum restoration, 1990.

Adrienne, Simone and Mariah.

Alyssa, Lilia and Julissa.

Pork gyros for dinner.

Lovely evening dinner.

Adrienne and Maria learn Greek dance from our tour director, Marianna.

Male Greek dancers entertain our student travelers.

Traditional Greek dance with candles.

Turkish style dance with torches.

Everyone up to learn how to bellydance.

Mrs. Tova and Jazmin relax on the rooftop at the Best Western Candia Hotel.

Day Four - Delphi Excursion.

Delphi guided sightseeing tour: Delphi site visit, Temple of Apollo Archaeological Museum of Delphi. Open air movie at Cinema Αίγλη: "Mamma Mia 2."

Private bus to Delphi.

Delphi occupies an impressive site on the south-western slope of Mount Parnassus, overlooking the coastal plain to the south and the valley of Phocis.

The Treasury of Athens, built to commemorate their victory at the Battle of Marathon.

Local guide tells the group of the significance of Delphi to ancient peoples.

Greek inscriptions at Delphi.

Temple of Apollo.

Emily and Maria.

The Charioteer of Delphi, also known as Heniokhos, is one of the best surviving statues from Ancient Greece. Archaeological Museum of Delphi.

The Sphinx of Naxos at the Archaeological Museum of Delphi.

Kleobis and Biton, two Kouros at the Delphi Museum.

Bronze details.

The Melancholy Roman, probably Titus Flamininus ca. 195 BCE

Lunch in Delphi, at Taverna Omfalos.

"Mamma Mia 2" at the Cine Aegli, open air cinema, near the Zappeion in the National Gardens of Athens.

Everyone sang along!

Students enjoy the rooftop pool at night at the Best Western Candia Hotel.

Day Five - Celestyal Cruises: Iconic Aegean from Piraeus to Mykonos.

Depart Athens on four‐day Aegean cruise. Mykonos visit. Weaver shop visit, art galleries, sunet on the island. Cruise overnight to Samos.

Day Six - Iconic Aegean Cruise: Samos to Rhodes.

Samos visit. Breakfast at sunrise. Greek Orthodox Church visit. Samos winery tour and wine tasting. Heraion of Samos. Cruise on and visit Patmos. Dancing in the Muses Lounge. Cruise overnight to Rhodes.

Day Seven - Iconic Aegean Cruise: Rhodes to Crete.

Rhodes visit. Acropolis of Lindos visit, Temple of Athena Lindia. Medieval town walking tour, Citadel of the Knights of St. John. Wedding at Sea. Cruise overnight to Crete.