Greece - In the footsteps of St Paul

25 Sept 27

Arrive to Thessaloniki from London. Transfer to your hotel in Thessaloniki for check in, dinner and overnight stay. We will remain in Thessaloniki for 3 nights.

26 Sept 27

This morning, we have a guided tour of Thessaloniki, starting at the old town, where we view the city and visit the Monastery of Vlatadon, containing the St. Paul Stone, commemorating where St. Paul preached to the people in Thessaloniki. We also visit the Basilica of St Demetrius, and the city walls built by Theodosius in the 4th century AD, the museum and remains of Philip II, father of Alexander the Great. Celebrate Mass at the Cathedral in Thessaloniki. Dinner will be at our hotel this evening.

27 Sept 27

Today we shall drive to Philippi, where Paul was imprisoned. We shall visit the site of the prison where his jailer was converted, and the Roman Forum where Paul was arrested for his Christian faith. Continue to the river where Lydia was Baptised (possibly the first baptism in Europe) and the Orthodox Church dedicated to her. We will celebrate Mass at one of the Baptistry alters by the river. We shall then drive south to Kavala (Neapolis), the seaport where Paul landed in Macedonia. After lunch there will be some free time to explore this picturesque town before returning to Thessaloniki. Dinner will be in our hotel this evening.

28 Sept 27

Depart the hotel after breakfast for the journey to Veria, where we visit the modern Monument which corresponds to Bema from which Paul had preached, Pauls audience here consisted mostly of gentiles and especially of noble women, this was Pauls last stop before continuing to Athens. Celebrate Mass outside at the Bema. Our journey then takes us to Vergina, we arrive at the famous royal tombs of Vergina containing the famous treasures, from the excavated tomb of King Philippos, father of Alexander the great and the tomb of Alexander, son of Alexander the great and Roxane. We continue to Trikala for check in, dinner and overnight stay.

29 Sep 27

After breakfast, celebrate Mass at your hotel. We then drive to Kalambaka and visit the Monasteries of Meteora. From the 12th century onwards, monks and hermits began to retire to the recesses in these immense grey rocks of Meteora and in the 14th century a large monastic state began to develop, which in the 16th century numbered 24 monasteries. We will take a panorama tour for pictures and visit one monastery. Lunch is taken in a local restaurant. We then drive to Corinth area. The drive offers a variety of landscapes, viewing the Saronic Gulf and its islands. This is the Gulf which Paul had sailed going to from Athens to Corinth. Check in at the hotel, dinner and overnight stay.

30 Sept 27

After breakfast celebrate mass in the Cathedral. There will then be a tour of Athens driving through the main streets where most important monuments can be seen, the University, library, Academy and the Parliament building, the 6th century B.C Temple of Olympian Zeus and Hadrian's Arch. We visit the Acropolis and the famous Pantheon, the rocky Hill of Mars, the well-known Areopagus located on the northwest slop of the Acropolis. This hill gave name to a Council of Nobles, which became the Senate and the Supreme Court of Ancient Athens. In 61 A.D Paul delivered the Sermon on the unknown God, it was here that Senator Dionysius was converted to Christianity and later became the Patron Saint of Athens. There will be free time in the afternoon, dinner is taken at the hotel.

01 Oct 27

After breakfast celebrate mass in the Cathedral of St. Dionysus. There will then be a tour of Athens, driving through the main streets where most important monuments can be seen, the University, library, Academy and the Parliament building, the 6th century B.C Temple of Olympian Zeus and Hadrian's Arch. We visit the Acropolis and the famous Pantheon, the rocky Hill of Mars, the well-known Areopagus located on the northwest slop of the Acropolis. This hill gave name to a Council of Nobles, which became the Senate and the Supreme Court of Ancient Athens. In 61 A.D Paul delivered the Sermon on the unknown God, it was here that Senator Dionysius was converted to Christianity and later became the Patron Saint of Athens. There will be free time in the afternoon. This evening there will be a farewell dinner in a typical Greek Taverna in Athens.

02 Oct 27

Depart today for the journey back to the airport to join the flight back to the UK

B=Breakfast, D=Dinner, R=Room