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Itinerary May 15 to May 31, 2009
ATHENS - CYCLADES & DODECANESE GREEK ISLANDS - EPHESUS
Ports of Call: Athens (Piraeus); Aegina, Cyclades and Dodecanese Greek Islands: Kythnos, Serifos, Sifnos, Paros, Naxos, Amorgos, Levitha, Kalymnos, Leros, Patmos, Fourni, Samos, Ephesus and Kusadasi Turkey.

		Depart USA to Istanbul Ataturk International Airport (leave Thursday – arrive Friday) Make sure your flights arrive in Istanbul by 2PM Saturday. We will arrange the tickets from Istanbul to Izmir. We'll let you know the details of the inland flight, but the cost will be about $200 per person - we will let you know exactly. You can include this amount in your final payment.
Day 1		Arrive in Istanbul. Fly Directly to Izmir. Your Turkish visa can be purchased at the window to the left of Passport Control at Istanbul International airport. The visa fee for US Passport holders will be $20 USD for a multiple entry. It MUST be paid in cash. We all must get a multiple entry visa because we are going to the Greek Islands. At Istanbul Airport - Get your Turkish Visa from the window at the left of Passport Control. Go through Passport Control. Get your luggage (if you have any) from Baggage Claim. (It’s always best to just take hand carry luggage and not check anything). If you have time, there is a money exchange booth in the baggage claim area and it would be good to change $100 for cab fare, etc. Then go out baggage claim. Follow signs to Domestic Air Terminal. Following a short flight from Istanbul, we will take a one hour private coach ride to the Kusadasi Marina where we will board the Gundogan. We'll spend the afternoon settling in and getting our sea legs. Overnight at Kusadasi Turkey.

Day 2		KUSADASI Tour of Ephesus. Today we visit a major player in the birth and evolution of Christianity. Ephesus hosted one of the seven churches addressed in the Book of Revelation, and was home to St. Paul and St. John. We will also visit the 6th century Basilica of St. John built on the site of the Apostle's tomb; the House of the Virgin Mary where Mary finished out her days in this house after migrating to Asia Minor with John; and the Temple of Artemis dedicated to the goddess Artemis, once considered one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. Inhabited from the Bronze Age onwards, Ephesus changed its location several times in the course of its long history. According to legend, Ephesus was founded by the female warriors known as the Amazons. During the period known as Classical Greece it belonged to the Ionian League. In 34 B.C., Alexander the Great arrived and it entered into a fifty-year period of peace and tranquility. According to documentary sources, the city suffered severe damage in an earthquake in 17 A.D. but then became a very important center of trade and commerce. The city was famed for the Temple of Artemis (completed around 550 B.C.), which was destroyed by the Goths in 263. The emperor Constantine rebuilt much of the city and erected a new public bath. The town was again partially destroyed by an earthquake in 614. From the 1st century onwards, Ephesus was visited by Christian disciples seeking refuge from Roman persecution because of their attempts to spread the Christian belief in a single God. For the Christians, the city, with its highly advanced way of life, its high standard of living, and the variety of its demographic composition, must have presented itself as an ideal region. St. Paul remained in the city for three years from 65 to 68, and it was here that he preached his famous sermons calling upon the hearers to embrace the faith in one God. He taught that God had no need of a house made with human hands and that he was present in all places at all times. Legend has it that St John the Evangelist came to Ephesus with the Virgin Mary in his care. Some say that it was here that he wrote his Gospel and was finally buried. It is also the site of a large gladiator graveyard. The importance of the city as a commercial center declined as the harbor slowly filled with silt from the river. Located on the top of the "Bulbul" mountain 9 km ahead of Ephesus, the shrine of Virgin Mary is reputed to be the place where Mary may have spent her last days. The house of the Virgin Mary is a typical Roman architectural example, entirely made of stones. In the 4th century A.D., a church combining her house and grave was built. The original two-storied house today looks more like a church than a house. Exiting the church, one can find the "Water of Mary", a rather salty water with curative properties that can be drunk by all, and also the wishing wall, where visitors write and deposit their supplications to the Virgin Mary. Paul VI was the first pope to visit this place in the 1960's. Later, in the 1980's, during his visit, Pope John-Paul II declared the Shrine of Virgin Mary as a pilgrimage place for Christians. It is also visited by Muslims, who recognize Mary as the mother of one of their prophets. Every year, on August 15, a ceremony is organized to commemorate Mary's Assumption. Dinner and overnight at Kusadasi.

Day 3		KUSADASI TO SAMOS (~18 nm) Samos is a beautiful island with some of the most spectacular scenery in Greece, including mountain villages, sandy beaches, and rocky coves. A green island with forests, Samos is just 1 km from Turkey. It is a fairly large island, and its people live off tourism and agriculture: mainly olives and fruit. The local wine is well known and worth a try, and the ouzo is one of the best in Greece. Samos is famous as well for its building of Greek fishing boats. Samos is historically an interesting place. According to mythology, the goddess Hera was born here, and there are still ruins of her temple, the Heraion, to be seen. It was also an intellectual center, with various famous people living and working there. One of ancient Greece's best known scientists, Pythagoras, was from this island, but Aristarcos, Epicurus, Herodotos, and Aesop also lived here. The island flourished economically and culturally during the 6th and 5th century but had a drawback when it tried to revolt against Athens in 440 BC, to which it was forced to pay yearly tributes. Later on, Samos was to become a Roman province, and during Byzantine years the island kept its prosperity. When the Turks invaded in the 15th century, Samos lost its freedom and was uninhabited for a century. The island was not to be Greek again until 1931, even though the Greek revolution had started in 1821. Dinner and overnight at Samos.

Day 4		SAMOS TO FOURNI (~25 nm) A cheerful port area, a number of beaches, very little accommodation, and some excellent tavernas sum up what you can expect on Fourni. There is very little else on this most unspoiled of unspoiled, lesser-known Greek Islands. The village, clustered round its busy harbor filled with working fishing boats, is quintessentially Greek, with a line of tavernas and restaurants (especially fish restaurants) on the front, many with tree-shaded tables outside. This is Greece as it has been for centuries. Mulberry trees line the main street from the harbor to a charming square shaded with leafy planes protecting the taverna the locals frequent. The village of Fourni is wonderfully vibrant in the traditional Greek way. Away from the village the island is almost deserted. Secluded coves and bays are within walking distance, one of the best being lovely Kampi complete with a taverna that overhangs the sandy beach. The 20 minutes it takes to reach Kampi is nothing to what the more intrepid walkers will undertake in reaching some other gloriously remote areas of the island. Dinner and overnight at Fourni.

Day 5		FOURNI TO PATMOS (~13 nm) Patmos is not a big island, but it is one of the most beautiful and distinctive of the Dodeanese Islands, with a population of 3,000. It was here St. John had his vision and wrote the Book of Revelation or Apocalypse, and this is why Patmos is sometimes called "The Jerusalem of the Aegean". The Monastery of St. Johns towers above the capital, Chora, and the whole island breathes of faith and devotion. Nevertheless, there is more to the island than its Christian reputation. There are many nice beaches along the jagged coastline, and the people grow fruits and olives on the green hills. According to mythology, Patmos was a present from Zeus to his daughter Artemis, goddess of hunting and young women. She was worshipped here in antiquity, and the monastery of St. John was built on her temple. The island has probably been inhabited since prehistoric times, and it went through the same changes as the rest of the Dodecannese. It paid tribute to Athens in the 5th century BC, belonged to the Macedonians in the 4th century BC, and was taken by the Romans in the 2nd century BC. The Romans used Patmos as a place for exiles, and that's how St. John ended up here. He was ostracized from Miletus by the Roman governor for preaching the Christian faith in AD95, and stayed here for two years. The island was practically deserted during Byzantine years and was given to a monk named Christodoulos in 1088, and he started planning the monastery. In the 11th century the work on the monastery started, and its power was to extend over the island's borders, to such a degree that the island was never occupied by either Turks or Venetians. Dinner and overnight at Patmos.

Day 6		PATMOS TO LEROS (~15 nm) A mountainous, green island with high cliffs and many small bays and villages, Leros is a popular holiday resort which still has kept most of its genuine atmosphere. One of the reasons is that it is not too dependent on tourism. Many of the buildings on the island are built in an Italian style, but you'll also find those typically Greek little white houses with blue doors and windows. According to mythology, Leros was first populated by the goddess Artemis. She had sent the Calydonian Boar to Aetolia, where the king's son Meleagros managed to kill it. Having angered the goddess, he was killed, and his sisters were struck with grief. Artemis then turned them into hens and put them on Leros which was so fertile they would always have food. Leros’ history includes participation in the Trojan War, battles with the Persians, Turks, andVenetians, and constant pirate attacks during the Middle Ages. The men of Leros fought hard during the war of Independence that broke out in 1821. For a few years it was free, but it was turned it back to the Turks in 1830. The Italians ruled the island from 1912 and Leros was not given back to Greece until 1948. It was during this Italian occupation when many of today's buildings were constructed on the island, giving it the Italian style many are surprised to find here. It was during World War II when a hospital for lepers was built on Leros, and the Greek junta kept many dissidents here until 1974. The hospital was then turned into a mental institution and orphanage. Dinner and overnight at Leros.

Day 7		LEROS TO KALYMNOS (~11 nm) Kalymnos, one of the northern islands in the Dodecanese group of Greek islands, is an island of barren rock, golden beaches, and tiny green valleys. Sponge “fishing” is the main profession for men on the island and is the theme for many local dances and folk songs. Sponge-fishers of Kalymnos leave with their boats every spring. Their departure is a moving and important event, which is accompanied by glamorous religious ceremonies. After approximately five months' hard work, sponge-fishers return to the island. The whole island again puts on festive dress and celebrates the return of the sea-beaten sailors. Mythology has it that Kalymnos got its name from the Titan Kalydnos, who was the son of Gaea ("Earth") and Uranus ("Heaven"). Supposedly, you can see his legs from above: the two plains by the mountains. The first inhabitants probably came in the beginning of the 2nd Millennium BC and were probably Carians. The Achaians made a settlement here after the Trojan War. What followed is the common history for almost all the Aegean islands: In the 5th century it belonged to the Athenian League against the Persians, then the Macedons, and in the 2nd century BC the Romans came. In AD 535 the earthquake that separated Kalymnos and Telendos happened. During Byzantine years the island suffered many pirate attacks. In the 13th century the Venetians took over, and in 1306 it belonged to the Knights of Rhodes, who taxed the island very heavily. The Turks ruled from the 16th century (when the sponge fishing started) until 1912. The island then fell under Italian rule, and in 1943 Kalymnos was occupied by the Germans for two years until it finally was given back to Greece. Dinner and overnight at Kalymnos.

Day 8		KALYMNOS TO LEVITHA (~22 nm) Levitha is just a tiny rock -in the middle of nowhere with lovely, protected coves. Only one family inhabits this charming rock, running a rather primitive tavern. There is no electricity or water, but the fresh fish Mrs. Maria will serve you is famous to all the professional skippers and foreign sailors who sail the Aegean Sea. We’ll spend a lazy day and night here, enjoying the quiet and swimming in the beautiful waters. Dinner and overnight at Levitha.

Day 9		LEVITHA TO AMORGOS (~27 nm) Amorgos is an island with white houses, crystal clear water, and a peaceful atmosphere. Its rather harsh, mountainous surroundings are beautiful in a clean and dramatic way, and in the valleys there are hundreds of flowers and trees. Before getting its current name, Amorgos was called Minoa, which indicates that the Minoan, Cretan, civilization once had a foothold here. There were probably people here even before then, since archaeological findings on the island date as far back as the 4th Millennium BC. During the Classical Age, the island traded with many islands and city states on the mainland, and its linen was the island's pride. The Venetians were to rule the island until the Turkish takeover in the 15th century. During this period not many people lived on the island, and apart from the Turkish enslavement, they had to suffer constant pirate raids. Amorgos was one of the first islands to be freed after the War of Independence had broken out in 1821. One of the worst periods for Amorgos was the Second World War, when the island was totally isolated and many locals starved to death. The Monastery of Hozoviotissa, the pride of Amorgos, is remarkable and seems to have been pressed on the cliff 300 meters above the sea. You can reach the monastery up a steep stairway and perhaps share a glass of Greek wine with the priest there. Dinner and overnight at Amorgos.

Day 10		AMORGOS TO NAXOS (~29 nm) Naxos would love to have the high-class tourism and the big bucks that comes with it like their neighbor Mykonos, but they have their fields and their fruit and olive trees and their fishing and are content to be the kind of place that is attractive not only to those seeking sunlight, bars and bikinis, but also those looking for a little Greek culture to go along with it. Naxos is the greenest island in the Cyclades with impressively high mountains and fertile valleys. There are beaches that are among the most beautiful in Greece, a few minutes drive from villages where they still wear traditional dress, weave on old looms and live off the fruit of the land. Naxos is an island of beautiful old churches, monasteries and Venetian castles and homes. It has been continuously inhabited since the 4th Milennium BC, and excavations around the island bring to light ancient artifacts and buildings almost daily. Naxos is happy with their reputation as a big beautiful island, rich in agriculture, tradition, some of the finest beaches in the Cyclades, and an interior waiting to be discovered. Dinner and overnight at Naxos.

Day 11		NAXOS TO PAROS (~20 nm) Paros lies just west of Naxos in the Aegean, separated by a 5-mile-wide channel. Paros’ municipality includes many smaller islands that are uninhabited, and it is the third largest island in the Cyclades group. Paros is today a very popular tourist destination due to the beautiful rolling hills, vineyards, and the serenity of its beaches. Paros holds many beautiful sights, such as the ruins of a Venetian castle, built on a rock beside the sea, and the Church of Ekatondapiliani, which is one of Greece’s most important Byzantine monuments. This church is also called the church of 100 doors and according to an old legend Greece will conquer Istanbul when the 100th door is found. Here you will find traditional Cycladic-styled houses, whitewashed with blue doors, window frames, and shutters. Paros is also well known for its fine white marble used for china and fine marbles all over the world. Parian marble was used in Delphi, Delos, and the temple of Poseidon in Sounio. Dinner and overnight at Paros.

Day 12		PAROS TO SIFNOS (~20 nm) A surprisingly green island for the Cyclades, Sifnos offers a good variety of peace and quiet and things to do. The locals on Sifnos live off agriculture, the natural source of aluminu, tourism, and the olive trees that grow practically everywhere. A striking feature of this island is the many churches: there is a church for each day of the year, and most of them are only open on that day. Mythology has it that the island got its name from its first settler, Sifnos, who was the son of the hero Sounio. Although the island might have been inhabited in prehistoric times by different peoples, the most certain is that Aegeans and Minoans settled here in the 2nd Millennium BC. Sifnos was one of the richest islands in ancient times because of its natural resources of gold, aluminum, and silver. According to mythology, the locals would give a golden egg to Apollo each year, but when the gold mines were almost depleted, they tried to fool the god by painting a stone instead. This angered the god so much, that he sent the tyrant Polycrates, who took all precious metals from the island. The Romans used this island as a place for exiles, and later on, it went through the same problems with Venetians, Turks and pirates as the the rest of the Cyclades. It was liberated in 1830. Dinner and overnight at Sifnos.

Day 13		SIFNOS TO SERIFOS (~14 nm) According to mythology, the island of Serifos, “the iron island” as they used to call it, was inhabited by the powered giants called Cyclops. The tremendous Cyclops lived in a cave near Psaropyrgos and the construction of huge walls all over the island--whose remains are said to be the walls of Liomandra and White Tower–-is attributed to them. Cyclops, the children of Poseidon, were the first to exploit the mineral wealth of the island and to create an early civilization, which they later bequeathed to people. There is also another legend for which Serifos is known. Arkisios, the king of Argos, having received an oracle that said that his grandson would kill him, decided to imprison his daughter Danae so as not to give birth to any child. Unfortunately, Zeus fell in love with Danae, changed himself into rain, seduced her, and she gave birth to Perseus. When Arkisios found out, he locked Danae and her son in a box and threw them into the sea. The box arrived in Serifos and mother and son were given shelter by the king’s brother, Diktis. When the king, Polydefkis, met Danae, he fell in love with her. For fear that Perseus might prevent him from seducing her, he sent him to kill Medusa, the mortal sister of the immortal mermaids, who was able to petrify whoever dared to look her in the eyes. Perseus succeeded in killing Medusa with the help of the gods’ weapons and mainly with Athena’s shield which he used as a mirror to avoid looking directly into the monster’s eyes. He returned to Serifos demonstrating Medusa’s head that petrified Polydefkis and his peers. According to the legend, this is why the island is so rocky. Dinner and overnight at Serifos.

Day 14		SERIFOS TO KYTHNOS (~13 nm) Kythnos offers a taste of the "real Greece ", untouched by mass tourism and uncrowded even at the height of the season. It doesn't offer the frantic tourist activity of Mykonos or Santorini, but it does offer traditional Cycladic villages where the locals are warm and hospitable, as well as some lovely beaches (some only accessible by boat). Kythnos is a volcanic island and there are many natural hot springs that have been providing alternative therapy for a variety of ailments for centuries. These hot spas date from the ancient years when the island was actually known as the island of Therma (meaning warm in Greek ). You'll discover here a magical island of whitewashed houses, windmills, blue-domed churches, ancient sites and a way of life which seems hardly to have changed for centuries. There's a stark beauty in the harsh mountainous terrain peppered with the figs, vines, and goats which are important elements of the islanders' livelihood. Dinner and overnight at Kythnos.

Day 15		KYTHNOS TO AEGINA (~49 nm) Aegina is one of the islands in the Saronic Gulf, just outside of Athens. Many Athenians have summer houses on this pretty island. The people of this island have always been involved with the sea either as fishermen, sailors, or shipbuilders. Some are also farmers, and they grow olives, pistachio nuts, and fruit. On the dock you can visit the small white church of Agios Nikolaos and nearby the church of Agios Dionysios, the cathedral of Aegina. On the north peak of the town following the road from the port are the ruins of the ancient temple of Apollo. According to mythology, Aegina was a beautiful princess with whom Zeus fell in love. In order to be alone with her, he took her to this uninhabited island, and they had a son, Aeacus, who became the first king. The island was inhabited during the Stone Age, and was to become an important place in antiquity. During the middle ages, the island was constantly raided by pirates, and the Venetian and Turkish invasions took their toll. The island was liberated in 1830, and Aegina's town was the first capital of free Greece. An interesting fact about the island is that the first coins of the western world were made here in the 7th century BC, picturing a Phoenix rising from the ashes, and the island also had the first newspaper and prison. Dinner and overnight at Aegina.

Day 16		AEGINA TO ATHENS (PIRAEUS) (~15 nm) Dinner and overnight at Athens.

Day 17		DISEMBARK IN ATHENS (PIRAEUS)

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This itinerary is subject to weather conditions. The captain has the right to change this schedule for the safety of the ship and her passengers.