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PILGRIMAGE IN SAINT PAUL’S FOOTSTEPS
MAY 1, 2009 TO MAY 15, 2009
For many years I’ve been organizing groups to Greece, leaving from Los Angeles. This year, 2009, we are planning an exciting 15-day journey to visit Ancient Greek sites, some of the Greek Islands, historic Byzantine locations, as well as to follow in St. Paul’s footsteps.
Following is a sample of our itinerary starting on Friday, May 1, 2009:
May 1, Friday - Departing Los Angeles for Athens, Greece, with one stop to change planes in Germany, we will arrive in Athens Saturday evening and go directly to our hotel for dinner and a good night’s rest.
May 3, Sunday - Breakfast, a guided bus tour of Athens, including Ario Pagos, which is now known as the Acropolis, where Saint Paul preached. We’ll visit the theater at Phillipapou and visit Kessariani and Lycavitos. We visit St. Dionysios Catholic Church and then return to our hotel for dinner and a good night’s sleep.
May 4, Monday – Breakfast. A day trip by bus to Corinth where the metropolitan church is dedicated to St. Paul. We will also go to Epidauros, Micenes, and Nauplion. Return to our hotel in Athens for dinner and rest.
May 5, Tuesday - Breakfast, and then board a ferry for Aegina and Aphaia, to visit the relics of Saint Nectarios and to see the beautiful church there. We return to Athens in the evening for dinner and our hotel.
May 6, Wednesday – After breakfast, we’ll leave Athens, by bus, for Delphi; visit the museum and the ancient sites. In the afternoon, we leave Delphi for Kalambaka for dinner and to stay the night.
May 7, Thursday - We will visit the monasteries of Meteora built atop huge cliffs, and go to the metropolis of Kalambaka. Then travel on to Veria for dinner and to spend the night.
May 8, Friday - in Veria we visit where Saint Paul preached, go to the metropolis of Veria. In the afternoon, we go to the monasteries of The Virgin Mary Soumela and the Virgin Mary Dovra. Dinner and lodging at our hotel.
May 9, Saturday -A tour of Vergina and the school founded by Aristotle; the beautiful area of St. Nicholas in Naoussa. We then travel to Thessaloniki, the second largest city in Greece, where we will have dinner and stay the night.
May 10, Sunday - Church services for those who want, at St. Demetrios Church. We leave by bus for Ouranoupolis, and on our arrival go to our hotel for dinner and rest.
May 11, Monday - Board a boat for a tour of the outskirts of Mount Athos. On our return to Ouranoupolis, we board our coach to go to Kavala for dinner and stay at our hotel.
May 12, Tuesday - We go from Kavala to Egnatia Street where Saint Paul walked and then to Lydia where he performed his first Baptism. We will go to Phillipi where St. Paul had been imprisoned. Then back to Kavala for dinner at our hotel.
May 13, Wednesday - From Kavala we go to Keramoti and the island of Thassos, where St. Paul preached. Then back to Thessaloniki for dinner and rest.
May 14, Thursday - A tour of Thessaloniki – St. Demetrios Church; to the place where St. Paul preached Orthodoxy and was persecuted. At this location the monastery Vlatadon was built. We’ll also visit a Catholic Church and the Byzantine Museum. Afternoon trip to Goumenissa; a visit to the Monastery of Saint Nicodemos; then back to our hotel for our farewell dinner and a good night’s sleep.
May 15, Friday – Very early departure for the airport and our flight home to Los Angeles.
Cost of the trip is $5,500.00 per person based on double occupancy, which includes:
- Round tip, economy class transatlantic transportation on regularly scheduled LUFTHANSA flights
- Land transportation by private air-conditioned motor coaches
- Ferry boat to islands of Aegina, Thassos and outskirts of Mount Athos
- Morning and evening meals
- Personally escorted transfers from airport to hotels and vice versa
- All service charges, taxes – excluding any personal purchases
- Greek-English speaking Guide
- Entrance fees to places visited, all transportation within Greece
- All gratuities included throughout trip, including room and board
. You are allowed one carry-on bag or backpack.
TERMS AND CONDITIONS OF THE TRIP
DEPOSITS & PAYMENTS: A non-refundable deposit of $1,000.00 per person is required at time of booking. Balance of $4,500.00 due 45 days prior to departure. Payments are to be made to THEOFILOS RUSSOS by check or money order only.
REFUNDS/CANCELLATIONS: No refunds will be made for missed or unused services if cancellation is received less than 30 days prior to departure. Cancellation fees will apply and are non-refundable for any reason, including sickness and other emergencies. (INSURANCE REQUESTED)
DISCLAIMER OF RESPONSIBILITY: The program arrangements in this brochure have been made by Theofilos Russos and he does not own or operate, nor is he an agent for any of the firms which will provide goods and services for the trip, and is not responsible for any loss, injury, accident, delay or damage to you in connection with any accommodations, transportation or services control, including delays, thefts, strikes, breakdowns, political conditions, cancellations or changes in the itinerary, etc.
For further information you may reach me, Theofilos Russos, at any time at:
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