Pilgrimage to Holy and Classical Sites of The Roman Empire in Turkey, Greece and Italy

Following the Egnatian and Appian Way from Istanbul to Rome

Led by:

The Rev. Orion Davis
St. James Episcopal Church

May 2 - May 15, 2004

DAY 1, Sunday, May 2, 2004 - Depart the United States to Istanbul on a wide-body jet for your trans-Atlantic flight with superior in-flight service. D

DAY 2, Monday, May 3, 2004 - Arrive Istanbul and transfer to the hotel for check in and a brief rest.  Then, we will be off to see the aqueducts and water cisterns that are a very important type of Byzantine architecture that survives to this day.  The Valens Aqueduct, called the Bozdogan Kemeri, extended from Fathi to Suleymaniye and gathered water from various sources along its route from Thrace to Istanbul.  We will also see the Yerebatan Saray, the Basilica Cistern built by Emperor Justinian.  There are 336 marble columns inside this cistern.  We will then return to our hotel for a “welcome to Turkey” dinner and overnight in Istanbul. BLD

DAY 3, Tuesday, May 4, 2004 - Today we will visit Suleiman Mosque and then the Blue Mosque.  We will take a boat ride on the Bosphorous to the beginnings of the Black Sea.  We will have lunch at Sariye, a lovely fishing village before returning to Istanbul.  When we return from our trip on the Bosphorous, we will have time to visit the ancient Spice Market and the Grand Bazaar for some shopping.  We will have dinner and overnight in Istanbul. BLD

DAY 4, Wednesday, May 5, 2004 - Today we will visit the Arkeoloji Muzesi (archaeological museum) and then continue to Topkapi Palace, the seat of government of the Ottoman Empire from 1453 to 1923.  We will see the Treasury, the Harem and the grounds of the palace.  We will have lunch at the palace and then we will visit the Hagia Sophia (Church of Holy Wisdom).  After which we will meet our coach and drive to the Kariye Museum also called the Church of St. Saviour in Chora Monastery where we will see the glorious mosaics and frescoes.  We will have dinner and overnight in Istanbul. BD

DAY 5, Thursday, May 6, 2004 - We will board our motorcoach and depart for Greece today.  Just prior to entering Greece, we will stop at Edine for a visit to the mosque which has the largest dome in the world.  We will cross the border and arrive at Kavala where Paul landed after sailing from Troas (Troy) in Turkey.  Kavala was known as Neapolis when Paul first landed here to preach the Christian religion.  It was renamed Christoupolis during the Byzantine era and finally named Kavala in modern times.  We will have dinner and overnight at Kavala. BD

DAY 6, Friday, May 7, 2004 - On to Philippi, the city to which Paul wrote his Epistle and visited twice on missionary journeys.  We will see where Lydia, Paul's first European convert, was baptized (Acts 16:12-16) as he opened the continent of Europe to the Christian faith.  Also view the Roman Baths, the Agora where Paul and other missionaries were dragged before the magistrates, the 5th century Basilica and the possible prison from which Paul was set free (Acts 16:19-24, 35-40).  We will continue to Thessalonica for overnight. BD

DAY 7, Saturday, May 8, 2004 - We will explore Thessalonica, Greece (Acts 17:1-13).  This city has seen the rise and fall of many civilizations: Macedonian, Hellenic, Roman, Byzantine, Ottoman, that of the Jews and of the modern Greeks.  Paul wrote two letters to the people here.  Explore Thessalonica and significant sites.  We will see the gold artifacts of Alexander the Great in the Museum, then to Agios Georgios and St. Demetrious Church, probable sites of Paul's preaching.  We will depart via Pella, where Aristotle lived as he tutored Alexander the Great, to Veria (known as Berea in ancient times), where Paul preached the new faith.  We will see the monument erected in honor of Paul before we return to Thessalonica for our overnight. BD

DAY 8, Sunday, May 9, 2004 - We will proceed to Kalambaka near the Hanging Monasteries of Meteora which were built 1356-1372 on strangely shaped pinnacles that rise out of the Peneus Valley.  In the 9th century ascetic hermits were living in the rock crevices, eventually forming religious communities.  We will overnight in the Kalambaka/Meteora area. BD

DAY 9, Monday, May 10, 2004 - We will continue toward the coast today through the province of Epirus, a land of stark mountains, lush forests and swift rivers.  We will visit Metsovo as we travel along the Pindos MountainsMetsovo has, for the most part, maintained its traditional culture and the natives are descendants of nomadic Vlach shepherds thought to be trained by Romans to guard the Egnatia Highway.  Our travels take us on to Ioannina located on Lake Pamvoits.  After some time to meander here, we will continue our travels to the shores of the Ioanian Sea at Igoumenitsa.  We will have dinner and then we will board an overnight ferry bound for Brindise on the coast of Italy.  The ferry will depart at 11:30 PM and arrive in Brindise via Corfu at 7:00 AM the next morning. BD

DAY 10, Tuesday, May 11, 2004 - We arrive at Brindise and meet our Italian tour conductor and board our motor coach.  We will visit the column famous for marking the end of the Via Appia before heading north for a visit to Bari.  This port city has an old quarter that abuts the sea.  We will see the Basilica di San Nicola built to house bones of Saint Nicholas although the remains are said to have been stolen by the Turks.  We will see the cathedral which is the seat of the local bishop and the Castello which dates from the time of Emperor Frederick II.  We will continue to San Giovanni Rotondo for our overnight. BD

DAY 11, Wednesday, May 12, 2004 - We will continue our travels across the boot of Italy finally arriving in the Sorrento area for our overnight.  (Sorrento is a major tourist area, with views of the bay of Naples.)  You will want to walk around, enjoy the views, the fine shops and the atmosphere.  Dinner and overnight in Sorrento. BD

DAY 12, Thursday, May 13, 2004 - We will visit Pompeii, a busy commercial center with a population of 10,000 – 20,000 which cover more than 160 acres.  This beautiful city was destroyed in AD 79 when Mt. Vesuvius erupted and poured volcanic gases and ash on to the city.  Inhabitants were killed by the gases and then covered in the ash which solidified. As bodies decayed, cavities developed in the hardened ash and archaeologists were able to pour plaster into the cavities and display the exact posture of the victim.  The city has been quite well preserved and much can be learned of ancient life by visiting the site.  We will continue to the smaller city of Herculaneum which suffered the same fate as Pompeii for a tour of the ruins.  We will have a chance to drive to the top of Vesuvius to catch a glimpse of the wonderful views before we follow the Appian Way to Rome for our overnight. BD

DAY 13, Friday, May 14, 2004 - Today we will visit the market Campo dei Fiori on our way to the Pantheon.  The Pantheon is considered by many to be Rome’s most perfect and best preserved monument. & It was built in 27 BC by General Agrippa and rebuilt by the emperor Hadrian around AD 120.  The unity of the building’s structure is achieved because the diameter of the dome is exactly equal to the height of the walls.  The oculus at the apex of the dome signifies the “all-seeing eye of heaven”.  We will continue to the Pallatine Hill, Rome’s earliest settlement.  Caligula died in the tunnel here called the Cryptoporticus.  We will visit the Castle Sant’Angelo, the fortress that once guarded the Vatican.  We will take a farewell dinner cruise on Italy’s famed Tiber River before our overnight in Rome. BD

DAY 14, Saturday, May 15, 2004 - Depart for the USA arriving back into Newark this afternoon. BL

Air from Newark, NJ.

Meals: B Breakfast, L Lunch, D Dinner