|
Day 1 |
Arrive Athens
and proceed to domestic flights building for flight to Mykonos.
Arrive Myconos and transfer to your hotel. Dinner and overnight. |
|
Day 2 |
A.M.
landscape workshop on the beach near the hotel.
Afternoon free. For those who wish there is a local bus service
available into town.
At sunset, a photo session before the Welcome Dinner with wine and
coffee at the hotel. |
|
Day 3 |
After
breakfast, leave the hotel by coach for the town.
20-minute orientation walk through the narrow streets to the windmills
(you'll see Peter the Pelican if you are lucky) for workshop and demo:
15-minute walk back to bus for a return to hotel 16:00 p.m. Dinner at
hotel. |
|
Day 4 |
 After
breakfast, go to Mykonos town by coach; walk about 15 minutes to
Wedding Cake Church area for workshop including seascapes.
Depart for hotel at 14:00 p.m. Rest of day free.
OPTION: for those who wish - boat excursion to Delos
this morning: a historic island with the ruins of an old city -the
birthplace of Apollo.
This evening, dinner at a local taverna. |
|
Day 5 |
After
breakfast, go to Mykonos town, from there a 5-minute walk to the
harbor area for workshop including seascapes.
Depart for hotel at 14:00 p.m. Rest of day free.
Late afternoon ART CRITIQUE at the hotel before dinner. |
|
Day 6 |
Transfer to
the airport for your flights to Athens.
Arrive Athens, meet guide with coach and depart for Delphi. Settle in
your Delphi hotel.
In the afternoon, sketching or, for those who wish, s/s of the sacred
way of the Athenian Treasury. The Temple of Apollo and the Castalia
Spring; sightseeing, which does involve a lot of walking, takes about
2 hours. |
|
Day 7 |
 Morning
workshop at the Ancient Agora near the Treasury and the Oracle; or
tour the Museum to see the famous bronze Charioteer.
Around noon leave Delphi. Return to Athens and to Zea Port.
Coffee shop en route, also brief photo stop at Ossios Loukas, the
ancient Byzantine church. From the port of Zea we leave by hydrofoil
for Hydra.
Arrive Hydra: stretch your legs on a 10-minute walk up through the
narrow streets to Hydroussa Hotel; baggage handled by porters from the
hotel.
Dinner and overnight. |
|
Day 8 |
Meet at the
waterfront (10 minutes walk down from the hotel) for demo/talk for
painters and photographers.
Lunch on your own in own of the quaint island restaurant and tavernas
with the afternoon free to further develop your paintings.
Alternatively you may explore the island, have a swim, and visit some
Artist's studios or the Art school if it is open. You can also hike up
the hillside for panoramic views of the island and the sea.
Dinner included. |
 |
|
Day 9 |
20-minute
stroll to a small fishing cove (we may be able to travel out by small
boat) for a workshop until 14:00 p.m. the subject can be anything from
boats, buildings, windmills, farmhouses to open seas and mystic
islands. The walk back along the shore is very interesting.
Afternoon free. Dinner |
|
Day 10 |
Free morning
to paint, sketch and photograph. Art Critique session of work done in
Hydra.
Afternoon and evening free.
A short pre-dinner meeting. Dinner at Hotel. |
|
Day 11 |
Leave Hydra:
walk to pier. Board Flying Dolphin Hydrofoil. Baggage handled by hotel
porters.Arrive Zea; transfer to your Athens Hotel.
Afternoon sightseeing tour including the Museum, the Presidential
Palace (photo stop) and the Acropolis; those who wish may remain there
to paint and photograph and return on their own to the hotel.
Dinner at the hotel. Short meeting after dinner, rest of the evening
at leisure.
Optional tour: to the Argolis region visiting the Corinth
canal, Ancient Corinth, Mycenae, Epidaurus and Nauplia. Evening
farewell dinner with wine and coffee at the hotel followed by Art
Appreciation Night. |
|
Day 12 |
 Athens
free day for shopping, painting, sketching. Optional visit to the
National Gallery.
Dinner with wine at Greek restaurant with entertainment. |
|
Day 13 |
Athens free
day. Take the opportunity to paint or sketch in the Plaka area.
Optional tour: to the Argolis region visiting the Corinth
canal, Ancient Corinth, Mycenae, Epidaurus and Nauplia.
Evening farewell dinner with wine and coffee at the hotel followed by
Art Appreciation Night. |
|
Day 14 |
| Departure
transfer to the airport. |
Top
|
A short-stay program combining
workshops with cultural visits and art appreciation sessions based
in Athens.
|
|
Day 1 |
 Arrive
Athens. Transfer to your hotel.
Dinner and overnight. |
|
Day 2 |
Morning Athens
sightseeing tour including the Archaeological Museum, the
Presidential Palace (photo stop) and the Acropolis.
Afternoon pre-dinner meeting & lecture.
Welcome dinner at the hotel |
|
Day 3 |
Full day tour
Argolis visiting the Corinth Canal, Ancient Corinth, Mycenae,
Epidaurus and Nauplia. Sketching workshop.
Return to Athens. Dinner at hotel |
 |
|
Day 4 |
Morning visit to
Byzantine Museum. Workshop and demo in the Plaka area.
Rest of day free. Those who wish may stay and explore Plaka area
and return to the hotel on their own.
Dinner at the Hotel. |
|
Day 5 |
Morning visit to
National gallery and Cycladic Art Museum
Afternoon tour to Sounion and temple of Poseidon along the coastal
road. Workshop including seascapes.
Visit to Piraeus and Mikrolimano.
Dinner at traditional, greek taverna with entertainment |
|
Day 6 |
 Full
day Delphi tour. Demo and landscape workshop.
Afternoon Art Appreciation.
Farewell Dinner at Hotel |
|
Day 7 |
| Departure transfer to
airport. |
| |
Top
| Day
1 |
 Arrive
Athens airport, Meet & Greet by CruiseClub staff andboard connection
to Cephalonia.
Arrive Cephalonia airport, Meet & Greet and transfer to hotel.
Dinner & overnight. |
| Day
2 |
After breakfast, 09:00
departure for excursion to St. Gerasimos church, patron of Cephalonia
island, Droggarati cave and Melissani underground lake (Cave of the
Nymphs).
Art session on the Monastery hill in nearby Sami; offers a panoramic
view and many shady trees. Picnic lunch.
Dinner and overnight at hotel. |
| Day
3 |
After breakfast,
departure for photo session at the Myrtos famous beach.
Continue on to Assos peninsula and its Medieval castle and final stop
at the traditional village, Fiskardo, a fine specimen of the color of
Cephalonia. Art session on a nearby shady hill. Picnic lunch.
Dinner and overnight at hotel. |
 |
| Day
4 |
After breakfast, 07:00
departure for Sami to board the ferry to Piso Aetos in Ithaca. Tour to
Vathi and all the sites of Odysseus' island. Art session at the
beautiful seaside village of Kioni. Picnic lunch.
Return from Piso Aetos to Sami at 17:00. Dinner and overnight at
hotel. |
| Day
5 |
After breakfast, visit to
Kourkoumelata or St. George's castle.
Art session at either spot as they are both beautiful, quite shady and
offer a fantastic view of land and sea.
Dinner and overnight at hotel. |
| Day
6 |
 After
breakfast, departure for the National Park at the top of Mt Ainos,
crowned by a forest of the unique black fir tree. Group will enjoy a
view of Argostoli, Skala and the nearby island of Zakynthos. Picnic
lunch.
Dinner and overnight at hotel. |
| Day
7 |
Free day, bus on
disposal.
Dinner and overnight at hotel. |
| Day
8 |
After
breakfast, check out and transfer to Cephalonia airport.
Arrive Athens airport and transfer to international terminal. |
| |
Top
| Day 1 |
 Arrival
in Athens and board connection flight to Heraklion, Crete. Meet and
Greet by CruiseClub staff and transfer to hotel in Arolithos, a
traditional, cobblestoned village, about 12 km from Heraklion town.
Dinner and overnight. |
| Day 2 |
After breakfast we depart for our
excursion to Mt. Ida, refuge of the god Zeus as an infant. High up in
the Psiloreitis range, we will visit Anogeia, a small village dating
back to the 13th century and offering spectacular views. Rebuilt for
the last time in 1944, modern Anogeia is perched along a rocky ridge
and is one of Crete's main centers for woven and embroidered goods.
Late afternoon meeting. Dinner and overnight at hotel. |
| Day 3 |
After
breakfast departure for Mirabelo Bay. We will visit Ahios Nicholaos a
delightful
resort and the charming fishing village of Elounda.
A "caique" will take us to Spinalonga, a former leper colony. The
houses, coffee shop and church are more or less well preserved, while
the 16th century fortress surrounding the abandoned village bears
testament of the venetian occupation of the island.
We shall also visit the charming village of Fourni.
Late afternoon meeting. Dinner and overnight at hotel. |
| Day 4 |
After breakfast we will enjoy some of
the most beautiful scenery on our way to Sitia town, built around its
charming harbor.
We then continue on to exotic Vai a beautiful sandy beach surrounded
by the only palm tree forest in Europe!
We shall also visit the remains of the Minoan palace of Zakros and
Ierapetra, the most southerly city in Europe.
Late afternoon meeting. Dinner and overnight at hotel. |
| Day 5 |
After breakfast we will head for
Arhanes, a farming center at the foot of Mt. Giouchtas, with many
Minoan remains.
We will continue to the monasteries of Moni Epanosifi, Ligortyna, Moni
Fountadon and finally Tsoutsouras beach.
Late afternoon meeting. Dinner and overnight at hotel. |
| Day 6 |
After breakfast we will take a scenic
drive to Zaros, a green mountain village famous for its spring water
and Moni Vrontissi, the nearby monastery.
We go on to Kamares village on the southern slope of Mt. Ida and also
see the pottery produces in Magarikari village.
Late afternoon meeting. Dinner and overnight at hotel. |
| Day 7 |
 After
breakfast departure for the old town of Rethymnon. The wooden lattice
balconies overhanging its narrow streets, the several mosques and
minarets are a reminder of the Turkish period.
Continue along the coastal road to the old town of Chania, where you
can visit the leather market, the meat and fruit market, famous for
its shape and the variety of Cretan products. Time for lunch at the
Venetian harbor. Both towns with their mosques and churches bear
testament to the variety of cultures influencing the island.
We continue on to Vamos, a village community following closely the
Cretan tradition and the truly charming Vafes village.
Late afternoon meeting. Dinner & overnight at hotel |
| Day 8 |
After breakfast, we will
have the opportunity to admire the world's most important
collection of Minoan artifacts and visit the Palace of Knossos.
On to a winery in Peza where we are most welcome for a short course on
wine making. We will then visit the Museum of N. Kazantzakis, author
of Zorba the Greek and The Last Temptation at his birthplace, the
village Myrties.
We will also come across Thrapsano village and its pretty ceramics.
Late afternoon meeting. Dinner & overnight at hotel |
| Day 9 |
After breakfast we set
off for the ruins of the ancient city-state Gortys.
We will then head for Kalyviani Monastery and the resort Matala. The
pitted sandstone caves originally served as Roman tombs but were later
extended as cave dwellings for early Christians, shepherds and, in the
seventies, hippies.
We will also visit the Ag. Galini fishing village, Lentas beach and
the beautiful beaches of Kaloi Limenes bay.
Late afternoon meeting.Dinner & overnight at hotel. |
| Day 10 |
 Early
morning departure for Omalos (western Crete) up on the white mountains
to the top of Samaria Gorge, the longest and most beautiful gorge in
Europe, and a nature reserve. Walk through the gorge (approx. 18 kms),
to Aghia Roumeli village on the Libyan sea and then by caique to Hora
Sfakion to rejoin the coach.
Late afternoon meeting. Dinner and overnight at hotel. |
| Day 11 |
 After
breakfast we begin our excursion through the Kourtouliotiko gorge.
to the palm-fringed Preveli beach.
We continue to Frangokastello, a Venetian fortress completed in 1371.
Though only the curtain walls are well maintened, it is a magnifiscent
site. We shall then continue on to Sfakia village.
Late afternoon meeting Dinner and overnight at the hotel. |
| Day 12 |
The first stop of our
excursion after breakfast this morning is the resort Agia
Pelagia. We will then continue on to Fodele, really small village
amidst orange-groves, the birthplace of the famous painter "El Greco".
We will enjoy an evening in cretan style at a small typical village
where traditional local dishes will be served for dinner.
Throughout the evening there is a program of local music and Cretan
dances performed by dancers in their traditional costumes where
everyone is invited to join in. |
| Day 13 |
Morning meeting with
Herakleion Photographers Club.
Afternoon meeting. Dinner and overnight at hotel. |
| Day 14 |
| Departure transfer from
hotel to Herakleion airport. Departure flight. |
|
The beauty of
Greece is apparent in every corner of this small country from the rugged
mountains, to the island treasures and sparkling seas. So it is a small
wonder, that it has proved to inspire the creation of artistic
masterpieces since early antiquity.
