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GREECE: ROUTE OF SAINT PAUL

DAY 1 MADRID – THESSALONICA Meeting in the Airport of Madrid, Barajas, at the designated time to embark on a flight to Athens. Arrival and transfer to flight to Thessaloniki. Arrival, baggage collection and transfer to the hotel. Dinner and lodging.

DAY 2 THESSALONIKI – AMPHIPOLIS – PHILIPPI – KAVALA – THESSALONIKI Breakfast and departure to take a full day excursion. Arrival to the ancient city of Amphipolis and tour of the Archaeological area. Then, departure for the ancient city of Philippi to visit the Archaeological area and the Museum. It was in this city where Saint Paul wrote his second “Epistle to the Corinthians”. Continuation to the town of Lydia, where Saint Paul baptized the first European woman who converted to Christianity, a woman called Lydia. Continuation to Kavala, anciente Neapolis. Panoramic tour of the city and lunch. Departure for Thessaloniki. Arrival and tour of two Byzantine churches: Saint Demetrius and Saint Sophia. Return to the hotel, dinner and lodging.

DAY 3 THESSALONIKI – PELLA – EGES – BERIA – KALAMBAKA-METÉORA Breakfast and tour of the National Archaeological Museum or Byzantine Museum. Both are considered among the most important in Greece. Departure for the ancient city of Pella, capital of The ancient Macedonians, of Philip and Alexander the Great. Tour of the Archaeological area and of the museum, known worldwide for the mosaics that are found in it. Departure for Aegai (Vergina), first and oldest capital of the ancient Macedonians (in the year 400 B.C. when King Arquead moved the capital to Pella, the city of Aegai became a sacred monumental city and the necropolis for the Macedonian kings). Tour of the Archaeological area and of the Royal Tombs, from amongst which those of Philip, father of Alexander the Great, and the emperor stand out. Lunch. Departure for Beria and tour of the tribune from which Saint Paul addressed the people. Departure for Kalambaka-Metéora traveling through the Vale of Tempe of Mount Olympus, famous since antiquity. Arrival in Kalambaka-Metéora. Dinner and lodging.

DAY 4 KALAMBAKA/ METEORA -THERMOPYLAE – DELPHI Breakfast and departure for Metéora, forest of enormously tall monolithic rocks, in whose summit there are Byzantine monasteries constructed in the 15th century, two of which we will visit. After the tour of the monasteries, lunch. Departure for Delphi. On the way, stop in Thermopylae to see the monument of King Leonidas of Sparta and to contemplate the place where the Battle of Thermopylae took place in the year 480 B.C. Then we will cross the mountain range of Mount Parnassus (Mountain of the Muses). Arrival in Delphi. Dinner and lodging.

DAY 5 DELPHI – OCCIOS LUCAS – ATHENS Breakfast and departure to take a tour of the museum and Archaeological area of Delphi, first first remote antecedent of the United Nations. It was an important religious, political and economic center for all of Greece, considered for years the center of the Earth. The Delphi Archaeological Museum is one of the most important in Greece, and in it, among other works, can be found the famous statue of the Auriga and various works by the sculptor Lysippos. Lunch and continuation to Athens, visiting en route the Byzantine monastery of Ossios Lucas, from the 11th century. Going aroud Thebes, we will finally arrive in Athens. Dinner and lodging.

DAY 6 ATHENS Breakfast and half day tour of the city of Athens. We will visit in situ the Acropolis, the Acropolis Museum, the Aeropagus (Supreme Court in antiquity where Saint Pablo spoke) and the Agora. Panoramic tour, when we will see the most important monumental sites in the city. Lunch in a typical Greek restaurant. Afternoon free to continue admiring the treasures of the city. Dinner and lodging.

DAY 7 ATHENS – CORINTIO – ATHENS Breakfast and departure for the Argolida. We will visit the Corinth Canal (which joins the Ionic Sea with the Aegean) and the city of Ancient Corinth, the Homeric Mycenae and the famous theater of Epidaurus. Lunch and return to Athens. Dinner and lodging.

DAY 8 ATHENS – MADRID Breakfast and transfer at the scheduled time to the airport to embark on flight for Madrid. Arrival and

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