GREECE: TABLE OF THE GODS
Faculty
David Gies, Commonwealth Professor of Spanish Emeritus
Starting at $7,290 per person- Price based on cabin selection.
Program Highlights
- Explore splendid ancient sites with expert guides-lecturers
- Explore magnificent vineyards and taste their superb wines
- Feast on delectable authentic Greek cuisine at local restaurants
- Discover the impressive unspoiled landscape, old towns, and villages of Greece
- Cruise aboard the exclusively chartered, 17-cabin, 34-guest Callisto
David T. Gies is Commonwealth Professor of Spanish Emeritus at the University of Virginia. He has published 17 books, including The Cambridge Companion to Modern Spanish Culture (1999), Theatre and Politics in Nineteenth-Century Spain: Juan de Grimaldi as Impresario and Government Agent (Cambridge, 1988), The Theatre in Nineteenth-Century Spain (Cambridge, 1994), The Cambridge History of Spanish Literature (2004), The Cambridge History of Theatre in Spain (co-edited, 2012), Eros y amistad (2016), and The Eighteenth Centuries: Global Networks of Enlightenment (co-edited, 2017). Author of more than 115 scholarly articles and 140 book reviews, he edits DIECIOCHO, a journal dedicated to the study of the Spanish Enlightenment, now in its 42nd year.
He has received the University of Virginia Outstanding Teaching Award, the Thomas Jefferson Award, and, in 2007, was named Encomienda de Número de la Orden de Isabel la Católica, a knighthood granted by His Majesty Juan Carlos, King of Spain. In July 2013, he was elected for a three-year term as president of the International Association of Hispanists, the world’s largest professional organization of Spanish scholars, and in September 2015, he was elected honorary president of Sigma Delta Pi, the Spanish National Honorary Society.
In 2016, he won the prestigious Anderson Imbert Prize from the North American Academy of the Spanish Language and was named corresponding member of the Spanish Royal Academy in Madrid. In 2019, he joined the Board of the Dukes of Soria Foundation.
Arrive in Athens and transfer to the elegant 5-star Athens Capital Hotel, our home for the next two nights. Located steps from Constitution Square in the heart of the city, the hotel is within walking distance to many of Athens’s attractions. Gather this evening for a Welcome Dinner.
Athens Capital Hotel
(D)
"File:The Parthenon in Athens.jpg" by Steve Swayne is licensed under CC BY 2.0.
One of the world’s most venerable cities, Athens is the capital of Greece and Europe’s oldest city. Its ancient monuments, including the Acropolis and Agora, are testimonies to its glorious past that gave birth to democracy and many other ideas and concepts that form an integral part of the Western tradition. Explore Athens' monuments, markets, and eateries.
Athens Capital Hotel
(B,L)
This morning, continue exploring Athens and enjoy time at leisure. In the afternoon, transfer to the Callisto in Piraeus and sail.
Callisto
(B,D)
Today, we will explore Paros, starting in Parikia, the island’s atmospheric main town, where we visit the church of Ekatontapyliani (“One-Hundred Gated. Continue to the island’s interior, passing by the ancient marble quarries, to Lefkes, a picturesque village, and Naoussa, an old fishing village, now a fashionable resort, built around a small charming harbor. Visit artisanal food workshops and a winery.
Callisto
(B, L, D)
Arrive at the volcanic crescent-shaped Santorini, perhaps the most spectacular island in the Mediterranean. Known in classical antiquity as Thera, the island was a flourishing trading center inhabited by a prosperous society during the Bronze Age. In the late 17th century BC, a massive volcanic eruption collapsed half of the island and buried its main town, now called Akrotiri, in a thick layer of ash and pumice, thus preserving its houses, streets and squares as they existed 3,700 years ago.
Visit the excavated site of Akrotiri and the Museum of Prehistoric Thera, which exhibits artifacts recovered from the excavations. Also, enjoy free time to explore atmospheric Phira, Santorini’s main town, perched on the 1,000-foot-high volcanic caldera. Visit a winery and sample local specialties.
Callisto
(B, L, D)
Santorini photo by Maggie Meng
Sail the Blue Aegean Sea to the island of Crete. Enjoy an excursion to the partially restored ancient palace of Knossos. Continue to Heraklion Museum and view one of the most outstanding collections of Minoan pieces from throughout Crete. Stop at a herb market and an organic farm.
Callisto
(B, L, D)
Tour the historic Old Town and view its Medieval architecture and Venetian port. Explore the countryside and enjoy meals at local eateries.
Callisto
(B, L, D)
Once the port of ancient Sparta, Gytheion is the gateway to the heartland of the Peloponnese and to medieval Mistra. Built on a conical hill that commands superlative views of the plain of ancient and modern Sparta, Mistra was one of the last flourishing centers of the Byzantine Empire, and now a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Visit Sparta’s Museum of the Olive, housed in a restored olive warehouse, whose exhibits chronicle how olive oil was made from antiquity to the present.
Callisto
(B, L, D)
Explore the area around ancient Nemea, including its archaeological site where the Panhellenic Games of Nemea were hosted during antiquity. The wider region is the largest wine-growing area in Greece, known for its superb wineries.
Continue to Epidaurus, the shrine dedicated to Asclepius, the god of healing. View its 4th century BC theater, the best preserved in the entire Greco̶ Roman world. This evening, enjoy a fresh seafood dinner.
Callisto
(B, L, D)
Disembark and transfer to Athens’s airport for homebound flights.
(B)
In an era of mega cruise ships that carry thousands of passengers, Callisto is a delightful alternative. More like a private yacht than a cruise ship, Callisto accommodates a maximum of just 34 guests in 17 cabins that face outside. Unlike the formalities found on larger cruise ships, a relaxed and informal atmosphere prevails aboard. A well-trained English-speaking crew of 18 manages the ship and provides friendly and efficient service. The dining room, surrounded by large windows, accommodates all guests at one unassigned seating, while the adjoining lounge, which is also lined with windows, is a good place to meet and socialize with fellow travelers and attend lectures. When the weather permits, several meals will be served al fresco. A library faces the spacious Sun Deck.
The 17 cabins range in size from 130 sq. ft. to 145 sq. ft. There are four different categories of cabins arranged on two decks, all of which feature either windows (Categories A & B), or portholes (Categories C & D); twin, double or queen-size beds; individually controlled air-conditioning; flat-screen TV; mini fridge; wardrobe; safety deposit box; and telephone (internal use). Each cabin has a private bathroom with shower, marble sink countertop, hairdryer, and fine toiletries.
Callisto is equipped with stabilizers that provide smoother sailing.
Rates, per person, double occupancy:
D $ 7,290
C $ 7,890
B $ 8,990
A $ 9,890
Single occupancy: 150% of the double occupancy rates. Initial limit of 2 singles on the voyage in Categories D, C, or B.
Price Includes:
■ Two nights at the 5-star Athens Capital Hotel.
■ Welcome dinner in Athens at a local restaurant.
■ Full breakfast each morning at the hotel.
■ 7-night cruise aboard the Callisto, as described in the itinerary.
■ Complete program of tours and excursions and other activities ashore, with professional English-speaking guides. Lunch is included ashore on full-day tours.
■ Program of lectures by accompanying UVA faculty leader.
■ Airport/hotel/pier transfers and handling of luggage abroad.
■ All meals aboard ship, including wine, beer, and soft drinks with lunch and dinner.
■ Open bar aboard ship throughout the voyage.
■ Port, embarkation, and all other local taxes.
■ Gratuities to guides, drivers and porters.
■ Experienced Thalassa Journeys trip director.
■ Comprehensive pre-departure material.
Price Does Not Include:
Airfare; travel insurance; expenses of a personal nature; gratuities to shipboard personnel; any items not mentioned in the Program Inclusions.
Suggested crew gratuity is $16 per person, per day for a total of $112 for the 7-night cruise to be shared among the crew.
Ready to register? The best way to do this is by phone so that we can ensure we are meeting all of your needs. Please call us at 866-765-2646. Or, e-mail cavaliertravels@virginia.edu with your contact information and the best time to reach you.
A deposit of $800.00 per person is required to reserve your spot. Final payment is due 90 days prior to departure.
Deposits can be made via credit card.
Final payment must be paid by check.
Early registration is encouraged as space is limited.
DEPOSIT: $800 per person. Final Payment is due 90 days prior to departures.
CANCELLATIONS & REFUNDS: All cancellations are subject to a $300 per person administrative fee. Cancellations received up to 90 days before departure are fully refundable (minus the administrative fee). Cancellations received 61-90 days prior to departure will be assessed a penalty equal to 50% of the total program cost per person. Cancellations received within 60 days of departure are subject to 100% cancellation penalties. Requests for cancellations must be made in writing. No refunds will be made for any part of this program in which you choose not to participate.
INSURANCE: We strongly recommend the purchase of trip cancellation insurance, which is available for coverage of expenses in conjunction with cancellation due to illness or accident. Baggage insurance is also recommended. In the event that you must cancel your participation in a travel program, trip cancellation insurance may be the only source of reimbursement.
ITINERARY: The itinerary, accommodations and arrangements are subject to cancellation due to illness or accident. Baggage insurance is also recommended. In the event that you must cancel your participation in a travel program, trip cancellation insurance may be the only source of reimbursement.
INSURANCE: We strongly recommend the purchase of trip cancellation insurance, which is available for coverage of expenses in conjunction with cancellation due to illness or accident. Baggage insurance is also recommended. In the event that you must cancel your participation in a travel program, trip cancellation insurance may be the only source of reimbursement.
ITINERARY: The itinerary, accommodations and arrangements are subject to change at the discretion of Thalassa Journeys.
RESPONSIBILITY: Please read carefully the following terms and conditions, which constitute the sole, legally enforceable agreements between the traveler and Thalassa Journeys. Thalassa Journeys acts solely as agents for the traveler with respect to all transportation, hotel and other tour arrangements. In that capacity, we exercise all reasonable care possible to ensure the traveler’s safety and satisfaction, but, we neither assume nor bear any responsibility or liability for any injury, death, damage, loss, accident, delay or irregularity arising in connection with the services of any ship, airplane, train, automobile, motor coach, carriage or other conveyance, or the actions of any third-party, involved in carrying the traveler or in affecting these tours. We are not responsible for damages, additional expenses, or any other losses due to cancellation, delay or other changes in air or other services, sickness, weather, strike, war, civil disturbances, acts or threats of terrorism, travel warnings or bans, termination or suspension of war risks or other carrier insurance, quarantine, acts of God or other causes beyond our control. All such losses must be borne by the traveler, and tour rates provide for arrangements only for the time stated. In the event of cancellation, delay or rescheduling mandated by any of the aforesaid causes beyond our control, the traveler shall have the option of accepting in lieu of the original tour such rescheduled tour or other substituted tour(s) as may be offered by us, or else, receiving a refund of as much of such advance tour expenditures as we are able to recover on the traveler’s behalf from carriers, third-party tour vendors, etc., but, we shall not have any obligation or liability to the traveler beyond the foregoing. We reserve the right to make alterations to the tour’s itinerary and to substitute hotels, transportation methods, or lecturers if this is required. We reserve the right to cancel, delay, or reschedule any tour prior to departure, and, so long as this is not due to any of the aforesaid causes beyond our control, the traveler shall be entitled to a full refund of all monies paid to that point if he/she so desires. No refund shall be made for any unused portion of any tour. By forwarding their deposit(s), the traveler certifies that he/she and/or their dependents, minors or others covered thereby do not have any mental, physical or other condition of disability that could create a hazard for them or other travelers. We reserve the right to decline to accept or to decline to retain any person as a member of any tour should such person’s health, condition or actions adversely affect or threaten the welfare or safety of other travelers or impede the tour. Baggage or valuables brought on the tour shall be transported, handled or stored at the traveler’s risk entirely, and, we shall bear no liability or responsibility for any damage or other loss thereto. Resolution of any disputes arising hereunder shall be affected exclusively in the state or federal courts presiding in Florida, pursuant to applicable Florida law.
RATES: Tour costs are based upon current airfares, tariffs, and currency values. While we do everything possible to maintain the listed prices, they are subject to change.
CST 2138603-50
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