Day 7 - Visit Mykonos, Greece!

Mykonos did not disappoint! We were on our own today so the DeForests, Sowards and us purchased a Food on Foot excursion.  We began to look for these tours the last few years as we found we learn a lot about the city’s culture and its food, no matter the Country we are in.  Mykonos was a beautiful city with its winding cobblestone streets, and pastel-colored doors and trim on white washed buildings.  Our surprise was to meet Petros, the city’s mascot who popped out a door in front of us for his daily walk to the shore.

In our tour we sampled Masticha liquor and loukoumi, also known as Turkish Delight.  We tried a sweet vanilla submarine dessert, sampled a traditional cheese pie, along with a Souvlaki skewer topped with pita bread. At our final location, we sipped on a glass of traditional ouzo with Greek meze on the side. In this windy village we walked past the windmills and stood at the shore to see “Little Venice”.  Tomorrow, we are back in Paul’s footsteps as we will be in Philippi, Greece.

 

Day 6 - Ehesus, Turkey Passages: Acts 18-20:17; Ephesians; 1 & 2 Timothy

Today we anchored at the shore of Turkey.  As a group we boarded our tour bus and began our journey through Turkey.  Our first stop was high in the hills to an area many believe was the home of Mary, the Mother of Christ.  We toured the small home and had opportunity to tie a prayer to the wall at the base of the property.  Joe lead us in a group prayer and gave us time to meditate in the area.

Our next stop was at Ephesus. Paul reached Ephesus as he moved Eastward on his second missionary journey. Ephesus was a major trade center and Paul spent considerable time here, preaching, debating, and writing his letter to the Ephesians.  We were eager to see the library as it is probably the most recognizable building when we think of Ephesus.  The library was said to hold over 12,000 scrolls during the Roman Empire.

As we left Ephesus, we had the opportunity to see authentic handmade Turkish rugs being made as well as fine leather goods.  Some from our group were "gently nominated" to join the models on the runway to show off the awesome wares! Jim, Tim, Phyllis and Ron were great sports and we all had fun as they strutted down the stage. We could not pass on the chance to own a handmade rug for our new home as well as purchase a beautiful jacket for Tammy.  They had Tammy initial the rug to verify ownership when they ship it to the States.   We returned to the ship, Tim took a quick photo of Tammy before we boarded.  Tomorrow, we head to Mykonos, Greece.

Day 5 - Santorini, Greece - A day on our own

On our own! A day to explore! Today we cruised into Santorini, Greece.  We reserved an excursion to tour the island with our best travel friends, Jim & Kathy DeForest and Keith and Linda Sowards.  Included with our tour was a visit to the city of Akrotiri, frozen in time from a volcanic eruption dating back to 1500BC.  We also toured and sampled wine from a local winery with beautiful views of the caldera.  We ended the tour with a dinner and traditional Greek dancing.  We followed Greek tradition by breaking dinner plates on the dance floor honoring the band and entertainers.  We took time to walk through the shops and take advantage of the awesome photo opportunities of the white washed homes clustered around the island.  Tomorrow, we travel to Ephesus, Turkey to experience the Church there.

Days 3 & 4 - Boarding the Celebrity Infinity and a day at sea! Passages: Acts 27-28:16

After a goods night sleep and a great breakfast we made a short trip to the pier in Piraeus to board the Infinity.  We spent the rest of the day settling in to our cabins and had a great day of relaxing and catching up on some sleep! The group was able to meet for some devotion and to catch up on our experiences so far.  Such a blessing to see people bond with each other so quickly.  We have a great group of people on this tour. Tonight we were fortunate to catch the live broadcast of the Chiefs though it started at 10:00pm our time!  Tomorrow we dock in Santorini, Greece.

Day 2 - Corinth and Athens Passages: Acts 17:16-34; 18:1-17; 1 & 2 Corinthians

We made it! No lost luggage and everyone accounted for! Landing in Athens we made a smooth transition to our tour bus and we were off to Corinth. We stopped for an authentic Greek lunch near the Corinth canal and then viewed the historic area where Paul resided for a year and a half on his second missionary journey.

We read where Paul stayed with Aquilla and his wife Priscilla and worked with them in the agora making and repairing awnings and tent shelters. We viewed the agora ruins and the bema (a stone platform) where Paul stood in front of the Roman proconsul accused of breaking the religious laws by members of the Jewish synagogue. Joe spoke to us at the base of the bema and read scripture from Acts 18.

We bid farewell to Corinth and traveled back into Athens and got to the Parthenon before closing. Climbing the marble stairs of the Acropolis the steps were long and slick. They say there is 80 steps to the top however the steps are about 10 feet apart so we felt like it was more like 200!

Atop the Acropolis is the Parthenon built as a temple to Athena in her fifth in the 5th century BC. It was surreal to see, as we have seen so many photos of this site but it is amazing to see it in person. As we made it to the top, the size was larger than what we had imagined and the height over the city was incredible.

As we descended, we saw where Paul was invited to speak to the Areopagus (the Athenian council) which met on Mars Hill. It is a short distance from the foot of the Acropolis. We stood at the base of Mars hill when Joe read to us from acts 17:22-32. A plaque mounted to the stone recorded Paul’s words in Greek.

We finished the day checking into our hotel at Piraeus on the coast of the Mediterranean where we will board our ship tomorrow. We joined together for dinner at a local restaurant. The food was amazing and Tammy and I fell in love with tzatziki! Used as a dip or a sauce we put it on everything we ate!

Day 1 - Todays the day! And we're off!

We begin today! Meeting old friends from our Israel travels and gaining many new friends! We are leaving from Fellowship Bible Church and bussing over to KCI for our flights to Atlanta and then on to Athens. This is going to be a long day and half as we travel and then tour as soon as we land. We are super excited as we are bringing friends along to experience this with us.

 

Apostle Paul 2024 Itinerary – October 24-November 6, 2024

Greetings Friends! Tammy and I will be traveling with Fellowship Bible Church to Greece, Turkey and Rome as we follow Apostle Pauls footsteps.  Like our Israel trips we want to bring you along to experience the advancement of the bible through the land and see the rich history these areas have to offer.  I'll have to knock some rust off on adding to the blog, but our hope is you see and learn something new! For most of the trip we will be using a cruse ship as part of our tour bus as we navigate to each area.  Some of the ports do not carry biblical history but we may drop a few photos or comments on them as well.  If you ever have questions or comments, please feel free to do so!

Apostle Paul 2024 Itinerary – October 24-November 6, 2024

Friday, October 25 -Arrival in Athens and Tour

We arrive to Athens in the morning and will tour Corinth today, the wonderful Roman city where the gospel took ground in the ministry of Paul during his second missionary journey. On our trip back to Athens, we will see the place where Paul visited and preached the gospel on Mars Hill where new philosophies were debated amidst the pantheon of Greek gods. We end our tour in Piraeus, a coastal town on the coast of the Mediterranean Sea where we will board our ship the next day.   Passages: Acts 17:16-34; 18:1-17; 1&2 Corinthians

Saturday, October 26 Leisurely morning and Cruise Embarkation

Travel to the cruise port where we will board our Celebrity Ship-Infinity for our nine-day cruise of the Mediterranean Sea.   Passages: Acts 27-28:16

Sunday, October 27 Cruise at Sea

Monday, October 28 Cruise to and tour Santorini, Greece

Tuesday, October 29 Cruise to and tour Ephesus, Turkey

Our transport and guide that will take us on our adventure to Ephesus. This beloved church was home for Paul for a while during his second missionary trip and one where some believe the Apostle John resided in his old age. Paul resided here for a season and deeply loved this church. He also wrote to Timothy, who pastored the church here.   Passages: Acts 18-20:17; Ephesians; 1&2 Timothy

Wednesday, October 30 Cruise to and tour Mykonos, Greece

Thursday, October 31 Cruise to and tour Philippi, Greece

Our transport and guide that will take us on our tour inland to Philippi. Paul planted this church on his second missionary journey. He was jailed here for causing an uprising after converting a slave girl. Lydia was also converted and baptized outside the city in a river that we will visit.   Passages: Acts 16; Philippians

Friday, November 1 Cruise to and tour Thessaloniki, Greece

Unlike the other ancient cities Paul traveled, present-day Thessalonica was built over the ruins of the past centuries. This is a more challenging site to see the layout and ruins but they do crop up in certain places we can observe. Paul was resisted here and the Jewish resistance stated about them, “These men who have turned the world upside down have come here also.” Sometime after the church formed and Paul wrote to them to endure and look forward to the return of Christ.   Passages: Acts 16; 1&2 Thessalonians

Saturday, November 2 Cruise at Sea

Sunday, November 3 Cruise to Nafplio, Greece

Monday, November 4 Cruise disembarkation and Flight to Rome

We disembark the ship in the early morning and travel to the airport to fly to Rome today.

Tuesday, November 5 Tour Rome

Today is an activity packed day as we will take tours of Rome, the capital city of the Roman Empire. Paul traveled here and was imprisoned twice before his death just outside the city. Passages: Acts 28; Romans

Wednesday, November 6 Depart Rome and head Home