For those who are interested, here’s what I’ll be up to for the next couple of weeks:

Feb 27, Sun
Depart Home Airport for Thessaloniki, Greece (SKG).

Feb 28, Mon
Plan arrival by 1:45 PM at the Thessaloniki airport for bus transfer. On our way to the hotel we will visit the old city walls. After hotel check-in we will visit the St. Demetrius Church and civic forum. Paul visited Thessalonica on his second journey (Acts 17:1-9) and wrote two letters to the church here.

Mar 1, Tues
In the morning we will visit Philippi where Paul met Lydia and later was imprisoned (Acts 16:12-40). He wrote a letter to the church of Philippi. In the afternoon we will visit the important city of Amphipolis which Paul passed through (Acts 17:1). On our drive to Veria we will pass Apollonia mentioned in Acts 17:1.

Mar 2, Wed
After breakfast we will take a walking tour of the Rotunda, Arch of Galerius, Archaeology Museum; and Byzantine Museum. In the afternoon we will drive east to visit ancient Neapolis, where Paul first landed in Europe on his second journey (Acts 16:11).

Mar 3, Thurs
Today we will visit ancient Berea, where the believers were called “noble” because they searched the Scriptures (Acts 17:10-14). Later we will visit Vergina, the burial site of Philip II, father of Alexander the Great. In the afternoon we will follow the Via Egnatia to the west coast of Greece.

Mar 4, Fri
In the morning we will visit Nicopolis where Paul spent a winter (Titus 3:12). The city was founded by Octavian/August in 31 BC in honor of his victory over Antony and Cleopatra. In the afternoon we will drive to Corinth where we will see the canal and diolkos.

Mar 5, Sat
In the morning we will visit ancient Corinth and its museum. Paul spent 1 ½ years in Corinth during his second journey (Acts 18:1-18). He later wrote two letters to the Corinthian church. Later we will climb into the Acrocorinth and stop at the Isthmia and Cenchrae, the home of the deaconess Phoebe (Romans 16:1). In the afternoon we will drive to Athens for brief city tour before checking into the hotel.

Mar 6, Sun
In the morning we will visit the Parthenon and Agora. Along the way we will stop at the Areopagus/Mars Hill where Paul delivered his speech to the Council (Acts 17:16-34). In the afternoon you will have free time to explore Athens and later to have dinner on your own, perhaps in the city’s famous Plaka area.

Mar 7, Mon
At 6:45 AM we will leave the hotel for the Athens airport for our 9 AM departure on Aegean Airlines, arriving in Rome at 10:10 AM. After our arrival in Rome we will first visit the port of Rome, Ostia and its famous synagogue. Later we will stop at the Tres Fontane Church, built over the traditional site of Paul’s martyrdom. Then we see the St. Paul Church outside the Walls, the traditional burial site of Paul.

Mar 8, Tues
In the morning we will take a walking tour of ancient Rome where Paul was held in custody (Acts 28:16-31) and wrote a letter to the church there. We will see such sites as Trajan’s column, the Mamertine prison where Paul and Peter were imprisoned, the Roman Forum, Arch of Titus, Palatine, and Colosseum. After lunch in the Trevi Fountain area we will continue our walking tour to the Circus Maximus, Pantheon, and Ara Pacis, the Altar of Peace erected by Augustus. Tonight you can explore Rome’s culinary delights with dinner on your own.

Mar 9, Wed
A visit to Vatican Museum begins our day with special stops at the Pio Christian Museum and St. Peter’s where we hope to make special arrangement with archaeologists to visit St. Peter’s tomb. In the afternoon we will follow the Appian Way to the Domine Quo Vadis Church and the Domitilla Catacombs.

Mar 10, Thurs
Today we have an early morning departure driving south to visit ancient Pompeii, destroyed by the eruption of Mt. Vesuvius in AD 79. Later we will stop at the Archaeology Museum in Naples and then visit Puetoli (Pozzuoli) where Paul spent a week on his captivity journey to Rome (Acts 28:13-14). We return to Rome for a farewell dinner at the hotel.

Mar 11, Fri
Morning bus transfer to Rome airport (FCO) for departure home.