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January February March April May Free Travel *On odd class days, I have an 8:00 AM class, 9:00 AM chapel, and a 9:30 AM class **On even class days, I have a 9:30 AM class ***The Free travel schedule is very tentative and will probably be changed a lot. But this can give you an idea of where I plan to go. |
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Date |
Event |
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Depart from Little Rock @ 10:40 AM |
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Tuesday, January 21 |
Arrive in Athens, Greece @ 10:05 AM local time |
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Wednesday, January 22 |
Sightseeing in Athens: Aereopagus (Mars’ Hill) where Paul’s speech in Acts 17 likely took place; Acropolis visit, especially the Parthenon; lunch at a local taverna; Panathenian Stadium; Temple of Olympian Zeus; Presidential Palace; Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, etc. |
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Thursday, January 23 |
* Class 1 |
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Friday, January 24 |
** Class 2 |
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Saturday, January 25 |
Class 3 |
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Sunday, January 26 |
Brief Agora tour (it rained, so we postponed most of this tour), Stoa of Attalos (only building completely reconstructed in the Agora; it is now used as a museum), Lunch on our own (Quick Pita), Shopping in the Plaka (the modern day Agora), Meet back and Syntagma (Constitution) Square, and Worship with the International Church of Christ |
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Monday, January 27 |
Class 4 |
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Tuesday, January 28 |
Class 5 |
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Wednesday, January 29 |
Class 6 |
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Thursday, January 30 |
Class 7 |
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Friday, January 31 |
Day trip to Delphi. On the way we’ll see Thebes (connected with the tragedy of king Oedipus), Livadia, and Arachova (towns famous for colorful woolen rugs and carpets). Delphi was the center of the Ancient world, the “omphalos” (navel) of the earth. On the slopes of Mt. Parnassos, in a landscape of unparalleled natural beauty and majesty, lies the archaeological site of Delphi. We visit the Sanctuary of Apollo, the Treasury of the Athenians, and the Archaeological Museum containing such masterpieces of ancient Greek sculpture as the bronze Charioteer and the famous athlete Aghias. Lunch in a local restaurant. Return to Porto Rafti. |
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Class 8 |
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Sunday, February 2 |
Syntagma Square, Agora Tour???, Worship @ the International Church of Christ |
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Monday, February 3 |
Class 9 |
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Tuesday, February 4 |
Class 10 |
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Wednesday, February 5 |
Class 11 |
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Thursday, February 6 |
Corinth, Acrocorinth, and Tolo Our excursion out of Athens takes us by the Saronic Gulf, where in 480 BC, history’s root was changed! The small Grecian fleet managed to defeat the enormously powerful armada of the Persians. From here, via the historic Corinthian Canal, we arrive at ancient Corinth (Acts 18:1-18). It was to the megalopolis where the apostle came and worked, established a thriving church, subsequently sending two of his epistles now part of the New Testament. Here, we see all of the sites associated with his ministry: the Agora, the Temple of Apollo, the Roman Odeon, the Bema, and Gallio’s Seat. The small archaeological museum here is an absolute must. We see the ruins of early Christian 5th century basilica in Cenchreae. We drive up toe Acrocorinth. Time at leisure for lunch at a local taverna and we continue to the Hotel Tolon Holidays for dinner and bed. |
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Friday, February 7 |
Tolo, Nafplion, Mycenae, Epidaurus, Porto Rafti After breakfast at the hotel, we go to Nafplion, the first capital of the modern State of Greece. We walk around, take pictures and then we go to Mycenae to visit the remains of the prehistoric citadel fortified with the Cyclopean Walls, the Lionesses’ Gate, the remains of the Mycenaean Pallas and the Tomb of King Agamemnon in which we will actually enter. Lunch at a local taverna. Then we continue on to visit Epidaurus: The Santucary of Asclepeios, ancient god of healing. We see the best-preserved ancient theatre in all of Greece, famous for the harmony of its design and the perfection of its remarkable acoustics, easily accommodating 12,000 people. Return to Campus. |
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Saturday, February 8 |
Class 12 |
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Sunday, February 9 |
Syntagma Square, Lunch, Shopping, Worship |
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Monday, February 10 |
Class 13 |
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Tuesday, February 11 |
Class 14 |
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Wednesday, February 12 |
Free Day |
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Thursday, February 13 |
Class 15 |
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Friday, February 14 |
Class 16 |
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Saturday, February 15 |
Class 17 |
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Sunday, February 16 |
Syntagma Square, lunch, free time, worship |
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Monday, February 17 |
Athens to Cairo Leave for Athens International Airport @ 5:30 PM. Depart for Cairo at 8:15 PM. Arrive in Cairo International Airport at 10:15 PM. Stay in hotel |
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Tuesday, February 18 |
Cairo, Sakkara Full day sightseeing tour to visit Sakkara, the Pyramids and the Sphinx of Giza. Enjoy a CAMEL (I’m so excited about this!!!) ride on the panoramic plateau. Buffet lunch at a local restaurant. Return to the hotel for rest and dinner. At 8:30 we will see the Sound and Light performance in English in front of the Pyramids in Giza. Return to the hotel |
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Wednesday, February 19 |
Cairo Visit the Egyptian Archaeological Museum. Lunch in a restaurant in the Nile area. Return to hotel for a free afternoon and evening. |
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Thursday, February 20 |
Cairo, Aswan, Philae Cairo Airport to fly to Aswan at 7:30 AM. Arrive in Aswan at 9:55 AM. On way to Nile cruise ship, we will see the Unfinished Obelisk. Check in and lunch on board ship. In the afternoon we visit the Temple of Philae and enjoy a felluca ride to the Elephantine Island and walk through the Botanical Garden. Dinner and overnight on board. |
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Friday, February 21 |
Aswan, Philae, Kom Ombo, Esna, Edfu Breakfast. Sail to Kom Ombo. Lunch on board. Arrive at Kom Ombo in the afternoon. Visit the Temple of Sobek. We go through the locks of Esna. Continue on to Edfu. Dinner and overnight on board. |
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Saturday, February 22 |
Edfu, Luxor Breakfast. In the morning we visit the Temple of Horus in Edfu. Transportation by horse-drawn carriages. Lunch on board. Sail to Luxor. In the afternoon we dock at Luxor. Visit the Temples of Karnak and Luxor. Dinner and overnight on board. |
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Sunday, February 23 |
Breakfast and disembarkation. In the morning we visit the West Bank of the Nile including the necropolis of Thebes: the Colossi of Memnon, the Temple of Hatshepsut, the Vally of the Kings and the mortuary temple of Ramses II. Lunch at the Hotel Novotel in Luxor. Free time. 4:30 – 5:30 PM – Worship 6:00 PM Dinner @ Hotel 7:00 arrive at Luxor airport. Leave Luxor @ 10:20 and arrive in Cairo @ 11:20 PM Stay overnight in hotel |
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Monday, February 24 |
Cairo, Athens Morning visit to Goshen. Lunch in hotel. Cairo International Airport for our departure to Athens at 5:10 PM. Arrive at 7:15 PM at Athens International Airport. Goodnight Porto Rafti. |
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Tuesday, February 25 |
Afternoon class 18 |
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Wednesday, February 26 |
Class 19 |
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Thursday, February 27 |
Class 20 |
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Friday, February 28 |
Class 21 |
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Class 22 |
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Sunday, March 2 |
Syntagma Square, lunch, free time, worship |
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Monday, March 3 |
Class 23 |
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Tuesday, March 4 |
Class 24 |
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Wednesday, March 5 |
Day trip to Glyfada. |
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Thursday, March 6 |
Class 25 |
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Friday, March 7 |
Class 26 |
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Saturday, March 8 |
Class 27 |
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Sunday, March 9 |
Syntagma Square, lunch, free time, worship |
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Monday, March 10 |
Thermopylae, Meteora, Kalambaka Leave Porto Rafti @ 8:00 AM. Ride bus through the fertile plain of Boetia, passing by Kammena Voula. We stop at Thermopylae, to see the statue of Leonidas. It commemorates the historic battle between the 300 Spartans led by Leonidas and the Persian army of Xerxes in 480 BC composed of thousands. We drive through Lamia, Domokos, Karditsa, Trikala. Arrive in Kalambaka. Lunch in a nice local restaurant. Then we enjoy a spectacular drive up to visit Meteora. Colossal symmetrical grey and reddish boulders, as breathtaking beautiful monasteries perched precariously high above the ground. They were first built in the 14th century by monks seeking isolation and salvation; it is accessible only by ropes thrown from above. We will climb through steps built since. They are veritable Byzantine museums exhibiting superb icons, old manuscripts and unique mosaics and frescoes. Check in at the Hotel Orfeas followed by dinner. |
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Tuesday, March 11 |
Kalambaka, Thessaloniki After breakfast, we drive to Thessaloniki. We stop for lunch at a local restaurant. In the afternoon we visit the archaeological museum of Thessaloniki, followed by a panoramic tour of the city. At Thessalonica (Acts 17:1) Paul went immediately to the synagogue where, for three Saturdays he explained the prophecies of the Old Testament to Jews and Greeks. According to the Book of Acts, many Greeks believed and even many “Greek chief women” (Acts 17:1-4). Check in at the Hotel Vergina. Dinner on your own. |
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Wednesday, March 12 |
Pella, Berea, Vergina, Thessaloniki Today our first visit will be to Pella, the capital of the ancient Macedonia State and birthplace of Alexander the Great. In the 4th century BC the city was laid out in the familiar “Hippodamean” pattern of regular rectangular building blocks with impressive broad streets and a first class water supply network. The houses were of the typical Greek style dwelling with a central courtyard surrounded by a colonnade and open galleries. On the hill to the West stand the remains of the citadel of the Hellenistic period. We visit the excavation sites and especially the museum, which displays sculptures, relief and mosaics of Classical and Hellenistic times. Then on toe Berea where the Apostle Paul arrived, and according to his custom went to the synagogue where, to his pleasant surprise, he discovered that these Jews were “more noble” than those he had encountered in Thessalonica. We see the Byzantine mosaic in the monument commemorating his preaching. According to the local tradition, it was at this place where he stood and delivered his sermons (Acts 17:10-11). Our third visit will be: Vergina (ancient Aigai), the first capital of Macedonia, we visit the most important tomb ever discovered, that of Philip II, father of Alexander the Great. The discovery was made by Manolis Andronikos. Lunch in a local restaurant. Return back to the Hotel Vergina for bed. |
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Thursday, March 13 |
Amphipolis, Philippi, Kavala, Katerini We come to the ancient lion statue of Amphipolis (short stop for photos). Afterwards we proceed to Philippi, the site where the apostle Paul came and worked, establishing a strong church. To this congregation, he eventually sent the Philippian letter. Of all the churches Paul founded, probably none was so near and dear to him as the church at Philippi (Acts 16:9-33). We see the river where Lydia is thought to have been baptized, the ruins of a prison where Paul and Silas had been kept, the Agora, 5th and 6th century Basilica and the Theatre. Philippi was built by Philip II of Macedonia on the Via Egnatia, the Roman road which ran from Rome to Byzantium. Seafood lunch in Kavala, the ancient port of Neapolis (Acts 16:11). Then drive to Katerini. Dinner and overnight at Hotel in Katerini. |
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Friday, March 14 |
Katerini, Dion, Porto Rafti In the morning after our breakfast we leave Katerini. We drive to Dion, on the lower slopes of Mount Olympus, the home of the ancient Greek gods. Impressive remains demonstrate the importance of Dion to Greek religious life in antiquity: temples and theatres, the museum features sculptures, relief and mosaics of the Classical and Hellenistic periods. Then we gaze upon the snow-capped Mount Olympus, the home of the twelve Olympian gods and goddesses of the Greek mythology. Lunch en route. We arrive at our campus in Porto Rafti in the evening. |
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Saturday, March 15 |
Class 28 |
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Sunday, March 16 |
Syntagma Square, lunch, free time, worship |
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Monday, March 17 |
Class 29 |
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Tuesday, March 18 |
Class 30 |
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Wednesday, March 19 |
Class 31 |
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Thursday, March 20 |
Class 32 |
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Friday, March 21 |
Class 33 |
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Saturday, March 22 |
Class 34 |
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Sunday, March 23 |
Syntagma Square, lunch, free time, worship |
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Monday, March 24 |
Class 35 |
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Tuesday, March 25 |
Porto Rafti, Rafina, Mykonos At _____ AM we will leave Porto Rafti and go to the port of Rafina At _____ AM we will take the ferry High Speed II to Mykonos. Arrive at Mykonos at _____ AM. Travel by coach to the Hotel Charisi for check-in. Free time for rest of day. Lunch and dinner on own. Overnight at hotel. |
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Wednesday, March 26 |
Mykonos Free time. Lunch and dinner on your own. Overnight in hotel. |
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Thursday, March 27 |
Mykonos, Rafina, Porto Rafti Breakfast in hotel. Morning free. Check out by noon. Lunch and dinner on your own. Leave the harbor of Mykonos to take the boat High Speed II sailing at _____ PM. At _____ PM arrive at Rafina. Transfer by coach to the Campus. |
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Friday, March 28 |
Afternoon classes (36) |
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Saturday, March 29 |
Class 37 |
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Sunday, March 30 |
Class 38; Syntagma Square, lunch, free time, worship |
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Monday, March 31 |
9:30 flight (OA233) to Rome, Italy. 10:35 AM arrival in Rome (2 hr flight b/c of time change). 11:00 bus to center of Rome to visit the Colosseum, Roman Forum, St. Peter in Chains, Mamertine prison, Capitolin hill. 3:00 bus to catacombs of St. Callixtus. 5:00 visit of the Church of the Bones. Then return to Hotel Madison (phone number: 011-39-06-445-4344) |
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8:00 departure for Vatican city. From 9:00 to 12:30 we will visit the cathedral of St. Peter’s and Vatican museums. 1:00 walk across the Tiber river to visit Piazza Navona, Pantheon, Trevi fountain, and the Spanish Steps. Afternoon free, supper on your own. |
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Wednesday, April 2 |
7:00 departure by bus to Florence. 11:00 arrival and check-in at Hotel Mediterraneo (phone number: 011-39-055-660-241). 11:30 beginning of walking tour of Florence with lunch TBA (tour ending around 5-6). Dinner on our own. |
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Thursday, April 3 |
8:30 to 12:30 visit of Accademia delle Belle Arti (the David) and the Uffizi gallery. Lunch on our own. Free afternoon in Florence. 5:30 meet at Florence train station for trip to HUF campus for dinner and devotional. |
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Friday, April 4 |
Free morning. 12:45 luggage on the bus. 1:00 departure for Rome airport (flight # OA240) that leaves at 7:55 PM. Arrival in Athens at 10:30 PM. |
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Saturday, April 5 |
Afternoon classes (39) |
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Sunday, April 6 |
Sing at Church of God in Athens Free time in Athens Worship at Omonia |
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Monday, April 7 |
7:30 departure for Mykonos |
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Tuesday, April 8 |
Ephesus and Patmos |
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Wednesday, April 9 |
Rhodes At 7:00 AM, we call at Rhodes. This stronghold was built by a Crusading Order, which originated from Palestine, an in older days, it boasted of another great achievement of the then known world—the Colossus of Rhodes! Our morning half-day excursion takes us to visit the Temple of Athena on the majestic rocky Acropolis of Lindos, with the blue Aegean Sea beneath it and the sophisticated, whitewashed artists’ colony at its foot. Local tradition has it that on his way to Rome, Paul’s vessel spent some time here in the small harbor (Acts 21:1). We have the afternoon free in Rhodes for a most delightful experience. Stroll around the medieval walled city; enjoy the cosmopolitan atmosphere from one of the elegant cafes in the marina. Sail for Heraklion, Crete at 6:00 PM. |
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Thursday, April 10 |
Heraklion Crete, Santorini At 7:00 AM we call at Heraklion, Crete (Acts 27:7-13) where our excursion takes us from the lively bustling city to visit the Minoan Palace of Knossos, legendary home of the Minotaur (half bull and half man). Sail for Santorini at 11:30 AM, where we arrive at 4:30 PM. Take a mule or the cable car up to the whitewashed town of Thera, perched high on the rim of the ancient volcano, the eruption of which (1,600 BC) literally buried a flourishing Bronze Age town that has now been excavated at Akrotiri. Sail for Piraeus at 8:30 PM. |
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Friday, April 11 |
Piraeus, Porto Rafti At 7:00 AM our cruise ship docks at Piraeus. After breakfast we disembark. Free day in Athens or bus back to Porto Rafti. |
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Saturday, April 12 |
Class 40 |
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Sunday, April 13 |
Syntagma Square, lunch, free time, worship |
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Monday, April 14 |
Class 41 |
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Tuesday, April 15 |
Class 42 |
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Wednesday, April 16 |
Class 43 |
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Thursday, April 17 |
Class 44 |
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Friday, April 18 |
Finals |
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Saturday, April 19 |
Finals |
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Sunday, April 20 |
Athens (train) to Patras (ferry boat) to Ancona, Italy |
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Ancona (after 2 PM) to Cinque Terre |
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Tuesday, April 22 |
Cinque Terre. Night train to Venice. |
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Wednesday, April 23 |
Venice. Night train to Vienna, Austria. |
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Thursday, April 24 |
Vienna. Evening train to Salzburg. Stay in hostel. |
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Friday, April 25 |
Salzburg. Sound of Music Tour. Late train to Bern, Switzerland. Bern to Interlaken. Hostel |
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Saturday, April 26 |
Interlaken. Hike, etc. Interlaken to Zurich to Munich, Germany. Hostel. |
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Sunday, April 27 |
Munich. Night train to Prague, Czech Republic. |
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Monday, April 28 |
Prague. Night train to Wurzburg, Germany. |
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Tuesday, April 29 |
Wurzburg to Rothenburg ob der tauber (as soon as we get there). Rothenburg. Train to ?? and stay night in Hostel. |
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Wednesday, April 30 |
Rhine River stops (Koblenz?). Train to Bonn (Birkenstock factory). Train to Luxembourg City, Luxembourg. Hostel. |
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Luxembourg City. Evening train to Amsterdam. Hostel. |
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Friday, May 2 |
Amsterdam. Evening train to Brussels. Hostel |
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Saturday, May 3 |
Brussels. Brussels to Paris to Lyon. Hostel |
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Sunday, May 4 |
Lyon. Lyon to Paris. Hostel. |
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Monday, May 5 |
Paris (Louvre) |
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Tuesday, May 6 |
Paris (Notre Dame, Eiffel Tower, etc.) |
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Wednesday, May 7 |
Paris. Return from Paris to Little Rock. Information unknown. |
