Greece 2009

DEADLINE EXTENDED: APPLICATIONS NOW BEING TAKEN FOR SPRING BREAK 2009 IN GREECE: ALL ARE WELCOME, FROM ANY MAJOR!  Click here for application instructions (bottom of the page), and then here to jump to the electronic application.  Applications are due by 5PM on Monday, December 1, 2008.  (Further information is also available below.)

Sponsored by CUA's Center for Global Education (CGE), the Department of Greek and Latin will offer a spring break trip to Greece, including three days on the spectacular Greek island of Crete, from Friday, February 27-Saturday, March 7, 2009!  (Click here to open and print a pdf flyer from CGE, but please note that the application deadline date is later than that on the flyer.)

This trip will led by members of the CUA faculty and operated and guided by Educational Tours and Cruises, a family-owned company with long experience in study-travel in Greece.  (ETC also operated a very successful CUA spring break in Greece in 2008.)

Our basic itinerary will be as follows: Day 0 (Friday, February 27, 2009): Depart from DC. Day 1: Arrive in Athens.  Overnight in Athens. Day 2: Athens.  National Museum, Agora, Kerameikos.  Overnight in Athens. Day 3: Athens.  Acropolis, Sounion.  Overnight ferry to Crete. Day 4: Crete.  Knossos, Archanes, Vathypetro.  Overnight on Crete. Day 5: Crete.  Gortyn, Phaistos, Ayia Triadha.  Overnight on Crete. Day 6: Crete.  Rethymno, Chania.  Overnight ferry to Athens. Day 7: Mycenae and Epidaurus.  Overnight in Athens. Day 8 (Saturday, March 7, 2009): Return to DC. We will also make many other interesting stops in between all of these places.

The Parthenon, Athens

A few words about our itinerary

The Bronze Age citadel of Mycenae

While you may know a little (or a lot!) about the wonders of ancient Athens, what you may not be aware of is that modern Athens is a thriving, vibrant European capital.  As part of the work surrounding the 2004 Olympics, Athens successfully integrated its ancient center even more closely into its modern one with a vast network of pedestrianized streets and parks. By the time we arrive, the new Acropolis Museum of Athens should be open, allowing us to appreciate many of the most important sculptures of the ancient world in a spectacular setting that looks up towards the Parthenon. Perhaps most famous as the birthplace of the mysterious and beautiful Minoan civilization (and the source for the myths of the labyrinth and the Minotaur), Crete has served as an important crossroads for many Mediterranean cultures and is home to prehistoric palaces, Venetian castles, and fascinating modern history.  It also enjoys beautiful scenery and a mild climate—we may even be able to swim!

Mycenae, the legendary capital of the Greek king Agamemnon in Homeric poetry, is a Bronze Age citadel, crowned by the remains of a palace and surrounded by ancient tombs.  Nearby Epidaurus was a sanctuary of the healing god Asclepius during the Greek classical era, and today boasts, in addition to the remains of Asclepius' temple and other buildings, the best-preserved theatre to survive from ancient Greece.

Detailed printed copies of the trip itinerary, including lists of destinations for each day of our adventures, are available in hard copy in the Department of Greek and Latin, McMahon 308: just ask at the front desk!

How much will the trip cost? A number of factors will affect the final cost of the trip, which will continue to undergo minor adjustments as departure time draws nearer.  Currency fluctuations, airline fuel surcharges, and even your own personal preferences about meals and shopping will all help to determine your expenses.  However, we will always provide you with updated information, so that you can plan ahead and are not surprised. Our experience includes three major sets of expenses, our land package, our airfare, and our on-the-ground expenses.  We will discuss them in order. At this time, the estimated cost of our land package is $1433 according to recent exchange rates.  Here is what this does and does not include:

The classical-era ancient Greek theatre at Epidaurus

Included Hotels for 5 nights Round-trip overnight accommodation on ferries in cabins with berths for 2 nights Daily breakfasts Daily dinners (except for March 5) Guides Private bus with driver Metro tickets to the National Museum in Athens Tour support

Not included Airfare Daily lunches Site and museum tickets Gratuities Travel documents (ISIC card* and passport) Travel and medical insurance** Application fee***

* An ISIC card is an International Student Identification Card.  It provides a number of important travel benefits, certain discounts, and some insurance, and costs about $25.  It can be purchased right here at CUA: more information on this will be distributed later.

** Emergency medical evacuation insurance is mandatory and will be purchased through CUA at a cost of approximately $18.  All travelers must also carry valid medical insurance.

*** The CUA Center for Global Education has a mandatory $100 application fee for spring break trips, summer programs, and semesters abroad.

The 'Treasury of Atreus,' a Bronze Age tomb at Mycenae

You should estimate at least $1200 for airfare.  As you are no doubt aware, plane tickets have recently been rapidly increasing in cost.  We are currently in the process of concluding a contract with an airfare provider that should ensure that our rates do not rise substantially, but fuel surcharges can increase up to the time of our departure. You should estimate at least $150 for site and museum tickets and gratuities.  The tickets may cost much less than this, especially since your ISIC card will provide substantial discounts at many of our destinations. You should estimate at least $200 for daily lunches and incidentals.  You may want to have more money than this available if you plan to do much shopping, but it is possible to eat very well in Greece even on a budget. The total trip cost estimate at this date, then, is about $2983, excluding travel documents, insurance, and application fee, but including a small budget line for lunches and discretionary spending.  As the due dates for applications and deposits draw closer, more detailed information about costs will become available and will be shared with all trip participants. Those who manage their lunches and their shopping frugally may be able to spend a bit less than the estimate listed above.

Who is eligible to apply for this trip? All qualified members of the CUA community are eligible to apply for this spring break program, including all students who meet the university GPA requirements, as well as university faculty and staff.  Student disciplinary records are given consideration in selection of trip participants.  If preferences need to be made for a limited number of spaces, majors, minors, and graduate students within the Department of Greek and Latin will receive priority, BUT we believe that there will be plenty of room on the trip for everyone who is interested, regardless of major or degree program. How can I apply? The process is quick and easy.  Click here for application instructions (bottom of the page), and then here to jump straight to CUA's new electronic application.  Applications are due by 5PM on Monday, December 1, 2008.  By that day and time you will need to have submitted your online form and delivered your application fee and a photocopy of your passport to the Center for Global Education in McMahon 111.  Join the trip's electronic news bulletin list to receive application reminders, if you like, by sending an email to Dr. Sarah Ferrario, Department of Greek and Latin, ferraris@cua.edu.

The central plateia of the town of Nauplion, in the Argolid, at sunset

What are some important dates and deadlines I should know about?

Here are some other important dates to note.  Some of them may shift slightly as preparations for the trip continue, but they provide some sense of the timeline:

The Hephaisteion, Athens

Monday, December 1, 2008: Trip applications due online by 5PM, with application fees and passport photocopies delivered to the Center for Global Education in McMahon 111 Early December 2008: Initial deposits ($1000) due from trip participants (more information to follow).  (Deposits will be applied directly to trip costs) Friday, December 12, 2008: Balance of trip costs due Friday, January 16, 2009: Photocopies of any additional travel documents due January 2009: One mandatory trip planning meeting; one optional pre-trip lecture (all TBA) February 2009: One mandatory trip planning meeting; one mandatory pre-trip lecture (all TBA) Friday, February 27, 2009: Departure for Athens!

How can I make sure to stay updated on any changes in plans for the trip, or receive meeting and application reminders?

Join the trip's electronic news bulletin list by sending an email to Dr. Sarah Ferrario, Department of Greek and Latin, ferraris@cua.edu, to express your interest (there is no obligation involved).  You will then receive periodic updates on trip developments without having to inquire about them.  You will also get invitations to trip planning meetings, reminders about application and deposit deadlines and travel documents, and advance information about Greece itself and our itinerary in particular.

You should also watch this website for more information and updates!  Any questions in the meantime may also be directed to Dr. Ferrario, ferraris@cua.edu.

We hope you will join us!