12-Day Mediterranean Cruise on Holland America Line

Sunday, May 26 - Saturday, June 8, 2013
Sunday, May 26 - Depart USA
Monday, May 27 - Arrive Venice
Saturday, June 8 --Depart Venice, Return USA

Come and cruise the ports and islands of the Mediterranean with your friends from Luther College. Our voyage begins in the celebrated city of Venice, home to Marco Polo, and continues south through the Adriatic to Olympia, home of the original Olympic games. From there we sail to Athens, the birthplace of democracy and site of the fabulous Acropolis. Onward through the straits of the Dardanelles past Troy to the fabled city of Istanbul, home to the great Byzantine church of Hagia Sophia, the Blue Mosque, and the tempting Grand Bazaar. From Istanbul we sail to the island of Lesbos, birthplace of Sappho, the first woman poet, and the magnificent remains of Ephesus, where Saint Paul walked the streets. Next we'll see the blue-domed houses and unforgettable vistas of Santorini. Our last stop before returning to Venice will be the undiscovered Greek island of Kefalonia.

Sail in luxury and enjoy the fabulous food and entertainment aboard the Nieuw Amsterdam, the newest ship of the Holland America fleet.

Hosts for the trip are Philip Freeman, professor of Classics at Luther College, and his archaeologist wife Alison Dwyer of the Vesterheim Museum. Philip is the author of a dozen books on the ancient world, including Alexander the Great and Oh My Gods: A Modern Retelling of Greek and Roman Myths. He is a regular guest on NPR and has written essays about Greece and Rome for the Wall Street Journal and New York Times. Philip will be lecturing on Greek history and mythology as we sail the wine-dark seas.

Tour Brochure

For more information and a tour brochure, please contact:

Sherry Alcock '82
Executive Director of Alumni Relations
800-225-8664
563-387-1861
alcock@luther.edu