Registration is open to Carleton alumni only until November 1, after which registration will be open to others. Sam has a number of friends and some family members who want to join the Carls on this trip if space permits.

Not your typical island-hopping tour, this trip offers immersion in one place: Lesvos, the second largest island of Greece. Spring in the Aegean! Lesvos is suddenly resplendent with wildflowers, visited by myriad species of birds migrating from North Africa to Eurasia, and steeped in the annual rites of spiritual renewal that is Orthodox Easter (April 4, 2010). This 9-day trip is an exploration of the idea of islands, of nature and agriculture, of food and culture, of art and architecture, and of a sleepy island awakening from a long period of relative isolation into a new era of touristic development. The itinerary will bring participants up close and personal with the life and commerce of the island through discussions with farmers, hoteliers, government officials and business owners.

Walking and Touring

With 5 days of walking and 4 days of touring and relaxing on this rugged and enchanting island, we will participate in the annual physical and spiritual renewal of Lesvos. The hikes, led by Eva Traumann, a local professional guide, will be 10-20 kilometers (c. 9-12 miles) each, entailing 4-6 hours each walking day, carrying a small, light backpack. One must be sure-footed on trails that are quite rocky and steep in places. See the Fitness Requirements sidebar document for further details.

The itinerary will combine moderate day-hikes (by the sea and inland) with participation in celebratory traditions (including cooking and feasting) of Greek Orthodox Easter, the most important holiday of the Greek calendar. When not walking, we will visit museums, farms, salt flats, restaurants, markets, fishing villages, beaches, and historic buildings that reveal the authentic charms and cherished traditions of Lesvos. For part of the trip we will be accompanied by a storyteller and scholar (Dr. Deborah Kazazis, former Dean of Anatolia College) who will entertain us with her deep knowledge of the canon of Greek folktales. The trip will be spiced throughout with optional opportunities for cooking-lessons, swimming, hot springs, world-class birding and wildflower walks, an environmental education center, and impromptu conversations and diversion. Bring your cameras!

Accommodations

We will stay in three different hotels, each embodying a different approach to commerce and hospitality. We will discuss these with three entertaining and informative sets of hoteliers. Iannis and Daphni Trombounis operate the fun and eclectic Hotel Votsala on the NE coast (with views into Turkey) that hosts American university groups for long-term study programs and people from all over the world who are looking for a nice hotel near the capital with a beautiful beach-front and a warm and off-beat rhythm. Andonis Bertolis, a refined Athenian businessman who operates a highly professional, first class hotel (Hotel Delfinia) in Molyvos (NW coast), is sensitive to ecological issues even as he operates a luxury hotel and appeals to a very different clientele that the other two hotels. Hotel Mytilinia is a pleasant sea-side location in the SW part of Lesvos.

Itinerary

Mornings will be filled with hikes or other activities, until lunch (about 2pm in Greece), after which participants are free to nap, read, shop, and/or participate in optional outings. While the itinerary is still in development and subject to changes, the brief description that follows here, combined with the more detailed itinerary included in the web-site sidebar, provide a detailed description of what to expect. We will begin with a rest day at Hotel Votsala, followed by a visit to historic sites in Mytlini, art museums and discussion with officials of the Lesvos Local Development Company (ETAL), which administers EU funding for economic development, including trail construction and eco-tourism development.

The next 4 days will be in Molyvos at Hotel Delfinia, where we will take day-hikes, tour the medieval old city architecture, visit the studio of an icon painter, shop at the market and cook an Easter feast at the beautiful home of a Minnesota Greek-American family, attend midnight Easter church service, and discuss Orthodox Easter and its traditions.

We will visit the impressive new Museum of Industrial Olive Oil Production. For several days we will hike in the region of the Gulf of Kalloni and explore various agricultural and culinary traditions and enterprises. Our trip will conclude with discussion with ETAL officials and a hike at a new Environmental Education center in the mountains near Asomatos.

Faculty

College Librarian since 1998, Sam Demas, is Greek American and an avid mountain walker. He spent six months in Greece on a Fulbright Fellowship in 1992, walked in Greece for six weeks in 2005, and has visited many friends and family over the years. Demas spent 10 days on Lesvos in 2008, on foot and by motor scooter, meeting people and making plans for this trip. He will share with you his enthusiasm for Greece, European-style long distance walking, wildflowers, and rural life. Sam will lead discussions and give a several talks, including a presentation on Greek Orthodox religion, monasticism, and Easter traditions. Sam’s companion and curator of Carleton’s art collection, Laurel Bradley, will also accompany the group. Sam and Laurel led a similar Alumni Adventures trip to the mountains of Northern Greece in 2006. In the fall of 2009 we will provide a reading list to inform our discussions and explorations.

Optional 3-Day Extension

Our tour operator, Educational Tours & Cruises (ETC) has operated tours in Greece and the Mediterranean for over 30 years and is happy to arrange an optional extension tour based on the preference of participants. We could add on a trip to West coast of Turkey, to include visits to ancient Pergamon and Ephesus, or a visit to the nearby island of Chios, focusing on botany and hiking. Also possible is a visit to the lesser-known islands of Limnos, or Tinos or Andros. If you are interested in an optional extension, contact Sam Demas and he will work with the interested participants and ETC to put together a fun optional extension trip at a reasonable cost.

Pricing

We have worked with ETC and taken recommendations from previous tours to keep the price of this trip as low as possible. For example, breakfasts and most dinners will be provided, but lunch will be on your own. See the Itinerary in the web-site sidebar for a list of what is included.

The rate per person (determined in November 2009 based on an exchange rate of one euro=$1.50 and based on double occupancy) depends on the number of trip participants. Talk your friends into joining us!

• For 20 participants: $ 2,900
• For 15 participants: $ 3,200
• For 12 participants: $ 3,350
• For 10 participants: $ 3,600

Single supplement: $ 680

If the exchange rate is more favorable to the dollar at the time of final payment, there will be a reduction in the trip price.

Payment Schedule, Cancellation and Refund Policy

Deposit amount: $500 per person

Balance due on February 1, 2010

The alumni office will collect reservations until we have enough participants to make sure that the trip will go.  At that time, after informing the travelers, we will process the deposit payments.

Cancellations between time when deposits are processed (probably mid-December) until February 1--Deposit is forfeited

Cancellations February 1-March 15--50% refund

Cancellations after March 15--No refund

TOUR OPERATOR:  Educational Tours & Cruises, Glyfada, Greece

Questions?

Contact Amy Goerwitz at the Alumni Affairs Office: 800-729-2586 or 507-222-5645 (direct line) or by e-mail at amy.goerwitz@carleton.edu.