Showing posts with label History. Show all posts
Showing posts with label History. Show all posts

Thursday, March 28, 2013

Art, Archaeology & Greek Culture!

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Archaeology & ancient history enthusiasts and Hellenophiles! 
Join Eurynome Journeys on a rare opportunity to explore the Art, Archaeology & Culture of Greece
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with an archaeologist and art historian as your traveling companion. 

OCT 16-24 or with post-tour extension OCT 28, 2013
Fully escorted small group tour - only 15-22 participants (women & men)
Please reserve your space early to avoid disappointment.

Email or call 207.236.0110 for tour details and information packet

Rolf Winkes, Professor Emeritus at Brown University, will share his knowledge and passion for the ancient world, as you tour with him not only the iconic "must see" sites, but also lesser-known ones.  As we travel through Greece, you will enjoy informative talks in preparation for museum and site visits. Throughout the journey Rolf will focus on select artifacts, illuminating important aspects of Greek culture.  The highlight of the tour will be a visit to the archaeological site that Rolf himself excavated for more than a decade.  Join us on this special journey, a valuable and fascinating opportunity for the first time traveler to Greece or those returning for another look!

In
Athens :
Tour the archaeological site & museum of the Kerameikos, the ancient cemetery; the Agora, the ancient marketplace, & the Agora Museum; the Acropolis & the Acropolis Museum; the National Museum of Archaeology; the Goulandris Museum of Cycladic Art; and the Melina Mercouri Cultural Center. 

Delphi: A full day excursion visiting the ancient site of the Oracle of Apollo and museum.
On the Island of Corfu: 
Tour the site Rolf himself spent twelve summers excavating, at the Palaiopolis with its Mon Repos Museum; tour the island’s scenic countryside and traditional villages; visit the National Gallery Annex and Byzantine Museum; and experience the monuments of Corfu’s rich contemporary history as well as the beautiful 19th century Achilleion palace.
An optional extension:
Travel to mainland Greece, through the rugged mountains of Epirus to its capital Ioannina, with its rich and unique history, on to Metsovo, famed for its cheese and wine, and ending with the incredible cloisters of Metéora, suspended high in the cliffs above!

More about our Archaeologist: Professor Rolf Winkes grew up in Germany, where he did his graduate study in Classical Archaeology, Ancient Greek, Ancient and Prehistoric Archaeology, as well as Egyptology and Early Christian Art and Philosophy. In 1969, he was invited to Brown University, where he taught art and archaeology until 2008.  He co-founded the Center for Old World Archaeology and Art, which was renamed the Joukowsky Institute and today is one of the leading archaeological institutes in the world; and has traveled to two dozen countries on three continents. Rolf spent 12 seasons excavating the Palaipolis of Corfu, beginning in 1986, and later worked at the site of Tongobriga in Portugal. He has taught and published on a diverse number of subjects ranging from the early Greek period until the rise of Christianity, and the influence of the ancient world on later periods. He is now Professor Emeritus of Classical Archaeology, the History of Art and Architecture, and Old World Archaeology and Art at Brown University. He and his wife Mary, a painter, live in Damariscotta, Maine, where he volunteers his time teaching courses at Coastal Senior College.

Click here for tour details 

Thursday, February 7, 2013

HERMITAGE MUSEUM: Feb 7, 1852

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The Hermitage Museum in St Petersburg, Russia opened its doors to the public on February 7, 1852, making it the first public Russian museum.  The museum was founded the Empress Catherine II, popularly known as Catherine the Great, (1729-96) in 1764. But during Catherine’s lifetime, only nobles and ambassadors invited by the Empress had privy to the magnificent collection of masterpieces housed in the Hermitage.   The museum takes it name from Catherine II, for whom it served as a place to retreat in solitude among her beloved works of art.



The first works to adorn the walls of Catherine’s Hermitage, were assembled by Johann Ernst Gotzkowski for Fredrick II of Prussia.  Fredrick II decided not to purchase the collection due to financial concerns.  Catherine, however, had ample means and purchased the 225 works, which consisted of paintings by Rembrandt, Raphael, Titian, Rubens, Jacob Jordaens, Antoon van Dyck, Paolo Veronese, Frans Hals,Holbein, Jan Steen, Hendrick Goltzius, Dirck van Baburen, Hendrick van Balen and Gerrit van Honthorst. Catherine grew her collection to well over 78,000 works including, not only paintings, but also books, engraving, drawings, and coins as well as two natural history galleries.



Today the collection of the Hermitage Museum contains almost 3 million items (2,970,214 to be exact), including the largest collection of paintings in the world.



The Hermitage is one the oldest and largest museums, and it is the most visited museum in Russia and the third most visited in the world.



Main Hermitage Museum complex opening hours:

Tuesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday, Sunday: 10.30-18.00

Wednesday: 10.30-21.00



Hermitage Museum Admission prices:  400 RUB

Citizens of the Russia and Belarus - 250 RUB

Children and students, regardless of nationality, and Russian pensioners - free

Every first Thursday of the month - entrance to the museum is free to all






Join us in July on our tour of Russia with a private pre-opening hours tour of the Hermitage.
http://www.wanderwoman.com/women-only-russia-tour.htm

Thursday, March 17, 2011

GRACE O'MALLEY (GRANUAILE)

Happy St. Patrick's Day! Here is a little preview of our adventure to Ireland in Search of "Pirate Queen" Grace O'Malley.

This documentary was shot on location at the sites we will be visiting with author Anne Chambers (interviewed the documentary).




Join us in August to learn the rest of the story! Maybe even climb to the top of Croagh Patrick on the coast of Clew Bay where St Patrick fasted for 40 days and 40 nights.
Click here to view itinerary.

PART 2 Warrior Women Documentary Grace O'Malley (Granuaile)



PART 3 Warrior Women Documentary Grace O'Malley (Granuaile)



PART 4 Warrior Women Documentary Grace O'Malley (Granuaile)



Please share the story of this virtually forgotten Irish Queen with friends!  And joins us on our adventure In Search of Grace O'Malley with special Guest author Anne Chambers! Arrrgh!
Live, Laugh & Travel to Ireland this year!

www.wanderwoman.com

Thursday, February 17, 2011

EGYPT Urges Travelers to Support Freedom!


On Friday February 18, Egyptians will march on Tahrir Square, but this time to ask tourists to return to Egypt. Their slogan is "Support Freedom, Visit Egypt!" Tourism is Egypt's largest industry. The lack of tourists over the past weeks has had a detrimental effect on the economy of Egypt. The US State Department has not yet lifted travel warnings, but hopefully they will do so soon.

Hope to see you there!

Erja

Friday, April 30, 2010

Featured destination: CRETE


Crete is the largest island in Greece. The coastline offers sandy beaches, medieval port cities and quaint fishing villages. The interior of the island has fertile plains, mountains with traditional villages, and amazing hiking trials.

Best time to visit: May-early October

Weather: May to June warm and sunny. July and August are very hot, sunny and can be windy. September and October are less windy, and not as hot, still lots of sunny days. By October there can be a couple of rainy days, but nice for enjoying the outdoors and many of the tourist have gone home and there are more opportunities to experience local activities.

What to do: Explore archaeological sites from Minoan to Byzantine, gorgeous hikes, sea kayaking, quant seaside & mountain villages, medieval post cities, cooking lessons, wine tasting, markets with local crafts, sandy beaches and eco-resorts, dancing and music!

MUST SEE: Knossos archaeological site, Heraklion Museum, Samaria Gorge, small villages, Venetian old port city of Chania

GETTING THERE: There are several daily flights from Athens to Heraklion (HER), Chania (CHQ), as well as charters in the summer time from the UK and other Europen points.

The NEW Olympic Air

Aegean Airlines

Ferries also run regularly between Piraeus (Port of Athens) and Crete. From Piraeus overnight ferries go to Heraklion in Central Crete and Souda (Port of Chania) in western Crete. There is also a port in Eastern Crete, Agios Nikolaos/Sitia, the route is via Santorini and Milos. From Sitia there is also service to Rhodes.

Ferry schedules http://www.ferries.gr/greek-islands-ferry/ferry_crete.htm

For info about Crete visit: http://www.explorecrete.com/

KNOSSOS and the beginnings of Cretan Archaeology:

Crete is an island of myth and magical beauty. Already in classical times myths about the legendary King Minos of Crete inspired the works of poets and arts. According to myth King Minos demanded an annual tribute of seven youths and maidens from Athens, who were sacrificed the Minotaur, a terrible beast that was half man and half bull.

It wasn’t until excavations in the late 19th and early 20th century that evidence was found indicating that a highly evolved civilization thrived on Crete over three and half thousand years ago. The archaeological site of Knossos, just miles from the modern capital of Heraklion, appears to be a palace complex complete with an underground labyrinth. This find of the maze-like corridors on the lower level of the building led “archaeologist” Author Evans to coin the term “Minoan civilization,” after the legendary King Minos. Evans believed this civilization to have worshipped the Great Mother Goddess, as is suggested by the numerous female figurines unearthed by Evan's and his team (which included the grandfather of our guide on Crete).

The first British female classicist Jane Ellen Harrison visited Evans during his excavation. The finds at Knossos supported Harrison’s theories of an ancient goddess cult in Greece prior to the Heroic period of the Iliad. However Harrison was blackballed by most of scholars of her time and her work was not resurrected until the 1970s, decades after her death. Many of Harrison’s theories have become popular among scholars today.

Knossos archaeological site http://odysseus.culture.gr/h/3/eh352.jsp?obj_id=2369

Bio of Evans http://www.dictionaryofarthistorians.org/evansa.htm

Bio Harrison http://orlando.cambridge.org/public/svPeople?person_id=harrja

Live, Laugh & Travel to Crete!

Friday, March 26, 2010

King TUT returns to NYC April 23!

(Image from www.kingtut.org)
An exhibit of artifacts from King Tutankhamun's tomb will make its final stop in New York starting April 23. It is now at the de Young Museum in San Francisco.
For more details visit NPR.org
BUY tickets at: http://www.kingtut.org/utility/buyTickets
Then next stop Egypt!

Saturday, July 11, 2009

Wanderwoman Cheryl Kerr’s new novel came out July 4, 2009

Photo of Cheryl enjoying sunset cruise in Santorini Greece

One of Eurynome Journeys’ recent Greek Island Adventure travelers, Cheryl (Kempf) Kerr, just publisher her second novel See Ya. To learn more about Cheryl and her latest book visit breakthroughpromotions.com and scroll down to her name.

You can purchase Cheryl’s book at http://chanterpress.com/.

Congratulations Cheryl!!!!

Wednesday, March 4, 2009

Planning a trip to Egypt, Greece, or London...?

If so you will most likely visit the major archaeological sites and museums that are amidst the controversy over ancient treasures discussed in Sharon Waxman’s book Loot, The Battle over the Stolen Treasures of the Ancient World.

Anyone who has traveled to Greece, Egypt, Turkey or any country with a rich ancient past has heard the words
"...and the original is now at the British Museum.." or the Louvre, or the Berlin Museum, etc. The issue of who has the right to ancient treasures of the world was brought back into the public spot light with the 2002 Athens Olympics. Greece took the Olympics as an opportunity bring publicity to their request for the return the Parthenon Marbles (or Elgin Marbles as the British Museum refers to them). But the Marbles still sit in London. And the famed bust of the ancient Egyptian Queen Nefertiti (on book cover to left) sits not in her homeland, but in Berlin.

Hear interview with Sharon Waxman on NPR.

Visit Sharon Waxman’s blog about her travels as she researched her book, a must read for travelers and museum goers!

Friday, February 29, 2008

Ireland Travel in April 2008 to Clifden!


Clifden Railway Heritage Weekend

Celebrating one of the great lost railways of Ireland, Clifden Chamber of Commerce, together with Galway County Council & the Station House Theatre, hosts our inaugural Railway Heritage Weekend from the 18th-20th April, 2008.

The weekend will be launched by Minister Eamonn O’Cuiv on Fri, 18th April at 7pm in Clifden Station House, followed by the reissue of The Connemara Railway by Kathleen Villiers Tuthill. A special late night railway comedy movie, The Titfield Thunderbolt, will be shown in the Station House Theatre.

Saturday will feature a day of lectures and documentaries in the Station House Theatre. Lecturers will include Paul Duffy, Kathleen Villiers Tuthill, Michael Gibbons & Fergus Mulligan. Saturday evening will finish with a Commemorative Railway Dinner in the Clifden Station House .

Sunday winds up the weekend with a fascinating walk along the original railway line guided by local historian & archaeologist Michael Gibbons.

Learn more

Thursday, April 5, 2007

Traveling through History

Brush up on history before you travel to enrich your travel experience. I am addicted the Teaching Company courses on CD. The courses are taught by university professors and are now available as audio downloads-so you can take them with you! (image from teaching co website)

Visit www.teach12.com for a full listing of courses. Be sure to check out their their "ON SALE" section.

Traveling to Italy?
Get the History of the Roman Empire taught by Prof Michael Fagan. Professor Fagan narrates (with a delightful Irish accent) the history of Rome beginning with the myth of Aeneas’ arrival in Italy after the Trojan War and his founding of the Roman race to the fall of the Western Roman Empire in the fifth century CE.

Or get a course about Renaissance Art on DVD. Even better get both!

Going to France and Germany?
Get Medieval Heroines in History and Legend on sale. The course consists of 24 lectures of 30 minute each. The course is taught by Bonnie Wheeler Ph.D., of Southern Methodist University.
“This course presents the lives, based on the latest scholarly interpretations, of four medieval women who still shimmer in the modern imagination: Heloise, the abbess and mistress of Abelard; the prophet Hildegard of Bingen; the legendary Queen Eleanor of Aquitaine; and the woman-warrior and saint, Joan of Arc.” To read more visit their website at www.teach12.com.

Don't really care for history? Too dry? Then get Prof. Fears's Famous Greeks and Romans (the Romans are on sale). He is an extraordinary storyteller.

The Teaching Company lecturers really make history fascinating and knowing the history of a destination makes travel all the more interesting.

Learn, Travel, and Live!