Athens
October 1-6
accommodations
HERODION HOTEL
The Herodion is the best-located hotel in Athens, just about next door to the Acropolis Museum and across the street from the Acropolis. All the fun cafés of Athens are within a stone’s throw. And the view!—not to be believed.
Rovertou Galli 4, Athina 117 42, Greece
DAY 1 – The tour starts again this afternoon with a walk through the center of Athens, led by Professor Lear. We get our first glimpse of the Acropolis, with its glorious temples and dramatic setting-as well as of the Agora below. Gay history is all around us: we see the llissos-the river where Socrates discourses on male-male love in Plato’s dialogues; the remains of the vast temple built by the Roman Emperor Hadrian (the first great fan of Greek homosexuality); the statue of Lord Byron, the bisexual English rake whose heroic death dramatized the Greek revolution against the Ottoman Empire; and several other sights that underscore the gay theme that runs through ancient Greek history. After a fascinating lecture on same-sex love in ancient Greece, it’s time to eat! We celebrate the beginning of our tour with a delicious meal of traditional Greek food, at a roof-top restaurant with a splendid view of the illuminated Acropolis.
DAY 2 – Today we spend the morning exploring the Acropolis with our archaeologist guide: first the hilltop itself and then the excellent new museum at its base. After a lovely lunch in the museum’s neighborhood, we continue our exploration of the heart of the ancient city, visiting the Agora, which served as the city’s central marketplace and the Kerameikos, or main cemetery, where Pericles delivered his immortal funeral oration. We learn about the glory of classical Athens, while focusing on the central role of same-sex relations in Athenian culture: in particular, we learn about Harmodius and Aristogeiton, the gay couple that served as Ancient Athens’ Uncle Sam. This evening is free for your own explorations of our hotel’s neighborhood-the Plaka, the heart of historic Athens.
DAY 3 – Today we take a trip out of Athens to explore the fascinating sights of the northern Peloponnese, just across the Corinthian Gulf. Our first stop is at Nemea, the site of one of the ancient Greek world’s four great athletic competitions. Less well known than Olympia, Nemea is of special interest to us for the astonishing homoerotic graffiti from 2500 years ago preserved on its walls. After lunch we visit the mysterious ruins of Mycenae, center of the world of the Iliad-where we will discuss the fascinating relationship of the hero Achilles and his friend (and possibly lover) Patroclus. Finally, we visit the world’s best-preserved ancient theater, in nearby Epidauros, before returning to Athens for a free evening.
DAY 4 – Today we make a second day excursion, to visit another one of Greece’s most famous sites, the vast temple complex of Delphi. Here the ancients came to consult the oracles of Apollo, which they received from the ravings of a drugged priestess. We take a thorough look at the vast site and the museum, and pay special attention to the cult statue of the divine Antinous, the emperor Hadrian’s deified lover-and pagan competitor for Jesus Christ! Statues of Antinous have been found throughout the Greco-Roman world, but as we will see, the statue in Delphi seems to have been worshipped with special zeal. Lunch is included en route. On our way back to Athens, we stop at a rarely visited site that is rich in gay history: the lion monument of Chaironeia. Built to commemorate the Sacred Band, the crack regiment of later classical Greece, the monument honors a warrior unit composed exclusively of lover/beloved couples. We return to Athens for a free evening.
DAY 5 – This morning, we cross Athens to visit the National Archaeological Museum, with the world’s greatest collection of ancient Greek sculpture. Our visit focuses on the amazing history of the male nude in ancient Greek art, plus a number of other fascinating artifacts that include Greek vases (Professor Lear’s specialty). This afternoon is free, for shopping, more archaeological touring, or perhaps for a trip out to the iconic temple of Neptune on the coastal headlands at Sounio. In the evening we offer an optional lesson in traditional Greek cooking with a prominent local chef, where we will enjoy the results of our cooking.
Santorini
October 6-8
accommodations
ARESSANA SPA HOTEL AND SUITES
Perched on a cliff with spectacular view over the sea and Santorini’s famous sunsets, the Aressana is an oasis of grace and quiet—and only five minutes walk from the shopping and restaurants in the heart of Fira, the island’s capital.
Mitropoleos, Thira 847 00, Greece
DAYS 6 – 7 We take an early morning ferry across the Aegean for lovely views of the Cycladic islands, landing in Santorini before lunch. We spend two days exploring this ravishing island, curved around the bay created in prehistoric times by a sunken volcanic caldera. We visit Akrotiri, the Minoan city that may have inspired the Atlantis legend as well as the island’s sparkling white villages, famous for its sunsets over the caldera and the donkeys that form their traditional transport system. Lunch will be included on both days as we explore the island; evenings will be free for relaxed dinners.
Mykonos
October 8-10
accommodations
MYCONIAN KORALI
The Myconian Korali is just outside and above the Chora (town) of Mykonos. It is in a stunning, quite spot, but just a few minutes from the Old Port, Little Venice, and so on.
Mykonos Town, Mykonos 846 00, Greece
DAYS 8 -9 – A short two-hour ferry ride takes us to Mykonos, perhaps the loveliest of the Greek islands, famous for its beautiful white village, its turquoise sea, its beaches-and its gay nightlife. We visit Mykonos town (including its archaeological museum, with some explicitly sexy images from ancient times) and we also spend a full morning on the nearby island of Delos, the Greek Pompeii, with its amazingly well-preserved ancient city-including the famous row of phalluses in front of the temple of Bacchus! And on Day 9, we will have one last lovely Greek seafood dinner to toast our new friends, this beautiful country, and its amazing gay past!
DAY 10 – Our Greece tour ends with breakfast this morning, but join us in Italy after just a few days of R&R! And let us know if we can help with your flight arrangements or further travel plans.
DAY 11 – We start our tour of Italy with a walking tour in the center of Florence, learning about the city’s key role in the Renaissance and the role of homosexual love in the Renaissance. Our afternoon ends with a visit to the Galleria dell’Accademia, where we see Michelangelo’s ‘slaves’ and the international symbol of male beauty, his David. This evening, we get to know our group over a glorious meal of Florentine specialties, centered on the most famous la bistecca alla Fiorentina, and its splendid red wines.
DAY 13 – This morning we take the express train to Naples, passing through the hills of central Italy. On arrival, we have the first of our Neapolitan meals-pizza in the city that invented it! We spend our afternoon visiting the great Naples Archaeological Museum, where we see the amazing collection of frescoes and statues that were excavated in Pompeii and other nearby sites. The Museum also has some fabulous homoerotic pieces, including the joint statues of Harmodios and Aristogeiton, the male-male couple who were revered as the founders of the Athenian democracy; also, there is the fascinating Gabinetto Segreto, the collection of erotic art that until the 1960s was only open to “people of mature age and respectable morals.” This evening we have dinner in our hotel’s neighborhood, along the city’s famous bay.
DAY 16 – After our train ride from Naples, we have a classic Roman lunch, and then set off a walking tour through the central pedestrian area of this amazing city. We see many of the famous sights and many quiet, unknown nooks. We visit monuments such as the Pantheon, the Piazza Navona, the Trevi fountain, and the Piazza di Spagna with its famous staircase. With thousands of years of history in every street, we encounter some of the key themes of our tour, from Hadrian, the “gayest” emperor, to Michelangelo’s biggest crush, to Caravaggio, the artistic rebel and genius, as well as Rome’s great opera heritage. Along the way we make stops for coffee (at possibly the best cafe in Italy) and gelato, one of Rome’s many signature specialties. The evening is free for your own explorations. Given that our hotel is in the absolute center of the city, there are many excellent restaurants nearby (please ask us for suggestions!).