The Greek Isles & Istanbul: A Voyage Through History & Culture

A truly wonderful and well organized set of historical and cultural set of experiences through a variety of Greek Islands and spanning Byzantine Christianity to Islamic mosques. It was wonderful to have Dr. Joanna on board and give detailed history lectures and I enjoyed watching the professional photographer, Georgia in action as she took photos. However, I would suggest adding one more day in Athens to this itinerary after the group arrives in Athens (exhausted from long haul flights) so that participants can recover from their transit from the USA to Athens and see the wonders of Athens such as the Greek & Roman Agora and the National Archeological museum before the day designated to climb up the Acropolis. Another addition would be to spend an overnight at one of the islands such as Samos and let the participants explore a bit more on their own such as the other side of this fascinating island or even organize a nice swimming afternoon at a beautiful island beach. A criticism I have is that the brochure promised two items that did not happen and that is not a good thing: we did not get to swim in the Aegean Sea off the ship (and many of us packed swim suits and snorkeling gear) and we did not see the Straits of the Dardanelles as we passed through at 3:00 am and we were not awakened to see this event. One last comment is about our leader, Georgia Papadopoulou: she is clearly an experienced leader and knows her material but, in my opinion, she is not empathetic towards her group members nor does she "read the room" very well. When people offered suggestions she became defensive and blamed the participants. One example is that she had the habit of walking ahead and then saying "I am here" but gave no details as to where "here" is or was! On a positive note, many people loved reading the book, "The Last Apartment in Istanbul" and the group discussion that opened our eyes to issues between Greece and Turkey. Thank you for a wonderful tour.

The itinerary was superb. The Istanbul hotel--Ramada Taksin--served terrible food, with one dinner nearly inedible. The staff made several mix-ups which caused confusion for the welcome meeting. The location was not convenient. Suggest using a different hotel. We enjoyed the sites in Istanbul and our local guides were wonderful. Although one day was quite full, we appreciated the timing so that we could visit key sites on days they were open. The Istanbul discovery walk took us through colorful neighborhoods. I also enjoyed the Blue Mosque and Hagia Sophia, and the City walls of Constantinople. Having time to roam the Spice Bazar was great. Our guide Maria was very knowledgeable. She seemed to become flustered at several points. She remained cheerful and positive. The ship was magnificent although the food was very disappointing and fell far short of Roads Scholar standards. Food was usually cold. Meat heavy and few vegetarian choices. I expected locally caught seafood, but the fish dishes were badly prepared--maybe frozen and heated? Breakfast was the same every day. The scrambled eggs were the highlight. The islands chosen for our visit were wonderful. My favorites were Mykonos, Chios (especially Pyrgi), Ephesus, and Syros. I appreciated that most islands were small with exquisite buildings and sites of interest. Other than the Acropolis, Athens was a disappointment to me. Perhaps more time there would have endeared me to the city. The hotel, Divani Palace Acropolis, was excellent. Having a photographer, particularly Tommy, was excellent. He gave practical tips, provided wonderful company, and delivered excellent photos. I highly recommend the Divani Palace Acropolis hotel. Overall a wonderful trip, excepting the food in the Istanbul hotel and on the ship.

An absolutely super tour. We visited many important historical locations and sites. Our group leaders, local guides and guest lecturers, all of whom are experts in their respective fields, provided us with wealth of important and interesting information about the sites and locations that we visited. A great experience and a great value for the price tag.

Greece and Turkey by land and sea in this RS program was educational and enjoyable. Loved the guides, the participants and the staffs— particularly the ship’s crew. As always I love being a Road Scholar.

Exceeded our expectations. Our guide Roula was amazing. Well informed, excellent communicator, and overall group leader. I'm afraid that maybe we peaked with our first trip. The next trip (and there will be more) will have a lot to live up to. The boat portion was excellent, with great crew, perfect size, and no packing/unpacking for the 7 days on the boat. The pace was just what I was looking for, though there were a few people that probably overreached on their abilities. It didn't cause a real problem with our particular group. The Athens hotel was nice, and dinner the first night was amazing (rooftop, parthenon view). The Istanbul hotel could be better. It was clean and comfortable enough, but had poor internet, and the staff didn't speak English much. The food was less than mediocre. Certainly no deal breaker. As a whole, the food on this trip was excellent. The busses used were top notch, with the exception of one that was just OK. The itinerary was excellent, and while the pace was brisk, there was plenty of free time to explore on your own (if you wanted to). We got to numerous places I'd have never found on my own, a little more off the beaten path. This was much appreciated with all the participants on this trip. Our travelmates really made this trip. Smart, curious, and interesting. The interaction with others is the key factor for me. I've been one to plan trips all on my own. This was a chance to try something completely different. I don't see going back for anything substantial. Road Scholar, and our guide made this trip stress free, so we could thouroughly enjoy the experience. It was obvious that they knew what they were doing, and made concious decisions to maximize the enjoyment for all. That in itself makes for a great value. We'll be planning our next trip in the coming days!