Program

Day 1 Tuesday 22/4: Larnaca – Chania Airport – Rethymno
Assembly at Larnaca Airport and departure for Chania. Arrival, boarding buses and transfer to the picturesque city of Rethymno. Arrival at the hotel and settling into rooms.
Dinner at the hotel’s “OTHELLO” restaurant.

Day 2 Wednesday 23/4: Asi Gonia (Feast of Saint George) – Panagia Myriokefalon – Argyroupoli
07.15-08.15 am: Breakfast and departure for church service at Saint George the Galata in Asi Gonia. During the Turkish occupation, the village was not invaded by the enemy due to the difficult terrain of the area. Its inhabitants took part in all the liberation struggles and the revolution of 1897 was declared here. The Supreme Committee of the Struggle of Crete against the German occupation army in World War II was also headquartered in Asi Gonia. On the day of the feast of Saint George of Galatas, an ancient custom is revived, that of blessing the sheep. The farmers of the area consider the Saint their patron saint and on the day of the feast they gather with their flocks in the village church located in the square. The spectacle is impressive, as thousands of sheep adorned with bells (leria) are led in a row to the chapel... They are herded and wait for the priest to bless them... The farmers milk them and distribute the milk to residents and visitors. Usually the milk that is donated exceeds two tons. According to the residents of Asi Gonia, the custom has been revived since the existence of their village. For some, milking the sheep symbolizes the solidarity that people should have with each other, which is why the milk is distributed to everyone. It is also said that it symbolizes the vow that the residents have to Ai-Giorgis, as an expectation and anticipation of protection from all evil. On the day of the celebration, the mountainous community of Crete becomes a magnet for visitors. In fact, the great Mikis Theodorakis named his first symphonic work - which is based on Cretan folk motifs - "The Festival of Asi-Gonia". In addition to the blessing of the sheep, there will also be a procession of the icon of Agios Georgios. Then we depart for the village of Myriokefala and a pilgrimage to the miraculous icon of Panagia Antiphonitria, which is celebrated on September 8. The church of Panagia of Myriokefala was the catholicon of the monastery of Panagia Antiphonitria of the 11th century. which no longer survives. The monastery was built by Saint John the Foreigner, around 1020 and operated until the beginning of the 20th century. We end up at the springs of Argyroupoli, an idyllic location with dense vegetation, centuries-old trees, running water, small waterfalls, ponds and watermills. The springs are also known as the springs of Agia Dynami because the water comes from a nearby cave, inside which there is the small chapel of Agia Dynami. Free time for lunch. Return in the afternoon to Rethymno.
19.30 pm: Gathering at the hotel and offering a welcome drink with various snacks.
20.00 pm: Dinner at the hotel's "OTHELLO" restaurant.

Day 3 Thursday 24/4: Monastery of Saint George Selinari – Saint Nicholas – Elounda – Spinalonga – Heraklion
07.30-08.00 am: Breakfast and departure for Eastern Crete. First stop for pilgrimage to the Men's Monastery of Saint George Selinari, which is built in the heart of the Selinari gorge. For Cretans, it is considered a sin to cross the gorge without stopping at Saint George. We continue our journey to the picturesque town and capital of the Lassithi prefecture, Saint Nicholas. Its trademark is Lake Voulismeni, a small lagoon in the center of the city. Dozens of legends are associated with it due to its very deep waters, such as the fact that it has no depth. The Germans had dumped war material at the bottom of the lake before abandoning Crete in 1944. A walk around the lake is a nice experience. Then we head north and at a distance of about 10 km. we meet the world-famous tourist resort, Elounda. From there we will visit the island of Spinalonga, known as the last leper colony in Europe, while it was one of the most important Venetian castles in Crete. Our last stop is the city of Heraklion, the largest urban and economic center of the island and the capital of the Region of Crete. We will see the Loggia, the Morozini Fountain (Liontarakia), the Church of St. Catherine with the museum of Byzantine icons, St. Minas (Metropolitan Church of Heraklion), St. Titos and the imposing fortress of "Koule" at the entrance to the old Venetian harbor. During the Venetian rule, the fortress was known by the names Rocca a Mare or Castello a Mare or Castello, meaning fortress at the sea. It eventually became known as “Koules”, from the Turkish name Su Kulesi. It was built on the site of an older fortress that had been seriously damaged by an earthquake in 1303. In the afternoon we return to Rethymno.
20.00 pm: Dinner at the hotel’s “OTHELLO” restaurant.

Day 4 Friday 25/4: Chrysopigi Monastery – Chania – Therisso – Lake Kournas
07.30-08.15 am: Breakfast and departure for western Crete and the prefecture of Chania. First stop for a pilgrimage to the Holy Patriarchal and Stavropegial Monastery of Chrysopigi, which is celebrating its anniversary today. It was founded in the mid-16th century, is dedicated to the Virgin Mary of the Life-Giving Spring and during this period it emerged as an important spiritual center of the region. During the Turkish occupation it was destroyed, while from 1848 onwards the monastery was renovated and repopulated. During World War II, the monks were forced to leave and the architectural structure of the buildings was severely damaged. In 1976 it was converted into a women's convent and the brotherhood restored the Monastery from the foundations. The sisters practice traditional monastic arts, such as icon painting and temple mural painting, gold embroidery, stone carving, bookbinding, beekeeping, waxwork, the production of incense and handmade soap, etc. An important activity of the Monastery is the publication of books, while it operates an Ecclesiastical and Folklore Museum. Olive oil is cultivated on its estates using organic farming methods. Immediately afterwards we arrive in Chania where we will visit the Municipal Market, which was inaugurated in 1913 and built on the leveled Venetian bastion Piatta Forma, the leather goods market, the Venetian harbor with its colorful buildings, the Egyptian lighthouse (one of the landmarks of Chania) and the historic fortress “Firka” which the Venetians used as a prison for Greeks sentenced to death. There the Greek flag was raised, in front of Venizelos and King Constantine in 1913, as a seal of the union with Greece. We continue our journey – passing through a 6km long gorge. – for the village of Therisso with its enchanting landscape and natural beauty. It is located at the foot of the White Mountains and is famous for the “Therisso Revolution” since it began here on March 10, 1905, led by Eleftherios Venizelos, with the aim of uniting Crete with Greece. The central square of the village is dominated by the statue of the great Greek politician. In the afternoon, return to Rethymno with a stopover at Lake Kournas, the only natural lake on an island in the Mediterranean, which is located in a magical landscape, between the western slopes of the White Mountains and the fertile plain of Georgioupolis.
20.00 pm: Dinner at the hotel’s “OTHELLO” restaurant.
21.00 pm: Possibility of organizing a tombola at the hotel.

Day 5 Saturday 26/4: Rethymno (city tour)
07.30-09.45 am: Breakfast and walking tour of the city. Visit of the coastal road, the Venetian port, the old town (which was designated a Historical Monument in 1967, and a Traditional Settlement in 1985), the Venetian fortress Fortezza and the Holy Metropolis of Rethymno. Then we arrive at the square of Our Lady of the Angels where the church of the Little Virgin Mary is located, which was built during the Venetian occupation and was dedicated to Saint Mary Magdalene of the Dominican Order. It is a three-aisled church that was converted into a mosque during the Ottoman occupation and in 1680 a minaret was added that soon collapsed. Our tour concludes at the church of the Holy Four Martyrs. The Holy Four Martyrs George, Angelis, Manuel and Nicholas were all married, virtuous in life and Crypto-Christians. This secret but well-guarded Christian faith of theirs, like all Crypto-Christians, was sought for an opportunity to reveal in accordance with the commandment of the Lord “Whoever confesses me before men, I will also confess before my Father in heaven”. That is why when in 1821 the Greeks and Cretans took up arms against the Turks, the Four Martyrs also took part, “fighting bravely for faith and homeland”. In 1824, as is well known, the revolution in Crete was suppressed. Then the Turks arrested the Saints and took them to Mehmet, the Turkish Pasha of Rethymno, who tried with promises to convince them to return to Mohammedanism. However, the Saints' answer was brave and firm "We were born Christians and we will die Christians". Prison and torture until their sentence to death by beheading was the continuation.
Free time in the picturesque alleys of the old town with the traditional rakadika and enjoy the beach with its golden sand. You can visit the People's Market (bazaar) organized in the city. We also recommend visiting the shopping streets (Kountouriotis Avenue, Ethnikis Antistaseos and Arkadiou Avenue), with a multitude of shops at affordable prices.
19.30 pm: Gathering at the hotel and offering a farewell drink with various snacks.
20.00 pm: Dinner at the hotel's "OTHELLO" restaurant.

Day 6 Sunday 27/4: Arkadi Monastery – Axos – Anogia – Heraklion Airport – Larnaca
07.30-08.15: Breakfast and departure to the hinterland of Rethymno Prefecture. Our first stop is the Arkadi Monastery, which was founded around the 11th century by the monk Arkadios and is the holiest symbol of the Cretan Struggle for Freedom. The last act of the drama and another glorious page of Greek history was written in the monastery's gunpowder store. Kostis Giamboudakis or according to others Emmanuel Skoulas blew it up, spreading death, not only to the Christians, but also to the invaders. Immediately afterwards, the Cretan Turks and Albanians rushed in and massacred those who had survived, while burning the temple and looting the sacred relics. This event paved the way for the liberation of the island in 1898. It is worth mentioning that UNESCO has designated Arkadi as a European Monument of Freedom. We continue our journey heading to the foothills of Psiloritis and the village of Axos. We will visit the Museum of Woodcarvings, which includes a 20-year collection of works (including a statue in honor of Solomos Solomos) by the sculptor Georgios Koutantos. The space operates as both a museum and a workshop. The dimensions of the sculptures are in natural size, while some of them are also presented in larger dimensions. Nearby we will find Anogia, famous for their contribution to culture. Wander the narrow alleys of the village and get to know its hospitable people up close. Great Cretan lyre players and singers come from Anogia, with the most notable being the “nightingale of Crete”, the legendary Nikos Xylouris, whose house is located in the Perachori neighborhood. Pilgrimage to the Church of St. John the Baptist located in the central square, whose iconography dates back to the first decades of the 14th century. At noon we depart for the “Nikos Kazantzakis” airport of Heraklion and the return flight to Cyprus, leaving with the best impressions of our six-day stay in Crete.