It was time for a change of pace. Less chasing sites and more chilling. Well, chilling our style, which included a five mile hike up a huge rock! We identified a new game for Greece in the car – follow Google Maps. We set the destination as Sparta and chose the shorter, more direct routeContinue reading “Greece: Sparta and Monemvasia”
Author Archives: Peter Ireland
Greece: Mycenae, the Epidaurus Theatre, and Nafplio
At the end of the Liberty University trip retracing Paul, everyone said their farewells and headed in their different directions. Some went east, others north, and the majority headed west back to the US. While a few stayed in Athens, we headed south to explore the Peloponnese for the next seven days. The first adventureContinue reading “Greece: Mycenae, the Epidaurus Theatre, and Nafplio”
Greece: Corinth and Cenchreae
Summary: We visited the remains of the city of ancient Corinth, which Paul visited twice, staying 18 months. And from where he wrote Romans. We visited Acrocorinth’s castle from the time of the Crusades. We also visited Cenchreae, from where Paul departed Greece at the end of his “second” missionary journey. We also visited theContinue reading “Greece: Corinth and Cenchreae”
Greece: Athens Part 2
Summary: We returned to Athens, and visited the ancient agora and Areopagus Hill, that Paul visited, and the Acropolis. Paul in Athens The current size and importance of Athens does not align with Paul’s Athens, and Acts 17:16-34 describes his visit. The Bible does not include any other mention of Athens. Its military losses hadContinue reading “Greece: Athens Part 2”
Books to help follow Paul’s Greek journeys
Before coming to Greece to follow in Paul’s footsteps, we were encouraged to read Luke’s account in Acts 16-18. I wanted to supplement that with additional resources. Below is a review of what I read. I found all of the physical books on Amazon. All of them were easy reads and very useful in differentContinue reading “Books to help follow Paul’s Greek journeys”
Greece: A monastery on the slopes of Mount Olympus
Summary: A fine hike to a monastery dating from the 16th century that is partially restored after the Nazis destroyed it in 1943, followed by a visit to a tiny church in a remote cave and a natural spring. We enjoyed some great gyros, a partially restored Roman theatre, and spent the day in MountContinue reading “Greece: A monastery on the slopes of Mount Olympus”
Greece: Neapolis. Philippi, Thessaloniki, and the Via Egnatia
Summary: Our exploration of the sites where Paul first visited Europe brought the Acts narratives to life. We felt the sea breeze and watched seagulls at the port of Neapolis (now Kavala). We felt the water of the river where Paul baptized Lydia. We touched the stones of the Via Egnatia that Paul had walkedContinue reading “Greece: Neapolis. Philippi, Thessaloniki, and the Via Egnatia”
Greece: Veria (aka Berea) and Vergina
TL;DR: We traveled to Berea (called Veria in modern Greek) where Paul visited in Acts 17:10. Close by was the underground museum of Philip II, father of Alexander the Great. We then continued into Thessaloniki, and we slept adjacent to the Via Egnatia (Egnatian Way), the ancient Roman Road. Berea Our journey continued northward towardContinue reading “Greece: Veria (aka Berea) and Vergina”
Greece: Meteora, and a bit of Thermopylae
TL;DR: An inspiring day visiting monasteries perched atop mountain peaks and surrounded by vertical cliffs. Their remoteness has helped their preservation through the centuries. On the way, we stopped by Leonidas’s statue at the site of the Battle of Thermopylae, the heroic fight between 300 Spartans and the Persian Army, as depicted in the movie,Continue reading “Greece: Meteora, and a bit of Thermopylae”
Greece: Delphi plus plus
TL;DR: The Delphi Inscription helps date Paul’s time in Corinth at the end of AD51 during Gallio’s proconsulship. We got to see it in the Delphi museum where there are many other archaeological pieces close to the site of the remnants of Apollo’s Temple complex. Delphi was originally founded where Oracles would give predictions havingContinue reading “Greece: Delphi plus plus”
Greece: Athens Part 1
TL;DR: We had a fantastic 19 hours in Athens as we transitioned from solo travel to joining our group. The combination of a fine self-guided walking tour, a comfortable hotel with a bird’s eye view of the Acropolis, and a scrumptious meal sitting on a bustling street in the shadow of an old church. WeContinue reading “Greece: Athens Part 1”
Greece: Hydra Island
TL;DR We spent our first two days in Greece staying on Hydra, sampling Greek food, wandering around an old car-free port, and hiking into its dry rugged interior for amazing views. Hydra Hydra (pronounced EE-dra, with a silent “H”) is less than two hours by ferry from Athens’s port, Piraeus. We wanted to spend aContinue reading “Greece: Hydra Island”
Greece: A Prelude in DC
As our flight to Athens was via Dulles airport, we made the most of the stop and checked out Washington DC for a couple of days, visiting the Museum of the Bible, catching a show, and and walking around the monuments. The museum was a great way to set the tone for following in Paul’sContinue reading “Greece: A Prelude in DC”
Hiking Golden’s Castle Rock
Castle Rock has been calling me since our first visit to Colorado School of Mines in Golden in Spring Break of 2021. That visit was to check out the school and Samuel is now a Sopjomore. It’s taken me three years to climb it and it did not disappoint. It towers over Golden’s valley, callingContinue reading “Hiking Golden’s Castle Rock”
Hadrian’s Wall Path: Summary and Reflections
This post is about our walk along Hadrian’s Wall Path. It might be helpful if you are planning a similar trip. Janet and I walked the path westerly over eight days in September 2024 using Macs Adventures to define the itinerary and make the bookings. Below is a summary of the walking. There is aContinue reading “Hadrian’s Wall Path: Summary and Reflections”
HWP: Epilogue
I thought we’d finished yesterday, but it doesn’t really sink in until the following morning when you don’t have to put on hiking gear nor get your bag ready for pick up by the magical luggage carrier that you never meet. The legs no longer ache as much, so perhaps they are now ready forContinue reading “HWP: Epilogue”
HWP Day 8: Carlisle to Bowness-on-Solway
Today was the final leg of our trek across England following Hadrian’s Wall. It did not disappoint, remaining consistent with some of the highlights from previous days while adding a few fun and interesting variations. At 16.7 miles, it was our longest day and it hurt less than others, suggesting we found our trail legs,Continue reading “HWP Day 8: Carlisle to Bowness-on-Solway”
HWP Day 7: Brampton to Carlisle
Today was different and not recommended for other HWP walkers. Our dilemma was how to return to the HWP from the Scotch Arms Mews in Brampton. We had walked off-trail from Haytongate the previous day to get to Brampton. There were a few options. One was to get a taxi back to Haytongate. This wouldContinue reading “HWP Day 7: Brampton to Carlisle”
HWP Day 6: Haltwhistle / Greenhead to Brampton
A rainy start was a bit of a dampener until we had a fine stop at Birdoswald, but not at the museum. The day had more pieces of wall than I was expecting and it was a fine stroll through the English countryside. The side trip to Brampton brought some pleasant and less pleasant surprises.Continue reading “HWP Day 6: Haltwhistle / Greenhead to Brampton”
HWP Day 5: Twice Brewed to Greenhead / Haltwhistle
Today was full of unexpected pleasures. The weather forecast had been a depressing amount of mist and heavy rain but the weather set a great mood. While there was plenty of climbing, our feet did not ache much at the end of the day and we enjoyed plenty of solitude hiking along a ridge. AContinue reading “HWP Day 5: Twice Brewed to Greenhead / Haltwhistle”
The Adventures of the Cajunlimeys 