the Armistice ON WWI s eastern fronts A voyage through the Aegean aboard the MS Panorama II FROM THESSALONIKI TO ATHENS 11 20 OCTOBER 2018
Mudros Harbour Lemnos - 2015 reenactment of the 1915 arrival of nurses on Lemnos photographed during Wild Earth s successful 2015 WWI Nurses voyage. Photo: Andrew Batchelor. HMS Agamemnon c 1915 - Armistice with Ottoman Empire signed on board 30 October 1918, Mudros Harbour. (Torpedo nets attached to oars ). Source: Library of Congress. HMS Agamemnon Memorial East Mudros Lemnos. This voyage commemorates the end of the First World War. Weeks before the Armistice with Germany the guns stopped on the largely forgotten fronts in the Balkans and Palestine, bringing the war with Bulgaria and the Otttoman Empire to an end. It was here that the survivors could start to think about a life without the War. Between eight and nine million servicemen died during the First World War but double that number, between eighteen and twenty million, were casualties. It was a huge public health disaster and the communities dealing with it were exhausted personally and materially by the effort of four years at war. In one sense the War did not end tidily, because a new struggle started, the struggle to make some sense of what had happened. This voyage in the Aegean remembers the survivors, particularly the doctors and nurses who returned to Australia and New Zealand where, as military historian Chris Pugsley put it, people did not have any real understanding of what they had been through. Nor could they tell them it was an age when gentlemen did not tell women of lice, fl ies and dysentery, and of men dying in agony... Our journey across the Aegean will give participants much to refl ect on, as many of those Anzacs had in the timeless setting of the Aegean, sailing amongst the islands where our civilization began. (Keynote speaker to be confi rmed). info@wildearth-travel.com
Eptapyrgio Castle - Thessaloniki. Photo: Andrew Batchelor. Delos Crete Mykonos Pergamon beginning of the end of the First World War. The Electra Palace is the base for our exploration of Thessaloniki and the Macedonian or Salonika Front. Meet your fellow travellers tonight over dinner and hear of our plans for tomorrow. DAY 2: Thessaloniki the Salonika Front (B, L, D) For the people of Salonika, as the city was called in 1915, the First World War was a continuation of the the First and Second Balkan Wars (1912, 1913). Salonika had become part of Greece only in 1912. British and French troops arrived there in October 1915 to safe-guard the strategic port of Salonika and maintain a front line after the Serb Army was routed by Bulgarian troops. Australians and New Zealanders were part of the medical services on this Front. Today we travel by bus to the 1915 Front Line. A century ago there was no road; mules evacutaed the casualties to hospitals in and around Salonika. Accompanied by local historians and our own guides we look at the mountainous terrain the troops had to defend in this largely overlooked campaign. Our day will focus on Diorani, on Lake Dioran, now the border with Macedonia. We visit the nearby Dioran Monument and have a lunch stop at a local taverna. The guns stopped here after the Armistice of Salonika was signed with Bulgaria on 29 September 1918. The centenary will be commemorated in 2018 at the Dioran Memorial and in Skjope, the capital of Macedonia. OUR ITINERARY: DAY 1: Arrive Thessaloniki (D) Thessaloniki is the second city of Greece and has been a vibrant cultural and trade centre through two millienia, successively being part of the Roman, Byzantine and Ottoman Empires. A disastrous fire destroyed much of the historic lower town in 1917 and what we see today is a relatively modern city rebuilt with straight streets and a sweeping seaside corniche. It has a strategic position on the northern shores of the Thermaic Gulf with a spectacular mountain backdrop, a fitting place to start our journey to commemorate the DAY 3: Thessaloniki - Embark Panorama II (B, L, D) We start the day in Thessaloniki visiting the Mikra Commonwealth War Cemetery. Here we remember the New Zealand Hospital, the first Allied Hospital sent to Salonika and the Australian nurses who worked in Salonika s Military Hospitals caring for thousands of malaria casualties. Margaret Rogers from the Marquette and Gertrude Munro of Ballarat are buried here. We visit some of the historic sites in the city like the White Tower, Saint Dimitrios Church, the Archaeological Museum and the Lembet Road Cemetery. At Lembet Road as well as more Commonwealth graves there are the graves of hundreds of wildearth-travel.com
Clockwise: Zodiac landings allow access to smaller ports; Gallipoli Soldiers Memorial; Acropolis in Athens. Photo: Andrew Batchelor. the Italian, Serb and French troops reminding us of the number of nations fighting in this Front. This afternoon we board our ship the Panorama II in the historic port of Thessaloniki. Take the opportunity to familiarise yourself with the vessel and settle into your home for the coming journey. Later this evening we will pass the site of the wreck of the torpedoed Marquette and salute the wreck with a wreath. DAY 4: Lemnos Mudros (B, L, D) Today we sail into this huge harbour captured in 1912 by the Greek Navy from the Turks. The Anzacs assembled and trained here for the April landings at Gallipoli. Mudros was the Navy s headquarters for shipping to and from the Gallipoli peninsula. British, French, Canadian and Australian military hospitals were sited around the shores of the harbour. With its submarine nets it was a a safe haven for the Allied Fleet throughout the War. Panorama II will anchor just as the naval vessels did a century ago. We will land from the ship s tenders, the way the injured arrived from the battles of Lone Pine and Chanuk Bair in 1915. Today we remember particularly the Third Australian General Hospital sited on what was then known as Turks Head. We will have a reception in the village of Portianos, visiting their cemetary before traveling past the modern airport to Mudros, the village on the eastern side of the harbour, still largely unchanged since 1915. After visiting the Mudros Cemetary we return to Panorama II to watch the famed sunset and reflect on the vista of the surrounding hills. This was the backdrop for the Armistice of Mudros signed on board HMS Agamemnon on 30 October 1918 ending the fighting with the Ottoman Turks. DAY 5: Lemnos Myrina (B, L, D) Overnight the Panorama II will reposition to be berthed in the port of Myrina, the largest town and administrative centre of Lemnos, known as Kastro in 1915. We spend the morning exploring the ancient history of Lemnos, visiting the amphitheatre of Hephaestia which dates from 1000 B.C. Later we visit the baths at Therma, these therapeutic springs have a history dating back to Homer s age; according to myth it was here that the god Ifestos was brought to heal his wounds after falling from Olympus. Thyrma was very popular too with the troops on Lemnos in 1915. There will also be time to explore the town of Myrina independently and for the energetic, there is the climb to the castle above the town. We plan to host a lunch aboard Panorama II for the people of Lemnos who made the ships visit to Mudros Harbour possible. DAY 6: Gallipoli, Turkey (B, L, D) This morning we begin the day early as Panorama II joins the line of ships to be piloted through the Dardanelles. Join our historians on deck as we sail past the islands of Gokeada and Bozca, now Turkish but as Imbros and Tenedos they played a large part in the Gallipoli Campaign. The monuments to the Battle for Gallipoli on Cape Helles at the mouth of the Dardanells are clearly visible. We then proceed to dock in the port city of Canakkale. Here our tour of the Gallipoli Peninsula starts with the ferry across the Dardanelles to the town of Ercebat. We have a full day of touring by bus planned for the peninsula, with a particular focus on what is now known as Anzac Cove - the beaches where the ANZAC casualties were evacuated. DAY 7: Pergamon, Turkey (B, L, D) This morning we are at sea sailing across the Aegean, passing the island of Lesbos as we make our way to the small scenic port of Dikili. It was near here that the Scottish author Compton Mackenzie landed after rowing across from Lesbos while on active service during the Gallipoli campaign. Today we venture inland to the ancient city of Pergamon, a strategic political and military centre through the ages. Pergamon is famed for its Acropolis which we will visit before making our way the short distance to the Sanctuary of Asclepius, info@wildearth-travel.com
Explore the alleyways of Mykonos. also known as the Asclepium. The most famous doctor of the Roman Empire and personal physician to Marcus Aurelius, Galen, worked here for many years. Patients would travel from around the Roman world to bathe in the waters of the sacred spring, seeking cures for their ailments. We delve into this ancient world, learning more from local experts and enjoying the remaining grand architecture of the Roman Empire. DAY 8: Delos & Mykonos (B, L, D) Lying at the heart of the Cyclades and the birthplace of Apollo and Artemis Delos was at the centre of the ancient Greek world and today is one of the most important mythological, historical and archaeological sites in Greece. We venture ashore this morning to marvel at the ancient Greek architecture and the sheer scale of the society that once called the island home. Together with local guides we explore the remains of what was an exceptionally vibrant society and learn about recent archaeological investigations and finds. This afternoon Panorama II sails the short distance across the Mykonos where there is free time to explore the beautiful village and surrounding scenery. DAY 9: Crete (B, L, D) We arrive this morning in Rethymnon on the island of Crete, from here we will explore the world renowned scenery of this spectacular island and learn more about its fascinating history. It has particular meaning for Australians and New Zealanders because of the Battle for Crete in May 1941. The Allied Commander on Crete was General Sir Bernard Fryberg, a New Zealand dentist who was awarded the DSO at Gallipoli for swimming ashore to light decoy fires. After Crete he went on to victory in North Africa before becoming Governor General of New Zealand in 1946. Panorama II sails for Athens this evening and we enjoy a Gala Farewell dinner with the Captain, Officers and guest speakers. DAY 10: Athens (B) This morning the Panorama II arrives in Athens, be on deck as we arrive in the bustling port to enjoy the views. After breakfast we depart the ships with transfers available to either the central city hotels or Athens Airport. Alternatively you may like to extend your stay in Athens, please talk to us about options. Participants will have time to get to Western Front Commemorations elsewhere on 11 November 2018. PRICING: Early Bird Pricing Full Fare (Until 30/11/17) Cat 2 (lower deck) US$5,495 US$5,995 Cat 3 (main deck) US$6,495 US$6,999 Cat 4 (upper deck) US$7,495 US$7,999 Cat 1 Sole use (lower deck forward) US$6,500 US$6,750 Cat 2 Sole use (lower deck) US$7,995 US$8,495 INCLUSIONS: 7 nights aboard the MS Panorama II and 2 nights hotel accommodation in Thessaloniki in the selected room category, on a full board basis (meals as outlined above), house wine, beer and soft drinks with lunch and dinner while aboard Panorama II, Captains Welcome & Farewell drinks, Wild Earth onboard team, shore excursions, most transfers, port taxes and lectures by guest lecturers. EXCLUSIONS: International flights, travel insurance, gratuities, premium beverages, items of a personal nature including but not limited to phone and internet communications plus laundry charges and souvenir purchases, arrival airport transfer. wildearth-travel.com
Clockwise: Panorama II - a classic modern sail cruiser; Cat 2 Twin Cabin; Outdoor dining on the upper deck. OUR SHIP: Panorama II A lovely two masted modern sail cruiser specifically built for exploring the waters of the Aegean, accommodating up to 48 passengers in 25 cabins. Designed to be manoeuvrable the Panorama II allows us to visit ports that others can t and discover in a uniquely Aegean style. Panorama II was launched in 2004 offering the highest standard of accommodation and comfort. The public areas include a main lounge with deep pile carpet and comfortable sofas. The aft area at the Upper deck provides generous semi covered or sun areas all with magnificent views. The restaurant area at the Lower deck is the perfect setting for any of your meals, with generous space and seating The Panorama II cabins located at the upper and main decks are equipped with windows, while those at the lower deck come with portholes. All cabins are handsomely designed, finished with lustrous wood trims and warm fabrics. The fully equipped bathrooms are finished with marble. All cabins are air-conditioned and fitted with TV, telephone, hairdryers, mini-fridge, public address system and safe boxes. Kerry Graham (09) 524 5017 Clinton Sangster (09) 638 8250 Shirley Watson (09) 299 1949 Nicola Monteith (03) 456 3952 info@privatetravel.co.nz www.privatetravel.co.nz