The Greek Isles Idyllic Landscapes Myths, Legends and Writers 16 30 may 2016 Trisha Dixon & Warwick Forge in conjunction with Landscape Architect Thomas Doxiadis Over two weeks we immerse ourselves in the landscape and culture of this ancient county, exploring the islands of Hydra, Antiparos, Aegina and Kythera. Visits to stunning Mediterranean gardens designed by Thomas Doxiadis and members of the Mediterranean Garden Society. These gardens are not only inspiring but are so relevant for our Australian climate. This is overlaid with the luminous, searing and brilliant light of Greece, the mythology, literature, art, poetry, gracious generous people, food, wine and music. We follow in the footsteps of great writers and artists drawn to the region for inspiration and reflection.
Commencement of tour Monday may 16, 2016 in Athens at the Athens gate hotel in the city, 10 sygrou ave. Tour finishes on the island of anti paros on Monday 30 may 2016. this will enable those wanting to further explore the Cyclades or other islands before leaving Greece. Post Tour Option also available contact trisha for details.
Tour costs 14 day tour $8800 (single supplement$1890). Cost includes all accommodation, transport within Greece, all entrances, breakfasts, 8 lunches, 8 dinners. $300 deposit due to secure place on tour pay internet banking to trisha dixon pty ltd nab bank bsb 082 535 a/c no 57 758 3933 or by cheque to trisha dixon pty ltd, bobundara, 3061 maffra rd, cooma, nsw 2630 first payment of $2000 payable 21 st january 2016 to cover accommodation deposits. final payment due 21 st march 2016. At this stage, if there is a significant fluctuation of more than 5% in the exchange rate ($Aus/Euro), the amount will be adjusted accordingly.!!
Flights Flights to and fro Athens are not included as people have their own preferred airlines and mode of travelling. We suggest arriving in Athens a day or two earlier or staying on at the conclusion of the tour, as there is much to see in terms of ancient sites. Not all are included in the tour as many people will have been to Greece previously and will have visited Delphi, Olympia and many of the main archaeological sites. this tour concentrates on private visits and experiences.! Accommodation The tour will start in Athens with two nights at the Athens gate hotel, in prime position in Athens with views to either the temple of Olympian zeus or the acropolis. Then to the island of hydra for three nights the jewel of the Mediterranean. Then through the Peloponnese to the mani where we stay for three nights in kardamyli. Three nights on kythera, also in the argo-saronic island group. Final three nights are in antiparos at the artemis hotel on the ocean.! Itinerary ITINERARY AND ACCOMMODATION CAN CHANGE DUE TO UNFORSEEN CIRCUMSTANCES A SENSE OF HUMOUR IS ALWAYS PARAMOUNT IN GROUP AND OVERSEAS TRAVEL CULTURAL DIFFERENCES NEED TO BE EMBRACED HOWEVER DIFFERENT AND ECCENTRIC THEY MAY SEEM! GREECE IS GOING THROUGH A SEVERE ECONOMIC CRISIS, HOWEVER THE SPIRIT OF THE GREEK PEOPLE, THEIR GENEROSITY OF SPIRIT AND INTRINSIC VALUES ARE TO BE ADMIRED. THE LANDSCAPE IS SURREAL.
THE CORNERSTONES OF ANCIENT GREECE WERE DEMOCRACY, CHAOS & DRAMA & THE NATION HAS BEEN SHAPED BY MYTHS & LEGENDS & THE LANDSCAPE. THE CLIMATE AT THIS TIME OF YEAR IS SUPERB (AVERAGE DAILY TEMP 25 DEGREES) AND WILL BE WARM ENOUGH FOR SWIMMING. MEALS Lunches and dinners are in wonderful restaurants and traditional tavernas with Mediterranean cuisine the healthiest in the world with its salads, freshly caught seafood, olive oil, lemons and local wines and the mandatory ouzo!
Tour leaders Thomas doxiadis is greece s leading architect/landscape architect. He is talented, totally unassuming and unpretentious, charming and highly intelligent with wonderful sensibilities. His practice has won many awards including first prize for the new acropolis museum urban space, which we will visit. What he has created on the island of antiparos is extraordinary respecting the timeless landscape with a contemporary overlay which is totally inspiring. New Angles with Ancient contours while the gardens are symbolic, they are so totally in tune with the surrounds. WARWICK FORGE is an experienced tour leader & involved with gardens, landscapes, horticulture & botany through publishing, the Australian Landscape Conference & through ALC Garden Tours. In a previous life, Warwick spent 20 years employed with the national Trust & Trust for Nature & in 2000, was awarded the Centenary medal for his contribution to Australia s built & natural environment. SUE IS UNABLE TO JOIN THE TOUR THIS YEAR, BUT WILL DO SO IN 2017.
Trisha dixon has been travelling to Greece for years since being commissioned to write a biography of an Australian property owned by a greek-australian shipping family the property where Patrick white wrote his first novel, banjo paterson wrote his last poem & poet barcroft boake fell in love (with tragic consequences) & where part of the film phar lap was filmed. Trisha s interest in literature has been the impetus for much of her travel throughout Greece first to hydra where charmian clift & george Johnston lived in the 1950s, (befriending Canadian Poet songwriter Leonard Cohen & finding a place for him to live on the island). It is an island where many writers including Australia s Tim Winton & Rodney Hall, artists Sidney and Cynthia Nolan have lived and a number of films have been made. An architectural preservation order protects the integrity of the buildings & atmosphere of Hydra & prohibits vehicles; the history, the light, the sparkling sea, harmony & balance make it a superb retreat.
In recent years Trisha has travelled a number of times to kardamyli where Patrick & joan leigh fermor lived (BELOW) amongst the olive trees overlooking the sea, to the tower where writers joice & Sydney loch lived at ouranoupolis adjoining Mt Athos in Northern Greece, & onwards to the ancient island of delos, crete, kefallonia & many other islands spending most time in hydra where the pace of life is a wonderful balance in her life. Trisha is an active member of the Mediterranean Garden Society and has participated in their visits and tours in Greece & Italy. She has had a long friendship & association with warwick & sue forge in publishing & tours.
How strenuous? As this tour is as much about the landscape as the gardens, there is a lot of walking involved to make the most of the experience. The island of hydra where we spend four days has no vehicles, & being such a fascinating island with superb architecture, wildflowers & its many monasteries & tiny churches dotted throughout the island, donkey paths leading to far away villages & swimming or exploring picturesque bays, walking or travelling by traditional caiques or donkey is the way around the island. the island of kythera is rich in wildflowers, olive groves, ancient villages & venetian architecture and to explore means a good deal of walking. On the island of antiparos, where we travel to a number of wonderful Thomas doxiadis designed gardens, those who would like to, can drive their own four wheel drive motorbike, which will allow them to further explore the island, finding isolated beaches & buildings. We will often walk to tavernas & although the gardens are not particularly large, the villages we stay in are well worth exploring on foot. For those wanting swims before or after the days program, there is a bit of walking involved.all very good for the fitness & walking off the delicious greek delicacies! On Hydra there are many steep steps leading from the port to explore, including a superb house museum & past Leonard Cohens Home. OPTIONS POST TOUR for those wanting to immerse themselves in the beauty of the islands after the tour finishes, trisha is planning a further 4 days on nearby Paros, where she suggests getting motorbykes to go into the interior to find the huge olives as big as oaks she saw some years ago and Thomas Doxiadis suggested island of Amorgos price depending on how many interested. Reading list The literature of Greece is rich and wonderful and a suggested list is supplied with the booking deposit receipt.
THE TOUR IS THE FIRST TO THE MEDITERRANEAN WITH AUSTRALIAN LANDSCAPE CONFERENCE TOURS RUN BY WARWICK AND SUE FORGE. ALC GARDEN TOURS INCLUDE SPECIAL ACCESS TO MANY PRIVATE HOMES, GARDENS AND LOCATIONS THROUGH LONG STANDING FRIENDSHIPS. THEY ARE CULTURAL TOURS INVOLVING LOCAL EXPERTS AND FOCUSING ON THE UNIQUE FEATURES OF EACH REGION. ENQUIRIES trisha dixon 02 64535578 0413 139350 www.trishadixon.com trishadixon@bigpond.com WARWICK AND SUE FORGE 03 98048915 www.landscapeconference.com warwick@bloomings.com.au