MEDITERRANEAN STUDIES ASSOCIATION

NEWSLETTER 1.2

Dear MSA Colleagues,

We have updated information on the 2019 Post Congress Educational Tour.

HOTELS

We will be spending two nights in Chania and two nights in Heraklion. We have 20 hotel rooms in both cities and it is VERY unlikely we will be able to obtain any additional rooms in Chania. We in fact will have to split the group in Chania at the Kydon Hotel www.kydonhotel.com and Samaria Hotel www.samariahotel.gr, both are excellent hotels located near each other in the city center. In Heraklion we will be staying at the Galaxy Hotel, also in the city center www.economouhotels.com. All three hotels are very upscale and include breakfast. Six rooms are already taken, when the 20 rooms are gone the tour is full.

TENTATIVE ITINERARY

Further research has resulted in some revisions of the itinerary. For example, the proposed visit to the Samaria Gorge is not practical since it requires a 10-mile walk to see the Gorge. Below is the itinerary subject to minor modification.

Day 1 Visit the Kourtaliotiko Gorge, Argyroupolis waterfalls,

the Roman Archaeological site at Aptera and the Monastery Tzagarolon. Over night in Chania.

Day 2 Guided Tour of Chania with professional Guide. Overnight in Chania

Day 3 Visit the two most famous Minoan Palace Sites of Phaistos and Knossos. Overnight in Heraklion

Day 4 Visit Psychro-Lassithi Cave (birthplace of Zeus), Spinalonga island Venetian Fortress and closed leper colony, and Minoan archeological site at Maili. Overnight Heraklion

Day 5 Heraklion

This is a free day providing the opportunity to visit the renowned Heraklion Archaeological Museum and other sites of the city.

Six rooms are already taken, and when the 20 rooms are gone the tour is full. Louise has been contacted by a number of you indicating you plan to participate in the tour. If that remains your intention I STRONGLY urge you to register soon for the tour, we have only 14 rooms remaining and both the Samaria and Kydon hotels in Chania are fully booked and have no more availability. It is going to be an exciting tour, so please get your registration in soon.

Very best wishes,

Ben Taggie

President, Executive Director

Mediterranean Studies Association