"When
you have lost your inns drown your empty selves, for you will
have lost the last of England" - Hilaire Belloc
Of
course one could travel about Britain and maintain an absolutely
sober view of the country's great treasures of ancient architecture,
but how much fun would that be, and how much of a real picture
would it provide? Precious little, say we. To understand the
British spirit one must understand British spirits, which is
to say Beer. From the rich mixture of civilizations that has
flourished in this land has emerged the true essence of English
life: the village pub, where ales, bitters, porters, stouts,
and other hop-and-barley concoctions abound in such profusion
as to daunt even the hardiest tippler. Long the bastion of all
that is good and true in British culture, the pub occupies the
place today that it has held for many centuries, as the spot
where society is daily glued together through the medium of
beer. To appreciate Britain's heritage to the fullest one must
therefore go afoot (or in the later hours of the day aknee!)
among the pubs, the true heart of the country's cultural identity.
In recognition of this, we propose to put Britain's past in
proper -- if occasionally somewhat blurred -- perspective by
interspersing visits to extraordinary ancient sites with stops
at as many noteworthy pubs as prudence and capacity will allow.
We would not venture to suggest that you will find the present
more engaging than the past, but we do forewarn you that walking
about in historic architectural glories can produce an ever-increasing
thirst that water alone will not quench.
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Far
Horizons Archaeological and Cultural trips proudly presents
a journey to the Classical World of Sicily where the monumental
evidence of waves of conquering armies cover the landscape.
Successive groups including the Greeks, Romans, Spaniards, Moslems,
British, and finally the advancing U.S. forces in World War
II used the strategic island as a launching place for aspirations
of empire and . We will circle this lovely isle, viewing marvels
from the past and the beauties of the present.
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Scotland
contains some of the last great open space of Europe, famed
for its moody highland mountains, mist
shrouded glens, dazzling
lochs, wild coastlines, and lush, verdant forests.
It is a nation of astounding contrasts.
The sweeping landscapes possess a dreamlike quality,
whether seen cloaked in mist or rising regally above the mirror
of a lake. And
scattered throughout this spectacular scenery are romantic castles,
magnificent country manor houses, engaging fishing ports, and
quaint characteristic villages.
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Located at a geographical crossroads, Greece is a fascinating blend of the Balkans, the Middle East and the Mediterranean. Within this land of rugged beauty, nearly three-quarters of the nation is mountainous and uninhabited with over 2000 islands stretching from the Ionian Sea in the west to the Aegean Sea and Turkey in the east.
This area has been a turbulent battleground for millennia. Early Greek history portrays a multitude of internal struggles, from the Minoan and Mycenaean cultures to the city-states that began to emerge three thousand years ago. The scattered states were consolidated under Alexander the Great, designated a province under the Romans, and became a powerful part of the Eastern Orthodox Christian world under the Byzantines.
For the four hundred years under the Ottomans, Greece disappeared completely. During the centuries of domination, the Greek idea of nationality was defined by language and culture and not by land controlled. The Greek Orthodox Church preserved the Greek language, and along with its Greek identity. Finally in 1821, the people rose up to fight the Greek War of Independence, and Greece became an independent country.
Far Horizons proudly presents a 15-day journey through Greece that includes viewing both the celebrated and more remote remains of the many civilizations that have passed across this land. We will spend two days in Athens, travel through the Peloponnese Peninsula, visit the rugged northern part of the country, and sail to two islands - Crete and Santorini.
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The
Dodecanese Islands of Greece and stunning coast of Datça
in Turkey offer a lavish cornucopia of history. The little-explored-but-rich-in-history
Dodecanese islands are a remote part of Greece located in the
southeastern Aegean Sea and have a long history that is quite
separate from that of mainland Greece. Although these exotic
islands are primarily recognized by the 12 major islands of
its namesake, the Dodecanese actually include a total of 163
islands of which only 26 are inhabited. They have a history
of habitation beginning in prehistoric times with influences
ranging from the Bronze-Age Minoans to the Italians, and remain
one of the top vacation destinations within Greece for other
Greeks. Throughout their rich history, the Dodecanese have been
a part of the infamous Delian League, the 18th district of Rome,
the Byzantine Empire, and the Ottoman Empire prior to being
ceded to Greece by the British post-World War II, ending seven
long centuries of separation.
The
best way to see these marvelous islands is by sea. Travel across
the azure Aegean Sea aboard a Turkish wooden gulet (yacht) with
only 11 others for a 16-day journey through these stunning islands
as well as the southern coast of the Datça Peninsula,
and learn about the past while exploring the remains of former
civilizations. Begin in the Greek islands that hug the coast
of Turkey - Kos , Nisyros, Tilos, Rhodes, Simi - where even
the smallest boast dozens of Byzantine churches and medieval
castles. Then move to the mountainous, pine forested Datça
Peninsula, a 50-mile-long narrow strip of land jutting into
the Aegean. Along this coast are tiny fishing villages, spectacular
archaeological sites that span more than 3,000 years of history
and are virtually inaccessible from land and incredible natural
wonders - pine forests, secluded beaches, and massive basaltic
cliffs dropping to the sea.
Stereotypical
images of Turkey recall bazaar stalls filled with vibrant silks
and flashy jewels...or perhaps sumptuous palaces filled with
veiled belly dancers, accompanied by insistent, hypnotic music.
A treasure house of history, culture and food (Turkish cuisine
is considered one of the world's greatest), Turkey offers much,
much more. A country that can truly lay claim to the title "Crossroads
of Civilization," it has seen the footprints of nine major
civilizations - Hittite, Urartian, Phrygian, Persian, Greek,
Roman, Byzantine, Seljuk and Ottoman Turk - and each has bequeathed
a magnificent legacy. Turkey is a varied land with seaside towns,
forested mountains and fertile plains bathed in almost constant
sunshine.
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