Greece & Crete

The tour starts at 4.00pm on Sunday 12 October, at the City Hotel, Thessalonkiki.

The tour ends mid-morning on Saturday 25 October, on arrival to Athens International Airport.

Hotel check-in is available from 3:00pm, with transfers from Thessaloniki Airport organised by Academy Travel. In the late afternoon, we meet Brad and fellow travellers in the hotel lobby for introductions and a brief overview of the tour. Afterwards, we enjoy a short orientation walk followed by a welcome dinner in a local restaurant. Overnight Thessaloniki (D)

This morning we travel west, further into the region of Macedonia, arriving in the vicinity of the town of Vevi. During the Battle of Vevi Pass (11 to 12 April 1941), Lustre Force unsuccessfully attempted to stop the German advance from Monastir into central Greece. There will be time to walk the ground, and sketch and paint where the Australians fought. In the late afternoon, we will return to Thessaloniki via ancient Vergina, visiting the Vergina Theatre and Phillip II’s tomb. Evening at leisure. Overnight Thessaloniki (B)

Travelling by road and following the arc of the Thermaic Gulf, this morning we depart Thessaloniki and travel south to the vibrant city of Larissa. En route, Brad will provide information on the path of the “fighting retreat” followed by the Australians, and there will be opportunities to photograph and sketch the historic landscape. After arriving at Larissa and checking into our hotel, we enjoy an orientation walk with our local guide before a group dinner in the hotel. Overnight Larissa (B, D)

The Battle of Tempe Gorge, fought on 18 April, involved the 2/2nd and 2/3rd Battalions and the 21st New Zealand Battalion as they sought to delay the German advance across the Pinios River. While the units had to fall back, they delayed the enemy for over 24 hours, allowing the bulk of Lustre Force to withdraw to the Thermopylae Line. Today, there is an extended visit to Tempe Gorge, with the opportunity to paint from William Dargie’s viewpoint over the battlefield. Returning to Larissa in the late afternoon, the evening is at leisure. Overnight Larissa (B)

Departing Larissa this morning, we travel to Athens via the Brallos Pass where the Australian soldiers of the 19th Brigade and the New Zealand 6th Brigade were charged with keeping the Germans at bay, allowing the Allied troops to withdraw safely from the Greek mainland. We make a painting stop at Thermopylae, site of the famous battle of the Spartans against the invading hordes of Xerxes’ army in antiquity, and the position chosen for the Allies withdrawal in April 1941. Continuing onto Athens, we check into our hotel before enjoying an orientation walk and dinner together in a local restaurant. Overnight Athens (B, D)

Today, walking in the footsteps of Allied soldiers on leave, we explore the wonders of Classical Athens, traversing some of the world’s most significant archaeological sites. We begin with a tour of the towering Acropolis, the rocky outcrop that has always dominated Athens’ skyline. After exploring the famous ruins, we visit the extraordinary Acropolis Museum, where many of the treasures of the Acropolis are now housed. There will be time for individual exploration, as well as sketching/painting, with the remainder of the day at leisure. Overnight Athens (B)

The picturesque area of Phaleron on the Saronic Gulf was chosen as the site for Athens’ Commonwealth War Graves Cemetery, and today we visit this resting place of over 2,000 Second World War casualties. Afterwards, we travel the short distance to the Hellenic Maritime Museum, which covers Greek Naval history from antiquity to the 20th Century, including a significant exhibit on the Second World War. This evening, we remain in the lively beachside area with free time for dinner and to explore the waterside bars and tavernas before a late evening coach transfer back to the hotel. Overnight Athens (B)

Departing Athens this morning, we travel to the famous Corinth Canal, which became a key position in the Allied retreat during late April 1941 and was the target of a German aerial assault involving gliders and paratroopers. During our journey, Brad will provide background information on the main evacuation routes from the Peloponnese. After lunch together in a local tavern, there will be time to paint and sketch the dramatic landscape. In the late afternoon, we travel to Athens Airport for an evening flight to the city of Heraklion on Crete. Overnight Heraklion (B)

Greece’s largest and most rugged island, Crete was the theatre for the final, brutal battles of the Allies endeavours, and the final part of our tour is spent touring this key location. We begin our exploration in the township and surrounds of Heraklion, focusing on the sites associated with the Battle of Heraklion, fought over the latter weeks of May 1941. There will be opportunities for painting and sketching before we visit the controversially restored Bronze Age Palace of Knossos, home of the Minotaur. In the evening, there is free time to stroll along Heraklion’s picturesque Venetian harbour. Overnight Heraklion (B)

Departing Heraklion this morning, we travel along Crete’s northern coastline to Stavromenos and pause at the memorial erected by the Greeks to remember the 2/1st Battalion from NSW, who attacked the German paratroops of 1/III Falschirmjager Regt on that site. We then stop at Rethymno to explore the sites painted by William Dargie and later by Vernon Jones in memory of the gallant stand by the Australians and Greeks of Retimo Force against a German airborne regiment. In the late afternoon, we drive around Suda Bay to our base for the next few nights, Chania. After checking into the hotel, we join together for a group dinner in a local restaurant. Overnight Chania (B, D)

We begin the day with a walk around the stunning Venetian harbour before we rejoin our coach for the journey to Maleme, site of the airfield that the Germans captured at great cost. At Maleme we will visit the New Zealand positions on Hill 107, now the German military cemetery, and walk the Tavronitis Bridge. Still scarred by bullet strikes, it stands in mute testimony to the intense fire the German glider troops were subjected to as they tried to cross and secure this objective. There will be time to paint and sketch the sites before returning to Chania for an evening at leisure. Overnight Chania (B)

This morning we return to Suda Bay, to visit the Commonwealth War Graves Cemetery with its vistas of the coastline, the Malaxa Escarpment and the Akrotiri Peninsula. We also visit the site of the Battle of 42nd Street, made famous by the bayonet charge by the 28 (Māori) Battalion NZEF and Sergeant Reg Saunders and his mates of the 2/7th Battalion. There will be ample opportunity for painting and sketching throughout our touring. Returning to Chania, the evening is at leisure. Overnight Chania (B)

On our final day on Crete, we embark on a scenic trip south across the island through the White Mountains to Hora Sfakia. We will be traveling in the footsteps of the Allied survivors who hoped to be rescued from this tiny port on the south coast, and Brad will provide many stories of legendary escapes. The leisurely pace of the day will allow for painting and sketching of the changing landscape, from the imposing mountains to the white-washed houses hugging the remote coastline. Returning to Chania, we will meet for a final dinner together. Overnight Chania (B, D)

After an early morning transfer to Chania Airport, we join our included flight to Athens, arriving in the late morning, in time for mid-afternoon departures on international flights.

Hotels have been selected principally for their central location. All hotels are three and four-star standard.

• Thessaloniki, City Hotel (2 nights)

• Larissa, Divani Larissa Hotel (2 nights)

• Athens, Parthenon Hotel (3 nights)

• Heraklion, Lato Boutique Hotel (2 nights)

• Chania, Kydon Hotel (4 nights)