Biblical Tour Letters ToThe Corinthians St Paul’s Footsteps 6Hour

What an incredible day!!! Panos (in the green shirt below) was one of our favorites! He was kind, friendly, professional, prompt, easy-going, and genuinely enjoys what he does. He's got so much enthusiasm and passion for his beloved Greece and truly loved sharing it with us- which got us even that more excited about the day. All of us continue to talk about how nice he is! :) At the days' start, he made a special stop for those of us who needed some coffee (lol) which also had restrooms, yes! Weaving through the city, he pointed out all kinds of sites including Embassy Row which we drove through. He drove us outside of Athens to Corinth, Ancient Corinth, and surrounding areas. WOW! There is so much to see just outside of Athens. The places we visited were very meaningful to us from a historical and spiritual perspective. To be standing on the shore where Paul docked and lived for 3 months, the original marketplace in Ancient Corinth where Paul spoke to the crowds, and the first indoor baptismal - we were in awe. Panos was so very knowledgeable about all of this and helped connect the dots between what we were visiting and Scripture. We were looking for a very specific, local-made item to buy and he directed us to the perfect store in Ancient Corinth where their artistic versions are indeed locally made, and come with a certificate of authenticity and wax seal. Yes please! He had the crispy cold, spotless van stocked with plenty of water which we much appreciated. At the Canal stop, he showed us on a map a historical timeline of events that left us speechless. Truly, he knows his Greek history and really brought the canal to life for us. We loved driving on the original trail Paul walked from the shores to Ancient Corinth, and Panos taught us all about the olive groves we passed on the way - how to tell which olive trees are for their whole fruit and which are for making olive oil; dating the trees, etc. We also drove to the top of a mountain where the Casteli of Pentescui is in Acrocorinth. Whoa! Panos told us all about the different civilizations who occupied it over hundreds of years - so fascinating! Our family hiked up to the 3rd gate, enjoying incredible views of the sea and surrounding towns below. We would def love to come back and spend more time there. Without Panos, we never would've known of its existence. He even shared a jaw-dropping fact that involved the castle and Apostle Paul. Just the day before we were there, Christopher Nolan was on site filming The Oddessy!! As great as that would've been to see the production, I'm glad we had the serenity of the castle sitting in its stately silence. It was just incredible. A highlight for sure! Panos introduced us to a man who sells his very own EVOO in the small store/restaurant at the foot of the castle. It's the most authentic EVOO I've ever tasted and was happy to buy it. We also bought the seller's pistachio spread. Oh my word! It's dessert in a jar. YUM! We never would have known about him on our own. En route, we stopped at an archeological museum which is a site where the Corinth Olympics were held and Paul and his team made tents for the participants. We were standing right where they walked and worked, amazing! Panos also took us to a swanky bakery in Corinth, and being a baker myself, I was so impressed at the beauty and taste of their food from baklava to citrus cake, etc. This bakery was an excellent stop! Entering Ancient Corinth, we were able to explore it on our own, self-guided. The Temple of Apollo was the first site to greet us. From there, we walked around the bema stone Paul stood on to speak. It was awesome to walk around reading the markers, imagining dogs running, children playing, adults haggling over prices, clip-clopping of horses and donkeys, and smells of meats, fruit, and tons of people - it was all so easy to imagine in this well-preserved site. Could've spent all day there as well. ;) Panos even told us where to look to see original Roman tile currently being excavated in the marketplace. Gorgeous! We saw and experienced more than we ever imagined on this full day's tour. On the ride home, Panos and we had such great discussion on so many different topics. He's so easy to talk to! We loved hearing "his Greece" through family stories, etc. He never made us feel rushed at all and still kept our motley crew on schedule for a time-sensitive thing back in Athens at the end of the day. He even dropped us off at that site, eliminating an additional 30min walk from the original start point - which was AWESOME! This tour includes more than the online description says and it absolutely worth an entire day outside of Athens. Ask for Panos! This tour is two thumbs way up!