Greek Trip

May 25, 2006

Dear Fellow Greek Traveller,

Just wanted to write you before the year is over to tell you how to begin planning for our trip to Greece next May. To begin with, we want to let you know that the course will team taught by Emily Walsh and John Gruber-Miller. After registration when it became an option that Prof. Walsh could join us for the trip, it became clear that a course co-taught by a classicist and a geologist would allow us to take advantage of the intersections between geology and archaeology. There was the additional advantage that more students could participate in the trip. We both look forward to working with you.

As for the payment schedule, this is how it will work:

Initial deposit $700 due September 15, 2006

This is to secure your place and to indicate your commitment to make the trip. It may also be necessary to reserve hotels.

Down payment $1000 due December 1, 2006

This is necessary to secure the best possible price for airfare, and to reserve ground transportation in Greece.

Final Payment $1600 due March 1, 2007

These amounts are tentative. We may have to pre-pay hotel rooms in full to get the best possible price. If that is the case, then the September 15 or December 1 payments will be larger and the last payment will be smaller. There will be absolutely no refunds from 60 days prior to departure. There may be refunds of some or all your payment before this time.

We will be in contact with you early next fall to remind you of our schedule. We will also meet during the fall to discuss our itinerary, give you info about Greece, discuss passports and visas, etc. Over the summer, go to your local library and check out a book or two about Greece and begin to see the places we will visit. In addition, I have put together a web page for our trip (http://www.cornellcollege.edu/classical_studies/arch/greece-links.shtml). It lists trip information, good background books, useful web sites to orient yourself to the Greek world. Just think, this time next year we'll be in Greece viewing the Parthenon, walking in the footsteps of Socrates and Paul, visiting the palace of Clytemnestra and Agamemnon at Mycenae, getting a taste of Greece, and celebrating Greek culture. I look forward to sharing our odyssey together.

Best wishes for a good summer,

P.S. Check out the CLA 382 Greek Archaeology web page for cool links and up-to-date trip information.