«Ancient and Holy in Italy»

October 14 - 27, 2012

Our pilgrimage will include visits to Padua, Venice, Ravenna, Rome, Naples, Pompeii and Bari. The focus of our pilgrimage is on the veneration and worship of the holy sites that were sanctified by the lives of the Saints of the Ancient Church that are holy as the treasury places of numerous relics and miraculous icons. We, also, will see the splendid remains of the Byzantine Civilization and will visit a number of major Ancient ruins in order to understand the true triumph of the Ancient Church over the glory
and splendor of Ancient Rome.

ORTHODOX PILRIMAGE TO ITALY 

October 14 - 27, 2012

Day 1. Sunday, October 14, 2012.

Group assembles in the airport and departs from the US.

Day 2. Monday, October 15, 2012.

Meals: Dinner.
Group arrives to the airport in Milan, Italy. Transfer to the hotel for some refreshment. After couple hours of rest, tour of the city. During the tour we will see many of the significant monuments in the city, in particularly those that have importance to us as Orthodox pilgrims, such as the Duomo and Basilica of St. Ambrose (among some others). Overnight: Milan or area.

Day 3. Tuesday, October 16, 2012.

Meals: Breakfast and Dinner.
Today we will transfer to Venice. On the way we will stop in Padua, to venerate the relics of St. Apostle and Evangelist Luke and see some of the other sites in the city. Overnight: Venice

Day 4. Wednesday, October 17, 2012.

Meals: Breakfast.
Today we will explore the city of Venice, a city with countless historical monuments, cultural attractions and Christian holy places. In the morning hours we will make a pilgrim walk through several churches and will venerate relics of numerous saints; most of them are well known and loved through all of the Christian East. After a lunch break we will visit the most famous monuments of Venice, namely Cathedral of St. Mark the Dodges Palace, both (although in different ways) famous for their extraordinary beauty and splendor. Overnight: Venice

Day 5. Thursday, October 18, 2012

Meals: Breakfast and Dinner.
Today we will visit several islands of the Venetian Lagoon. Islands of the Venetian lagoon are known for their Ancient Basilicas, precious mosaics, colorful houses and glass factories. We will explore several islands - each one of them of them is special in its own unique and unforgettable way. In the evening we will transfer to Ravenna. Overnight: Ravenna

Day 6. Friday, October 19, 2012.

Meals: Breakfast and Dinner.
Ravenna is a very interesting historical town that in itself is a splendid page of the Byzantine History. For a short period of time Ravenna was a capital of the Byzantine Empire in the West. In this small town, several Byzantine monuments from the period of Justinian survive like nowhere else. All of them are doubtlessly true gems of the Byzantine Art and Architecture. After our visit in Ravenna we will transfer some hours south, to the "Eternal City". Overnight: Rome.

Day 6. Saturday, June 20, 2009.

Meals: Breakfast and Dinner.
Our exploration of the City we will start at the famous Appian Way with its famous historical monuments. After that we will explore several sites associated with the memory of the Apostle Peter and Paul, both of whom, according to tradition, met their martyric end in the City . At the end of the day we will attend the Vigil at the Russian Orthodox Church of St. Catherin. Supper will be served at the hotel after the service. Overnight: Rome.

Day 7. Sunday, June 21, 2009.

Meals: Breakfast.
After Divine Liturgy we will continue the exploration of the Sacred Christian Sites of Rome. We will visit most famous churches of Rome known as Great or Pilgrim basilicas.Your evening will be at leisure... unless you would like to take a
Possible extension (45 Euro per person, with min. of 10 participants):
... unless you feel like continuing for a little while and explore Rome by twilight. During optional tour you will be able to visit famous Spanish Steps, fountain of Trevi and some other romantic places in the heart of the Eternal City.
Overnight: Rome.

Day 8. Monday, June 22, 2009.

Meals: Breakfast.
Today we will start our day with a visit to Vatican. Actually, Vatican itself is the smallest state in existence. But it is more famous as the residence of the Pope of Rome, once the most important out of five keepers of the ancient Christian Patriarchal sees. We will visit St. Peter's Basilica, Vatican Museums and Sistine Chapel, all of them incredibly beautiful and important places of Rome. In the afternoon we will continue the exploration of the city center, focusing predominately on the Ancient churches and pilgrim destinations of the area. Overnight: Rome.

Day 9. Tuesday, June 23, 2009.

Meals: Breakfast.
Today we will explore the remnants of the city that gave Rome its title "Eternal". We will see the largest amphitheater of Antiquity, the Coliseum, a circus that hosted up to 80,000 spectators, and yet even larger Circus Maximus, the horse race stadium, witness to the cheer of 250,000 Romans. We will see ancient Rome's downtown, the Forum and Palatine Hill, with a splendid museum hosting countless articles from distant times. Overnight: Rome.

Day 11. Wednesday, October 24, 2012.

Meals: Breakfast and Dinner.
In the morning we will transfer to Naples to see, even in broef that lively Southern city and to venerate the relics of its Anceint patron - St. Januarius, the first Bishop of Naples. After Lunch we'll visit the site of the ancient city of Pompeii. We will have a tour of the most important sites of this phenomenally well preserved Ancient City. Late in the afternoon we will transfer to the port city of Bari the resting place of the beloved Nicholas the Wonderworker, great Saint and Bishop of Myra in Lycia. Supper tonight will be provided at the hotel in Bari.

Day 12. Thursday, October 25, 2012.

Meals: Breakfast and Dinner.
Today we will start our day with the Divine Liturgy in the city of St. Nicholas. The body of the saint is laid down in a crypt in the basilica of his name in Bari. Up until the present day countless miracles proceed from his body. In the afternoon, we'll head toward the Village of Alberabello, famous for its unique cone type architecture known as trulli.. Overnight: Salerno/area.

Day 13. Friday, October 26, 2012.

Meals: Breakfast and Dinner.
This morning we'll visit the city of Salerno and visit the Duomo - Cathedral that hosts the relics of the apostle and evangelist Matthew. Time permitting, we will make a ferry ride to the picturesque town of Amalfi, to venerate the relics of St. Apostle Andrew the First Called. Later in the afternoon we will transfer to Rome/area (or will remain in Salerno area based on the time of the return flight departure) for Dinner and overnight.

Day 14. Saturday, October 27, 2011
This morning we'll transfer from to the airport for departure back home. Our pilgrimage is over till next time.

GENERAL INFORMATION ABOUT THE TOUR:

Financial arrangements:

The current cost of the trip is about $2900 per person, based on a double occupancy in a group of 26 people. The additional fee for single accommodation is $800 and is subject to availability and confirmation. In case of major currency fluctuation or reduced number of participants, all prices are subject to change according to the rate of exchange available at time of final payment. Our hope is that the price of our pilgrimage will remain essentially the same. In any case you'll be informed right away of any possible financial changes or adjustments.

AIR PORTION:

Group tickets from San Francisco/New York to Milan, with return from Rome will be offered shortly, as soon as the best possible rate will be obtained. Please contact Fr. Ilya Gotlinsky for details. Group rates are usually are rather fair, but not necessarily as low as you at times are able to find via major Internet wholesalers. No additional discounts, such as frequent flyer miles or credit card bonuses are applicable either. If you feel that you can find better tickets on your own, you are welcome to do that, but please not that if your schedule does not match that of the group, you will be responsible for all additional transfers yourself.

Price includes:

• Accommodation in a mix of 3 and 4 star hotels along the way and a comfortable centrally located religious guest house in Rome
• Some extra meals (Lunches or Dinners)
• Deluxe Air-conditioned motorcoach for the transfers all along the Tour according to the program;
• Road and local taxes for the tourist bus
• English-speaking Tour Escort for the whole Pilgrimage;
• City Tours as per the above Itinerary;
• Entrance tickets to the Museums and Churches as per the above itinerary

Price does NOT include:

• Airfare
• Medical or emergency cancelation insurance (you are strongly encouraged to obtain it)
• Meals other than specified
• Beverages during meals
• Optional/additional tours and associated entrance fees
• Porterage, gratuities* and extras
• Anything that is not specifically mentioned in "Price includes"
* It is customary for the tour participants to tip, on a personal basis, the tour escort, driver and local guides based on the satisfaction of the services received. Please use the following as a guideline: Driver/Tour Escort: 2,00 Euros per person/per day; Local guides: Euros 1,00 per person/per guided tour (half-day) or 2,00 Euros per person/per full day.

Sign up and Payment:

We would request $500.00 deposit at the time of signing up for the trip. Deposit is non-refundable (unless group is canceled for some serious reason by the organizers or due to the lack of participation). Signup deadline is September 1, 2012. The entire amount is requested no later than 60 days prior to the departure (August 15, 2012). If signing up after the deadline, the entire amount due at the time of signing up. Failure to pay in full by August 15, 2012 without written notice of explanation may lead to the cancellation of your participation, with no refund of any previously committed funds. If you decided to join the pilgrimage after the deadline, please contact tour coordinator regarding the availability.
All payments should be made by check to the "Palomnik, LLC". Any returned checks are subject to $20 fee.

Special requests:

You can make flight arrangements on your own, if you would be able to find a better deal with another airline. However, in that case it will be your responsibility to arrange transportation to the hotel and back to the airport at the port of entry/departure.
All special requests, concerns and suggestions must be submitted in writing to Fr. Ilya Gotlinsky no later than the date of the final payment (August 15, 2012).

Cancellation:

In the unlikely event of cancellation, the charges, in addition to the full amount of the deposit are*:
• No penalties, except air ticket (if issued) over 61 days to departure
• 50% of the tour cost, 60 to 31 days prior to the departure
• 100% of the tour cost 30 days prior to the departure
*Air travel cancellation policies are in force in accordance with the regulations of the particular airline once tickets are issued.
All the cancellations must be in writing and sent directly to agent/coordinator - Fr. llya Gotlinsky, and must be received for reimbursement by the dates shown in the cancellation schedule.

Rules on the road:

• It is strongly suggested for a traveler to obtain insurance covering medical needs and coverage regarding personal property;
• be aware that all medical needs and all associated expenses will be sole responsibility of the traveler;
• act in a manner consistent with the surrounding environment;
• make arrangement to have sufficient funds to cover personal needs and unexpected happenings.

The places that we will be visiting may not have the same amenities that one may be accustomed to. Medical facilities may be limited in some areas. Because of the difference in language and customs, it is expected that the traveler will follow the directions of the Tour Escort/guides at all times.
The Director reserves the right to restrict a person's participation in the group's activities, including exclusion from the group, when, in the opinion of the Director, such action is appropriate.

Please note: The Director of the trip (Fr. Ilya Gotlinsky) does not hold any legal responsibilities concerning any of the arrangements. He plays only the role of an agent/coordinator.

Passport and Visa:

A valid passport needed to travel to Italy. The passport must be issued at least three months prior to the departure and must be valid until your return. The US citizens do not need a visa to travel to Italy or other countries of the European Union. However, if you are not a US citizen, please contact the Italian Embassy or Consulate General if you do need visa to travel to Italy.

The tour cost based on 26 participants is $2900.
The cost of the trip includes accommodations with breakfasts daily, transportation, tours, entry fees,
and some extra meals.

The sign-up deadline is September 1, 2012.

If you are interested in joining the tour, please
contact Fr. Ilya Gotlinsky for more information at:
53 Baxter Street, Binghamton, NY 13905
1-(607)-797-1058