The Murder of Socrates

The day has arrived! We will meet at the Madrid airport with Marcos Chicot, who will accompany us throughout the entire trip, and fly with him to Athens. Reception and transfer to the hotel. After checking in at the hotel, we will head to the Classical era Agora, where, accompanied by Marcos Chicot and a Spanish-speaking guide, we will visit this impressive place, the center of administrative, commercial, and social activity of ancient Athens, and a frequent setting in Chicot's novels. In the evening, dinner at the Meliá hotel restaurant.

Accommodation.

Breakfast, lunch, and dinner.

We will depart from Athens and head to Delphi, where the plot of “The Murder of Socrates,” the novel by Chicot that was awarded as the Finalist for the Planeta Prize, begins in its famous oracle. We will find ourselves at the foot of Mount Parnassus, a location of incomparable natural beauty where the pan-Hellenic sanctuary of Delphi is situated, which had the most famous oracle of ancient Greece. According to mythology, it is here that the two eagles sent by Zeus from the confines of the universe met to find the center of the world.

The sanctuary of Delphi was the main cultural and religious center of the Hellenic world; recognized by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site due to the astonishing influence it had on the ancient world. Accompanied by a Spanish-speaking guide and Marcos Chicot, we will visit the most important places (oracular sanctuary + stadium where the Pythian Games were held + Delphi museum). We can also visit the nearby sanctuary of Athena Pronaia. Return to Athens, where before dining at the hotel restaurant, we can enjoy a walk where we will see such emblematic places as the Arch of Hadrian, the Lantern of Lysicrates, and the Temple of Olympian Zeus.

Accommodation.

Breakfast, lunch and dinner.

Today we will have a full-day excursion with a Spanish-speaking guide to explore the city of Athens, focusing on the Acropolis and its fantastic museum. On the way to the Acropolis, we will see the beautiful set of neoclassical buildings formed by the Academy of Sciences, the University, and the National Library. In the Acropolis of Athens, we will feel like we are traveling back in time, as depicted in the novels of Marcos Chicot. Accompanied by the author, for a few hours it will be as if we have become one of his characters.

The entry is through the monumental gateway of the Propylaea. In addition to buildings like the Temple of Athena Nike or Athena Parthenos, we will enjoy the Erechtheion, the original temple where the porch of the Caryatids is located. On the southern slope of the Acropolis are other remains like the Theatre of Dionysus, the famous amphitheater where works by authors such as Euripides, Sophocles, or Aristophanes were performed. Lunch at the taverna restaurant Geros Tou Moria. In the afternoon, a visit to the Acropolis Museum, probably the best way to complete the pleasure of visiting the Acropolis of Athens, and especially the Parthenon. Return to the hotel and dinner.

Accommodation.

Breakfast, lunch, and dinner.

Today we will have a full-day excursion with a Spanish-speaking guide to explore the theater of Epidaurus and the ruins of Mycenae. The theater of Epidaurus is the best-preserved in the classical world, and therefore the best way to feel like spectators of ancient Greece, or citizens who participated in their Assemblies. In the case of Epidaurus, the setting of the theater, high in the mountains, as well as its magnificent acoustics, make the visit an even more special experience, which we can enjoy by sitting in its stands and conversing with Marcos Chicot.

We will continue our journey towards one of the greatest centers of Greek civilization in the centuries preceding the Classical era: Mycenae. According to legend, the city's foundation is attributed to Perseus, who received help from the Cyclopes. After lunch at the local Kolizeras – Mycenae tavern, we will visit the city's archaeological remains, such as the famous Lion Gate, the tomb of Clytemnestra, or the Cyclopean Walls (known by this name because the stone blocks are so enormous that even in later times it was thought they were the work of the Cyclopes, the famous one-eyed giants). Return to Athens and dinner at the hotel.

Accommodation.

Breakfast.

In the morning, visit the archaeological park of the Lyceum, known primarily because Aristotle founded his famous school of philosophy nearby, which also took the name Lyceum. As we will see in the next novel by Marcos Chicot, which he will discuss with us in this privileged setting. Aristotle often taught at the Lyceum by walking with his disciples through the garden, which led them to be known as peripatetics (walkers). After the visit, free time until the departure of the transfer that will take us to Athens airport, where we will catch the return flight.