Greek Culinary Odyssey 2024: The Mediterranean Diet and Beyond with World RD

Day One: Orientation and Greek Cooking– Sunday, October 20

4 CEUs

• Morning arrivals from the US. Around 12 noon, transfer by private bus from the Athens airport to your home on Poros. The drive around the Saronic Gulf takes around 3 hours, and concludes with the short ferry ride (10 minutes) from Galatas to Poros. If you plan on arriving to Athens a day early, we will make arrangements for you to meet the private bus to Poros. Poros is one of the Saronic islands and is actually an island pair: two islands separated by a very narrow channel.
• Check in to your room at the Odyssey Center. The Odyssey boasts 15 rooms and apartments around an interior courtyard, as well as a Greek bistro. It is just steps from the waterfront, which you can see from some of the rooms. Each room and apartment has a small patio or balcony. The courtyard is the heart of the property, where guests get together for a glass of wine or a Greek coffee, and where owner Katerina and her daughter Dora gather lemons and fresh herbs for the hands-on cooking classes.
• After settling in, meet around 4 pm for an orientation meeting to discuss the itinerary, and the goals and objectives for the week. There will be an introduction to the traditional Greek Mediterranean Diet (the diet before 1960). It is one of the healthiest diets, consisting of a high intake of fruits, vegetables (particularly wild plants), legumes, nuts, and cereals mostly in the form of sourdough bread rather than pasta; more olive oil and olives; less milk but more cheese; more fish; less meat; and moderate amounts of wine.  (1 hour)
• From 5:00-8:0pm, enjoy your first hands-on cooking class featuring traditional Greek Mediterranean dishes. (3 hours). Dinner to follow at 8pm.
• Overnight

Day Two: On-Island Food Shopping, Traditional Yogurt-Making, and Cooking Class-Monday, October 21

8 CEUs

• Enjoy breakfast at Odyssey at 8:30 am, featuring an abundance of choices including fresh yogurt and fruit, cereals, breads with homemade jam or local honey, as well as a variety of hot dishes.
• After breakfast, at 10:00 am, meet Dora and head to Poros town. Along the way you will learn about the history of Poros, its inhabitants, and their diet, as well as about the local agriculture. Wear your walking shoes, as your morning may finish at the highest summit of town. (If you are unable to handle the walk, a taxi can take you to town to meet the group at one of the local markets.)
• You will visit the fish, fruit, and vegetable markets in Poros. You will learn more about the staples of the traditional Greek Mediterranean cuisine while selecting items for your next cooking lesson. (3 hours)
• Your Poros walk will end around 1:00 pm with a family-style lunch in a local Greek tavern in Poros town.
• After lunch, around 2:00 pm, a water taxi will transport you across the strait to Galatas where you will meet Dimitris Vlachos, a second-generation producer of lemon products, Greek sheep’s milk yogurt, cheese, and Greek pastries and desserts. His family has had a shop in Galatas since 1976 and are behind the Lemonodasos brand of lemon products. You will stop to see their shop and dairy, learning about their production of Greek yogurt and cheese, before heading on foot (about 15 minutes’ walk) to your hosts’ farm for a hands-on class led by Dimitris and his mother, (or aunt) featuring yogurt and cheese making. (2 hours)
• Return to the Odyssey Center by water taxi. At 5:30 pm, enjoy a cooking session featuring traditional Greek dishes such as melitzanosalata, dolmades, roasted chicken, and Greek salad. (3 hours)
• Dinner to follow at 8:30 pm, along with a wine and ouzo tasting.

Day Three: Greek Winemaking, Lemons, Foraging, and Cooking Class-Tuesday, October 22

8 CEUs

• Breakfast at 8:30 am.
• Depart by bus around 10 am and head to the port to take the ferry to the mainland, then proceed to the Andreou winery, where you will learn about Greek winemaking. The winery was started in 1995 by a local businessman, Andreas Andreou, with a passion for wine, and has been headed up by his son Nektarios Andreou since 2010. They have vineyards on the Peloponnese mainland as well as on the nearby volcanic island of Methana. They cultivate native indigenous varieties that thrive in Argolida, Corinthia, and Methana, including Roditis, Alepou, and Moschofilero (white varieties); Agiorgitiko and Syrah for reds; and Agiorgitiko – Moschofilero – Syrah for rosés. (2 hours)
• Around 12:30 or 1:00 pm, enjoy lunch at a taverna in Galatas after the winery visit.
• After lunch, around 2:00 pm, learn about one of the region’s most important products: lemons. Enjoy a visit of the famed lemon grove west of Galatas and learn about when lemon trees were brought to Greece and their importance in Greek cooking over the centuries. You will be accompanied by one of the region’s premier producers of lemon products, our friend Dimitris Vlachos from day two, who owns many of the organic lemon trees you will see. (2 hours).
• Later this afternoon, from 4:00 pm to 8:00 pm, Dora and Katerina will lead you on a foraging expedition and cooking class. You will use what you have gathered to create dinner, along with other local ingredients such as Greek lemons and herbs. (4 hours)
• Dinner to follow.

Day Four: Cured Olives, Olive Oil, Biodiversity in Farming-Wednesday, October 23

3 CEUs

• Breakfast at 8:30 am.
• The water taxi will collect you at 10:00 am and take you back to the Peloponnese mainland, where it will drop you at your hosts’ farm for a lesson on olives and olive oil led by George Kostelenos, agronomist, celebrated olive expert and producer. You may be there during the harvest, and your lesson will be led by a local olive grower and olive producer and will feature a lesson on olive curing and pressing. You will also have a chance to learn about the biodiversity of fruits and vegetables that are grown on the farm.
• Lunch at the farm around 1:30 pm and return to Poros by water taxi around 3:30 pm.
• This afternoon, enjoy some free time to explore on your own. Perhaps head up to the Sanctuary of Poseidon on the summit of Poros to see the ancient ruins and stunning views. Or, depending on the weather, head to nearby Monastiri Beach for a dip in the Mediterranean – the water is still warm in October!
• This evening at 8:00 pm, you will bid farewell to Poros and your new friends with a night of Greek food, music, and dancing.

Day Five – Athens-The Acropolis and Ancient Food/Agricultural History-Thursday, October 24

3 CEUs

• Breakfast, and depart for Athens around 10 am.
• Upon arrival in Athens, check in to the 5* Hotel Electra Palace, located in the popular Plaka neighborhood.
• This afternoon, at 4:00 pm, meet your guide, Vangelis Apostolou, at the lobby of your hotel for a 3-hour guided tour of the famed UNESCO Acropolis and its historic monuments: the Parthenon, the Erechteion, and the Dionysus Theater. Food and culture go hand in hand and so we must learn about the myths and stories surrounding these iconic sites, and about the Mediterranean diet and agriculture in ancient times. The tour will end on top of the Acropolis, leaving you time to explore more on your own. Or, if you are tired, your guide can help you find a taxi to return to the hotel.
• Make your own way back to the hotel. Rest of day at leisure and dinner on your own.

Day Six – Central Markets of Athens, Greek Coffee and Food Tours-Friday, October 25

6 CEUs

• Breakfast at the hotel.
• Around 9 am meet your licensed tour guide, Vangelis Apostolou, at the hotel and head out for a special visit to the central market of Athens. This is a different side of Athens from the grand Acropolis and ancient agorae. The Varvakeios market is an adventure, full of energy, bargaining, and a dazzling array of fruits, spices, meats, and fish. During Ottoman times, the old upper bazaar was the center of the city, comprised of wooden sheds, where people would gather to shop and socialize.  A fire destroyed the old market, so the merchants had to move and new construction started in 1878, but it was not until 1886 that the market started officially operating. You will also enjoy a short demonstration on Greek coffee by the coffee-maker at the market. Wear comfy shoes for the floor gets slippery from the water sprayed on fish to look fresh and shiny.  (3 hours)
• Next, continue with a culinary walking tour through non-touristy areas with your expert food guide. Explore the traditional Greek flavors and learn more about the herbs, olives, cheese, olive oil, and sweets that are part of the Greek diet. Your tastings might include: koulouri, bougatsa, olives, cheeses, charcuterie, nuts, loukoumi, wine, tsipouro, and more. Return to the hotel on foot. (If you are tired the guide can help you find a taxi.) (3 hours)
• Free time to shop, explore, or rest up.
• This evening, at 7:45 pm, head to your farewell dinner at Kuzina restaurant, about 15 minutes away on foot. Kuzina features creative and traditional Greek cuisine and fabulous views of the Acropolis. Your 3-course farewell tasting dinner will be vegetable-forward and will be presented by the restaurant manager.

Day Seven – Farewell (Γεια σας!)-Saturday, October 26

• Breakfast at the hotel and end of our services.
• If you are departing today, you can take a taxi (around €40-€45 per car) or train (around €9) to the airport. Or, we can arrange a private transfer for an additional cost.