About This Event
We are going to explore women’s position in society.
How and why does Ariadne become the Northern light? Throughout interactive lectures, we will discuss what Minoa is & what it’s not.
Natalie Haynes, author of Pandora’s Jar: Women in the Greek Myth, will have the chance to read and discuss with us her book about women in Greek myths and their remarkable role at the heart of these ancient tales. Ioanna Kalypso Glypti will showcase these facts & stories through our visits to the extraordinary Knossos Palace, the Heraklion Museum and other archeological sites. Through our exploration, we will get a glimpse of how extraordinary Crete is. All senses will be enhanced during our everyday food experiences.
We will cook and learn from local women and experience how cooking is an art handed down centuries amongst women.
A message from Fenia, Operations Executive at Travelgems:
“I am so excited to guide you through this cultural retreat in spectacular Crete! I will be here to walk you through every step of the way, so please contact me at fenia@travelgems.com for any assistance you may need!”
About the retreat leaders
Natalie Haynes is a writer and broadcaster and – according to the Washington Post – a rock star mythologist. Her first novel, The Amber Fury, was published to great acclaim on both sides of the Atlantic, as was The Ancient Guide to Modern Life, her previous book. Her second novel, The Children of Jocasta, was published in 2017. Her retelling of the Trojan War, A Thousand Ships, was published in 2019. It was shortlisted for the Women’s Prize for Fiction in 2020. It has been translated into multiple languages. Her most recent non-fiction book, Pandora’s Jar: Women in the Greek Myth was published in Oct 2020, and Margaret Atwood liked it.
She has spoken on the modern relevance of the classical world on three continents, from Cambridge to Chicago to Auckland. She writes for the Guardian. She is a regular contributor to BBC Radio 4: reviewing for Front Row and Saturday Review, appearing as a team captain on three seasons of Wordaholics, and banging on about Juvenal whenever she gets the chance. Six series of her show, Natalie Haynes Stands Up for the Classics, have been broadcast on Radio 4: all series are available now on BBC Sounds.
Doniert Evely is now the Previous Curator of the British School of Archaeology of Knossos. He has ties to the BSA, and works freelance with a number of archaeologists. As the President of Minoan Steps, Doniert Evely writes about his experiences about Crete, the Minoan civilisation and the new cultural organization Minoan Steps. “Like with everyone, it was the exuberant (if luxurious) items that first captured my attention, but then I began to realize that the Minoans were quite different from every other advanced culture of this area – in how they represented themselves: they are still an enigma, even after a century of hard work by so many people.
For me, the most amazing excavation experience was revealing the tomb of a man of outstanding importance for what went on to become Greece, who lived at the beginning of the Iron Age, at Lefkandi on Euboea. We are all lucky in Crete (especially when compared with the chaos in England)! Cretans have a reputation of being both rapidly hospitable to good-intentioned visitors, but very careful in forming their real long-term friendships. Both are – to me – virtues. And so I have found the Cretans broadly to be. Both men and women are full of character. But, it has to be said, that I deliberately steer clear of politics: matters can get swiftly convoluted here. I am not a political animal. Right now, though technically retired, I choose to spend much of my time here, partly to pursue my interests, and partly to share the life of my nonos-extended family with whom I worked when Curator at Knossos for BSA. They – and others like them – are simply worth it!“
Ionna Kalypso Glypti is an affiliate of Doniert Evely: “My introduction to Greece, as an Alexandrian Greek, took place when I was a child, but one of many tongues and continents. The Greek islands were my summers, bathed by the phosphorescent blazing light on a white wall, the austere rocks, the dramatic mountains and the incandescence of the blue sky pouring into the sea. Under that light and the songs of Leonard Cohen, nostalgia took hold of me, as like the ship of Ulysses Nostos I began to learn how to word my emotions in this ancient tongue. This was a voyage into the light as I managed to escape my personal darkness and the various Labyrinths of my subconscious mind. In fact, I was finding a way to freedom through words.
Freedom, or Eleutheria, in my tongue means she who walks freely towards what she or he loves and brings love to his or her soul, because the chains are many and not always tangible, and so able to be escaped from.
In this moment I realized that my tongue embodied my spiritual essence. It is not surprising that everything here in Greece speaks now just as it has for centuries making everything clear -without being known. It is this clarity that I return to within me to understand what is unknown as we go through these difficult times. As I write the word clarity, everything becomes translucent like the morning dawn as the ancient God Apollo with his chariot announces the arrival of light.“
About the hotel
Minos Beach art hotel is mastering with ethos the art of hospitality, synched to nature and art. At the edge of the water, engulfed in Cretan greenery, Minos Beach art hotel constitutes a hidden gem for world explorers. Its design brings harmony into the senses, combining elements of art and nature. Walking into the gradniose Lounge area, you can sense authenticity and luxury, blended into art. Its unconventional design resembles the entrance to a Modern Art museum. The hotel’s bungalows and villas with private pools, stretched across a 2.5km coastline, offer a glimpse into the architectural style of Eastern Crete’s fishing villages, while blending naturally into their surroundings. Their chic, low-rise construction create a sense of privacy, serenity and close connection to Mother Earth. Walking across the hotel’s gardens, you can smell the fragrance of nature, while the meditating sound of the sea provides peace and tranquility.
Dig Deeper into your roots
7:00pm -7:30pm: Introduction with Ioanna at the Library Room
7:30pm: Welcome Community Dinner at Bacchus Buffet Restaurant
7:30am - 9:00am: Breakfast
09:00am- 6:00pm: Knossos Palace - Museum -Heraklion Town
9:00am: Pick-Up from Minos Beach Art Hotel
(Meeting Point: Reception of hotel)
10:00am - 12:00pm: Guided Tour in Knossos Palace with Ioanna
12:00pm-1:00pm: Transfer from Knossos Palace to Museum
1:00pm-3:00pm: Guided Tour in Heraklion Museum with Ioanna
3:00pm-5:00pm: Free Time in Heraklion Town
5:00pm: Pick-up from Heraklion Town
6:00pm: Arrival at Minos Beach Art
Free Time
7:30pm: Community Dinner at Bacchus Buffet Restaurant
7:30am - 9:00am: Breakfast
9:00am - 11:30am: Interactive lecture with Natalie at the Library Room
Free time
5:00pm – 6:30pm: Interactive lecture with Doniert at the Library Room
Free Time
8:00pm: Community Dinner at Kafeneion "Adeste":
Enjoy Greek Meze with Traditional Cretan Live Music
7:30am - 8:30am: Breakfast
8:30am - 10:00am: Interactive lecture with Natalie at the Library Room
10:15am- 2:00pm: Spinalonga Island
10:15am: Pick-up from Minos Beach Art Hotel
(Meeting Point: Reception of hotel)
11:00am- 1:00pm: Spinalonga Guided Tour with Ioanna
2:00pm: Arrival at Hotel
Free Time
5:00pm - 7:00pm: Interactive lecture with Natalie at the Library Room
Free Time
7:30pm: Community Dinner at Bacchus Buffet Restaurant
7:30am - 10:00am: Breakfast
10:15am - 3:00pm: Cooking Lesson - Byzantine Church of Kritsa
10:15am: Pick-Up from Hotel for Kritsa Village
(Meeting Point: Reception of hotel)
11:00am - 1:00pm: Cooking Lesson & Light Lunch
1:30pm-2:30pm: Guided Tour in the 13 century Byzantine Church of Kritsa with Ioanna
2:30pm: Pick up from the Byzantine Church
3:00pm: Arrival at Minos Beach Art Hotel
Free Time
5:00pm - 7:00pm: Interactive lecture with Natalie at the Library Room
Free Time
7:30pm: Community Dinner at Bacchus Buffet Restaurant
7:30am - 10:00am: Farewell Breakfast
10:30am: Checkout
Start your
journey
Event Highlights
5-night accommodation in Seafront Bungalow
5 breakfast meals
5 dinner meals
All sessions with Natalie and Ioanna & the lecture with Doniert
Guided Tour to Knossos Archaeological site & Museum of Knossos
Guided Tour to Spinaloga Island
Cooking lesson with locals
Guided Tour to Archaeological site of Kritsa
Prices
2380€/per person
in Double Occ. room
Prices
3100€/per person
in Single Occ. room
what’s included
- 5-night accommodation in Seafront Bungalow
- 5 breakfast meals
- 5 dinner meals
- All sessions with Natalie and Ioanna & the lecture with Doniert
- Guided Tour to Knossos Archaeological site & Museum of Knossos
- Guided Tour to Spinaloga Island
- Cooking lesson with locals
- Guided Tour to Archaeological site of Kritsa
what’s not included
- Airfare to/from Greece, and Crete island – We strongly advise you to book flexible airfare tickets
- Arrival and departure land transfers
- Accommodation tax per person per overnight stay
- Water, tea, soft drinks and beverages
- Whatever is not mentioned clearly in the inclusions
more info
We strongly advise you to book flexible airfare tickets
Language: English
Airport Transfer: Available upon request
Cancellation Policy: Deposit is non-refundable | Should you wish to cancel your participation one month or less before the start of the retreat, 100% of cancellation fees are applied.
Important Info: In case there are Covid-19 restrictions or restrictions related to any other pandemic that prevent guests from traveling the total amount paid will be refunded.
Dietary Needs: Should you have any special dietary need/allergy, kindly let us know in advance in order to be able to better accommodate you in the best possible way.
Transport: For this Cultural retreat in Crete, you can fly into Heraklion International Airport (HER).
From there, you can book a transfer to the hotel (duration: 50min)