The Organizing and Academic committees would like to give you a general outline of the activities, which include the Academic Programme (student papers and lectures by professors) and the Social Activities (receptions, excursions, visits to historic sites, entertainment). We reserve the right to make changes, if necessary, and will have a final Programme handed to you on 17 May 2005. In Messolonghi you will be staying either at the Theoxenia Hotel by the lagoon, tel. 26310 28098 or at the Panagia Eleousas Camp Building tel. 26310 25771. Everyone will be at the Mentor Hotel on Ithaca tel. 26740 32433.

TUESDAY 17 May 2005
17:00 Registration at the lobby of Theoxenia Hotel
18:00 Visit to the Municipal museum of History and Art Municipal Gallery with a welcome ceremony by the Mayor of Messolonghi, Mr. Giorgos Prevezanos. After the welcome ceremony we’ll have a stroll to the historic area of Messolonghi.
20:00 Dinner reception offered by the Messolonghi Byron Society at the Theoxenia Hotel, followed by a Dramatic reading of Byron’s “Beppo”directed by Dr Peter Cochran.

WEDNESDAY 18 May 2005
09:30 The Academic Programme, starts at the administrative office of the Messolonghi Byron Society and its Byron Research Center in the BYRON HOUSE. Welcome by the President of the Messolonghi Byron Society Mrs. Rodanthi-Rosa Florou, the President of the International Byron Society Professor Byron Raizis, and the Director of International Relations of the Messolonghi Byron Center, Professor Peter Graham.

The first session of the Academic Programme starts at 10:00 and lasts until 11:30 four lectures of 20 min with a short break.

11:30-13:00 Second session of three lectures.
13:30 Lunch at the restaurant of Theoxenia Hotel.

19:00 The Official Opening Ceremony is open to the public. The Keynote Lecture will be delivered by Professor Malcolm Kelsall, of University of Wales Cardiff, at the Trikoupi Municipal Cultural Center. Its title is “Byron and The Odyssey”. The ceremony will end with a concert performed by the Messolonghi’s Cultural Center Choir, directed by Mr. Spyros Holevas
20:30 Dinner offered by the Board of T.E.D.K of Aitoakarnania and the President Mr. Thymios Sokos, at the Radio Station Restaurant, with Greek traditional dances performed by the Messolonghi Cultural Center’s dancing group directed by Mr. Dimitris Karavasilis.

THURSDAY 19 May 2005
09.00-10:00 Third Session of three lectures.
10:00-11:30 Fourth Session of three lectures.
Visits to the site where Byron breathed his last in April 1824 and where the University of Athens dedicated a memorial column to Byron to commemorate the centennial of his death, to the ancient site of Roman baths, to Saint Simeon monastery built in the 18th century on the slopes of Mount Arakinthos, and to the studio of the famous painter-engraver Mr. Apostolos Koustas, where we’ll see his art collection and work.
13:30 Lunch offered by the president of Advanced Technological Institution (T.E.I.), Mr. Leonidas Panagiotopoulos

17:00 Visits to the Cathedral of Agios Spyridon (visited by Byron), to the House-Museum of the Greek national-poet Kostis Palamas, to the House-Museum of the two Prime ministers of Greece (father and son) Spiros and Charilaos Trikoupis. Excursion to the historic village of Katochi to visit the maker of beautiful Greek ethnic costumes, Mr. Nikos Plakidas, at his workshop. Soft drinks, coffee and sweets will be provided.
19:30 Visit to Aetoliko. Tour of the island town visited twice by Byron; welcome and reception by the Mayor Mr Yiannis Galanis.

FRIDAY 20 May 2005
09:00-10:30 Fifth Session of three lectures.
10:40 Visits to Tourlida and to the Office of the Governor, Mr Dimitrios Stamatis. Visits to Panagia Finikias (the island Chapel of the Virgin of the Palms, to which Byron used to ride at sunset from Messolonghi), and to ancient Plevron. Named after the mythical hero Plevron, son of Etolos and brother of Kalydon, Plevron actually consists of two Homeric hillside towns 5km northwest of Messolonghi.
13:30 Lunch at the restaurant of the Theoxenia Hotel. Afternoon free for all participants.

19:00 Departure from Theoxenia Hotel to visit Mr. Vassilios Zelios’s factory at Kalavrouza village, followed by a dinner and dancing party on Mr. Zelio’s estate to honor the students and professors of the conference and other invited guests.

SATURDAY 21 May 2005
09:30 Departure for Agrinio, the most populous town of the county. Visits to the Archaeological Museum and to Kapralos Sculpture Gallery, followed by a stroll around the commercial centre of the town.
12:00 Welcome ceremony and lunch offered by the Mayor of Agrinio, Mr. Efthimios Sokos.

18:30-19:45 Sixth Session of four lectures. Dinner at the Theoxenia Hotel.

SUNDAY 22 May 2005
09:30 Departure from Theoxenia Hotel by coach to visit the picturesque seaside village Krioneri (“cold water”) of Halkeia borough. Welcome by the Mayor Mr Nikos Stamboulopoulos and the chairman of the cultural center, Mr. Spyros Houliaras. Tour of the area guided by the Professor of Medieval and Byzantine Archaeological Department of Ioannina University, Mr. Athanasios Paliouras, with visits to the 4th- to 6th- century Christian basilica of Panagia Panaxiotisa at Gavrolimni village and to the church of Agios Ioannis at Galatas village. Then after our mainland experience, we’ll travel by fishing boat to visit a very old medieval church, Agios Nikolaos, clinging to Mount Varassova.
13:30 Lunch is offered by the Mayor and the town council of Halkeia.
15:00 Arrival at Theoxenia Hotel. Afternoon and night free.

MONDAY 23 May 2005
10:00 Departure from Theoxenia Hotel and Panagia Eleousas Camp Building to Astakos (Byron’s Dragamestre) to catch the ferry to Ithaca. Astakos is at the west side of the county by the Ionian Sea about 90 minutes from Messolonghi.
12:45 The ferry departs for Ithaca, and the trip lasts about 2:30 hours.
15:15 Arrival on Ithaca. Lunch on your own [at Astakos or Ithaca]. We’ll be staying in Mentor Hotel by the seaside of Vathy, the capital of Ithaca.

19:30 At the Municipal Cultural Center of Vathy, the Messolonghi Byron Society and the Mayor of Ithaca Mr. Telemachos Karavias will present a Byron event open to the public. Emeritus Professor Byron Raizis of Athens University will deliver a Greek lecture on “Lord Byron and Ithaca”.
20:00 Dinner offered by the Mayor of Ithaca and the town council.

TUESDAY 24 May 2005
09:00 Departure for a sightseeing tour of the island with visits to historical and archaeological sites offered by the Mayor of Ithaca.
13:30 Lunch offered by the Mayor of Ithaca. Evening free and dinner on your own. Those wishing to leave Ithaca on Tuesday May 24 can catch a 16:00 bus arriving at Kifissos Bus Station in Athens at 23:30.

WEDNESDAY 25 May 2005
End of the Conference

7:00 A bus leaves from Ithaca for Athens, travelling via Cephalonia and Patras and arriving at Kifissos Station at 14:45.
09:15 The ferry “Xanthoula” leaves from Ithaca arriving Astakos at 12:00
13:30 A bus leaves Astakos for Athens and arrives at Kifissos Station at 1
16:00 A bus leaves from Ithaca for Athens and arrives at Kifissos Station at 23:30
If you are interested in having as much time as possible to explore Athens in the evening and would like to see additional Greek island scenery on your way there, the 7:00 bus/ferry from Ithaca to Athens by way of Cephalonia and Patras is the best choice.

Please Note the following:

• On Tuesday May 17 the lecturer Ms. Maria Schoina of Aristotle University’s English Department and 8 of her English students will join the conference for three days.
• Participants should gather and board the coach at least 15 minutes before departure for any destination.
• Soft drinks and sweets will be provided during all breaks.
• Both hotels offer complimentary breakfasts (the camp does not–those staying there will need to buy food in town), and all lunches appointed at the Theoxenia Hotel are offered by the Messolonghi Byron Society.
• In May the weather in Greece is warm, so you can bring your swimsuit. The lagoonside beach is adjacent to the Theoxenia Hotel, and Tourlida beach on the Gulf of Patras is a five-minute taxi ride from the hotel.
• The Ionian sea waters are beautiful, so you can swim on Ithaca as well.