The Organizing and Academic committees would like to give you a general outline of the activities that 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 27 May 2013. You will be staying at the Theoxenia Hotel by the Messolonghi lagoonside.

Tel: +30 26310 28098.

MONDAY 27 May 2013

17:30 -18:45 Registration at the Library of the Messolonghi Byron Society and its Byron Research Center in the Byron House (A coach from the Hotel will be at your disposal).

19: 00 Visit to the Municipal museum of History and Art Municipal Gallery with a welcome ceremony by the Mayor of Messolonghi, Mr. Panagiotis Katsoulis.

20:30 Dinner at “Dimitroukas” fish-tavern, Pedestrian–Razikotsika Rd.

TUESDAY 28 May 2013

10:00 The Academic Programme, starts at the Byron House.
Welcome by the President of the Messolonghi Byron Society Mrs. Rodanthi-Rosa Florou, the joint President of the International Byron Society Professor Naji Queijan, and the Director of International Relations Professor Peter Graham.

10:30- 11:30 First Session, of 2 lectures.

11:30- 12:00 Coffee break.

12:00- 13:15 Second Session, of 3 lectures.

13:30 Lunch at the restaurant of Theoxenia Hotel.

The rest of the day is free to explore the town, the shops, the beach and whatever every one prefers to do.

WEDNESDAY 29 May 2013

09:30 Wreath-laying ceremony at the site where Byron breathed his last on 19 April 1824 and where the University of Athens dedicated a memorial column to Byron to commemorate the centennial of his death.

Visits: To the Cathedral of Agios Spyridon (visited by Byron), to the Garden of the Heroes, a big memorial garden with many Monuments, stretching alongside the defensive walls of Messolonghi; to Ancient Plevron site, Named after the mythical hero Plevron; to the Chapel of Panayia Finikias (the Chapel to the Virgin of the Palms, where Byron used to ride from Messolonghi, and where he got ill under the heavy rain on 10 April 1824), and to the ancient site of the Roman Baths, at the village of Agios (St) Thomas.

13:30 Lunch at the restaurant of the Higher Technological Institution of Messolonghi (T.E.I) offered by the President Professor, Vangelis Politis- Stergiou.

17:30 Departure from the Hotel by coach to visit the picturesque seaside village Krioneri (“cold water”). Sailing by fishing boat to visit a very old medieval church, Agios Nikolaos, clinging to the Mount of Varassova (sport shoes are needed).

Free night dinner on your own.

THURSDAY 30 May 2013

10:00- 10:45 The Keynote lecture will be delivered by Professor Peter w. Graham, of Virginia Polytechnic and State University, and chairing by Professor M. B. Raizis, University of Athens.
Its title is “Childe Harold and Fitzwilliam Darcy, or A Tale of Two 200-Year-Old Heroes”.

10:45- 11:00 Ceremony honouring the Organizers of the Student Byron Conferences, by Professor Naji Oueijan, Joint President of the International Byron Society.
The awards will be given to Peter W.  Graham, Rodanthi-Rosa Florou and M. Byron Raizis, for their contribution to advancing junior Byron scholarship.

11:00- 11:15 Coffee break.

11:15- 12:30 Third Session, of three lectures.

12:30 -13:45 Fourth Session of three lectures.

14:00 Light lunch with Pizza, Greek salad and local wine at the “Archontiko” restaurant at the Pedestrian–K. Roma Rd.

20:00 Fare well dinner at Theoxenia Hotel, with Greek traditional dances by the Dancing group of “The Cultural Centre of the Municipality of Messolonghi”

FRIDAY 31 May 2013

08:30  Departure by coach [for the optional excursion] to Zitsa and Jannina. We’ll visit the village of Zitsa; the Monastery of Prophet Elias where Lord Byron stayed on October 1809, the Theogefyro (God’s bridge) and Kalamas River visited by Byron, where he was inspired the famous stanza on Zitsa.
The ‘’Politistikos Syllogos of Zitsa” will offer us a feast of local delicacies and the famous Zitsa wine in the “Archodariki’’ of the Monastery.

In the afternoon we’ll come back to Jannina and you’ll be staying at the ‘’Kentrikon Hotel’’ tel: +30 26510 71771.

The city of Ioannina, next to the lake Pamvotis, is the capital of Epirus, north-western Greece. Lake Pamvotis lies at the centre of a 480 metre-high basin in a picturesque mountain setting, with the Kyra Frosyni Island in its middle and the sprawling city of Ioannina on its western shores. Natural beauty, historic and modern buildings come together at Ioannina, offering a vibrant and contemporary city comprising the most important commercial and cultural centre in Epirus and north-western Greece.

A walk along the lake shores and the castle walls, next to historical places and buildings conjures-up legends such as that of Kyra Frosyni. She was sentenced to drown in the lake after having caught the eye of Ali Pasha who desperately fell in love with her. The medieval castle within the citadel is also worth visiting. The tomb and the headquarters of Ali Pasha can also be found here visited by Byron.

Free night dinner on your own.

SATURDAY 1 June 2013

End of the conference.

Participants must find their own way to Athens or elsewhere. There is a Bus Station at Ioannina (tel. +30 26510 26286).

Please Note the following:

• On arriving at Athens airport, you will need about 45 to 65 minutes [depends on the traffic] to get to Kifissos bus station (tel. +30 210 51 29293), where you can catch a bus for Messolonghi.  If you prefer a taxi from El. Venizelos Airport to Kifissos Station, the cost will be about 40 to 45 euros, but you must be very careful of the taxi drivers. Sometimes they attempt to charge more to tourists. The airport bus to Kifissos, X93, leaves every 35 minutes from just outside the airport exit door.  The fare from the airport to Kifissos is about 3,50 euros.  You buy the ticket from the bus driver and then cancel it yourself in a machine there on the bus. For your information the website of the Urban Athens Transportation is: www.oasa.gr
• At Kifissos station you’ll buy your ticket at the front big hall at the desk which has a label “to Aitoloakarnania ” [ the name of the county].  Ask for the bus to Messolonghi. The bus from Kifissos station runs outside the GATE of Messolonghi. at 6 a.m,  07:45 a.m, 9 a.m, 10:30 a.m, 14:00 p.m, 14:30 p.m, 17:00 p.m, 19:00 p.m, 20:00 p.m, and 21:30 p.m.  The ticket at the bus station ticket office, costs about 19 euros one-way. The 3:00-hour bus trip from Athens follows a scenic route along the south coast of the Gulf of Corinth and Patras, through a mountainous Peloponnesian landscape of olive and lemon trees, crossing back to the north coast by the new suspension bridge “Charilaos Trikoupis” that connects Rio and Antirio.  On arriving in Messolonghi, you’ll have a 5-minute taxi ride to the Theoxenia Hotel.
• Participants during the conference should gather and board the coach at least 10 minutes before departure for any destination.
• Apart from the fare-well Dinner, dress throughout the conference is informal.
• In May the Greek weather is warm, so you can bring your swimsuit, your sunscreen a hat and comfortable chooses. A 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. There is a local bus to Tourlida as well OR you can rent a bicycle from the town-stores with the cost of 5 euros/per day. The Messolonghi Byron Society will help you on this.
• Please note that the airfare to Greece and the travel expenses from Athens to Messolonghi and from Ioannina to Athens need to be covered by the participants.