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 20 June 2011.
You will be staying at the Theoxenia Hotel by the Messolonghi lagoonside, Tel: +30 26310 28098.
Please note that due to the constraints of academic and personal schedules, some participants will not be able to attend the entire conference. Accordingly we have grouped the Keynote speakers and the academic sessions tightly on the days when all participants will be in attendance so that even those who are obliged to leave early will experience in full the evolving conversation on “Lord Byron and His Times”.

MONDAY 20 June 2011
18:00 -19:00 Registration at the administrative office of the Messolonghi Byron Society and its Byron Research Center in the Byron House. (A coach from the Hotel will be at your disposal).
19:15 Visit to the Municipal museum of History and Art Municipal Gallery with a welcome ceremony by the Mayor of Messolonghi, Mr. Panagiotis Katsoulis.
21:00 Welcome dinner offered by the Mayor of Messolonghi.

TUESDAY 21 June 2011
09:15 The Academic Programme, starts at the Byron House.
Welcome by the President of the Messolonghi Byron Society Mrs. Rodanthi-Rosa Florou, the Director of Studies Em. Professor M. Byron Raizis, and the Director of International Relations Professor Peter Graham.
09:30- 11:00 First Session, of four lectures (of 20 minutes).

11:00- 11:30 Coffee break.

11:30- 13:00 Second Session, of four lectures.
13:30 Lunch at the restaurant of Theoxenia Hotel.

19:30 The Official Ceremony is open to the public, at the Theoxenia Hotel; introduced by the Director of International Relations Professor Peter Graham.
Two distinguished keynote speakers will deliver their lectures related to the conference topic.
“Lord Byron and His Times: A Perspective from the John Murray Archive”
by David McClay, Senior Curator, John Murray Archive, National Library of Scotland.
“The New Prometheus: Why Byron Went to Fight in the Greek Revolution”
by Roderick Beaton, Koraes Professor of Modern Greek and Byzantine History, Language and Literature, King’s College London.
The ceremony will end with a Gala including a Lebanese Folk-Ballet dance by the student Ms. Grace Nakhoul, and Greek ethnic dances by “The Dancing Society of Messolonghi” (Horeftikos Omilos Mesologgiou).

WEDNESDAY 22 June 2011
09:30- 11:00 Third Session, of four lectures.

11:00- 11:30 Coffee break.

11:30- 13:00 Fourth Session, of four lectures

13:30 Lunch at the restaurant of Theoxenia Hotel.

16:00 -17:30 Fifth Session of three lectures (by four speakers).

17:30-18:00 Coffee break

18:30 Visit to the historic isle of Klissova in the lagoon by a small vessel with guided tour and a pic-nic. On the isle there is the low chapel of the Holy Trinity, with a beautiful arched roof stone. The chapel served the fighters, as a magazine and citadel 25th of March 1826. After the sunset we will return to the Hotel.

THURSDAY 23 June 2011
10:00  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 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; and to St. Symeon monastery built in the 18^th century on the slopes of Mount Arakinthos.

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

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

20:00 Dinner at the restaurant of Theoxenia hotel.

FRIDAY 24 June 2011
10:30 Departure from Tourlida for a wonderful sailing experience  crossing  the lagoon and visiting the historic isle of Vassiladi [Agios Sostis], where Byron landed in January 5, 1824 and from whence his remains left on the ship “Florida” via Zakynthos to England in May 1824.

13:00 Lunch at the restaurant of Theoxenia hotel.

18:00 Departure by coach for a visit to the Chapel of Panayia Finikias
(the Chapel to the Virgin of the Palms, where Byron used to ride from Messolonghi).

19:00 Visit to Aitoliko, tour of the island town visited twice by Byron; to the Engraving Museum of Vasso Katraki; to the Folklore Museum of Aitoliko, and to St. George Church.  We are invited by “The Cultural & Educational Society of Aitoliko’’ and the President of the Folkrore Museum, Mrs. Gitsa Leonardou, to join the festival of bon fires and we will be offered local snacks on the occasion of the traditional custom of “St. John the Enflamed”.

SATURDAY 25 June 2011
End of the conference after breakfast.
Participants must find their own way to Athens or elsewhere.
There is a Bus Station at Messolonghi (tel. +30 26310 22 371).

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 keynote event, dress throughout the conference is informal.
  
• In June 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.