Greece 2024: The Mediterranean Diet & Beyond Culinary and Cultural Tour
October 20-26, 2024 (6 nights)
Pending preapproval 32-CEUs from CDR-The Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics
Book early, this trip will sell out quickly!
This trip is targeted to registered dietitian-nutritionists, health professionals, and culinarians who want an authentic, hands-on Mediterranean diet, lifestyle, and cultural experience in Greece.
Pending Pre-Approval by CDR: 32 Continuing Education Units for Registered Dietitians
$4550.00 USD per person based on double room occupancy.
(We can match you with a roommate with similar sleep habits)
Supplement for single room occupancy $660 USD per person.
Based on a minimum of 12 participants, max of 16 participants.
Hosted by Layne Lieberman, RD, MS, LDN, CDN, author of the award-winning book Beyond The Mediterranean Diet: European Secrets Of The Super-Healthy
Tour Operator: The International Kitchen
Spend 4 nights on a Greek isle and 2 nights in Athens on this one-of-a-kind trip! Journey around the Saronic Bay to the island of Poros for 4 nights and explore the Greek Mediterranean diet with your Greek hosts, Katerina and her daughter Dora. Katerina comes from a family of restauranteurs and has been teaching Greek cooking classes and serving up classic Greek cuisine at the family’s bistro for decades. She is also an active member of the small community of Poros, including being part of the Poros Trails project, which established a well-organize network of hiking routes on the island to showcase the natural and cultural riches of Poros.
Dora has been helping in the restaurant all her life and completed a 4-year degree in Hospitality/Culinary Arts/Entrepreneurship with work practicums in Holland, the UK, and Germany. She has taken on the running of the restaurant on Poros in recent years and leads many of the Greek cooking classes.
While on Poros you will explore the local ingredients during a foraging expedition and with visits to the fish and produce markets, to a local dairy, to a winery, a lemon forest, and of course during your hands-on cooking classes. You will also visit your hosts’ farm on the Peloponnese mainland, where you will learn about that quintessential Mediterranean ingredient – olives! – and where you may even see part of the harvest. Your accommodations during your Poros culinary odyssey will be your hosts’ aparthotel, the Odyssey Suites, in one of the 15 bright, charming rooms (each with private ensuite bath).
From Poros you will head to Athens where you will experience another side of Greek life. Here you will stay in the Plaka neighborhood while exploring the sights, sounds, and flavors of Athens during food and market tours and a historical tour of the Acropolis.
Hurry, as space is limited for this Greece tour with World RD!
Accommodation Information
The accommodations for 4 nights on Poros will be in one of 15 rooms and apartments at your hosts’ Greek boutique hotel and cooking school. The rooms are bright and comfortable, with ensuite bathrooms. Each is equipped with air-conditioning, safe, TV, and some have their own kitchenette. There is a Greek bistro and a comfortable courtyard surrounded by lush vegetation where participants gather for a coffee, a glass of wine, or some good conversation. (Please note there are steps separating the levels at the property. If you have mobility issues, please let us know.)
Your home in Athens for 2 nights will be at the 5* Electra Palace Hotel. Centrally located in the heart of the city, the classic rooms feature ensuite bathrooms and all the expected 5* amenities. The hotel also features a fitness center, a spa with a pool and hot tub, as well as a restaurant and bar.
Itinerary & Trip Details
Day One: Orientation and Greek Cooking– Sunday, October 20
4.0 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 a short ferry ride (10 minutes) from Galatas to Poros. If you plan on arriving to Athens a day early, we will plan for you to meet the private bus to Poros. Poros is one of the Saronic islands and actually is 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. 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.
- From 5:00-8:0pm, enjoy your first hands-on cooking class featuring traditional Greek Mediterranean dishes. Dinner to follow at 8pm.
Attendees will:
- Understand how the traditional Greek Mediterranean diet differs from other diets of the Mediterranean region.
- Learn about basic principles of Greek cuisine and try new cooking techniques.
- Cook alongside our in-house chef/cook and prepare a traditional meal made with local ingredients like yellow split peas, zucchini, eggplant, sardines, feta cheese, and other local produce.
- Learn about each ingredient and its importance in the local cuisine.
Day Two: On-Island Food Shopping, Traditional Yogurt-Making, and Cooking Class-Monday, October 21
8.0 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.)
- 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.
- 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 farmer and producer of lemon products, sheep yogurt, and cheese pie made with milk collected from the area’s cows and sheep. You will learn about the production of traditional Greek sheep’s milk yogurt and cheese.
- 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.
- 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.
- Dinner to follow at 8:30 pm, along with a wine and ouzo tasting.
Attendees will:
- Shop and choose ingredients in the local food markets for today’s cooking class.
- Identify staples used in traditional dishes.
- Identify local seafood varieties.
- Partake in Greek yogurt making.
- Experience the different taste of sheep vs. cow dairy products; and learn about nutritional differences.
- Identify local pastries/foods made with staple dairy ingredients.
Day Three: Greek Winemaking, Lemons, Foraging, and Cooking Class-Tuesday, October 22
8.0 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 roses.
- 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.
- Later this afternoon, from 4:00 pm to 8:00 pm, Dora and Katerina will lead you on a foraging expedition. Back in Poros, you will use what you have gathered to create dinner (cooking lesson), along with other local ingredients such as Greek lemons and herbs.
- Dinner to follow.
Attendees will:
- Identify the most prominent indigenous grape varieties.
- Identify the characteristics of the wines.
- Understand ancient and modern ways of wine production.
- Find how much wine is exported vs sold locally.
- Understand Greek wine production.
- Understand how to grow lemon trees and why lemons are so important in Greek cuisine.
- Forage for ingredients used in traditional Greek cuisine.
- Identify local wild herbs.
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 focus 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.
Attendees will:
- Understand the importance of biodiversity in this region, and methods of farming.
- Experience the curing process of local Greek olives; and learn how to taste olive oil for freshness, quality, and polyphenol content.
- Learn about the different varieties of olives in this region of Greece for curing vs pressing, how they are grown, soil conditions, health benefits and how and when they are harvested.
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 3:00 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.
Attendees will:
- Explore and understand the history and culture of the inhabitants of this ancient UNESCO site dating back to the Early Neolithic period.
- To understand how the water and agricultural systems operated in ancient times.
- To understand the significance of religion, politics, and war during ancient times.
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 coffeemaker at the market. Wear comfy shoes for the floor gets slippery from the water sprayed on fish to look fresh and shiny.
- 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.)
- 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.
Attendees will:
- Identify a variety of meats that are on display from “inferior” cuts like intestines and tripe, which for the Greeks are considered delicacies, and even less popular ones like rooster and rabbits.
- Interact with butcheries known for their exquisite lamb and others trusted for premium aged beef and carpaccio hand-cut on the spot.
- See freshly cut or ground meat in front of their eyes with advice on what parts to use for recipes.
- Explore the diversity of fish and seafood unlike anything you’ve ever seen including sea bream, sea bass and red porgy, locals’ favorite red mullet, scorpion fish exquisite for soups, eels, grey mullet sold for their precious eggs; “avgotaracho” (bottarga), humble sardines and anchovies to fry or marinate, premium grouper and tuna for grilling, even a type of local dog fish called “galeos”.
- Partake in a traditional Greek coffee experience.
- Identify and taste the local products and ingredients that define traditional Greek cuisine.
Day Seven – Farewell (Efcharisto!)-Saturday, October 26
- Breakfast at the hotel and farewell (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.
What’s Included (6-night trip):
- 4 nights on Poros at the Odyssey Suites
- 2 nights in Athens at the Electra Palace Hotel (or similar)
- One group transfer Athens to Poros on arrival day
- 4 hands-on cooking classes learning authentic Greek recipes
- Daily breakfast
- 4 lunches
- 5 dinners
- Food tastings
- Guided walking visit of Poros town as well as its fish and produce markets
- Guided dairy visit with cheese/yogurt-making
- Winery visit and tasting
- Lemon grove visit
- Foraging expedition
- Farm visit with olive/olive oil class with renowned agronomist
- Group transfer Poros to Athens on day 5
- Guided foodie walking tour of Athens
- Guided visit of the central market of Athens
- Guided historical tour of the Acropolis
- 30+ CEU credits (pending)
CLASSES & INSTRUCTORS
Your hands-on cooking classes with Dora and Katerina will introduce you to the wonderful flavors and health benefits of Greek cuisine. Dora ten Arve has trained and worked in cooking, catering, and hospitality management in Holland, Germany, London, and Athens, and is fluent in four languages. She has for many years worked alongside her mother Katerina Sakelliou during the cooking lessons and is the manager and developmental chef of the Odyssey restaurant. Dora and Katerina are both passionate about cooking and are interested and knowledgeable in the historical roots of traditional Greek cooking. Your Greek cooking lessons with Dora and Katerina will specialize in both traditional and modern Greek cooking.
What’s Not Included:
- Meals in Athens except as indicated
- Gratuities
- Departure transfer to Athens airport on the 26th
- Extra nights
Registration: https://www.theinternationalkitchen.com/program/the-greek-mediterranean-diet-with-world-rd/
This is where you sign up by adding it to your cart (selecting October 20 as the start date), and completing checkout. This will authorize the 30% deposit, which will not actually be captured until we have the minimum number of participants (12). That deposit is US$1365 per person double occupancy, or $1563 single occupancy.
Balance payment will be due 90 days prior.
Register here: The International Kitchen
Email Peg Kern:
[email protected]
Email Layne Lieberman: [email protected]