Muses or mothers, nurses or nymphs, daughters or wives. As we travel over crystalline waters to islands rich in pine trees, honey, or even pistachios, we’ll have time to discuss and explore the roles women have played in the Greek imagination. 

For millenia, textile history has been women’s work: whether it be the Fates spinning, stretching and cutting the thread of life, or weaving at home. From Ariadne to Arachne, Philomela to Penelope, the mythological world was populated by women weaponising what was available to them. Far from being set in stone, though, these myths swirled around nebulously like the stories of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, existing in multiple tellings and retellings, only some of which have survived. One thing’s for certain: there’s no better way to appreciate the significance of this ancient craft than by exploring its history and finding out what it means for people today. 

To do this, we’ll stop to take in some of the most important sites of Archaic and Classical Greece: ancient fortresses like Mycenae, the incredible monolithic temple of Apollo at Corinth, a hilltop sanctuary like the temple of Aphaia on Aigina. These places are not just important to archaeologists, though: the origins of the tragedies of Aeschylus and Sophocles can be traced back to them. If you’ve ever heard of an Electra or Oedipus complex, called someone a Cassandra, or made a joke about fearing Greeks bringing gifts, you’re already bound to these places by an invisible thread.

But this isn’t just a journey into the past: we’ll be thinking about the transformative powers of craft and what it means today to embrace the old ways as we travel by boat, (all the better to appreciate Greece’s history as a naval power). As we cruise around the Argo-Saronic, we’ll have time to explore the little known stories of Greek history, drinking in the colours surrounding us and drawing inspiration from traditional textiles and crafts. And not just craft. From modern-day craftswomen and 19th century women warriors to 1960s counter-culture, we’ll explore how women have influenced and informed Greek history. 

As ever, life on the ocean wave is flexible and subject to change: so while each day we’ll take in local crafts, swim, try local foods, see a range of islands, it might not necessarily be in this order. When you’re at the mercy of the elements, this day-by-day becomes more what you’d call guidelines…

Accommodation on the Aegeotissa requires going up and down ship ladders (very steep stairs), walking across a gang plank to get on and off the boat, and being able to keep your balance while we are underway. 

As with many of our tour accommodations at Rowan Tree Travel & Fibercraft, the Aegotissa is family-owned and operated. This is a 100 ft motorsailer. This is NOT a cruise ship (you will feel the movement of the boat), fancy yacht, or a sailing ship. The cabins are small with portholes, not windows, and they are not cleaned every day. The real luxury of the Aegeotissa is not in the accommodation but in the experience - having the boat to ourselves with lots of spots to either gather together or find some privacy, jumping off it into the turquoise waters of secluded coves, becoming part of the crew's family, and eating the amazing family style Greek food that comes out of the galley!

Rowan Tree Travel does not take responsibility for injuries caused by personal mobility issues. 

If you are unsure of whether you will be able to get around on the boat, please contact us at info@rowantreetravel.com. 

We are excited to announce that our tour An Odyssey Through Greek Women's History & Craft, scheduled for May 14 - 25, 2027, is a GO! We are looking forward to meeting you and sharing one of our favorite destinations. Unless otherwise stated, our regular Terms and Conditions apply to this trip and for any cancellations.

Please Note

Rowan Tree Travel reserves the right to alter any part of this itinerary in order to address weather conditions, unforeseen circumstances or to improve the participant experience.

While our Tour Activity Level describes what to expect on a tour, our Mobility Comfort Level is personal to each traveler.

We would describe this trip as a Retreat with a mobility comfort level of 3+.

(All cabins on the ship will require going up and down steep stairs; in addition, expect walks in Archaeological sites with uneven terrain.)

Rowan Tree Travel highly recommends purchasing travel insurance. You may purchase through our preferred partner Arch RoamRight here or through your own provider.  

*Arch RoamRight is an affiliate of RTTF and we will receive a small commission for policies bought through the provided link.

In order to gather easily for the tour, we provide an arrival and departure "window" at a major transportation hub - typically an international airport at your destination country. Flights scheduled outside the provided windows may result in additional transportation costs and/or missed tour activities. For this reason, we greatly appreciate your cooperation in booking travel that accommodates our specifications. 

This tour will start and end in Athens, Greece. Flight details will be provided upon registration and confirmed once the tour has been declared a go.

Please do not purchase airfare until the tour is guaranteed by RTTF to go forward.

WELCOME TO GREECE!

We’ll start our trip together at the hotel Plaka in downtown Athens. Feel free to explore the city by yourself before we meet up in the evening, when we’ll get to know one another over welcome drinks.

CORINTH TO NAFPLIO

Our journey begins: we transfer by bus from Athens. En route we’ll pass over the Corinth Canal before stopping at Ancient Corinth to see the incredible monolithic columns of the temple to Apollo. A strategically important city, Corinth was one of the big-hitters of early Greece: home to tyrants, host to the Isthmian Games, and central to the Oedipus myth.

Adventurers might have the chance to head up to Acrocorinth (literally ‘high Corinth’), the ancient citadel, before we depart for Nafplio. Once we’ve settled in on the boat, we’ll have a weaving demonstration with a local craftswoman before heading back on board the Aegeotissa, the lady of the Aegean, for our first night on the water.

We'll spend an easy day in Nafplio to settle into the gentle routines of life outside the city, exploring the secrets of Greece’s first capital by a walking tour of its marble streets. Once we’ve orientated ourselves, we’ll allow the history of the early Greek state to sink in with the aid of an authentic gelato; after all, Nafplio was once part of the Venetian Empire! A visit to the ethnological museum with its range of traditional costumes will give us some ideas for our own designs. Later, we'll absorb the strategic importance of the city in the past by looking at the fortress Bourtzi (the unlikely setting for Greek film star Melina Mercouri’s wedding night in its previous incarnation as a hotel!) before a relaxing cruise before dinner.

SWIM, KNIT, EAT, REPEAT

As we leave Nafplio to sail around the coast, we’ll cast on for our KAL on our way to our swim stop. We’ll have lunch on board before setting up for a workshop in the afternoon. Inspired by the textiles we saw in Nafplio’s ethnological museum, we’ll spend some time playing with the Estonian roosimine technique to try to incorporate traditional Greek woven motifs in our knitting.

HAIL, HYDRA!

Artists and writers have long frequented this stunning, car-free island with its main town spread out like a theatrical backdrop behind the harbor. From the Greek artist Nikos Hadjikyriakos-Ghikas to Maria Callas, Leonard Cohen to Nobel-winning poet Odysseas Elytis, Hydra has always spoken to the creative soul. We’ll make the most of the island’s museums to uncover its role in the Greek War of Independence.

POROS

Another day, another island! We’ll take our time heading to Poros with a swim stop on the way, taking life at a gentle pace, perhaps exploring a bakery, maybe heading up to climb the clocktower. No white sugarcube houses here, instead the local style features red-roofed houses, which will doubtless give us color inspiration to take back to our knitting projects.

AIGINA

Aigina is home to one of the impressive ancient sanctuary settings in Greece, at the heart of which is the Doric temple of Aphaia. Although the temple’s decorative sculptures have long since been removed to Munich’s Glyptothek, the temple’s unique hilltop situation remains breathtaking. Antiquities aside, Aigina is also renowned for its pistachios (fistikia in Greek), so we’ll be sure to sample some of these before we leave!

AIGINA TO SPETSES

A gentle day today as we leave Aigina and head to Spetses. We'll have a swim stop and lunch on the boat before enjoying a show and tell of our knitting projects. We'll arrive near Spetses for the evening and perhaps enjoy a stroll around the old harbour before dinner.

SPETSES

Spetses has featured in many films recently, and it’s not hard to see why. We’ll visit the former home of Laskarina Bouboulina, the Kapetanissa, the formidable female sea-captain in the Greek War of Independence of the 1820s. Having lost two husbands to pirates, she built a ship, the Agamemnon, fitted it with cannons, and was first to raise her flag in the Greek War of Independence in April 1821. Her house is now run as a museum by her descendants. We’ll have a look around it before taking the time to discover some of the sculptures by the Greek artist Natalie Mela, dodging horse-drawn carriages (or perhaps you’ll be riding in one) as we go.

EPIDAVROS

Ancient Epidavros was home to the sanctuary of the healing god Asclepius. These days, it’s not only a UNESCO world heritage site, but every summer it also plays host to the annual festival. Without a doubt, it's one of the most spectacular sites in Greece. We’ll explore the ancient theatre (the energetic might want to head to the top row to check acoustics) and walk to the stadium and tholos, perhaps making it to the impressive gateway at the other end of the site. Then we’ll head back to the boat for our last night on board in Nafplio.

MYCENAE & BACK TO ATHENS

Our final tour day is one of the most compelling: the impressive hill fortress of Mycenae (contemporary with the world described in the Iliad and Odyssey) forms the backdrop to the myths of the House of Atreus. It’s another UNESCO world heritage site! Before we head through the impressive Lion Gate to explore the ancient citadel and the stunning beehive tombs below, we’ll think about what we have to learn from myths rich in curses, the sins of the fathers, and what happens to the women left behind when men go away to war. 

We’ll head back to Athens for our last night to draw together the threads of our journey as we talk over a final dinner.

Born in Switzerland and raised in Greece, Lise was from an early age influenced by different cultures, ideas and mentalities. Growing up, she would battle between Science and Arts and destiny made her an Optometrist when she decided not to pursue an artistic career after passing the entry examinations of the Beaux Arts.

When she learned how to knit and crochet she discovered a new fibery world, and later after a head injury, that she could dye and spin her own yarn. It was an epiphany, Science and Color made peace in her mind and TréLiz was born. Lise is interested in creating unique colorways, in a limited quantity and specializes in luxurious hand dyed yarns and fibers.

Semele's background is in Classics and Modern Greek. She has lived and worked in both Greece and Italy, and has traveled extensively in both countries (exploring the knitting opportunities as she goes!). Her love of warm weather means that she is usually trying to knit a shawl or jumper to try to replicate the Mediterranean summer in the Welsh countryside, where she is currently based. When she isn't knitting, she is probably reading, swimming, or attempting to track down the perfect coffee and cake. 

She has a professional interest in textile history and women's writing – as well as a passion for them – and to this end regularly writes for travel, well-being and crafting magazines, including The Knitter, Italia!, and Breathe. She is currently writing a novel. 

⛵ "It's a perfect combination of rest, sightseeing and crafting. Small group on a ship of our own made me feel like on luxorious family vacation. Fiber Ambassadors, the crew and tour guides are very friendly, accommodating and knowledgeable. I highly recommend this trip!" -Barbara B

⛵"This trip was amazing! How the trip was organized was so great and loved being on the boat and visiting the islands and all of the different experiences we had at each location. The food, scenery, staff on the boat and RTT staff were all incredible. I loved getting to know the other women and felt that Heather and Colleen were very approachable and accessible for all our needs. It was also wonderful to be with so many experienced knitters if I had questions or issues with our project. I look back on all that we did and experienced and it is so incredible and I will treasure it and hope that I can do another trip with RTT!"-Jane T

⛵ "This was my first time traveling abroad. Rowan Tree put together a sensational trip with wonderful experiences and adventures that were off the beaten path, as well as the must see sites like the Acropolis in Athens. They assembled a great group of travel companions and some great local guides. They handled the details, kept us safe and on track while giving us freedom to wander and explore in equal measure. Our Rowan Tree guides were knowledgeable, approachable and and just all around wonderful. Did I use the words great and wonderful too often? No, that was intentional. Can't wait to travel with them again." -Chris P