Origins Project · Greek Adventure 2026
Reading & Logistics
Everything you need to prepare for the trip — from a curated reading list to hotel addresses, packing tips, and emergency contacts.
📚 Recommended Reading
01
A novel set in Famagusta around the 1974 events; gives travelers an emotional entry point into the island’s modern history and division.
02
A literal sea voyage between islands — homecoming, hospitality, and hubris — perfect for a sailing leg. The 2025 translation by
Daniel Mendelsohn is the recommended edition; earlier translations by
Emily Wilson and
Robert Fagles are also excellent. Most people will have already read this, but it might be fun to revisit as an adult.
03
A sharp, funny, haunting retelling of The Odyssey from Penelope’s point of view.
04
The companion epic — wrath, honor, mortality. Pairs well with the Odyssey for the full Homeric arc.
05
The founding text of Western political philosophy — Plato’s sweeping dialogue on justice, the ideal state, and the nature of the soul, anchored by the unforgettable allegory of the cave.
06
Plato’s cosmological masterpiece — a creation myth told through reason, tracing the origins of the universe, time, and the human soul from a divine craftsman’s design.
07
The classic single-volume reference for Greek and Roman myth — clear, comprehensive, and approachable.
08
Stephen Fry’s witty modern retelling of the Greek myths — entertaining and very listenable in audiobook form.
09
For the cosmology side of the trip’s conversations — dark matter, the missing mass of the universe, and the search for what holds it all together.
10
A sweeping account of humanity’s quest to understand reality — from Plato’s cave to the Standard Model.
🎧 Recommended Listening
▶
Other travelers on past Origins trips recommend this one. Accessible, episode-length introductions to the thinkers and ideas that shaped Western philosophy — including a strong run on the Greeks (Plato, Aristotle, the Stoics) that pairs naturally with the reading list above.
🧳 What to Bring and other Logistics
Both Cyprus and Greece will be hot and sunny. Travelers should bring comfortable clothing, hats, sunscreen etc, as well as comfortable walking shoes, and for the boat, water shoes if you have them, and of course swim gear for the boat and for swimming in Cyprus at the beach if you want. You might want to pack something like Dramamine in case you are worried about any motion sickness on the boat. A portable battery pack for phone is also sometimes helpful. Attached is information on the boat that should answer most of your logistical questions: General Info: Jewels of the Cyclades. Note that power plugs on the boat are standard European as described in the link, while Cyprus uses British outlets. So bring appropriate adapters.
Note: Wifi is available on the ship for an extra fee but it is slow and not always available.
🏨 Hotels
Athens, GreeceRoyal Olympic Hotel
Limassol, CyprusNYX Hotel Limassol by Leonardo Hotels
🚨 Emergency Contacts
- Aboard the boat: TBD
- LMK cell phone (emergencies): TBD
- Charter contact: TBD
