The McNeese State University Alumni Center will host a preview 6-7:15 p.m. tonight for the Leisure Series’ 10-day spring trip to Greece. The meeting is open to the public at no charge.

The trip will be helmed by Dr. Cheryl Ware, a retired McNeese professor who’s had her own apartment in Greece for years.

“It’s an amazing experience,” Ware said. “You’re in a city, or country, that is the basis of western culture in so many ways. The homeland of where democracy originated. You might think of the philosophers that you might have studied in college, you’ll be where Socrates or Aristotle was, and where some of the most important drama was produced.”

The trip itself will take place from April 26 to May 7.

Travelers will visit such locations as the Acropolis, the Agora, the Argolid, Meteora and much more. A unique feature of this trip will include visiting local tavernas (coffee shops/restaurants) instead of dining at one central location.

“When you’re talking about restaurants, they’re going to sit you down and charge you a whole lot of money,” Ware said. “If you go to the taverna where all the Greeks go, you’ll get a more authentic feel of what Greece is like. We’ll be eating at all kinds of different places.”

Aside from visiting historic sites, travelers will get a chance to see modern Athens, and have a chance to go shopping in Plaka and Monastraki. The trip is cocoordinated with The Athens Center, which will also host some lectures and events on the trip.

Starting in January, Leisure learning will hold meetings for the trip.

“In the spring, there will be a symposium for four months that we’ll talk about things we’re going to see, the history, the architecture, the mythology, and that’s open not just for people going on the trip, but anyone, including arm-chair travelers.

“I think that if people are interested in getting information that they wouldn’t necessarily get on a packaged tour, because we have experts, such as, archeologist who’s worked in Greece for most of his career. That kind of expertise isn’t what you would get in most tours. If people are interested in one certain thing, we’ll try to work it in.”

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For more information on McNeese Leisure Learning visit www.mcneese.edu/leisure or call 475-5130.

An ionic order column fragment is seen near the rear facade of the Parthenon in Athens