Program 591a: Polynesian Explorers; Northern Greece; Greek to Me

We admire the seafaring prowess of the Polynesians and hear how a cultural faux pas led to Captain James Cook's fateful encounter with 18th-century Hawaiians. Then tour guides from Athens and Thessaloniki recommend attractions to visit in northern Greece, and The New Yorker’s "Comma Queen," Mary Norris, explains what an appreciation for Greek language and mythology can add to your own Greek odyssey.

• Christina Thompson, author of "Sea People: The Puzzle of Polynesia" (Harper)
• Anastasia Gaitanou, tour guide from Thessaloniki, Greece
• Apostolos Douras, tour guide from Athens, Greece
• Filippos Kanakaris, tour guide and theater director from Athens
• Mary Norris, author of "Greek to Me: Adventures of the Comma Queen" (W. W. Norton)

• Christina Thompson is the author of "Sea People: The Puzzle of Polynesia." Christina is also editor at the Harvard Review Online.
• The ancient burial tombs of Aigai at Vergina, in northern Greece, are a UNESCO World Heritage site.
• Anastasia Gaitanou is a tour guide and expert on ancient Greece, based in Thessaloniki.
• Filippos Kanakaris has directed modern adaptations of classical Greek plays for the Syn Drómos Theatre Company in Athens.
• Tour guide Apostolos Douras includes photos and information on the places in Greece where he guides on his Wonders of Knowledge website.
• Mary Norris summarizes her passion for Greek language and culture in an article she wrote for the New Yorker. Her latest book is "Greek to Me: Adventures of the Comma Queen."