On a Costa Cruise through the Mediterranean, we stopped at four islands in Greece and although difficult to pick a favorite, I think mine was Santorini. The black sand beaches against the pristine white-washed buildings anchored the steep cliffs which plunged into the crystal deep blue sea. This made for breath taking views in every direction. Shopping along a cobbled path perched high above the Mediterranean in the small northern village of Oia reminded me of Monterey or Carmel, California. It was quaint, remote, unique, and yet had an upscale feel. We also stopped at an outdoor café overlooking the sea for breakfast. The food was excellent and the service warm and friendly. Everywhere we ate in Greece was delicious, and you always felt welcome. Everyone was happy and gracious, glad to see Americans. This is not always the reception you get everywhere in Europe. Perhaps its the Ozo, a strong licorice flavored liquor, they all drink.
Two things we really enjoyed about the cruise were the short port itineraries, 4-6 hours, which gave us a chance to sample different areas without getting exhausted. Also because I have drop foot and found it difficult to walk long distances on the many hills and in the rugged terrain of Greece, this made it doable. Secondly, the weather was fantastic with a light shower during the night while on the boat and then beautiful sunshine during the day. It was warm but not hot as I had heard from several friends who had done similar tours in July. We went mid September.
Mykonos is supposedly the most picturesque and popular of the Cyclade islands, however, I’m still sticking with Santorini because of the dramatic cliffside villages and spending most of our time in Oia, a very memorable place. We stopped in the main town of Mykonos early evening for dinner and shopped through a maze of narrow streets bustling with people. Although the shops again were lovely with some very fine products and the restaurants all smelled and looked good, it felt more touristy to me. I peaked into a closed bar called Jackie O’s decked out in all white tables and chairs, with a beautiful white marble-looking bar and gold candelabras. Looks like she made her mark in Mykonos, however, I wondered why it was closed and no one could tell me.
Piraeus, or Athens the cradle of Greek civilization sprawls below the ancient Acropolis on top of a huge hill. The stunning Parthenon undergoes constant renovation, and yet hosts thousands of tourists each day. Surrounding the Parthenon you see the ancient outdoor amphitheater, Dionysus Theatre, which is still used for famous music and theatrical venues today. From atop this high perch, you can also view the Hill of the Muses, the Agora, the Hephaestus Temple, the Odeion of Herodes Atticus and the Apostles Church. The recently built Acropolis Museum sits across from the ancient ruins with huge picture windows to view the Parthenon while also seeing and learning about many of the artifacts of these ancient ruins. I must confess we skipped the museum to sample the delicious Greek food at the nearby outdoor café with wonderful cheese, olives and salami. This modern city with six million people, one third the total population of Greece, keeps the place hopping both day and night and provides a stark contrast to these world-renowned ruins depicting ancient civilization.
Corfu, the northernmost of the Ionian islands is covered with lush vegetation including olive, cypress and citrus trees. The island suffered a long, bloody history with attacks by pirates and being colonized first by the Corinthians, then the Illyrians, the Athenians and finally the Venetians. The Venetians restored Corfu’s status as an important center of trade. Then the Turks invaded, the French, the English and finally in 1864 it was annexed by Greece only to undergo heavy bombing during World War II which destroyed most of its public buildings. We spent our time touring a summer villa for a Duchess from Austria. It was magnificent with extensive gardens, impressive sculptures and beautiful furniture, enormous paintings and personal belongings throughout. What struck me is you were able to take pictures of everything both inside and out. The Duchess was very fond of Greek mythology and history and therefore had the warrior Achilles at the main entrance and also as a main focal point in the gardens fronting a huge corridor where life-size sculptures of all the ancient muses were showcased. A bus ride around the island stopped on one side where an old fort stands before you enter the Spianada, the place where the main shopping, banking and commerce of Corfu take place.
Again the short itineraries of the Costa Cruise, an Italian line, allowed us to get a good taste of Greece, enjoy the best of each island, and definitely plan a return visit. I’m not sure it would be with Costa however as we didn’t find the food all that good on the ship. Some of our dinner companions had been on several of Costa’s trips and said this particular ship, the Victoria, was old and didn’t measure up to the food they had experienced on other trips. Also the announcements in five languages was novel at first but became very tedious by the end of the trip. Especially when one afternoon during a classical concert on board, the loud speaker kept interrupting with announcements, first in Italian, then Spanish, then French, American and finally German. The staff was lovely and the entertainment excellent, but we had been sold that this cruise would be smaller and quiet which it was not. In fact, the ship seemed identical to the Princess and Royal Caribbean vessels we had taken on past cruises to the Caribbean and the Mexican Rivieria. You could not beat the price though. In these tough economic times, there are some real bargains out there.