A tapestry of culture and history

There’s always unfinished business for me in ‘the Med’. One trip is never enough.

Geographically, ‘The Med’ refers to the Mediterranean Sea and the lands that border it on three continents: Europe, Africa and Asia. It spans countries including Spain, France, Monaco, Italy, Slovenia, Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, Albania, Greece, Turkey, Syria, Lebanon, Israel, Palestine, Egypt, Libya, Tunisia, Algeria and Morocco, with the addition of the island nations of Malta and Cyprus. The Med’s tapestry of cultures shares a particular climate (mild, wet winters and warm, dry summers) that in turn creates a way of life that goes well beyond geography and national boundaries. And I love it!

There are so many ways to ‘do the Med’, but cruising mirrors its relaxed and stress-free lifestyle that champions simple and delicious food and wine, plus social connections, with a little extra ‘dolce vita’.

I found much of what I was looking for in a Mediterranean holiday through the Greek Isles on a Norwegian Viva cruise.

Norwegian Viva delivered me across the nautical miles quickly, with a minimum of fuss, on its 9-Day Greek Isles itinerary from Trieste (near Venice), Italy, to the Greek capital of Athens. NCL is sure to have a host of ships and itineraries to suit you. So, here’s a snapshot of what you might expect.

* With uncertainty of travel in the Middle East in the near future, several airports in Asia are the best alternatives for Aussies flying to Europe. Singapore’s Changi Airport is one of the biggest international hubs, with Singapore Airlines flying on to Europe. Many carriers, including Qantas, operate through other Asian hubs such as Tokyo, Hong Kong and Kuala Lumpur airports, and Thai Airways flies through Bangkok to Europe.

RAVENNA, Italy

San Marino. Image: Shirley Sinclair

This first stop in the Emilia-Romagna region boasts early Christian and Bystantine mosaics and eight UNESCO World Heritage monuments and is the gateway to shore excursions including the legendary race cars and racing memorabilia in the Ferrari Museum. But my destination was mountaintop San Marino. It may be the 5th smallest country in the world and the oldest republic (301AD), but the maze of hilly, medieval streets is dotted with modern boutiques, restaurants and museums. From the Porta San Francesco, take in the expansive Piazza della Libertà (built in the 14th century over ancient cisterns) and neighbouring Palazzo Pubblico and head to the 11th-century Guaita fortress, also known as La Rocca: the oldest of three towers on Mount Titano.

SPLIT, Croatia

Trogir. Image: Shirley Sinclair

On the eastern shores of the Adriatic Sea, Old Town Split boasts the Diocletian’s Palace (circa 295AD), a glorious cathedral and marble streets, plus café-lined promenades by the harbour. Shore excursions include Krka River National Park with its 17 natural cascades. But medieval Trogir’s narrow streets were beckoning, taking in the 13th century cathedral and waterfront (don’t miss the quirky gelato flavour combos or handmade Trogirski rafiole: like tiny pasties). A scenic drive along the Cetina River for a restaurant grazing platter highlights authentic Croatian hospitality.

DUBROVNIK, Croatia

Dubrovnik. Image: Shirley Sinclair

The ancient port city is a mecca for fans of the Game of Thrones TV series. The oldest section of the city, a revered UNESCO World Heritage Site, is ‘King’s Landing’: the fictional capital of the Seven Kingdoms. The 11th century Lovrijenac Fortress, located just outside the medieval walls that encircle Old Town, was the series’ scene overlooking the Battle of Blackwater Bay. On this, my second visit to the city, I explored on foot, finding Christmas baubles and ceramic souvenirs, eating lunch in an open-air restaurant overlooking the city walls, walking the Jesuit Staircase (where Cersei Lannister began her ‘Walk of Shame’ in Season 5) and the series’ market scenes of St Dominic Street, before cooling off with a swim in the clear teal harbour waters.

CORFU, Greece

Corfu. Image: Shirley Sinclair

The northernmost of the Ionian Islands, also known as Kerkyra, is one of the lushest of the Greek Isles, and famous for dramatic turquoise waters, hillside villages, sandy beaches and secluded coves. The Timeless Villages and Scenic Drive excursion offered plenty of opportunity to see Corfliot villages up close (at times almost scraping the paint off walls as our expert driver navigated the narrowest of thoroughfares). A stop at Paleokastritsa was an opportunity to see the celebrated beach and multiple bays, while a coffee stop in the village of Lakones and lookout at Mount Pantokrator gave bird’s-eye views of the majestic island. It was capped off by a three-course outdoor lunch at stunning taverna The Old School Restaurant Kassiopi. Back in Old Town, meander the cobblestones of the narrow serpentine streets, browsing boutiques and shops, pausing at cafes and eating in historic tavernas. It is a designated World Heritage Site for the authenticity/integrity of the urban fabric and Venetian fortresses.

SANTORINI, Greece

Black cliff faces contrast with the whitewashed homes, blue church domes and buildings carved into the rock, crowning the caldera – all surrounded by sapphire-blue waters … Santorini deserves its place as one of the most photographed islands in the world. The dramatic landscape was shaped by a volcanic eruption in the 16th century BC. I’ve seen the archeological digs at Akrotiri, romantic Oia sunsets from a sailing boat, and steam escaping from the ground on Nea Kameni island. I’ve swum in the dark-reddish hot springs in a cove off Palea Kameni. This time, I opted to line up for the cable car from the port to Fira before walking through the markets’ throng to my favourite part: Firostefani, where my family once stayed in a cave apartment with a view of the caldera. Take the coastline-hugging walkway back to Fira and then return to the ship via the steps to the bottom (a 45-minute workout!).

KUSADASI (EPHESUS), Turkiye

Ephesus. Image: Shirley Sinclair

Kusadasi, Turkiye’s busiest cruise port, is popular for its shopping: gold jewellery, decorative ceramics, leather and handwoven carpets. But it is best known as the coastal gateway to some of the most hallowed sites in the ancient world, including a residence believed to be the Virgin Mary’s, the ruins of Ephesus and St John’s Basilica. I chose a shore excursion exploring the ruins and the traditional village of Sirince to sample its renowned fruit wines. Ephesus, Turkiye’s most celebrated archaeological site, was established around the 10th century BC. Among this UNESCO World Heritage site’s painstakingly excavated ruins are the Temple of Artemis – one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World, the Library of Celsus, the Great Theatre (where St Paul spent three years in the 1st century preaching the Gospel to up to 25,000 spectators) and Curetes Street with its terrace houses. But it was an unplanned foodie encounter in Sirince that will long stay in my memory: an ageing grandmother at Simena Cafe Restaurant rolled, flipped and thinned out the pastry for my gozleme using a long, cane-like stick.

ISTANBUL, Turkiye

Hagia Sophia. Image: Shirley Sinclair

About 16 million people live in this city whose old and new sections straddle two continents: Asia and Europe. Camlica Tower, the telecommunications tower that is designed like a tulip about to bloom (a symbol for the Turks during the Ottoman Empire), dominates a hillside at 369m. The sheer size of the place is best garnered from the Observation Lounge on Norwegian Viva, while docked at the world’s first underground cruise terminal: Galata Port. The Capital of Two Empires shore excursion introduces the Ottomans and Byzantines who ruled Istanbul for centuries. Their legacy is seen on Sultanahmet Square where the famed Blue Mosque and its more than 21,000 blue/green Iznik tiles sits opposite the Hagia Sophia mosque architectural masterpiece. A short walk away is the Byzantine Basilica Cistern that featured in the Tom Hanks film Inferno. Constructed in 532AD to supply water to the Great Palace, this is the city’s largest surviving Byzantine subterranean cistern. A total of 336 marble columns salvaged from ruined temples create the massive structure that is now a quirky art gallery. Don’t miss the Grand Bazaar – the world’s largest and oldest covered market.

MYKONOS, Greece

Mykonos. Image: Shirley Sinclair

It may be considered the party animal of Greece, but this little island remains one of the most photogenic in the stunningly beautiful Cyclades group. As part of a Let’s Take a Selfie shore excursion, we not only had the opportunity to take ‘hero shots’ of its postcard-worthy landmarks but also saw a side of Mykonos many visitors never see. Before ticking off the windmills, Mykonos Castle archeological site, Old Port, Little Italy, and the highly Instagrammable Church of St Nicholas of Kadena (the little church across from the town hall with the cute blue dome), a coach trip to the eastern side of the island takes in picturesque Kalafatis Beach, the quaint town square at Ano Mera and Mykonian Farm Restaurant (with pattable cows and goats, wine tasting and the best baklava I’ve ever tasted).

ATHENS, Greece

Athens. Image: Shirley Sinclair

Gaze on the Acropolis bathed in gold from a rooftop bar at sunset, dine in the Plaka’s tavernas and people-watch in Monastiraki Square. Norwegian Viva’s cruise ended here. But in the past, I’ve devoted at least four days to walking in the footsteps of history. The city is dominated by 5th century BC landmarks. Snake your way through Hadrian’s Library, the Roman Agora and the Ancient Agora and Museum in a day. Perhaps devote day two to the massive Acropolis site (including the Parthenon, Temple of Athena Nike, Propylaea and the Erechtheion), as well as the New Acropolis Museum. Also worth adding to the list are the Odeum of Herodes Atticus, Theatre of Dionysus, the Olympieion (Temple of Olympian Zeus), Congress Hall and Panathinaiko Stadium and the National Archaeological Museum with its priceless collections that have survived the test of time.

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