We had the most glorious sunrise as we came into Corfu this morning. Corfu, off Greece's northwest coast in the Ionian Sea is defined by rugged mountains and a beautifully preserved Old Town. Corfu unlike the rest of Greece never fell under the Ottoman oppression - a fact which the population are extremely proud of. The beautifully preserved Old Town of Corfu ( a UNESCO world heritage site) lies between the "old" 15th century fortress and the "new" fortress whic...

The scenic seaside Greek town of Katakolon, with a population around 600, serves as the gateway to ancient Olympia, the birthplace of the Olympic Games. The town only comes to life when a cruise ship comes in!! On the way to ancient Olympia we travelled through the fertile valleys of the Western Peloponnese region. Strawberries, watermelons, tomatoes, wheat and corn fill the fields and behind them rise groves of olive trees. We also saw grapes being grown in a ci...

Gythion is actually a small seaside town on the Mani Peninsula, which lies in the Southern Peloponnese and is the gateway to Sparta, the ancient Byzantine city of Mystras and the region of Laconia. In ancient times, the brusque and bellicose locals gave the world the word laconic. Today we chose to forgo byzantine history and decided to venture into Diros Caves to explore this prehistoric dwelling place. Used as homes, a place of worship, a cemetery and workshops...

Docked early this morning in the port of Piraeus, the chief port in Greece, the largest passenger port in Europe and the second largest in the world. As the crew needed to clean the ship and get ready for the next cruise we were offered a trip to Cape Sounion. We drove through the city which was surprisingly pretty. I had simply thought of it as a place that ships dock but there are many historic landmarks, churches and neoclassical buildings which would be wort...

Skiáthos, is considered the most cosmopolitan island in the Northern Sporades and is truly a paradise on earth, with lush pine forests and 70 beaches with golden sands and crystal-clear blue waters. The most famous beach is Koukounariés, which has been declared the third most beautiful beach in the Mediterranean. The film "Mamma Mia" was partially filmed on Skiathos and nearby Skopelos. The last day of our first cruise and we awoke to rain!! Not to be deterred...