In May 2008 we went on our first cruise holiday. It was a Mediterranean cruise with one stop in Croatia (Dubrovnik) and the rest in Greece (Cephalonia, Corfu, Olympia, Athens, Crete). Initially I was quite circumspect about whether I would enjoy a cruise or not, mainly due to the fact that I like to do night photography and on a cruise this is not an option. However I was soon won over with the convenience of a cruise. Its a moving hotel, open your suitcases once and then every morning wake up in a new destination all fresh and energized, ready to explore the place. With a 2 year old this was the ideal solution as one did not have to pack and unpack at every destination.
15/05/08 – We flew to Crete and boarded an Ocean Village cruise liner. First stop was Dubrovnik, this meant that there was one day at sea and it was ideal to familiarise oneself with all the facilities abroad. There was also an art auction on board and I got quite interested in the displays. I did end up buying a limited edition print of Bernath. We reached Dubrovnik on day 3. The ship followed familiar pattern each day docking around 8 AM and leaving by 6:30 PM, giving us the whole day to explore.
17/05/08 – Seeing the red roofed houses in the walled city of Dubrovnik was an amazing experience. The city had been ravaged by civil war and one could make out the place where the red tiles had been replaced to repair the damage due to the shelling. We walked all around the walls which gives beautiful views of the adriatic and the harbour as well as the city. The walled city is completely pedestrianized and as the day progressed more tourists thronged in from cruise liners one after another. Mahi did fall asleep mid way through the walk around the fortification and as we had left the pram behind, towing her was not easy.
18/05/08 – Next stop was Corfu. We did an organized trip this ime around visiting the monastery at Paleokastrista and the Achillion Palace. We hung around Corfu town and the busy market area and the cricket pitch. Mon spent a lot of time browsing the wares in the shops.
19/05/08 – On to Cephalonia. This time we chose to explore ourselves. We booked a taxi to take us around the island. We visited Sami, Melissani Lake, Myrtos beach and other beautiful greek villages. As always we ended up in the market place in Argostoli and Mon spent time buying some trinkets.
20/05/08 – Next stop was Katakolon. From here we visited Olympia. The museum and the original site dose have quite an effect despite the monuments being destroyed through seismic activity. Looking at the pediments reconstructed within the museum one can imagine the grandeur of the temples, specially the one of Zeus. On return to Katakolon as usual we hit the shops and purchased an alabaster statue of Alexander on a chariort, one of my prize possessions from the trip.
21/05/08 – Athens at last, here I met up with an old friend Nick. Nick and I had trained together in Oxford and it was extremely nice to meet up with him. He gave us a personalised tour of Athens and really made this trip special. There is so much to see and we had so little time, so Nick showed us the highlights focused on the Parthenon at Acropolis and the National Archaeological Museum. Unfortunately the Acropolis museum although almost ready, had not yet formally opened its displays so we could not see the Friezes from the Parthenon. Nick and I often used to have a laugh about who the rightful owners of the Elgin marbles were. Nick also treated us to an excellent Greek lunch. Meeting Nick and his personalised tour definitely was the most memorable part of the trip.
22/05/08 – Crete was our final stop. Of we went to the archaeological site of Knossos to experience the Minonan civillization. We also spent time at the archaeological museum which houses some fantastic frescoes and pottery. After that we hung around town. Mon bought a vase made in the traditional Minoan style and after resisting the whole trip gave in to the temptation of busying Greek stamps. I boguht year sets from 2000 to 2007. We then loitered down to the sea front, and finally back to the ship. We had a very late flight and since we had to give up our room in the morning this was quite painful, specially for Mahi. Finally we did get on our flight and safely back to UK.
I will highly recommend this cruise to anyone with children. It was quite kid friendly and there were plenty of activities for the kids. Overall a very nice experience. Each Greek island is a pearl set in an emerald or turquoise sea, beauty past compare and a holiday to remember.
