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A HISTORY LESSON BROUGHT TO LIFE
The Acropolis, Temple of Poseidon, the
Palace of Knossos, Olympia and Pompeii
had been legendary places I had
daydreamed about during art history in
high school, when my teacher would
project small Kodak slides of them onto
the screen. Now these ancient masterpieces
were coming to life right in front of my
eyes during our own odyssey.
We had never travelled all together as
'grown ups', without our children and
partners for distraction. How would four
strong, opinionated and different women,
varying in age and quirks, fit together for
the trip of a lifetime? Well, the myths of the
ancients combined with the luxury of cruise
travel proved to be the ideal ingredients.
Every evening we'd meet up for drinks in the
Explorers Lounge, making sure to grab our
favourite corner couches with the best view
as our ship headed off to its next port. But
direction has never been my strong point,
so the four of us would 'debate' whether we
were heading left, right, north or south as we
watched the sun set over the endless horizon.
Apart from navigation tips, we'd also share
the latest legend or newfound historical fact
that had wowed us that day during our tour
excursion. Almost every morning we'd wake
in a new port. I couldn't wait to pull aside
the curtains and discover what life
was unfolding in the harbour below our
ship. However, I'm sure the local fisherman
of Messina didn't know what to make of
the demented Aussie, clad in a white
bathrobe, waving and yelling 'ciao' from
her cabin balcony, as the golden morning
light reflected off the waterfront buildings
of this seafaring city.
TR E V I FOUNTA IN , ROME , ITA LY
V I K I N G J U P I TE R
