Stalls are piled high with juicy cherries
and sides of smoked ham; roundels of
Škripavac cheese sit alongside huge oxheart
tomatoes, and vendors offer tastes of their
produce, alongside tots of chokingly-strong
quince-flavoured rakija. For keen foodies,
this market tour includes a private cookery
demonstration and dinner back on
board—a pleasing way to appease all the
senses that Kotor itself has already
managed to stimulate.
Mind you, our voyage takes in many
wondrous ports, both familiar and not-so
familiar. We kicked off from Athens and
spent several days sailing around Greece,
stopping at dazzling Santorini, then Corfu
and Katakolon—the latter, just a 40 -minute
drive from Olympia. Like Kotor, this proves a
Our Lady of the Rocks Church,
Perast, Montenegro
"With such a history-rich voyage, Viking pulls out
all the stops in terms of daily lectures from experts."
stand-out day. Even the ride to ancient
Olympia is gorgeous, uncovering a lush
green landscape where rivers irrigate fields
of fig trees and ancient olive groves.
At Olympia, we learn about the original
games and the rituals of Greek athletes.
Standing before the stony ruins of the
gymnasium training area, our guide Athina
tells us how all athletes ran naked, and
before the games, 100 bulls would be
sacrificed as a thanksgiving to Zeus. I'm
astonished to learn that up to 45,000
spectators would attend these games, some
travelling on foot and by boat from as far
away as Crete.
Two other lesser-known gems complete
this voyage into the Mediterranean's
deepest history. At Koper, one of Slovenia's
oldest towns, a replica of the Rialto Bridge
mixes with a handsome Praetorian Palace.
With fewer visitors than its sister town,
Piran, it's delightfully relaxed and Koper's
medieval core uncovers shady marble
streets lined with shops and restaurants.
Croatia's Zadar is another delight, filled
with Roman ruins and medieval churches.
Best of all, it has an incredible sea organ,
where pipes cut into the port wall create
eerie sounds whenever the waves hit
against them.
With such a history-rich voyage, Viking
pulls out all the stops in terms of daily
lectures from experts. We return home
crammed with new knowledge and many
memories—enough certainly, to entice us
back for a second visit.
GETTING THERE: The 10-day Empires of
the Mediterranean voyage sails from
Venice (Chioggia) to Athens (Piraeus), or
in reverse.
M e di te r r a n ean
S ea
A dr ia t i c
S ea
CROATIA
GREECE
ITALY
Venice
Dubrovnik
Kotor
Zadar
I o n ia n
S ea
Thíra
SANTORINI
Athens
(Piraeus)
Ae g ean
S ea
SLOVENIA
Koper
Kérkyra
CORFU
Olympia
(Katakolon)
MONTENEGRO
–
C r ui s e
••
O ve r night in Po r t
VIEW
VOYAGE
The Bay of Kotor,
Montenegro
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