Roman emperors Augustus, Trajan and
Hadrian all visited Ephesus and almost
certainly paraded down this very street.
From Kuşadası, we head south to Crete
where we spend the day in Chania, one of
the most charming towns of island Greece.
Once an important port for both the
Venetian and Ottoman empires its historic
streets are lined with elegant mansions
painted in vibrant colours and adorned
with climbing jasmine and bougainvillea
which bloom well into December.
Above all, Chania is a perfect place to
soak up the vibrant Mediterranean street
life. In the run-up to Christmas, Greek
town centres have a penchant for setting
up music stations where DJs play Christmas
songs and get passing shoppers to join in.
At Chania's pretty harbour I stop for a
coffee. The temperature is a sublime 20°C
and the Mediterranean a deep sapphire
blue. If it wasn't for "Last Christmas I gave
you my heart" drifting over, I'd swear it was
an early summer's day.
Back on board we settle down for two
days of scenic sailing across the Ionian and
Tyrrhenian Seas. At sunset on Christmas Day
we approach the volcanic island of
Stromboli whose picture perfect volcano
constantly puffs out clouds of steam which
can be seen far and wide and has earned it
the nickname, "Lighthouse of the
Mediterranean".
Stromboli is a fitting prelude to our next
port of call, Naples, where over breakfast,
guests look awestruck as they gaze over
the Bay of Naples towards Mount Vesuvius,
one of the most dangerous volcanos on
Earth. Most of the optional excursions of
the day include a visit to Pompeii, which
was famously buried by metres of ash
during a colossal eruption in August
79 AD. Nowhere else on Earth has an
ancient city been so perfectly preserved
and a stroll along its streets brings up a
rollercoaster of emotions.
Nowhere else on
Earth has an ancient
city been so perfectly
preserved and a stroll
along its streets brings
up a rollercoaster of
emotions.
Clockwise from top
image: Ionian sea coast,
Taormina, Sicily, Italy;
ancient walls in Pompeii;
the old port of Chania,
Crete, Greece
At home in Crete with with Viking guide Vangelis
36 | Viking Explorer Society News
