Windstar Cruises :

We set sail from Piraeus, Greece with seas a deep navy-blue and fluffy white clouds floating lazily above Mount Olympus – the city of Athens a mere granite backdrop to the impending enchantments just over the horizon.  I was aboard the Wind Star – long, sleek, with dazzling white sails soaring 200 feet above my head.  Standing on deck and gazing down at the animated crowd bidding us Bon Voyage, it was clear: this stunning vessel commands recognition and respect wherever she sails.  Now I was a part of this reality – or is it a fantasy? Whichever.  I knew this would be the cruise of a lifetime.

Windstar Cruises operates a fleet of small luxury cruise ships known for their intimate yacht-style experience and unique voyages to the world’s best small ports and hidden harbors, cruising to 50 nations and 100 ports throughout Europe, the South Pacific, the Caribbean and Central America.  Recently Windstar purchased three new ships, the Seabourn Pride, Seabourn Legend and Seabourn Spirit.  This effectively doubles the size of Windstar’s line and makes it the leader in small-ship cruising. And, perhaps one of the most appealing things about the cruise line: they take only 148 to 312 passengers. Expect fine service and attention to your every need.

Wine for the Bard
Our first port-of-call was Monemvasia, Greece, a town inhabited since the 6^th century and located on a small peninsula off the east coast of the Peloponnese.  After a very long and steep climb, we reached a large plateau hovering above the sea, the site of a medieval fortress and a stunning Byzantine church, the Church of Christ in Chains, with its intricate, carvings of peacocks, a favored symbol of this era. Nearby, another church, the Agia Sofia, had ceilings and walls studded with sparkling mosaics. During Monemvasia’s Golden Age in the 1400s, wealthy families exported wine, a variety of Madeira, which was actually praised by Shakespeare. Learning that this ancient wine is still served in local trattorias, how could I possibly miss this chance? I found a medieval-looking café sitting prettily under a stand of orange trees and this renowned pink nectar accompanied my dish of freshly-caught (think 2 hours ago) grilled scallops. Rapture.

Back on board, I was delighted to hear the same music thrumming over the decks that we’d heard upon first embarking: the sound track from the movie “1492”.  It is grand, majestic, and absolutely perfect for setting sail to a new adventure.   (The Wind Star played this same exciting riff each time we left port- our clarion call to anticipate the next exciting destination).

Stalagmite Sculpture
Next: Glythion, Greece. The town is surrounded by the formidable Taygetos mountain range and adding a bit of romance, Glythion is reputed to have been founded by Heracles and Apollo; their images still appear on its coins.  It was recommended that we visit the Diros Caves, first opened in 1963.  It’s about 19 miles from the town, and considered one of the most spectacular sites in Greece. We viewed the glorious, mile-long interior named the “caverns measureless to man” by boat and saw forms shaped like well-known icons:  There, just ahead in all its tilted glory, isn’t that the Leaning Tower of Pisa? Further on, that mammoth pile has to be the great Chinese Palace. Stalagmites all.

Truman and Moi
What can one say about Taormina, Italy that hasn’t already been said? Truman Capote wrote about it in much of his work and D.H. Lawrence lived in this town’s oldest house, Villa Fontana Vecchia. Its beauty is legend, with the Ionian Sea providing a cinema-worthy backdrop, its ancient theatre the most celebrated ruin in Sicily, and Mount Etna towering over all. I had a happy time navigating Taormina’s narrow, cobblestone streets which are closed to traffic. I window-shopped and shopped till I finally found the most irresistible store of all - rainbow-colored pasticcerias (almond marzipan sweets) displayed in all their tempting glory – a delicious treat to take back to the ship.

On our days “at sea”, there was plenty to keep us busy on board.  My fave activity was merely claiming a lounge chair on deck and allowing myself to be seduced by the sea, the beautiful sea. Having in hand one of Wind Star’s inspired cocktails is a major plus. But if you require more activity, there’s the fitness center, with its challenging Body Sculpting Boot Camp, the spa beckoning with sumptuous facials and wraps and best of all, a Water Sports Platform where one can slip into the warm, enticing sea to windsurf, water ski or lie back on a water mat and ponder why you are – at this very ....