The Mediterranean Archives - Page 3 of 3

Julia / December 26, 2018

A Trip Down Memory Lane in Olympia (Summer Sailing 2018)

I found Olympia to be an interesting stop. It was an area so deeply rooted in history that it felt like we were going back in time the second we stepped onto land. For this one, we chose to go with a tour because it was a bit of drive to Olympia itself from the port that we were docked at (Katakolon). The one good thing that I find about joining a group tour is that anytime you’re on the bus, especially at the beginning, the tour guide will launch into this long spiel about the local culture, the history, and more background of the places that they will take you. It’s a great pre-cursor to all the sights that you’re going to be see. When we got to Olympia, our guide led us around the area, pointing out sights and giving us the history behind it all. We saw…

View Post

Julia / October 1, 2018

A Stroll in Saranda (Summer Sailing 2018)

To be quite honest, I never expected myself to end up paying a visit to Albania. In my mind, it was always one of those European countries that I’d never end up sticking a pin in on my travel map. But there we were. In Saranda. The night before the ship had docked, the cruise director made an announcement saying not to expect Saranda to be like the ports of call we had already docked at thus far. After seeing the grand old towns of Split and Dubrovnik and the stunning views, it was important that we didn’t expect to see the exact same things in Saranda. It wasn’t a popular port of call for many cruise lines, which is what made it unique, but also not as developed by tourism as other regions may be. We had chosen a tour that would take us all the way to the…

View Post

Julia / September 24, 2018

Pearl of the Adriatic (Summer Sailing 2018)

They call it the Pearl of the Adriatic for a reason and now, I finally know why. Dubrovnik is one of those ports that stays with you long after you leave it. Even now, I close my eyes and I can picture the deep blue colour of the sea and the orange roofs seen from the top of the city walls. I can feel the sun on my skin and imagine the same breeze that I felt standing on the top of the fort. The beauty of the place was astounding. Even that word doesn’t sum it up properly. The city is incredibly photogenic; no matter where you turn, there’s a good photo just waiting to be taken. Each and every view looks as if it was pulled straight out of a picture book, and the colours look as if the saturation was turned all the way up on Photoshop.…

View Post

Julia / September 15, 2018

Sunny, Sunny Split (Summer Sailing 2018)

Split was our first port of call this trip, and it was such a good opener for the journey ahead. Beyond this, it was such a good taster of Croatia because it got us so excited about the country’s beauty and attractions. Split is Croatia’s second largest city (after Dubrovnik, our next port of call) and it has settlement dating back to the 6th century, making it one of the oldest cities in the region. So, that’s why going to see the old city was a must. We weren’t booked on a tour for this port because everything was within walking distance from where the ship was docked, and we liked to see the city via walking because you always got to see more of it, both the expected and the unexpected. After getting off the ship, it was about a 10 to 15-minute walk to the Peristyle, which is…

View Post

Julia / September 14, 2018

In the City of Love (Summer Sailing 2018)

And we found ourselves back in the city with waterways instead of roads and gondolas instead of cars. We were back in the company of gelato, masquerade masks, and hidden alleys built on water. We were in Venice, and it was so good to be back for the second time. I finished the book, Sapiens, just a couple months ago and the author writes about this whole idea of romanticism that has really exploded, especially in the 21st century. It involves buying experiences over material goods. As human beings, we long to see the world, we invest in trips abroad, we go to movies, or we throw money at cool restaurants that let you eat blindfolded. Because it’s all about the experience and over time, it is this collection of these experiences that make up a life. Our life. We were complete romantics in Venice. For us, the one day…

View Post