Sirena - 7/19/2027

Civitavecchia is just moments from Rome, Italy's Eternal City. One of the most geographically perfect ports in the world, Civitavecchia boasts a number of compelling area attractions. Stroll through the streets of the medieval town of Tarquinia. View the resplendent Madonnina at the Resort of Pantano.

Located on the Gulf of Salerno, southeast of Naples, Salerno was founded by Romans in 197 BC, and is the site of the earliest medical school in Europe, which still exists. The city's principal interest is the San Matteo, which the sepulchre of St. Matthew and the tomb of Pope Gregory VII. You can also visit the ruins of the castle of Arechi.

Once regarded as Europe's grandest, most beautiful city, Palermo is still quite impressive. The Four Corners of Palermo, where each 17th-century Spanish Baroque facade is adorned with a statue, is one of the city's most memorable sights. The Fontana Pretoria, often called the Fountain of Shame because of its nude Florentine figures, is also worth noting. Tour the famous Norman Cathedral and Capuchin catacombs.

Steep, rugged Sicily had bred a race of fierce, funny and passionate people. From this important port, drive up the coast to visit Taormina. First Greeks, then Romans used this as a place of worship and reward. View the temples and the theater, Mt. Etna in the distance, or take a stroll and shop in the little village before you leave.

Zakynthos, also called Zante, or "Fiore di Levande" (The flower of East Wind) is a sparkling diamond under the sun, surrounded by the emerald waters of the Ionian Sea. Zakynthos, the artistic center of the Ionian islands, island of natural beauties, of arts and spirit. Zakynthos is the southernmost island in the Ionian group, a short distance off the north-western tip of the Peloponnese. Greek tourists have been coming to Zante long before international visitors started to get to know and appreciate its many attractions.

Gythios is a small seaside town south of Sparta on the Peloponnesian peninsula. Home to some 2,000 year-round residents, Gythios expands tenfold during the summer months as sun worshippers from around the world flock to the beaches. Favorite local attractions include seaside cafes that serve up local specialties, and an ancient theater where the plays of Aeschylus and Sophocles are performed.

The narrow passageways of Mykonos are a twisted maze of whitewashed houses, miniature churches, lazy windmills, and tiny cafes serving up Greek specialties. Sample the freshest squid or lobster just snatched from the blue Aegean Sea, or shop for typical flokati rugs.

Thanks to its privileged position at the foot of Mt. Pelion on the Pagasitic gulf, Volos is a good base for enjoying the sea, wooded slopes and green valleys that surround it. With 71.000 inhabitants, is a cheerful, lively town, soundly laid out with pleasant broad streets. The waterfront is an ideal spot for a stroll. A modern coastal avenue bustling with life, it is lined with pastry shops, cafes and restaurants

On the Asian shore, guarding the Dardanelles, is the quiet Turkish port town of Canakkale. History enthusiasts will want to venture to legendary Troy. Canakkale's Archaeological Museum boasts exhibits originally belonging to Frank Calvert, aide to the discoverer of the lost city, Heinrich Schliemann. Visit the vast memorial at Galipoli Peninsula, site of the notorious World War I campaign. Be sure to sample the culinary delights of a meze, a spectacular array of Turkish hors d'oeuvres.

Once called Constantinople, the former capital of the Byzantine Empire is the only city in the world to straddle two continents: Europe and Asia. This is the Golden Horn, the door between East and West, and your first vision of its domes and minarets is unforgetable. Hagia Sophia, the Blue Mosque and Sultan treasures in Topkapi Palace await - as does the Grand Bazaar, laden with carpets, beaten brass and spices from afar.

The birthplace of Sappho, a famous poet in ancient Greece, Lesbos is a charming island of picturesque villages like Agiassos. The Byzantine Monastery of Limonos and its beautiful frescoes are of special interest.

This charming, picturesque resort where Antony and Cleopatra used to vacation is best known as the port for the ancients ruins of Ephesus - one of the world's most wondrous archaeological sites. Explorations should include such masterpieces as the Great Amphitheatre, where St. Paul addressed the Ephesians, the Library of Celsus, and the temples of Athena and Apollo - all connected by marble streets rutted by the wheels of countless chariots.

Argostolion is the capital town of Kefallinia, one of the seven islands comprising the Estanisa, an island group in the Ionian Sea.

This natural harbor on the Adriatic coast of Montenegro was an important artistic and commercial center with famous masonry and iconography schools in the Middle Ages. A large number of its monuments, among which four Romanesque churches and the town walls, were heavily damaged by an earthquake in 1979 but the town is now completely restored.

Korcula is not just a work of physical beauty; the island carries immense historical significance throughout its sun-dappled shores as well. Visitors can explore the ruins of the Vela Spilja cave, where settlers camped 8,000 years ago, or tour the birthplace of legendary explorer Marco Polo. Be sure to capture Korcula's looming rock formations, rolling hills, and ornate stone buildings on film.

Ravenna served as the capital of the Western Roman Empire in the Fifth Century AD, as a result of the barbarian invasions that plagued Rome. Ravenna is popular for its fifth to eight century Christian monuments, including the mausoleums of Galla Placidia and King Theodoric and the Church of San Vitale, a masterpiece of Byzantine art. The National Museum of Antiquities holds an important collection of classical and early Christian antiquities.

Venice enchants you from your first glimpse as your ship glides through the Grand Canal. A world power in the middle ages, its affluence lives on in its beautiful old buildings like those surrounding Piazza San Marco. Be sure not to leave without a romantic ride along the canals in a gondola.

Venice enchants you from your first glimpse as your ship glides through the Grand Canal. A world power in the middle ages, its affluence lives on in its beautiful old buildings like those surrounding Piazza San Marco. Be sure not to leave without a romantic ride along the canals in a gondola.