Seabourn Encore - August 4, 2024

Piraeus is the seaport for Athens, the capital of western civilization, which boasts a fantastic mix of classical ruins and vivacious modern life. In a single day, you can climb the hill of the Acropolis to wonder at the Parthenon, join the lively Athenians in Constitution Square, and then find a welcoming taverna for some spirited bizouki music, plenty of ouzo to drink, and with luck, energetic Greek dancing.

Skiathos is a very cosmotolitan little place and it is not that unpleasant to sit in a quayside cafe or join the shoppers browsing the dozens of boutiques and trinket shops. Bars are naturally littered with youngsters and middle-aged tourists stroll along the quay in cleanly pressed linen. Skiathos town simply bristles with tavernas, bars and nightclubs.

Kavalla is a Greek Macedonian seaport in the Aegean Sea. Be sure to see the town's Turkish quarter, which is surrounded by spectacular Byzantine walls. Kavalla's modern commerce centers around tobacco, rice, melons, grapes, and beekeeping. Nearby Thassos offers fine beaches, and Sotiros is said to boast the area's finest sunsets.

Dikili is the port for the ancient mountain citadel of Pergamum where you can visit Asklepeion, the site where psychiatry was first practiced. Also see the Sacred Pools, the Altar of Zeus, the Library, and the Serpent Altar which still serves as the symbol of the medical profession.

Built upon the remains of the city of Halicarnassus, Bodrum is now a beautiful resort village on the Aegean Coast with intriguing sights. Visit the ruins of the Mausoleum, one of the seven wonders of the ancient world, or the Crusader Castle that guards the harbor.

With its steep volcanic flanks looming straight up from the sea, and the tiny white village of Thira clinging high atop the cliffs, Santorini is perhaps the most breathtaking and legendary of all the Greek Isles. To the south is Akrotiri, where recent Minoan excavations support the theories that Santorini might be the fabled lost continent of Atlantis.

Piraeus is the seaport for Athens, the capital of western civilization, which boasts a fantastic mix of classical ruins and vivacious modern life. In a single day, you can climb the hill of the Acropolis to wonder at the Parthenon, join the lively Athenians in Constitution Square, and then find a welcoming taverna for some spirited bizouki music, plenty of ouzo to drink, and with luck, energetic Greek dancing.