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As a deep purple twilight drapes the Mediterranean hills, a sleek
cruise ship slips out to sea while a band on board sends a familiar
tune into a soft breeze. Cocktail glasses clink and passengers
on deck hum along; then the ship’s whistle blows its melancholy
farewell. That lump in your throat is predictable. The excitements
of a cruise are as deep as the oceans: faraway places with strange-sounding
names, ancient civilizations (Romans, Phoenicians, Egyptians),
scenery that stuns the senses; antique arts and new music (new
to you, that is); the romance of history (Cleopatra barged along
right over there).
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The heartland of Western civilization, indeed the cradle of civilization,
the Mediterranean has long been a favourite destination for the
experienced traveller. From Patmos to the Pillars of Hercules, the
Mediterranean is the Helen of seas. Desired by all who eye her,
she has sung a siren song to sailors from Odysseus to Onassis. The
grandeur that was Greece, the glory that was Rome, the hub or meeting
place of ancient civilizations that was Malta, and myriad visions
of Arabian Nights linger around the sinuous shores. |
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Like bells of the watch, the ports of call toll in our imaginations:
Santorini, Venice and Valletta, Elba, Rhodes and Naples, Monaco
and Mlaga..In Wedgwood twilight when the French Riviera shimmers
in a scrim of blues - sea, sky, and the horizon hills-you will
stand on deck intoxicated by a perfumed breeze and know you’re
living the good life on the eve of the 21st century.
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Today’s cruise traveler will be awed by the richness of
it all. There is so much to know and see: from Istanbul on the
Bosporus to Spain and Morocco and the Rock of Gibraltar on the
other end to the island of Malta right in the centre. In a lifetime,
in a thousand, no one will completely know the Latins’ Mare
Nostrum (Our Sea). Sigh with acceptance and settle into a
sidewalk cafe from time to time when the mind whirls with images
and the legs feel weary.
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Italy, Spain, Greece, Malta, the Black Sea - history
lives in every corner, and the surrounding beauty takes your breath
away. Whether you’re gazing at the domes and spires of Venice,
wondering at the massive mediaval bastions fortifying Maltese cities,
or walking among the artistic and philosophical temples of Athens,
you’ll bring home memories to last a lifetime. |
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