Day 1 -
Civitavecchia, Port of Rome
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St. Peter’s, with its breathtaking Sistine Chapel, newly restored to its former glory, the Spanish Steps, where all Rome passes by, the Colosseum, where real gladiators fought to the death, the Pantheon, considered to be the most perfect architectural statement of the ages. Life is not lived if you haven’t been to Rome!
Meals included:
Dinner
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Day 2 -
Ponza, Italy
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The pastel houses of Ponza Town rise in neat terraced rows from the busy harbour where sleekly groomed yachts and ramshackle fishing boats moor side by side. Happily, there are few tourists here, so it’s a delight to wander through the unspoiled town. Then find yourself a private bit of beach, there are lots of them, and enjoy the feel of warm sand and cool clear water lapping your toes.
Meals included:
Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
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Day 3 -
Capri, Italy
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Capri, where the Emperor Tiberius held notorious bacchanals at his Imperial villa, has gradually become one of the most popular resorts in southern Italy. Famous for its scenery and climate, Capri is a garden of Eden teeming with vegetation despite the rocky landscape.
Meals included:
Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
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Day 4 -
Taormina, Sicily
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Barrelling under full sail through the narrow Strait of Messina separating Italy’s toe from the island of Sicily is a thrill beyond comparison, sailing past Scylla and Charybdis, where rock and whirlpool almost claimed Ulysses. And then you arrive in lovely Taormina, and your day is perfectly completed. Perched on the shoulder of Mt. Etna, Taormina inspired Goethe to say that “It is the greatest work of art and nature.” The whispers of ancient ghosts in the Greek Theatre would agree!
Meals included:
Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
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Day 5 -
At Sea
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Our graceful ships fly along the waves, just like the legendary clippers of a century and a-half ago. And this is as much an adventure in highly evolved relaxation as it is in tradition.
Meals included:
Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
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Day 6 -
Corfu, Greece
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The lushest (and some say the loveliest) of all the Greek Islands, Corfu lies just a stone’s throw from the Albanian coast. And nowhere is the stunning natural beauty of Corfu more evident than in the small village of Paleocastritsa, where legend says Odysseus was washed ashore to be rescued by Nausicaa. Another sight not to be missed is the Achillion Palace built for the Empress Elizabeth of Austria and later owned by Kaiser Wilhelm I. The British made Corfu a major base during the Napoleonic wars and you can see the lovely 1824 villa, Mon Repos, where Prince Philip was born.
Meals included:
Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
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Day 7 -
Kotor, Montenegro
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You might think you were sailing up a Norwegian fjord. In fact, this stunning rock-walled chasm splitting the coastal mountains of Montenegro is the longest arm of the sea in Southern Europe. As you venture deep into the heart of Boka Fjord, you’ll see several charming villages along the shore, but at its very end, Boka harbours one of the prettiest, unspoiled towns you’ll ever see, the medieval city of Kotor. Founded by the Romans, fortified with massive walls during the Byzantine era, then ruled by Venice for much of its history, Kotor has been naturally preserved by its isolation.
Meals included:
Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
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Day 8 -
Dubrovnik, Croatia
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It was George Bernard Shaw who said, “Those who seek paradise on earth should come to Dubrovnik.” Indeed, Dubrovnik is a treasure by any measure made more precious by its miraculous restoration. Crowned by the Minceta Tower, the 10th century city walls are the proud symbol of Dubrovnik’s colourful history. In the cathedral treasury, the collection of priceless golden reliquaries include the remains of St. Blaise, Dubrovnik’s patron saint. Stroll up the Stradún to the elaborately colonnaded Rector’s Palace, designed by Onofrio de la Cava in 1435. This was the seat of the republic of Ragusa, a powerful Renaissance era city-state boasting a fleet of 500 ships!
Meals included:
Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
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Day 9 -
Korcula, Croatia
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Framed by dense green forests of allepo pine and twisted cypress, the red tile roofs of Korcula make an inviting picture that makes you want to see more of this charming island town whose most famous native son was Marco Polo. The pale wheat coloured stone Cathedral of St. Mark houses a treasure trove of Dalmatian and Italian art, including works by Tintoretto and Titian. Walk through the towering Land Gate for a great view of the town, try a traditional Korcula dish, spinning-wheel fettuccini. And if you’re lucky, you may witness Korcula’s thrilling Moreska Sword Dance.
Meals included:
Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
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Day 10 -
Hvar, Croatia
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The heavenly scent of lavender perfumes the air in the fields and valleys around the island of Hvar. Idyllically located just off the Dalmatian coast, the island and the little port named after it have been a favourite getaway ever since the time of the Romans, the Byzantines, the Venetians and even Austro-Hungarian royalty. See the perfectly preserved Cathedral of St. Stephen, the serene cloistered Franciscan monastery and the Venetian Arsenal, where one of Europe’s first public theatres was established in 1612
Meals included:
Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
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Day 11 -
Rovinj, Croatia
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Rovinj is a typical example of a Mediterranean town. From the 17th century the town started to develop outside the fortified town walls and in 1763 the islet was connected with the mainland. The town is dominated by the Baroque three nave church of St. Euphemia (Fuma) - Close to the harbour are the clock tower, the Baroque Balbi’s Arch and the former 17th c. Town Hall, which today is a Museum. To the east lies the complex of the Franciscan monastery and to the south, Rovinj’s oldest monument, the Romanesque heptagonal chapel of the Holy Trinity.
Meals included:
Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
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Day 12 -
Venice, Italy
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Enjoy your last breakfast on board, before departing for your return flight home
Meals included:
Breakfast
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