The first time I visited Athens, in 1996, the Parthenon thrilled me, as did the Plaka, the statuary, and the overall vibe. The next time I visited, my enthusiasm had waned. Athens looked dirty, was hotter than hell on a bad day, the sky had a brownish tinge from pollution, and there were too many […]

Early this afternoon I arrived at the port of Piraeus (Greece) to board the Oceania Vista. The size of the ship surprised me, though it shouldn’t have. My stateroom is on the tenth deck and there are six decks above me. The ship can accommodate 1,200 passengers. The ship is just over one year old […]

Last night I slept better than I have in many nights—the gentle sound of the ship’s engines lulled me deep into dreamland. When I woke, we’d dropped anchor in Santorini, part of the Cycladic group of Greek islands. Santorini is a beautiful island. Well, it used to be a single island, now it is a […]