Eastern Mediterranean cruise
Roundtrip from Civitavecchia aboard Celebrity Equinox, 2–14 May 2010 — one of the best trips of my life. We had already spent three days in Rome, then boarded for Santorini, Istanbul (two days), Ephesus, Athens, Mykonos, and Naples/Capri. A fantastic combination of historical periods in the trail of ancient empires, civilizations, and cultures. We absolutely loved Istanbul and felt we were travelling through history while sailing the Dardanelles. Most places still showed the 2008 financial crisis, especially Athens, where there had been mass protests just before we arrived. Naples we found really dirty, so that day was mostly Capri. Sea days filled the gaps between ports.
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Civitavecchia — Celebrity Equinox
Visited: May 2, 2010
Arrival notes: From Rome after three days in the city
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Embarked for an 11-night Eastern Mediterranean roundtrip. The ship was Celebrity Equinox (Solstice-class).
- Attraction
Fira
Visited: May 5, 2010
How I got there: Boat — Celebrity Equinox (sea day from Civitavecchia)
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Santorini’s caldera town — whitewashed cliffs above the crater. Classic to-do: walk the rim and take the cable car rather than the donkey path in the heat.
- Attraction
Oia
Visited: May 5, 2010
How I got there: Taxi / rideshare — From Fira
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Blue-domed churches and the famous caldera sunset — the postcard of Santorini.
- Attraction
Mykonos Town
Visited: May 6, 2010
How I got there: Boat — Celebrity Equinox
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Little Venice on the water and the row of windmills above the harbour — the two things to see if you only have a day.
- Historic marker
Hagia Sophia
Visited: May 7, 2010
How I got there: Boat — Celebrity Equinox — overnight in Istanbul
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Byzantine church turned mosque: the great dome and the sense of standing inside layered empires. We had two days here and absolutely loved the city.
- Historic marker
Blue Mosque
Visited: May 7, 2010
How I got there: Walk — Across Sultanahmet Square from Hagia Sophia
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Sultan Ahmed Mosque — six minarets and Iznik tiles, facing Hagia Sophia across the square.
- Attraction
Grand Bazaar
Visited: May 8, 2010
How I got there: Walk
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The covered market — spices, metalwork, bargaining. Second day in Istanbul.
- Historic marker
Topkapi Palace
Visited: May 8, 2010
How I got there: Walk
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Ottoman imperial palace on the point where the Bosphorus, Golden Horn, and Sea of Marmara meet.
- Historic marker
The Dardanelles
Visited: May 8, 2010
How I got there: Boat — Celebrity Equinox, sailing south from Istanbul
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Sailing the strait felt like travelling through history — the waterway of ancient empires between the Sea of Marmara and the Aegean, on the way to Ephesus.
- Historic marker
Ephesus
Visited: May 9, 2010
How I got there: Boat — Celebrity Equinox to Kuşadası, then inland
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The marble streets of the ancient city and the Library of Celsus — one of the great surviving Roman façades in the Greek east.
- Historic marker
Acropolis of Athens
Visited: May 11, 2010
How I got there: Boat — Celebrity Equinox to Piraeus (sea day after Ephesus)
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Parthenon and the rock of the Acropolis. Athens was marked by the 2008 financial crisis; there had been mass protests just before we arrived (May 2010).
- Historic marker
Ancient Agora of Athens
Visited: May 11, 2010
How I got there: Walk — Below the Acropolis
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The civic heart of classical Athens — Temple of Hephaestus and the stoas where the city actually lived and argued.
- Attraction
Capri
Visited: May 13, 2010
How I got there: Boat — Celebrity Equinox to Naples, then boat to the island (sea day from Athens)
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Piazzetta and the clifftop views. We spent the Naples call mostly on Capri — we found Naples itself really dirty.
- Attraction
Blue Grotto
Visited: May 13, 2010
How I got there: Boat — Small boat from Capri
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The sea cave on Capri’s coast — the other classic to-do if the water is calm enough to enter.
Route summary: Civitavecchia — Celebrity Equinox → Fira → Oia → Mykonos Town → Hagia Sophia → Blue Mosque → Grand Bazaar → Topkapi Palace → The Dardanelles → Ephesus → Acropolis of Athens → Ancient Agora of Athens → Capri → Blue Grotto