Category: Greek Island Cruise & Danube Cruise – Aug/Sept 2025

We got up early to enjoy the morning. So far, we have been fortunate to have incredible weather, and not too hot, either. When we went down to have breakfast, some folks took the time to have a swim in the warm water off of the back of the boat. We decided to wait for our next swim stop to check out the water.

The buffet breakfast offered many choices, and all were good. The staff was very responsive and helpful, noticing when you needed a refill of coffee or other beverage, bringing whatever you needed. Sofia, our tour coordinator, provided more information about our tour today in Delos.

We will be taking a tender (small rubber boat) to Delos to meet our local guide. No one lives there, except a zillion cats, but it is supposed to be the birthplace of the mythological Apollo and Artemis. It was a prominent trading post as it grew from the 3^rd century B.C. It also had one of the first banks in all of Greece. Numerous pieces of sculpture were transferred to many museums in Greece and throughout the world. Excavations on the island began in earnest in 1873, with intensive work from 1958-1975 by the French School of Archaeology. They discovered many private homes, as well as significant pieces of ancient temples. And, the excavations continue to this day, with scaffolding erected to continue the work.

When we returned to the yacht, we had an amazing lunch, consisting of several salads, lamb chops, chicken and pork souvlaki, potatoes, grilled eggplant, swordfish, fresh fruit, and, as a perfect end to our meal, a chocolate mousse lava cake! It was very sweet, so even sharing it with Jim meant that we could only eat half or less of it. But, it was exceptional.

The exhausting tour this morning required a rest, which we happily enjoyed for several hours. When we awoke, we found that we now had internet, due to our proximity to Mykonos. Yippee! I was able to download pictures, as well as checking 50+ emails.

By 5:00 PM, we decided to take the sea taxi to Mykonos, only 15 minutes away. Mykonos has an old port, and a new port. Ships and boats now dock at the new port, requiring the sea taxi to get you to the old port and the town itself. We arrived while it was still light, noticing the crowds of women visitors in teeny bikinis with almost transparent cover-ups. I guess I should have taken some pictures of them…

We decided to stop at one of the seaside restaurants for a drink and focaccia, with marinated tomatoes or an olive tapanade. That was plenty as an evening “meal” for us. Afterward, we enjoyed a beautiful sunset and headed into town to see the shops and the clubs we heard about. Not surprisingly, we didn’t go clubbing, but I checked out the over-priced jewelry, and other items. Of course, as has become our habit, we shared a gelato (half vanilla and half pistachio). The display in this gelato shop was different than we ever saw in Italy, and truthfully, the flavor was amazing.

Time to return to the yacht, let me catch up with the blog and take advantage of the internet to add the many pictures. It was a tiring, but fun day. At midnight, the yacht heads to Santorini, our next stop tomorrow. We have a tour there to see the little towns and enjoy the sights we see in ads about the island. Sleep will come easily tonight!

We had an early morning flight from Rome to Athens, where we transferred to our home for the next week, the Harmony V yacht. This three-level boat has 25 cabins, for a maximum of 50 passengers, but there were only 48 passengers, from the Colorado, Texas, New Jersey, Denmark, the Netherlands, Greece, and many other places. They seem like a nice group, which will be nice to enjoy getting to know them.

Upon arriving, we were able to get settled in our stateroom, and then had the obligatory safety instruction. We hope never to use the life vest, but it is important to learn about its use. The room is fairly spacious, with a large window to enjoy the sea view. The downside is that there is only one plug in the room (nothing in the bathroom), which was sufficient when the boat was built, but not for modern time, with our many devices. After our many travels, we have learned to bring multiple ways to enable us to charge our phones, iPads, and watches, etc.

There is no WiFi on board, especially while we are moving around the sea. Perhaps we will find internet service once we are n a larger island tomorrow. We have a portable hot spot, which allows us to have access where there are cell towers, hopefully in Mykonos, our first large island stop tomorrow.

We had an opportunity to take a short nap before meeting everyone at dinner. It turned out that we had a lovely dinner at a table with two couples, who were very nice. One couple was from Melbourne, Australia, and the other was a recently retired couple from Denver. The dinner was amazing, starting with a delicious fish soup, a light salad, a choice of entree of salmon or steak (we opted for the salmon), and a cheesecake dessert. All were excellent.

Just before sunset, we cruised past a small island, Cape Sounion, that had the remnants of the Temple of Poseiden, dating from 440 B.C. Eighteen of the original forty-two columns remain, as it sits at the highest point, 60 meters above the water. There were many tourists who climbed the hill to get an up-close look. Since we didn’t dock, we just took pictures from the boat. Afterward, we enjoyed a spectacular sunset.

Around 9:30 PM, there was an opportunity to go into Kia, a small island, that looked interesting. However, we decided to pass on this visit, and it turned out that those who went said it was just okay, not a “can’t miss” opportunity. Going to bed early was a much better option, which we took gladly. Tomorrow, we go to Delos for a tour of the ancient ruins and then Mykonos to walk around and have a light dinner. No partying for us, even though it is known as the place to go to drink, dance, and have a fun time. It will be good to get online, since I am addicted!

After a short flight from Guadalajara to Mexico City, we boarded our flight to Rome yesterday. Our house sitters arrived on Tuesday from San Miguel, where they live full-time. From getting house sitters when they frequently travel, they became house sitters themselves. We know that Lola will be in good hands.

The Aeromexico flight was an easy ten hours. We enjoyed a sumptuous dinner and breakfast meal (only kidding), but upgrading our cabin to have a better meal for thousands of dollars (not enough points) to have a better meal doesn’t make sense. I have said to Jim that when we take our last long trip, it will include flying with either Business or First Class seats, just to experience the sensation!

We are tired, but not ready to take a long nap. We arrived at 4:00 PM Rome time (8:00 AM Guadalajara time) and are enjoying the hotel before we have a bite to eat and a nice sleep. We fly to Athens in the morning to pick up our “yacht” for a week in the islands. It is 80F and lovely. The Mediterranean Sea is just beyond the marina. We are delighted to be here.

We headed out for our first dinner in Italy upon returning and found just the right food for us. We shared a caprese salad (once again), and a calzone, both of which were delicious. Of course, I had an Aperol Sprintz to start this part of the adventure.

Dealing with time changes destroys your sleep patterns. Still, we managed to get some sleep, in preparation for our flight to Athens. It was a tight timeframe to get to the yacht between 2:00 and 3:00 PM, but we made it. Ah, we are ready to enjoy this part of the trip.