For those who love being near historical waters, be it the Mighty Mississippi or the
Missouri River, or even Carlyle Lake, American Travels suggests a getaway to
Athens. Not Georgia, not Texas, but Greece – the real one.
Combine it with a cruise through the cobalt/turquoise/azure/blue waters of th
Aegean Sea, where your eyes question whether you’re actually seeing 200 feet to
the bottom.
It’s a step back in time to ancient Greece, where one of the oldest civilizations
comes alive at locations throughout Athens. And it continues on every island I
visited. Mykonos, Patmos, Rhodes, Santorini, and Milos were on the itinerary.
Each had a unique feature to explore, and thanks to the schedule of the yacht
ILMA, a part of the Ritz-Carlton Yacht Collection on its second sailing, not enough
time to take it all in properly. An impractical suggestion would be two day
stopovers instead of one long day.
One of the more exciting stops en route to those beautiful islands was Kusadasi, Türkiye, also known in earlier times as Ephesus.
I’m not a cruise guy. But after my experience aboard the ILMA, I’m ready for any
itinerary The Ritz-Carlton Yacht Collection launches. The service, the five
restaurants, the fabulous rooms, each with a balcony just couldn’t be beat. The
most important part is the reasonable size. Maximum capacity is 448 passengers.
Before we mention the excellent Greek food whether it be low end or high end, a
few words about its culture. It shows the influence of Mycenaeans, Egyptians, the
Near East, the Romans and the Ottoman Empire.
EATING THERE – Be prepared to sample some of the best fish, seafood, lamb and
chicken dishes ever to please your palate. Be aware too, that if you have a soft spot
for the brainy octopus, you will find it grilled to perfection and, alas, on menus
everywhere. Finally, be prepared for a real Greek salad. Don’t bother complaining
about the absence of lettuce. The Greeks don’t put it in their salads— just a
mélange of incredibly sweet red, yellow and green bell peppers, tasty tomatoes, red
onion, black olives (probably grown, picked and cured in the islands), chopped
fresh parsley, freshly ground black pepper and a drizzle of olive oil — more than
likely pressed locally.
Our favorite restaurant turned out to be the least expensive. Atlantikos is seafood
only. It is located in the Psyrri neighborhood down an alley where tables are
located along the walls. The few inside tables filled up quickly and we counted
more than 30 people eagerly waiting for a table on a Thursday.
Our next three favorites just happen to have fabulous views in fabulous hotels. Full
disclosure, they are on the pricey side. It’s a tie between the rooftop of The Grand
Bretagne and either Taverna 37 or NOBU at The Four Seasons Astir Palace. All
are in Athens.
GETTING THERE – American, Delta, United are the majors offering flights to
Athens through Chicago, Philadelphia and JFK.
STAYING THERE – The BONVOY chain has many excellent options in Athens
from ultra luxurious to reasonable. All of the other chains have options and Airbnb
is a popular choice on the islands. On the luxe resort side, the Four Seasons Astir
Palace in Athens is hard to beat. Living on the cruise ship is a plus if you choose
the right one.
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