Grand Voyages - 2009 - (Page 39) Who can resist the allure of driving the Amalfi Coast? Or savoring a slice of pizza in the city in which it was first created? These and many other pleasures (including an excursion to the ruins of Pompeii) are yours in naples. In Athens the famous temple of the Parthenon, dedicated to Athena, crowns the city, while in the streets of the Plaka district below, lively tavernas and shops selling flokati rugs and goldwork flourish. Black sea odyssey extra-long day to take in one of the great highlights of the classical world — the extraordinary ruins of Ephesus with its Grand Theatre, two-story Celsus Library, temples and baths. santoríni, perched on cliffs above the blue Aegean, is classic Greek isle: white-washed houses, winding streets and tiny tavernas. Onshore adventures Reserve your favorite shore excursions in advance at www.hollandamerica.com for priority processing. See page 52 for complete details. The ms Prinsendam now turns her sights on Eastern worlds, heading for empires once ruled by sultans and czars. Give in to the intoxicating aura of istanbul. Our two-day stay here gives you time to explore the Blue Mosque, adorned with shimmering tiles; shop for treasures in the tumultuous Grand Bazaar; and visit magnificent Topkapi Palace, home of the Ottoman sultans. Varna, Bulgaria — an ancient resort on the Sailing westward, the ms Prinsendam calls on Valletta, Malta, once home to the Knights of St. John, today a UNESCO World Heritage City offering astonishing sights such as the Palace of the Grand Masters and St. John’s Co-Cathedral. Sunny cádiz on Spain’s Andalusian coast is a good jumping-off point for Jerez de la Frontera, the sherry capital of the world, or Seville, famous for flamenco, bullfighting and the exquisite Alcazar Palace. And lovely lisbon offers the maze-like streets of the medieval Alfama Quarter and Jeronimos Monastery, the 16th-century masterpiece built to commemorate the discoveries of the great Portuguese explorers. homeward bound Black Sea whose thermal waters and mud baths were once favored by Romans — enthralls visitors with frescoes inside the golden-domed church, Bulgarian folk crafts and excellent local wines. In sevastopol, on the Crimean Peninsula, don’t miss the chance to visit the famous resort of Yalta, heart of the Ukrainian Riviera and the favorite summer residence of the Romanov czars, or get off the beaten track at a 9th-century monastery hewn from a sheer cliff. classical worlds On the homeward stretch across the Atlantic, your expansive days at sea are punctuated by calls on ponta Delgada in the Azores, with its twin lakes within a huge volcanic crater — one green, the other blue — and the delightful island of Bermuda, where you’ll find pink sand beaches and a decidedly British flair. The Statue of Liberty greets you at the harbor of new York city, where you have the day to indulge in all the shopping, museum-hopping, and people-watching the Big Apple affords before embarking one last time, cruising down the East Coast to Florida. Op p OsiT e Vineyards and fields of lavender in Provence, from Marseille. A BOV e , le fT TO righ T A day of scenic cruising in the Bosporus strait, the busy waterway where Europe and Asia meet, leads to Kusadasi and an ¸ Whirling dervishes and exotic bazaars in Istanbul. Florence’s stunning Renaissance masterworks. Sparkling cava and casks of sherry in Spain. www.hollandamerica.com 39 Grand Mediterranean & Black Sea http://www.hollandamerica.com http://www.hollandamerica.com
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