Mediterranean cruising is one of the most chosen areas for going on a cruise these days. Some people like to go on a world cruise which does take a long time.

In fact, to get the best out of it you can take years to do it properly rather than months or weeks. Most of us do not have that length of time to take our vacation so we opt for something simpler such as western mediterranean cruises.

This gives us the flexibility of spending anything from a few days up to a couple of weeks if we have to fit it in with our annual holiday.

The Med is technically a part of the Atlantic Ocean although it is rarely thought of that way. It is an enormous sea with an area of about two and a half million square kilometers. (more…)

Athens is considered the cradle of Western society. Even before the Roman empire, the Greeks ruled over an immense territory whose capital was Athens. Here is where several standards of our own society’s life-style were born and applied. A thousand articles wouldn’t do justice to a city that is considered the oldest in Europe, but still it is legitimate to high-light some of the many reasons why it’s worth visiting.

First things first: the Acropolis. The “high-city” is the most stunning and celebrated architectural area of Athens. Ruling high above the ever-growing urban area of modern-day Athens, the Acropolis is where the old “downtown” used to be, being it the safest and richest part of town. While rocks testifying prototypes of urbanization have been found that belong to earlier than 6000 years ago, the construction and rebuilding of monuments such as the famous Parthenon dates back to roughly 400-500 years before Christ, during the leadership of Pericles. Little is left of that, but that little has a powerfully inspiring and fascinating effect on the visitor who’s even barely aware of the history that lies behind what he sees. With its remains of temples (including the Propylaea and the Erechtheum), columns, statues, walk-ways, the Acropolis is an invaluable heritage to locals, and a must for tourists.

However, tourism-wise there’s a lot more to Athens than the Acropolis. The Plaka district is a great target for those wanting to try taverns while listening to live music, in a scenery characterized by a neo-classical style, right at the feet of the Acropolis. Close by, in the Monastiraki neighborhood, more taverns and local activity are to be found, including an interesting flea-market every Sunday. (more…)