Boarding a ship at the modern cruise terminal of Piraeus, near Athens, I become part of a Greek seafaring tradition dating back 2,500 years. In the fifth century BCE, sailors moored here to unload at the Mediterranean Sea's main hub for trade. Today it's the largest passenger port in Europe, with cruise liners whisking travellers away to whitewashed Greek villages for sangria by the shore.
I'm embarking on a slightly more ambitious trip. The Celestyal Cruises Three Continents itinerary will see me venture to some of the Mediterranean's truly once-in-a-lifetime destinations, including the Pyramids of Giza and the Celsus Library in Ephesus, one of the largest of the ancient world. As its name suggests, the voyage touches three continents - Europe, Africa and Asia - and it's a mind-blowing experience to step foot in all three in just seven days. I land in Athens the night before the ship embarks, allowing time to explore the Acropolis, built 5,000 years ago as a defensive outpost and transformed 2,500 years later into a religious site. Even the wild olive trees here are sacred, said to be a gift from the goddess Athena.
At the Acropolis Museum, built atop an old Athenian neighbourhood whose ruins are visible through a glass floor, I admire the display designed to model the Parthenon so the friezes and piedmonts sit just as they would have thousands of years ago. The portions taken for the British Museum are replicated here in plaster, revealing just how much Lord Elgin stole. Items of everyday life in the sixth century BCE are also on display - dishes, pieces of a loom, children's toys. “Every time we dig in Athens, we find antiquities,” says my guide.
After a long day of cultural exploration, it's a treat to board the ship and settle in for a drink at the Horizons Bar. I watch the sun set into the sea with a Skinos Sour in hand. Made with mastic resin from the island of Chios, this cocktail is a staple of life onboard.
In the morning, I awake to the vast stretch of hours that is a day at sea. But I soon learn there is plenty aboard to fill my time. The morning is occupied by a cooking demonstration followed by a massage at the ship's spa, while the afternoon finds me in the theatre at an educational presentation about Egypt to prepare for the next day in port. And the evening ends with a tasting of typical Greek Roditis and Savatiano wines led by Adrian, the maître d'. “I'll tell you which is the best wine,” he says. “The one you enjoy with your friends.”
The next day brings a new continent and a new country, as we disembark in Alexandria. When I find myself sitting astride a camel named Casanova and looking right at the Pyramids of Giza, it's hard not to grin. But the moment I really feel connected to this place is when I climb inside the Great Pyramid, up through a long, cramped passageway, hunched over to avoid hitting my head. Emerging into King Khufu 's burial chamber, I place my hands against the ancient stone walls in the stark tomb. This is what the Great Pyramid was built for, a crypt for one man. To touch the stones placed here with such care more than 4,000 years ago feels unexpectedly profound.
This story has been edited and condensed for clarity. Read the original version in the Spring/Summer 2024 edition of driver magazine.
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