Windstar Cruises : Sail Greece & Italy The Unbeatable Lightness of Sailing in Greece.

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moment – the most lucky person.

Lipari, Italy is the largest island between Vesuvius and Etna in the Aeolian Islands. It was enlightening to visit their Museo Archeologico Eoliano, one of the very best, which traces the volcanic and human history of these islands.  It houses finds from Lipari’s necropolis and the most sensational collection of miniature Greek theatrical masks in the world. Leaving this lovely town in dazzling sunlight, we set off for the place where its famous sunlight is extolled in the moving lyrics of Torna A Surriento, “Come Back to Sorrento.”

The Scent of Orange Groves
That song of Sorrento that we’ve known and loved and the images it portrays are all there – the shining sea, the citrus-perfumed gardens, and love – love in the air. It’s there. Sited on a terrace overlooking the Amalfi Coastline which affords a stunning panorama of the Bay of Naples, Sorrento is imbued with echoes of is ancient past and its singular charm lies in its sun-drenched rustic simplicity. Meandering down a maze of medieval alleyways, I visited quaint artisan workshops and found a tiny, fragrant boutique where I bought luscious lemon soap – and zingy lemon candies!  “Return to Sorrento” ends by saying to one’s love “come back to Sorrento so my broken heart can mend.” Well, as I leave this irrepressible place my heart’s not broken exactly – a bit blue maybe – but now I’m off  to some true blue magic. That would be, of course, Grotta Azzurra, the Blue Grotto! 

La Dolce Vita
This bewitching phrase typically conjures up thoughts of Rome, but for me the concept is more closely aligned with a fabulous little kernel in the Bay of 

Naples known as Capri! Sleek black and silver tenders bobbed close to our ship, ready and waiting to ferry us to Capri. As we sped off, in the distance I saw candy-colored homes built right into steep cliffs forested with oleander, jasmine and bougainvillea and before us, the iconic Faraglioni Rocks, seeming to stand guard over this wonderful island. Shopping here is a heady delight. All the top designers are here: Gucci, Bottega Veneta, Prada, Valentino – lofty couture goods with equally lofty price tags.  Best, therefore, to confine one’s amusements to sitting at a well-positioned sidewalk café and people-watching.  Capri is made for this – enjoying a voyeuristic lunch while sighting a Loren or Mastrioanni look-alike; maybe even donning one’s own Jackie-O shades and hoping a wandering paparazzo will notice you!  

Blue Velvet
We took a small rowboat to the Blue Grotto. A word to the wise: if you’re claustrophobic, perhaps you’ll want to rethink this adventure.  The entrance into the Blue Grotto Cave is so low that you must lie down on the floor of your tiny boat in order to enter, and then there’s the matter of floating into this dark cave.  Think you can manage it? Ok, once inside you’re met with a most spectacular sight as the sunlight is refracted onto the cave’s waters. It’s a luminous blue seen nowhere else in the world – and though I had only about a minute inside to relish its loveliness – cave-phobic me was glad I ventured in.

Still more blue? It’s inevitable. I’d come to the end of my idyll, this Windstar voyage, and perhaps glum and downhearted expressed my mood more accurately. I had wined and dined royally, I’d had raucous BBQ’s under the stars (and the sails) with new friends, I’d danced nightly to some of my favorite music, and I’d gazed up at ridiculously blue skies from a water mat, lounging a few feet away from our ship.

I got to know many unfamiliar parts of the world on more intimate terms as we sailed into harbors known only to other yachters - helping me delve deeper into local customs and cultures. Yes, the Wind Star is a small vessel but my memories of this voyage are large. In my mind, I know I will return often to those quiet moments when the engines were off, the sails were up, and the only thing I heard was the sound of the sea.

If You Go:

www.windstarcruises.com

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