Greece is the word

Source: Caroline Burr, Love-It Magazine
posted: 01.07.08

With Greek gods and sun-soaked sands, Love it!’s Caroline Burr discovers a cruise around the Aegean islands is the perfect place to put her feet up...

As I lay dozing, covered in sun cream on my oversized sun lounger and listening to the songs I’d uploaded on to my iPod, I felt a tall, dark shadow lean over me. As I peered to see who was blocking out the sun, my vision focused and my heart skipped a beat. The shadow was a desperately handsome Greek waiter, standing over me with a smile that could melt any girl’s heart. Was it Eros, the God of Love, coming to whisk me off my feet? “Cosmopolitan, Miss?” he purred. After a moment of confused silence, I dreamily muttered a few incoherent words, signalling the cocktail was mine.

The Greek god carefully settled the glass on the floor beside me, before winking and striding off down the steps of the top deck. My eyes followed his fit body until it disappeared on to the deck below. Suddenly, I was startled by a heavy jolt. “What happened? Have we hit an iceberg?” I shrieked. My friend, Gerry, smiled calmly. “We’re just leaving the port,” he said, amused by my hysterical outburst. I knotted my sarong around my waist, then clambered up to join him by the ships railings. As the impressive liner pulled out of the port of Piraeus, just outside Athens, I scanned the turquoise sea. “This is paradise,” I sighed, as a warm breeze gently caressed my hair.

On the crest of a wave
I was on the new, nine-deck easyCruise Life’s maiden voyage, which was about to set sail for a trip around Turkey and the beautiful Aegean Islands. For a 22 year old self-confessed sun worshipper, my expectations were simple – a daily 12 hour dose of pure Mediterranean sunshine beaming down on my peachy white body, resulting in a fit, bronzed goddess after seven days.

“I can’t think of anything worse than being stuck on a boat for days on end,” my friend, Libby, had said when I told her about my trip. “You’ll have to listen to Barry Manilow-a-likes at night with a bunch of oldies. It’ll be hell on water.” But from the start, I knew there would be more to an easyCruise than sailing, sunbathing and singalongs.

First, there was my travelling companion – Big Brother 8’s Gerry Stergiopoulos. Who better to take a seasoned BB fan around these idyllic islands than the famous Greek geek himself? Second, we had seven islands to explore in as many days, and with five excursions lined up, I got the feeling there’d be little time to be ‘stuck’ anywhere. So we got down to business immediately, running up to our cabins to change into comfy clothes, before meeting on deck for a drink. I was amazed by the size of my chic Panoramic Suite on the eighth deck. “If only I had a bedroom like this at home,” I kept saying to Gerry. Later, I remembered Libby’s words as I lay back in the spa and let a beautician massage my tender feet. “So far, no Manilow-a-likes and no old ladies,” I thought. At €44 (about £35) for a full pedicure and luxury facial, it was well worth the visit. Feeling relaxed and smelling of sweet lavender, I ended my day listening to the Funky People band while tucking into a seasonal salad in the ship’s restaurant.

I slept soundly as we sailed through the night to Kalymnos. When m alarm went off at 9am the next day, I opened the heavy blackout curtains – and remembered I was in paradise. After a delicious breakfast, Gerry and I swiped our security card at reception and disembarked for a guided tour of Kalymnos. It started with a quick bus ride to the Monastery of Ag, a peaceful hideaway high up on a mountain. The monastery’s surrounded by bright pink flowers, and the view of the Med from here is idyllic.

Cruise control
We rounded off our day with drinks at the Domus Club on Kantouni Beach, before catching the bus back to the port. Cruising through the night, or early in the morning, meant we rarely had time to spend aboard the ship. Instead, most of our days were spent exploring the gorgeous Aegean Islands.

Our next stop – Bodrum in Turkey – turned out to be our favourite. The minute we set foot in this beautiful town, we breathed in its culture, and the sweet scent of ouzo. Gerry nudged me as we were greeted by leggy women offering us shots of the aniseed flavour spirit. “There’s plenty of time for that later,” he told me, dragging me away. From Bodrum port, we hopped on a minibus for an easyCruise Blue Water Voyage excursion. A gullet – a traditional Turkish sailing boat – stopped off at various bays, so we could go swimming. “Another great way to catch some rays,” I thought, hungrily stripping down to my bikini. After some salad and beer on the open deck, I checked out my tan marks and relaxed in the sun while Gerry took a dip in the tranquil bay. Absolute bliss. After we’d returned to the ship, I grabbed Gerry’s hand. “We’re going shopping later,” I told my kindred shopaholic.

We were ready to spend some serious wedge – and what better place to do so than Bodrum? Most o fits markets stay open until midnight, and jewellery is sold by weight. Make sure you barter with the traders to bag a bargain. I bought an emerald ring, and Gerry stocked up on Turkish delight.

Life is sweet
Another hit with us was the Greek island of Paros. I lost myself in a dream here, imagining I was on my honeymoon, exploring the quaint cobbled streets....Suddenly, I was rudely awakened by an earth-shattering noise. “Stop!” Gerry shrieked, pointing to the Mastic Spa shop across the road. Both cosmetics freaks, we were keen to check out this Greek beauty brand. “I’m a MAC man myself.” Gerry said. “I’m more NARS,” I replied. We felt like kids in a sweet shop. “Mastic Spa was founded in 1875,” the assistant announced, explaining the mastic tree, which grows on the southern Greek islands, has healing properties. I bought some Liposvelte, meant to reduce cellulite. “Start young,” I thought, as I slapped it over my thighs that evening. I swear I could see the dimples disappear before my eyes!

Syros was our final stop, where a 10 minute cab ride took us to a secluded beach – with only three other people on it. We lazed about for a few hours, then headed back into the busy centre to buy the local confectionery, ‘the original lokoum delight’. These lychee, peach and banana-flavoured chewy sweets are similar to Turkish delight. They’re an acquired taste, I have to admit.

As I got ready for my last meal on the cruise ship, I felt proud of my perfectly bronzed tan. And as I stepped out on to the deck later that evening, hand in hand with Gerry, my perfect cruise companion, it could well have been Eros meets Greek goddess.