Calm waters greeted National Geographic Orion as we cruised from Sardinia towards the Italian mainland today. A series of lectures, an outdoor lunch in the beautiful Mediterranean springtime, and wildlife watching filled the hours until early afternoon, when our first cruising destination came into view: the volcanic island of Stromboli, a 3,031-ft stratovolcano with two active craters that erupt continuously several times a minute! Fortunately, these eruptions are relatively mild, allowing our ship to sail by safely and take in the phenomenal landscape. Evening brought us to the Strait of Messina, a narrow and tumultuous gap between southern Italy and Sicily that made for formidable sailing for early Mediterranean explorers. Her terrors are now more the stuff of legend, most famously the story of Scylla and Charybdis in “The Odyssey.” Still, it’s never a bad idea to keep an eye out for sea monsters…
5/19/2025
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National Geographic Orion
Syracusa, Sicily
Our expedition throughout the natural and cultural gems of Italy came to its climax today in Syracusa. During the Greek period, it was the capital of Sicily, where the arts flourished during the reigns of tyrants such as Gelon, Dionysios, and Hieron. The archaeological remains of Syracusa include the great limestone quarries, Greek theatre, and Roman amphitheatre, all of which is now complimented by gardens and groves. As we walk through the park, we learned about the great personalities and struggles of the ancient world. Further to the south, the coastal reserve of Vendicari was an oasis of natural wetlands which hosts numerous bird and reptile species. After lunch aboard National Geographic Orion , we headed out for a walking tour of Ortigia, where the city’s oldest temples are still standing today. The Duomo di Siracusa, the city cathedral, is built around the 6th century BC Temple to Athena. This particular place of worship has been active for over 2,500 years and embodies the many chapters of Sicily’s tumultuous history in a single monument. After a fine meal on the ship, we gathered in the lounge to experience the finest crew show in the fleet!
