It’s breakfast time when we arrive in Siracusa, one of the most beautiful cities in Sicily and our last stop in the country. Sea Cloud is docked along the canal that divides the new city from the island of Ortigia, the original historic center of this powerful Greek colony of the past. Everybody is excited to go ashore to see the Greek theater, the Ear of Dionysus, the colorful market, and to stroll in Ortigia, where we can taste our last Italian gelatos.
5/31/2019
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Sea Cloud
Monemvasia, Greece
On this two-week voyage, we save the last day as an exploring day to adjust to the voyage thus far and the group interests to finish the trip with a crescendo. Since we’d had plenty of excellent sailing day and night across the Ionian Sea and the water was still too cool for an improvised beach day, we knew that this group would love a surprise stop at the stunning Greek rock of Monemvasia on the east side of the Peloponnesus. The offshore rock was inhabited in prehistoric times, and the medieval town of Monemvasia was founded in the 6th century. An arched bridge was built to connect it to the mainland in the late 19th century, but there are no roads or vehicles in the walled medieval city that is perched under the cliff face. No maps or guides are necessary, and we all enjoyed the morning winding through the labyrinthine streets and alleys. It was a stunning finale to a beautiful voyage.