I recently had a wonderful 12 day vacation in Istanbul and the Greek Islands. The trip took place on the Nautica, a 647 passenger ship owned by Oceania Cruise Line. The service, food and people were great and I highly recommend this trip. We had our own outside balcony where we would have breakfast or read and gaze at the islands. The outside Terrace Café was lovely for night dining and a special treat was high tea at 4 oclock with plates of gorgeous sandwiches and carts of delicious pastries. At 5 o’clock, tea ended and Martinis, wine and cocktails began.

Some of the highlights of the trip include:

In Istanbul, a cruise on the Bosphorus - seeing the beautiful summer palaces of the sultans, the cafes, and the old traditional wooden villas

Monevasia, a Greek island with a village on top of a large hill. Beautiful winding streets with shops, and cafes. We stopped at a lovely restaurant, Matula, where we had Mythos beer, spinach pie, greek salad, grilled sardines, overseeing the turquoise sea.

Santorini, with its black and red layerings on its cliffs. We sat at the top and found a lovely inn and café called Lava where we sat on white sofas and drank in the colors of the sky and sea.

Rhodes with its exotic colors of textiles, the luxurious palace of the Order of Saint John, and Suleyman’s mosque. We had a drink in a magnificent garden café called Socrates Garden.

I could go on forever, it was a trip to remember – so check it out.

Cruise, Greece

Beverley Fingerhut