Wind Star, ex Athens to Rome

8 Night Cruise sailing from Athens to Rome aboard Wind Star.

Unfurling in just two minutes, some 21,000-plus square feet of sails reach into the skies at the push of a button. Sails are the first thing most notice about Windstar's ships, but a unique knack for delivering gourmet cuisine, fine wines, and personal service in a friendly unpretentious style, is what guests remember fondly when they return.

Highlights of this itinerary:

Athens
Above the city, looking out towards the blue Aegean, stands the Acropolis. Here lie the ruins of a culture 2,500 years old: the Propylaea; the Temple of Athena Nike; the Erechtheum temple, and, most famous of all, the Parthenon.

Meanwhile, modern Athens buzzes busily below, a city of chic restaurants, lively bazaars, sophisticated banking, historical museums, and the sights and smells of the Plaka district.

Gythion
Truly one of the world's original great urban centers, the port city of Gythion was founded by the ancient Phoenicians prior to 400 B.C. Gracing the isolated southern edge of the Peloponnese, the city has a rich political and cultural heritage. The site of many ancient battles, today Gythion is a port that is known for its ferries to Kythira and Crete as well as its superb seafood.

Lipari
Celebrated by the poet Homer, who described it as "a floating island, a wall of bronze and splendid smooth sheer cliffs," Lipari is the largest of the 17 Aeolian Islands, and also the name of its only real town. Rising from the cobalt seas on the northeast of the Sicilian coast, Lipari's location makes it a popular base for exploring the archipelago. However, this fascinating place more than holds its own as a worthy destination. Located on a plateau of red volcanic rock on the southeastern shore, Lipari boasts two beaches on either side. Its mountains, volcanoes and stunningly beautiful waters attract adventure-seekers from throughout the world. Settled in the 4th millennium B.C., the island offers such historic sites (and sights) as the impressive cliff top citadel. Built in the 1500s, the citadel's high defensive wall still stands, enclosing the Cathedral of Saint Bartholomew, an archaeological museum and two baroque churches.

Rome
2,500 years of history are woven into the fabric of modern Rome. You can feel it in the glory of the Sistine Chapel in the Vatican. Or as you wander sidestreets that open onto piazzas, fountains, Bernini sculpture, and elegant courtyards. Famous treasures are legion in Rome: the Colosseum...the Forum...St. Peter's Cathedral...the Trevi Fountain...the Spanish Steps. Take time out between sights to do as the Romans do: enjoy a three-hour lunch, shop, people-watch, or savor the best gelati in the world.

  ___    ___  __   __  ___   _      ___ 
 | _ )  / __| \ \ / / | _ \ | |    / __|
 | _ \ | (__   \ V /  |  _/ | |__  \__ \
 |___/  \___|   \_/   |_|   |____| |___/