Clash Of Empires
Departs 26th September 2008, from Dover, for 28 nights.
Overview | Lecturers | Shore Excursions | Itinerary | Prices | Deck Plans
A relaxing three full days at sea delivers us to Malaga, where your exclusive excursion takes you through lush Andalucian scenery to Granada. Lying at the foot of the Sierra Nevada Mountains, this beautiful city was at its peak during the 11th century. Here you'll visit the famed fortified Alhambra Palace.
From Messina a scenic drive along the north coast of Scilly takes us to Tindari. Once known as Tyndaris and founded in 396 BC by Dionysis the First, it prospered during the Roman Empire. We visit its Greek Theatre and Roman Thermal Baths, before the Sanctuary of the Black Madonna with its spectacular view across the water.
At Khios we visit the area settled during the Genoese occupation and its Mastic villages, many of which were fortified against maurauders from Asia Minor and still retain a medieval character.
Our two days in Istanbul allows plenty of time to explore.We visit the Topkapi Palace, built on the site of the Acropolis of ancient Byzantium and imperial residence of the Ottoman Sultans for four centuries, followed by a visit to the Grand Bazaar. The next day takes us to the ancient Hippodrome, now an open-air museum, as well as to Hagia Sophia, built as a grand cathedral in the 4th century and later converted to a mosque.Then to the Blue Mosque, its interior adorned by 21,000 blue tiles, and finally to the Archaeological Museum and the 4th century Sarcophagus of Alexander.
In Odessa we visit the former estates of Russian magnate Novikov and Count Tolstoy.Then to Gagarin's mansion for a tour of this 19th century noble family's home, followed by a violin concert and chilled champagne.
In Yalta we visit Alukpka, one of Crimea's most beautiful resorts. It was here that Churchill stayed during the Yalta conference, within a bizarre combination - designed in 1823 for Count Voronstov - of Scottish castle and Arabic fantasy, which we tour.
At Batumi in Georgia we visit the Gonio-Apsaros Fortress, which legend links to the Greek myth of the Argonauts.
From Canakkale we travel to Troy, made famous by the Illiad and Odyssey,which existed for 4,000 years and suddenly disappeared until its ruins were found in the 1800s.We also travel to Assos to see the Temple of Athena.
On the George Cross island of Malta we visit the National Museum of Archaeology and Inquisitor's Palace. At Porto Empedocle we visit the world famous Valley of the Temples, where many ancient Greek temples still stand surrounded by olive and almond trees.
On Gibraltar we visit the top of the Rock with its Barbary Apes and tour the seige tunnels constructed during the Napoleonic Wars and reinforced up until the end of WW2.
