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Under spell of Greek mythology

Dazzling whitewashed houses cluster on steep cliffs, scarlet bougainvillea shades a maze of narrow cobbled lanes and weary donkeys carry lazy tourists up steep paths from the waterfront to Santorini's main town of Fira.

On the island's black-sand beaches, sun-kissed bodies bake as the purest blue sky brightens yet another poster-perfect day.

Welcome to the Greek islands, where life is remarkably upbeat despite the eurozone's financial crisis.

This is the land of mythical characters such as Zeus, Hercules, Apollo, Artemis and Odysseus, hero of Homer's epic poem.

I am aboard the cruise ship Azamara Journey which arrives at another of Greece's sybaritic holiday islands as dawn breaks every day.

With a late-night departure ahead, there is time to explore at a leisurely pace, take a dip in the Aegean Sea, then sit on a restaurant deck that hangs off a cliff to drink in those glorious views and sip sweet, strong coffee in a tiny cup that is one-third thick sediment.

Truly, this is paradise. Even the mahogany- skinned old men and black- garbed women sitting in local squares watching the world go by are in no hurry to leave.

At Mykonos, our ship is anchored in the bay, and I watch the tenders take passengers to and from shore at regular intervals.

It is so much easier than the rigours of catching a plane to a Greek island, then a taxi to the main town, before lugging a case several hundred metres (or more) to a hotel - the central parts of these islands are invariably traffic-free.

It is only days into the cruise and already I am looking at Azamara Journey as "home".

I understand why so many aboard are regular guests on this ship, or on its sister ship Azamara Quest which is identical in design and size, with each carrying 700 guests.

Life is made so easy for these cruisers. At lunch one day, a guest tells me he cruises with Azamara a couple of times a year and feels like part of the "family".

The crew remember him, the entertainers have become his friends and the ship's restaurants have tables where solo travellers like him can sit together.

On my cruise, the guests encompass 16 nationalities, mainly Brits, Americans seeking a change of scenery from their annual Caribbean cruise, chilled-out Australians and a good mix of Europeans.

The crew probably doubles the range of nationalities aboard but all public announcements and shore excursions are in English.

There is much to see amid these islands in the Greek archipelago and a tour guide enlightens me as to why island homes are whitewashed.

The whitewash includes lime, a powerful disinfectant which killed off bacteria in bygone days and, together with the blue paint on windows and doors, represents the colours of the Greek flag.

Food ranges from grilled octopus to moussaka, dolmades, stuffed tomatoes, cucumber, olives, figs, and fetta cheese, all washed down with retsina, the local wine that is an acquired taste, and the aperitif ouzo which has an aniseed flavour.

Most of the islands have a dramatic rocky landscape, where gnarled olive and citrus groves struggle to exist and farmers with donkeys struggle to till stony fields.

Along the shore, hotels crowd sandy beaches while fishermen repair nets beside modest boats. In the towns, tourists jostle one another in a crowded labyrinth of lanes.

On Santorini, I visit the traditional village of Oia, renowned for its glorious sunsets, and find refuge in the cool interior of an ancient monastery where three elderly monks still live. The interior is rich with frescoed walls, ornate statues and encrusted gold ornaments.

Santorini's dramatic cliffs with the main town of Fira above.


A monk sitting quietly by a doorway has a gentle smile and a flowing white beard. He sees my camera and his nod indicates that I can take his photo.

It is a picture I will treasure, of a gentle man at peace with the world.

Some guests rarely leave Azamara Journey, even when it is berthed at an idyllic Greek island.

However, just about everyone ventures out when we sail into Kusadasi, on Turkey's Turquoise Coast, for an exclusive evening at the World Heritage-listed Greco- Roman ruins in Ephesus.

The site has closed for the day and we stroll among massive marble columns and mosaic pathways bathed in soft lights.

We sample Turkish meze and wine before sitting on steeply tiered marble steps in an ancient amphitheatre for an orchestral concert.

It is a complimentary "AzAmazing" evening that is held on every Azamara cruise where there is an experience relevant to the destination visited. Last month, on a cruise of the French Riviera, Azamara sailed into Marseilles where guests walked to the Palais du Pharo, built as a residence of Napoleon III in 1858, for great harbour views.

There they listened to a French band, played petanque and tasted Provencal cuisine and wines.

Azamara cruises are all-inclusive, including on-board gratuities, with alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks free at bars, by the pool and in the main restaurants, though there may be additional cost for specific labels.

Extravagances such as caviar are extra, as are organised land tours to distant attractions.

There are no obligatory formal nights but guests can dress to the hilt, if that is their wont. Instead the focus is on laid-back luxury.

fact file

Emirates flies from Perth to Athens in Greece via Dubai, emirates.com.

Azamara Journey's seven-night cruise of the Greek islands and Turkey's Turquoise Coast departs Athens on October 19 and is from $2625 per person twin-share, including taxes and on-board gratuities.

Azamara Quest's seven-night cruise of the Greek islands and Turkey's Turquoise Coast departs Athens on June 21 next year and is from $2529 per person twin share, with a similar voyage from Athens on September 8 next year from $2519. 1800 754 500 or azamaraclubcruises.com.

The famous five

There are 1400-odd islands in the Greek archipelago and every traveller has their own poster-perfect favourites. Here are five of mine.

Mykonos has been party central since Jackie Onassis and the international jetset brought glamour here in the 1960s.

The sun sets to a soundtrack of cocktail shakers in its cosmopolitan tavernas. A dazzling collection of sugar-cube houses slashed with blue windows and doors, domed chapels and iconic windmills fill the landscape.

Delos is a UNESCO World Heritage-listed archaeological site dating back to 9BC. It is still being excavated and is one of the most significant sites in Europe.

Impressive artefacts from the ruins are displayed in the on-site Museum of Delos. This uninhabited island is a 20-minute ferry ride from Mykonos and a perfect antidote to that island's hedonism.

Santorini is a crescent-shaped island created by a volcanic eruption about 1500BC. As a result Fira, the lively main town, sparkles like white icing atop spectacular dark cliffs when seen from the sea. A cable car and a donkey path carry visitors up from the busy harbour.

Rhodes was a staging post for the crusades in Europe and there is a real sense of those days when exploring the ruins of the Palace of Grand Masters in the medieval walled old town of Rhodes.

Lindos, 60km out of town, has an ancient acropolis towering above its labyrinth of steep lanes that are alive with tourist stalls selling handmade embroidered cloths.

Kos is one of Greece's most fertile islands. There is a 14th century castle beside the harbour, an ancient marketplace renowned for its hand-woven silk rugs and a 2nd century Roman amphitheatre. Just 4km off the coast of Bodrum (Turkey), Kos was said to have been visited by Hercules.

Veronica Matheson was a guest of Azamara Cruises.