Making Memories in the Mediterranean (Part 1)

My contract this summer doing a Mediterranean itinerary was the best first Europe experience I could have asked for. I was on the Royal Princess for three weeks and there was a different itinerary every week which meant visiting new ports every cruise.

Part 1: Greek Isles cruise

My first port of call on this cruise was Kotor, Montenegro. The ship wasn't scheduled to arrive until the afternoon so I was able to watch the scenic views of Kotor from the crew deck as the ship navigated through the fjords into the city.
(The ship anchors and you will need to take a 5 minute tender ride to the dock.)
I had one mission in Kotor and it was to climb to the top of the fortress. Ever since I saw photos my friends posted of Kotor taken from the fortress I knew it was something I needed to experience for myself. A short walk through Old Kotor led us to the entrance of the fortress.
Note: The entrance fee to the fortress is 3 Euros. 
There are over 1300 steps to get to the top where the fortress is located. The halfway point has a church and the views from there are very nice too.

View from just past the halfway point

It took me about 2.5 hours to get from the entrance to the top of the fortress and back down again. Most people can probably do it quicker than this but I stopped many times to take photos and also to catch my breath. I'm not going to lie it was one of the most challenging things I have ever done especially with the sun beating down on me and the temperature in the high 30's. However, I did see people of all ages (both young and old) who were climbing the steps to reach the fortress.
The views from the top were spectacular! It definitely made it into my top three most scenic views from an elevation.

To finish off the day my friends and I went to an outdoor cafe located in Old Kotor to enjoy a delicious iced coffee (topped with ice-cream!) and use the free WiFi. This was a great day to start my Europe trip and one of the highlights of my 3 week contract.


Chios, Greece  
(The ship anchors and you will need to take a 5 minute tender ride to the dock.)
Upon arrival on the dock we were greeted by locals who volunteered their time to provide information to the cruise ship passengers/crew. We found out about a beach in Karfas which was a bus ride away and decided to make this a beach day.
We walked into town to find the bus station where we could buy a one-way ticket for 1,60 Euros (alternatively, a day pass is available for 5 Euros). The bus we boarded took us on a scenic ride through the city and took about 40 minutes to get to the beach in Karfas.

This beach wasn't anything amazing compared to other beaches I have been to but I was still happy I could enjoy the sunshine and water at the beach. After spending about 2 hours at the beach we took the express bus back to town (20 minute ride).
Tip: Pick up a bus schedule from the bus station to know when the bus leaves Karfas.
Once we got back to town we walked around to check out the shops, bakeries and cafes located around the city.



Rhodes, Greece
We explored Rhodes Old Town (the part of town located inside the medieval walled city where many shops and restaurants are located).

Fun fact: Rhodes Old Town is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and the oldest inhabited medieval town in Europe.
While walking around we discovered the "Street of Knights" which is a medieval road featuring the lodgings of the Knights of St. John.

Rhodes is relatively easy to navigate by walking and we walked along Mandraki Harbor to see the three windmills as well as the male and female deer statues that stand on columns over Mandraki Harbor.
Another fun fact: these columns used to have a bronzed statue of the Greek god Helios before an earthquake destroyed it.
There were many medieval structures to take photos of and the Palace of Castellania was an interesting one we had the chance to check out.


Mykonos, Greece
(The ship anchors and you will need to take a 5 minute tender ride to the dock.)
When I think of Greece I always think of Santorini and Mykonos.
As soon as I stepped foot on land I could already see the iconic blue and white buildings and white cobbled-stone streets of Mykonos that I have seen in so many pictures of Greece.

I made my way around the maze of streets lined with shops and restaurants. The buildings and houses were adorably painted white with accents of colours on the window shutters and doors.
A sense of awe washed over me as I meandered through the narrow streets and realized that I was actually in the iconic city of Mykonos!

I walked to the windmills to take some photos and it was extremely windy there! The sand kept being blown up by the wind and hitting me but the views there was worth the pain.

I only wish I had more time to spend in this charming town but I had to be back on the ship for work.


Part 2: Mediterranean and Adriatic cruise
Part 3: Mediterranean cruise