Cruising through the Greek islands aboard luxurious yacht Harmony G

Mykonos, Delos, Santorini, Samos. Patmos, Kea and Syros – beautiful whitewashed islands of the Cyclades and Dodecanese, home to ancient civilizations and filled with archaeological sites and beautiful beaches.

Greece is a country to which my wife, Stella, and I have made several visits. Those trips have focused on a particular city or island and also included renting a car and driving from Thessaloniki in the northeast to Pyrgos Dirou in the Peloponnesus or flying to and staying on one of the larger islands such as Crete or Chios.

However, a cruise we had taken through the Red Sea in December convinced us that we should try exploring some of the Greek islands that we had heard so much about.

We were delighted to learn that an odyssey through the Aegean islands would be possible aboard that same ship, Variety Cruises’ Harmony G, a state-of-the-art mega yacht with just 22 cabins. We recalled that it had met our criteria for a superb small ship cruise experience: private, convivial and relaxed ship environment, fine cuisine and personalized service.

In visiting so many different small islands, we thought the big plus would be mooring right at each port and getting on and off the ship at our leisure. We had great memories of the ship’s great sundeck for catching some rays, a warm indoor bar lounge, a large dining room and an alfresco dining and bar area. And all the sleeping rooms were on just three levels.

Once again, we were warmly treated by the “hotel” manager, cruise director, captain, chef and waitstaff. They were quite personable and made us feel like the most important guests in the world. We found it hard to believe that we were not on our own yacht. Because of its size, it would have access to the ports on the islands we had hoped to visit.

Our odyssey actually began and ended in a special way. We decided to relax and enjoy the flights to Greece by flying Club World class to London and Club Europe class to Athens on British Airways. Our seats that transformed into comfortable flat beds in the business class cabin on the flights between Boston and London allowed us to sleep overnight after enjoying a wonderful dinner and superb service from the flight attendants. The relaxing flight to Athens prepared us for our mid-day arrival.

We were ready to begin our adventure when we arrived in Athens for an overnight at the distinctive, legendary Hotel Grande Bretagne, situated in the heart of the city at Constitution Square. No wonder that it has received so many international awards and has become synonymous with style and sophistication. Stella, my interior designer spouse, commented on the unique combination of luxury and functionality. We enjoyed staying there so much that we decided to return for several nights following the cruise before returning home. It was the perfect base to explore Athens.

We enjoyed making the transition from New England to Classical Greece by wandering through the Monastiraki area adjoining the hotel. Hand painted Byzantine icons of Saints Kyriaki and Kallista for our two granddaughters from the Orpheus Byzantine Icon Gallery made the rest of the trip with us.

Our odyssey included an exploration of the Parthenon at the Acropolis and the new Acropolis Museum that has been described as the “ultimate showcase of classical civilization.” Designed by New York architect Bernard Tschumi, the $200 million museum replaced the old Acropolis Museum, a small 1874 structure built into the rock of the Acropolis.

Dinner and breakfast at the Grande Bretagne Roof Garden Restaurant provided superb cuisine and an unobstructed view of the Acropolis and Parthenon and were a great way with which to end and begin the day.

Then we were off to the port at Marina Zea to board the Harmony G.

Our room provided us with comfortable bedding and ample space to relax. The upper-deck lounge was filled with resources with which we could take a peek at the historic destinations and excursions we would be experiencing and gave us the opportunity to meet our 35 other fellow passengers from Australia, South Africa, Germany, United Kingdom, Canada and other parts of the United States. We quickly bonded there as well as in the dining room on the main deck, where we enjoyed meals with localized touches, be it Greek yogurt at breakfast, a seafood dinner with locally caught fish, a barbecue or a traditional Greek menu – all served with exceptional Greek wines.

As a retired college professor who has lots of experience issuing grades, I would have to give life on board the Harmony G an “A+.”

The excursions we took as we visited each island were very special and most memorable. Our first was a Cycladic island colonized by the Minoans 5,000 years ago. Because this volcanic island erupted in 1450 B.C., giving it its crescent shape, Santorini has often been referred to as the lost kingdom of Atlantis.

We took a cable car from the dock to Fira, the capital of Santorini. It is situated on top of a cliff overlooking the caldera and the island of Nea Kameni – both products of the volcanic eruption. Many of its white buildings – all with blue window frames and shutters, blue doors and blue roofs, including the blue domed churches – were built back in the times of a Venetian invasion.

A visit to the island’s archaeological museum provided us with an inside look at the ancient Minoan settlement of Akrotiri. Unfortunately, the excavation site at Akrotiri was closed when we visited.

Although several of our fellow passengers decided to visit the inviting black sandy beach at nearby Kamari, we decided to do our laps off the Harmony G anchored in the caldera. We had never swum laps in a former volcano!

A short sail brought us northeast to Patmos in the Dodecanese islands. Some refer to it as the Jerusalem of the Aegean, since it is on this island that St. John the Divine wrote the Book of Revelation, when he was nearing 100 years of age. It has been a place of pilgrimage for Christians and was a favorite destination for hippies in the ‘60s, who were trying to experience the spiritual vibes of the island.

We were especially moved by two visits: the 22-foot by 18-foot Cave of Apocalypse, a UNESCO world heritage site, which St. John made his home during his exile by the Romans, and the Monastery of St. John the Theologian, established in 1088 with its library and museum that houses sacred relics, icons, ecclesiastical utensils and theological vestments. We smiled but could understand the rationale for the signs forbidding nude bathing and going topless on the island.

Our next stop was at the easternmost point of the Aegean cruise: Kusadasi, Turkey, a short distance from the ancient city of Ephesus.

Ephesus was the capital of 500 Anatolian towns during the Roman era, the period during which Homer wrote his immortal works. We visited some incredible archaeological sites and monuments such as the Temple of Artemis (Diana), the Trajan Fountain, the churches of St. John and St. Mary, and the incredible Great Theatre where St. Paul is said to have preached to 24,000 people. An exceptional guide, true of all the guides who led excursions on the trip, provided a detailed overview of Ephesus and its history and the story behind each archaeological site.

Then we were off to spend the evening on the nearby island of Samos, home of the woman immortalized in the Greek song and dance, “Samyotisa.” Although there were many interesting things to see on the island, with its old Venetian and neoclassic buildings and its folk art, what I remember most is sipping the island’s famous sweet Muscat wine after dinner. No wonder Britain’s Lord Byron praised it in the line, “Fill high the cup of Samian wine.” My only disappointment: I didn’t have a chance to dance.

Conde Nast Traveler magazine readers this year have rated Mykonos, with its white cuboid houses, quaint churches and stately windmills, the “Top Island” in Europe. It has been said that Mykonos, situated in the middle of the Aegean, has been visited by just about every famous person on the planet. We can understand why. It is also known as the island with a church for every day of the year. Others insist it thrives on its reputation as the glitziest island in the Aegean.

Some of our fellow passengers were more interested in visiting Paradise Beach, where clothes are optional but a beautiful body, if not essential, is certainly desired. On the other hand, others of us headed for Little Venice and its square with both an Orthodox cathedral and an old Catholic church and then on to count the large number of 16th-century windmills standing in line overlooking the old part of the Chora.

Stopping for some homemade Greek yoghurt drizzled with honey or an assortment of meze (appetizers) or a piece of traditional Mykonian cheese pie was a bonus.

We were told that the maze of alleys in Mykonos, that reminded us of some of the streets in downtown Boston, were designed to baffle pirates, who used to be common in the Aegean. The island is also said to have the liveliest nightlife in the Aegean. It did. We had been forewarned that drinks in Mykonos cost more than in New York, London or Athens. They did indeed.

As the Harmony G headed west back to the mainland, we stopped in Syros in the middle of the Aegean. It was covered with palm trees and terraced fields and had a very different look than the other islands. Many years ago it was home to the most powerful ship-building industry of Greece.

Helene Cloute, our cruise director, took us on a walking tour of Ermopoulis Village, pointing out its neoclassical architecture, old mansions, marble paved streets and squares and imposing churches and monuments. She guided us through the 19th-century St. Nikolaos Greek Orthodox Church with its marble, crystal chandeliers and countless icons.

Later, we climbed the 568 steps to the Catholic Cathedral of St. George and then realized we had to climb back down on those same 568 steps. A stunning cathedral with some remarkable views of Syros and the Aegean, but quite a workout, nonetheless.

The mountainous island of Kea dates back to 3000 B.C. and was our last island visit. The 6th-century B.C. Lion of Kea, carved out of rock, welcomed us to Ioulis, the capital. Its red, terracotta-tiled roofs gave the city and island a very different feel than the others we had visited.

In addition to our visit to Kea, our last full day on the Harmony G brought us to Cape Sounion, the southernmost point of Greece’s mainland and home to the Temple of Poseidon on a sharp precipice overlooking the Aegean. The captain anchored there so we could take our final swim and to gaze at this historic classical temple through our big toes as we swam on our backs.

A Captain’s Cocktail Party and Farewell Dinner gave us time to say farewell to our fellow passengers and to reminisce about the wonderful odyssey through the Aegean we all had on Variety Cruises’ Harmony G.