It is only a couple of weeks since Anna and I came back from our adventures on the Aegean Sea but already it feels like a distant memory, something like a dream. I have wanted to visit the Greek islands since, well, forever and as a family we had chatted about possibly travelling there this year already so when the offer of a cruise with Thomson arrived I didn’t hesitate for long!
With less than a weeks notice we set off to work on their #notforme campaign, taking photos of the cruise and destinations. We travelled to Cyprus to board the Thomson Spirit before setting sail for our first stop in Heraklion, Crete, a journey of around 36 hours.
I have always enjoyed being on the water, from my childhood family holidays on canal boats to sailing or speed boating on the English Channel with my husband and his family. Seeing the sun rise and set each day was such a treat, being in a different port for breakfast each morning? Not too bad at all. Exploring pretty towns and city streets, finding quiet beaches and ancient landmarks? Perfect. A cruise is absolutely the best way to see a lot of places in a short space of time…
Sunrise over the waves as we neared Rhodes was one of my favourite moments, pink, blue & peaceful – the colour was just so pretty. Only a handful of the ships passengers were on deck with us, one of my favourite times of day I have to say. The sea was slight to moderate with light winds while we were there, I am told that in summer it is more like a lake. And the blues, oh the blues, sea – sky – doors. The stuff of dreams. The Greek Islands have been on my travel wish list for such a long time.
After spending a whole day at sea travelling from Cyprus to Crete, we took a trip to Kritsa, a traditional Cretan village nestled at the foot of the Lassithi mountains. It is full of character and utterly charming. We then went on to Agios Nikoloas although my photos aren’t great from this town as there was a dust cloud over from Africa, the views were amazing though!
Our other destinations were Athens, where we visited Pláka, the old town at the foot of the Acropolis. We also saw the Acropolis from outside though we didn’t venture in as we were told the climb was not so suitable for small children.
Next we visited Mykonos with its beautiful white buildings and brightly coloured doors. We wandered the lanes and took hundreds of photos here then sat on the beach and ate lunch we had bought in a lovely deli in town.
The ship also stops in Kusadasi, Turkey, although this is one stop I didn’t get off at. Tiredness and a little bit of a virus caught up with us so we had breakfast in bed and mooched on the ship for the day. Our last port was on Rhodes where we travelled to Lindos, which is a beautiful traditional Greek town with a steep climb down to the beach. We found so many wild flowers on the way and the clear blue sea in the bay is worth the walk. From Rhodes the ship sails back to Limassol where our time on board ended.
We thoroughly enjoyed our adventures on the Aegean sea and have so many lovely memories of places we visited. Taking a break in April and feeling the warmth of the sun was amazing, and for that I am thankful to Thomson! And the floor finally stopped moving about 4 days after we came home…
Julia x
This is a tiny handful of my favourite photos, I won’t bore you with hundreds! Our travel was gifted by Thomson Cruises, all thoughts are my own
