A cruise into history

It all began when a friend saw a cruise going to Dubrovnik, Croatia.

He had been denied a chance to go a number of years ago because of

its Communist rule and his security clearance involving military

missile development.

The cruise’s itinerary included Ephesus, which we had a desire to

visit. We didn’t hesitate in booking the trip.

Arriving in Venice, we joined our friends for several days of

touring and then boarded our ship. We sailed to the port of Rimi,

Italy, with a visit to the nearby Republic of San Marino located on a

mountain pinnacle. Our next port was across the Adriatic Sea on the

island of Hvar, Croatia.

Hvar is the longest island -- 30 miles -- in the Adriatic and has

the highest altitude, 2,072 feet. It is one of the most developed and

famous resorts in Croatia. The Arsenal building in Hvar dates back to

the 13th century and is mentioned in Venetian records as the most

beautiful and useful building in Dalmatia.

From Hvar, we sailed down the coast to Dubrovnik, which is

situated in the very south of the Republic of Croatia. We docked in

the new harbor -- about a 10-minute ride from the walled Old Town,

which dates back to 1317.

George Bernard Shaw once wrote, “Those who seek paradise on Earth

should come to Dubrovnik.”

As we left the city for tour destinations inland, our tour guide

shared her experiences of the 1990s battles that occurred around

Dubrovnik during the Croatia-Bosnia-Herzegovina conflicts. She

pointed out a mismatch in roof tile as a sign of the artillery battle

damage. The original honey-colored tiles were difficult to duplicate.

As we climbed the ocean-side cliffs, the view of the old city of

Dubrovnik and the small harbors below were spectacular. Exciting

moments were provided to those riding on the cliff side of the narrow

road. When two buses passed each other, we understood why their

mirrors were front mounted!

After Dubrovnik, we made stops on the west coast of Greece at

Katakolon -- a small fishing village some 25 miles from Olympia --

and Kythira. From there, we traveled to the Aegean Sea.

We made stops at the Grecian islands of Santorini, Kos and

Mykonos. Between Kos and Mykonos, we went into Kusadasi, the gateway

port to Ephesus, which met our expectations.

The itinerary was packed with Roman, Greek and Christian

historical sites, and our minds were saturated with visions of

archaeological sites dating back centuries.

* THE GLEASONS are Newport Beach residents.

* TRAVEL TALES runs on Thursdays. Have you, or has someone you

know, gone on an interesting vacation? Tell us about your adventures

in about 400 words, accompanied by a couple of photos to choose from

that do not have the Daily Pilot in them, and send it all to Travel

Tales, 1375 Sunflower Ave., Costa Mesa, CA 92626 or by e-mail to

o7dailypilot@latimes.comf7.