Familiarity Breeds Time to Explore, Sketch, Relax in Mediterranean

Days 116-119, 2025 European Odyssey

Wednesday to Saturday, Oct. 22-25, 2025; Palermo and Messina, Sicily, and Mykonos, Greece.

Some people might be growing tired of the Mediterranean after a couple of months, especially revisiting ports a second and even third time. But it also brings no need to plan for these now familiar ports. It’s a relaxing interlude, even with just two sea days during this 14-day Eastern Mediterranean cruise, round trip from Athens.

It won’t last, as the segment starting Nov. 1 will include six ports and three countries I’ve never visited. Even better, my 28-year-old nephew Colton is joining me for the cruise. It will start to feel more like old home week (or a world cruise), as Deb, Tina and Rick will join Judy and Dennis, Raina and Patrick and Bill and Marilyn who boarded earlier.

One of the things I like best about a world cruise is the close friendships that develop over nearly five months together. These days, I’m more likely to pick a cruise because of who will be on it rather than the itinerary. This summer and fall are different with only an occasional friend joining for a couple of weeks. I enjoy meeting new people – going to six elementary schools taught me that skill. But it will be nice to have family and more friends on board.

While I’ve missed having someone with me to explore our fantastic ports, one advantage is setting my own pace – and that means taking all the time I want to sketch.

Today I went back to the windmills in Mykonos, having a better idea of a vantage point for sketching. I didn’t even finish my last sketch, drawn from an expensive café table with too much detail in the foreground. By going to their opposite side, I found the sun casting an interesting shadow on the six windmills. I also found a bench that didn’t cost me a penny.

Wandering back through the narrow lanes of Mykonos, I admired the Little Venice section from across the water. Venetian traders visited the Greek island and left their mark on the architecture along the sea. A corner café with only a few tables provided a tasty gyro at a reasonable price.

This time another large cruise ship had the single spot on the pier, so we tendered. Normally no one likes tendering, but larger local boats made the process faster, and they delivered us a few blocks from the center of Mykonos, eliminating the need for a water taxi or bus from the pier.

On Thursday, Messina was a new port for me, but it is just up the coast of Sicily from Catania, where we docked a few weeks ago. Once again, I returned to Taormina, the beautiful resort town clinging to a high cliff.

Last time I rushed through the packed streets of Taormina to sketch the Roman amphitheater. The seasonal crowds have thinned a bit by now, making it easier to window shop along Corso Umberto, the pedestrian street running the length of the village. And to stop for one of the town’s famous cannoli.

A young girl caught my attention as she posed for her mother in the Piazza IX Aprile, so I included them in my sketch of the clock tower on the square. Once when I was sketching in a neighborhood park someone asked if I had a parent’s permission to sketch their child, and I said no, but there was no danger of any recognition. People are not my strong point, but I’m learning to work around that. Yes, I screwed up the girl’s face, but I did like my clouds this time.

The previous day in Palermo I didn’t get off the ship. I was there in 2011 and decided I needed a ship day more than a stroll in a large city. Maybe later I will sketch my view from the ship of Palermo’s skyline – or Mount Etna.

On our way to Mykonos, we made a detour to Pylos, a port town on the Greek mainland, for a medical disembarkation of a passenger. You know that when someone has to leave the ship so immediately that it’s a serious condition. And of course, we seldom hear any more. But just like on land, emergencies occur. I’m glad we have an excellent medical team on board.