Cultural richness of Kotor is made priceless by its treasury which  hides some significant cultural monuments like: Tower watch (VIII  century), Cathedral of Sveti Tripun (XII century), Church of Sveti Luka  (XII century), Prince’s palace (XVII century), Church of Sveta Marija  (XII century), Church of Lady of Health (XV century), and Napoleon’s  Theater (XIX century). Old Kotor has also numerous palaces like:  Bizanti, Buca, Pima, Grgurin, in which today is Maritime museum.

In the Old town in Kotor we have the first Faculty of tourism and  hotel keeping, as well as some music halls, Center for culture,  galleries etc.

In the old town we have the greatest number of boutiques and trade  shops. There are also some smaller shops and stores that offer footwear  and clothes of the renowned European and world designers and creators.  Except the boutiques and clothes stores, in the old town we also have a  great number of souvenir shops, photo shops, jewelry shops, book stores,  antique shops, hair dressing saloons, beauty centers, barber shops,  cafés, pizzerias, etc.

There are a lot of tourist traps in Dubrovnik, but there are a few gems.  I go by what I believe is truly local; for example, Lady Pi-Pi in the  Old Town. All its vegetables are from the Konavle valley, and the food  is mainly grilled – very simple, good and tasty. It doesn’t have a  website or Instagram, and doesn’t take reservations. There’s also Kopun in a wonderful setting by the Jesuit church, with a great wine list picked by its sommelier, Ana Bitanga. Its pašticada  (braised beef) is a killer, and the truffle gnocchi is really good. I  love the food markets in the old town and the much larger one in Gruž.  It’s best to go early, about 8am, and you get to see all the seasonal  changes in the produce.

The island has an area of 85.5 square kilometres (33.0 sq mi) and  rises to an elevation of 341 metres (1,119 feet) at its highest point.  There are 10,134 inhabitants according to the 2011 census, most of whom  live in the largest town, Mykonos, which lies on the west coast. The  town is also known as Chora (i.e. 'Town' in Greek, following the  common practice in Greece when the name of the island itself is the same  as the name of the principal town). 

Mykonos's nickname is "The Island of the Winds",[5][6]  due to the very strong winds that usually blow on the island. Tourism  is a major industry and Mykonos is known for its vibrant nightlife and  for being a gay-friendly destination with many establishments catering for the LGBT community.[

The island remains the home of a small, but flourishing, wine industry, based on the indigenous Assyrtiko grape variety, with auxiliary cultivations of Aegean white varieties such as Athiri and Aidani and the red varieties such as Mavrotragano and Mandilaria. The vines are extremely old and resistant to phylloxera  (attributed by local winemakers to the well-drained volcanic soil and  its chemistry), so the vines needed no replacement during the great phylloxera epidemic  of the late 19th century. In their adaptation to their habitat, such  vines are planted far apart, as their principal source of moisture is  dew, and they often are trained in the shape of low-spiralling baskets, with the grapes hanging inside to protect them from the winds.[54] 

The viticultural pride of the island is the sweet and strong Vinsanto (Italian: "holy wine"), a dessert wine made from the best sun-dried Assyrtiko, Athiri, and Aidani grapes, and undergoing long barrel aging (up to twenty or twenty-five years for the top cuvées).  It matures to a sweet, dark, amber-orange unctuous dessert wine that  has achieved worldwide fame, possessing the standard Assyrtiko aromas of  citrus and minerals, layered with overtones of nuts, raisins, figs,  honey, and tea. 

The perfect  Mediterranean climate with the legendary greek sunlight, the unique  combination of glorious history with modern, urban innovation, the  coexistence of great culture with astonishing natural beauty, the high  standard hotel accommodation, modern means of transportation such as the  cutting edge modern metro, the vibrant rhythm of life, the wide choice  of opportunities for shopping, dining and night life and of course the  warmth of the Athenians people feature Athens as the ideal all year  round city break destination. The city of Parthenon is an open air museum. A large part of the town’s historic center has been converted into a 3 km pedestrian zone, one  of the largest in Europe. It leads to the major archaeological sites  (“archaeological park”), reconstructing – to a large degree – the  ancient landscape. Either on foot or by bike, the ‘’Grande Promenade’’  around Acropolis is an unforgettable journey through history.    

Pictured above: Hagia Sophia: mosaic

The  Virgin Mary holding the Christ Child (centre), Justinian (left) holding  a model of the Hagia Sophia, and Constantine (right) holding a model of  the city of Constantinople; mosaic from the Hagia Sophia, 9th century.  One of many images and artifacts created and preserved during that time.

Ephesus ,  Ancient Ionian Greek city; its ruins lie  near the modern village of Selƈuk in western Turkey. It was situated  south of the Cayster River and was the site of the Temple of Artemis.  Traditionally founded by the Carians, it was one of the 12 Ionian Cities  and was involved in the Persian and Peloponnesian wars. It was taken by  Alexander the Great c. 333 bc and prospered throughout the Hellenistic period. It passed to Rome in 133 bc  and under the emperor Augustus became the capital of the Roman province  of Asia. It was an early seat of Christianity, which was visited by St.  Paul; the Letter of Paul to the Ephesians was directed to the church  there. The Goths destroyed the city and temple in ad 262; neither ever recovered. There are extensively excavated ruins at the modern site.

We will cruise all day at sea, enjoy last attempts for relaxation, take in more sun, R&R, attempt to be in the casino for under an hour, shop a little, each a specialty meal.  

In 1979, the historic center of Split was included into the UNESCO list of World Heritage Sites.  Split is said to be one of the centres of Croatian culture. Its  literary tradition can be traced to medieval times, and includes names  like Marko Marulić, while in more modern times Split excelled by authors famous for their sense of humor. Among them the most notable is Miljenko Smoje, famous for his TV series Malo misto and Velo misto, with the latter dealing with the development of Split into a modern city. 

Despite colorful settings and characters, as well as a cinema tradition that could be traced to early 20th-century works of Josip Karaman, there were relatively few films shot in or around Split. However, the city did produce several famous actors, most notably Boris Dvornik. 

Our adventure has come to a halt.  Back to the USA we must go, but we had fun while it lasted.