ries o

Janice Macaiov
Contributing Writer

As we walk down
famous Curetes Street
past the Temple of
Hadrian, our guide
points out the backgam-
mon games carved in
the marble road. The
slabs have been polished
to a sheen by millions
of footsteps over the

centuries.

At the end of the street,
bordered on both sides by
white marbie columns and
statues of doctors and politi-
cians, we see the entrance to
the Library of Celsus. The

Ephesus!” exclaims our guide
~ all the homes in the
4,000-year-old city boasted
fresh running water and heat.

Ephesus. This remarkable
city in Turkey is home to
countless antiquities, includ-
ing the Temple of Artemis
(one of the seven wonders of
the ancient world), the
Church of St. John the
Baptist (the first cross-shaped
church ir: the world), and the
little stone cottage where the
Virgin Mary is said to have
lived after Christ’s death.

My mother and I jour-
neyed here on Celebrity
Cruises’ Century. Ephesus is
the third destination on our
eastern Mediterranean cruise,
and it’s a highlight of our

32.
Photo Janice Mucatov

CELEBRITY Cruises’ Century in Kusadasi, Turkey —
the jumping off point fer a tour of Ephesus.

ruins of the intricately-carved
library, built by Julius Cacsar
in 135 ALD. in honour of his
father, Celsus, are what I
particularly came to‘see.
Though I’m impatient to
get there, we pause to view
still-beautifal mosaic tile
floors and faded frescoes on
the remnant walis of hillside
houses now under excava-
tion. “The Beverly Hills of

Ambleside Office
Phone: (604) 926-8511

Rh ING

trip, as it is for many passen-
gers who cruise the
Mediterranean.

Our voyage started in
Savona, near Genoa, Italy.
Before meeting the ship, we
spent a day tramping

ugh the Toirano Caves,
Europe’s oldest underground
caverns. Nothing throws off
jet-lag like navigating lime-
stone stairs and shoulder-

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north shore news

7 ~RAVEL

aA

height labyrinths while mar-
velling at mammoth crystal
stalactites and stalagmites.
And we sipped perfect cups
of cappuccino (Starbucks will
never taste the same!) in
Borgio Verezzi, a 1,000-year-
cld village with no roads,
just cobblestone paths for
strolling past its historic
churches and shops.

When we decided to
board the Century, check-in
proceeded quickly. The ship
was in port for two days, so
there was no hurry to get
any of its 1,750 passengers
on board, We were pampered
with a mini-suite with private
balcony and butler service.
Bur all stare-rooms on the
Century are a minimum of
172 square feet — large by
cruise ship standards. And
even without 2 window or
port-hole, the inside cabins
are bright and beaudiful,
what with their pale wood-
panelling and clever design.

The ship is one of five
operated by Celebrity
Cruises, a relative new-comer
that launched its first vessel
in 1990. “Our ambition is to
be a five-star fleet that
exceeds passenger expecta-
tions at an affordable price,”
says Celebrity’s president,
Richard Sasso. And for the
most part, they succeed in
their mission.

Take the delicious lemon
veal scaloppine with carrot
soufflé served at dinner.
Three-star Michelin Chef
Michel Roux works with the

cruise line to create some
innavative cuisine. A galley
tour revealed that all food is
prepared from scratch using

fresh herbs and produce. Our

table companion was even
pleasantly surprised to see a
vegan menu (no dairy items
and no meat).

Lapses, when they
occurred, were minor, like
the time the ship’s photogra-
pher wouldn’t take our for-
mal portraits when asked
because he was on a cigarette

sa CRYSTAL

Mediterranean

Sunday, June 27, 1999 — North Shore News — 35

lerranean

break (Celebrity’s motto is
“anchored in excellence,”
and staff are expected to sat-
isfy requests by passengers).
inte, day after we boarded,
we toured the Cinzano
House in the Piedmont
region, about an hour’s drive
from Savona/Genoa. Here,
in the largest underground
cellars in Italy, the Cinzano
House makes its famous
namesake aperitif and various
Asti Spumante sparkling
wines. We also enjoyed lunch

C

of garlicky greens, pasta and
spicy stew in the Grinzane
Castle, which dates back to
the 16th century.

After so much pre-cruise
exploration, we were grateful
that the itinerary gave us a
day at sea upon leaving
Savona. This was the time to
enjoy the ship’s AquaSpa.
One of the largest and nicest
spas aftoat, it features an
indoor thalassotherapy pool

See Kusadasi page%

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