Travel Dancing, music & entertainment Eating so much good food motivated us to scan our Daily Program for fun ways to burn calories. ey ranged from early-morning walkathons and yoga to Greek dancing lessons. e dance classes helped us appreciate the choreography of the Hellenic Voyage Traditional Greek Party, one of two daily evening shows. Lively bouzouki music stimulated much hand-clapping, especially during the Greek wedding dances. Other shows featured cabaret-style musical performances, Latin dancing, acrobatics and Abba songs. A er returning to our cabin each night, we found Greek candies and amusing towel critters created by Ahmed and Ray, who kept our cabin spotlessly clean. e animals were so appealing that we watched a towel-art demonstration. e Greek language lessons were also fun. When we spoke Greek to the sta , they responded with big smiles. Sacred island e daily in-depth shore excursions were as enjoyable as the on-board programs. Our rst tour was to the UNESCO-listed island of Delos, a 30-minute boat ride from Mykonos. Our guide Yolanda helped us travel back in time to the largest religious and commercial centre of the ancient world and the mythical birthplace of Apollo and Artemis. She brought food for the feral cats that inhabit the 3.5-square-kilometre island. ey followed her everywhere. As we walked along the ancient road past homes, shops and temples, Yolanda explained that Delos once had a population of 30,000. Its theatre, dating from 314 BC, held up to 6,500 spectators. Elaborate multi-storey homes, decorated withmosaics, surrounded the theatre. Our favourite mosaic depicted the wine god Dionysus riding a tiger. e most famous Delos statues are the marble lions on the Terrace of the Lions. “ ey’re copies of a seventh century BC gi from Naxos island to guard the sacred area,” said Yolanda. We later viewed the originals in the museum, along with pottery discovered on the site. Back onCelestyal Crystal, a fascinating lecture helped us understand Greek mythology. e evening show, Mythologia, featured costumed gods and goddesses interpreting the myths in dances. Greek wedding dance at Hellenic Voyage Traditional Greek Party evening show Exploring Delos theatre Terrace of the Lions Mythologia evening show CSANews | FALL 2019 | 19
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