July

July 1969 was one of the sweetest and most adventurous summer holidays I've ever had. I was 11 years old then and had been looking forward to discovering Europe for months! Dad had planned everything quite in advance. The only booking he had made was our cabin on  the ship - The City of Athens - advertised as a luxury vessel offering elegance and sophistication to all her guests and connecting Lemesos, Cyprus to Pireus, Greece - something like The Titanic! After a long delay at the port of Lemesos, we were welcomed on board The City of Athens - a warship, really, transformed into some kind of an ... ocean liner!!  No sooner had the ship sailed off than a terrible storm broke out and all passengers spent the night in their cabins, feeling seasick. I think I was the only passenger NOT to be seasick. As the storm got worse the following morning, our captain said that we had to stop at the nearest port which was the island of Rhodes. From there Olympic Airways.....safely flew us to Athens. However, just before landing, we were given instructions for.... bracing position and emergency landing! Hence my fear of flying!

We spent three days in Athens , sightseeing - that was the first time I visited the Parthenon and was so thrilled! Then we all went to Pireus where The City of Athens had finally arrived.  Dad had loaded the car on the ship. From Athens , Dad drove us across Europe: Thessaloniki - ex-Yugoslavia- Austria - Germany - Switzerland - France - Italy and back to Greece by ferry from Brindisi. It was a memorable 3-week trip - one I'm not likely ever to forget. I'd always carry all the great photos my parents had taken. Unfortunately, I lost them all in Famagusta during the Turkish Invasion in July 1974 

In the ensuing years, I had the chance to travel across Europe again and re-discover  the charm and treasures of an amazing continent.  

What's the most memorable trip you've ever taken?