January 5, 2014/ altair / Cruises & Ships

“Do Europe” step by step. Actually, one of the best ways to see Europe is to take a cruise trip. Instead of running a mad dash through Europe in an attempt to get the ritual photos of you in front of the Coliseum, the Eiffel Tower, Big Ben etc., you will stay in your comfortable cabin for your entire trip and will not have to pack your luggage every day. Today, we will tell you about Mediterranean Costa Cruises.

Lots of Canadians dream to visit Europe and it is absolutely understandable. European countries welcome more than 480 million international visitors per year, more than half of the global market, and 7 of the 10 most visited countries are European nations. It’s easy to see why – a well preserved cultural heritage, open borders and efficient infrastructure makes visiting Europe a breeze, and rarely will you have to travel more than a few hours before you can immerse yourself in a new culture, and dive into a different phrasebook. Although it is the world’s smallest continent in land surface area, there are profound differences between the cultures and ways of life in its countries.

It is interesting to know that there are the nine most visited European cities, in order of popularity:

• Paris – the capital of romance (and France) on the banks of the Seine
• London -Britain’s vibrant and truly multicultural capital
• Istanbul – the only major city to span two continents and a fascinating melting pot of East and West.
• Rome – the eternal city of seven hills and two thousand seven hundred years of history
• Barcelona – Gaudi’s cosmopolitan home on Mediterranean coast
• Moscow – Europe’s largest city is famous for its nightlife and the iconic Kremlin
• Prague – magical city with its renowned bridges spanning the Vltava River
• Athens – the cradle of western civilization is teeming with historic monuments
• Amsterdam – canals, Rembrandt, hashish and red lanterns, the epicentre of liberal attitudes

Unfortunately, there is a common misconception that you can “do Europe” in one visit. It is all but impossible, and will most likely, if not ruin your vacation, then at least make it less enjoyable. While it is true that Europe is compact and easy to get around with efficient infrastructure set up everywhere, as previously mentioned, it also has more preserved history packed into it than virtually anywhere else. There are more than 400 world heritage sites on the continent, and that is just the very tip of the iceberg.

This summer, we suggest you to take one of the Mediterranean Costa Cruises: the perfect combination of comfortable staying, swimming and sightseeing.

Mediterranean region is the cradle of western civilization. It is amazing historical interaction and mix of the cultures and people of the lands surrounding the Mediterranean Sea – the central superhighway of transport, trade and cultural exchange between Europe, Asia and Africa.

The combination of similarly shared climate, geology and access to a common sea has led to numerous historical and cultural connections between the ancient and modern societies around the Mediterranean.

The Mediterranean Sea is a sea connected to the Atlantic Ocean surrounded by the Mediterranean region and almost completely enclosed by land: on the north by Anatolia and Europe, on the south by North Africa, and on the east by the Levant. The name Mediterranean is derived from the Latin mediterraneus, meaning “inland” or “in the middle of the earth” (from medius, “middle” and terra, “earth”). The sea is technically a part of the Atlantic Ocean, although it is usually identified as a completely separate body of water.

The Mediterranean Sea has an average depth of 1,500m (4,900ft) and the deepest recorded point is 5,267m (17,280ft) in the Calypso Deep in the Ionian Sea.

The history of Mediterranean Region is very important to understanding the origin and development of the Mesopotamian, Egyptian, Persian, Canaanites, Israel and Judah, Greek, Roman, Carthaginian, Byzantine, Christian, and Islamic cultures. It was an important route for merchants and travelers of ancient times that allowed for trade and cultural exchange between emergent peoples of the region – the Mesopotamian, Egyptian, Phoenician, Carthaginian, Iberian, Greek, Macedonian, Illyrian, Thracian, Levantine, Gallic, Roman, Albanian, Armenian, Arabic, Berber, Jewish, Slavic and Turkish cultures. The history of the Mediterranean region is crucial to understanding the origins and development of many modern societies. For the three quarters of the globe, the Mediterranean Sea is similarly the uniting element and the centre of World History.

21 modern states have a coastline on the Mediterranean Sea. They are:

• Europe (from west to east): Spain, France, Monaco, Italy, Malta, Slovenia, Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, Albania, Greece and Turkey (East Thrace)
• Asia (from north to south): Turkey (Anatolia), Cyprus, Syria, Lebanon, Israel, Egypt (the Sinai Peninsula)
• Africa (from east to west): Egypt, Libya, Tunisia, Algeria and Morocco

Turkey and Egypt are transcontinental countries. The southernmost islands of Italy, the Pelagie islands, are geologically part of the African continent. Several other territories also border the Mediterranean Sea (from west to east):

• British overseas territory of Gibraltar
• Spanish enclaves of Ceuta and Melilla and nearby islands
• British sovereign base area of Akrotiri and Dhekelia
• Turkish territory of Northern Cyprus (disputed)
• Gaza Strip of the Palestinian Territories

Andorra, Jordan, Portugal, San Marino, the Vatican City, Macedonia and Serbia although they do not border the sea, are often considered Mediterranean countries in a wider sense due to their Mediterranean climate, fauna and flora, and/or their cultural affinity with other Mediterranean countries.

The Mediterranean Basin comprises the lands around and surrounded by the Mediterranean Sea. In biogeography, the Mediterranean Basin refers to the lands around the Mediterranean Sea that have a Mediterranean climate, with mild, rainy winters and hot, dry summers, which supports characteristic Mediterranean forests, woodlands, and scrub vegetation. As a rule of thumb, the Mediterranean Basin is the Old World region where olive trees grow.

Book your Costa Cruises Vacation with Altair Travel!

For reservation and information please contact Altair Travel at 416-633-9404

Tags Costa Cruises: Mediterranean