Ancient Greek Vases

From the earliest sites we visited, which are 4000 years old, to the most recent ones, which date from around 2000 years ago, every museum displays many fascinating examples of ancient Greek, and a few later Roman pottery items. We saw vases, lamps, household items, and amphoras, which were used to transport wine and oil by ship. Some were buried in the volcanic eruption on Santorini, some were found in shipwrecks, and many were dug up along with ancient cities. In one or two hours in a museum, there’s never time to really appreciate the art and history that are reflected in these amazing creations.

I have simply presented my favorite photos that I took in several museums in Athens and the various islands we visited. No scholarly stuff… If you want a systematic art-historical description of this amazing ancient craft, I recommend Wikipedia! 

Amphoras from a shipwreck that was also transporting glass, and the broken glass found beside
the wreck is also part of the museum display.

Large amphora for wine and oil stacked in the hold of the shipwreck. 

Storage jars excavated in the ancient city of Arcoteri, buried by a volcano in around 1700 BCE.

Another view of the same jars.

The Orion

The National Geographic Orion at a dock during our trip earlier this month.
This was our second voyage on the ship; the first was in Polynesia in 2019.

Looking Around the Ship

Lifeboat drill: the first activity immediately after boarding the ship.

The Captain speaking on the last evening of the trip.

Lifeboats.

Inside our cabin: the staff always made cute decorations from some of the bedding.

Eating lunch on the deck was always fun.

The Bridge

You can always visit the Bridge and see the activity of piloting the ship.

Views from the Decks

The Observation Lounge/Library

Updating the chart.

A nice place to sit and read.

Blog post © 2025 mae sander

Our Day in Santorini

Cycladic figurines from Bronze-Age Santorini. (2800-2700 BCE).
These are from the ancient city of Akrotiri, which was destroyed by volcanic eruption in the 16th century BCE.

Towards the end of our visit to Greece, we spet a day on the very well-known island of Santorini, visiting a farm in the morning, and touring the ruins of Akrotiri of Thera, site of an ancient city, in the afternoon. A walk around one of the small villages was on the schedule after the museum, but the overwhelming heat of the afternoon discouraged us, and we simply sat in a cafe. In the evening, all the passengers from the ship gathered for dinner and some music at a party venue on a hilltop with a glorious view of the sunset.

A Farm in Santorini

The farm has its own chapel.

Several of the agricultural products of the farm are represented here.
The grindstone in the foreground is for removing the husks of small beans:
these are called fava beans in Greece, but are actually a type of lentil.

At the end of the farm tour, we tasted tomatoes, capers, olives, and pistachios that were grown there.

The fields are incredibly dry, but the small tough-skinned tomatoes keep growing!
Though we tasted them raw, they are actually dried before they are sold.

Akrotiri of Thera

The ancient city Akroteri in ancient Thera (the classical name for Santorini) was important in early trade in the Eastern Mediterranean, as it was on the sailing route between Cyprus and Minoan Crete. The site was discovered around 50 years ago. Inscriptions found in the buildings have not been deciphered yet. Many beautiful murals decorated the walls of the city, and many pottery vessels and other goods were found as the site was excavated. These are now in the nearby museum. 

The inhabitants seem to have realized that the volcano was about to erupt. Some of the houses had the furniture stacked up, as if the owners were expecting to return as they fled with their small valuables — this is indicated by the fact that no human remains and no gold objects (except one small item) have been discovered in the ruins so far. Archaeologists are continuing to dig at the site, as only part of the city has been excavated.

After the volcano destroyed the city, the island was uninhabited for some time, and then repopulated.

Some beautiful artifacts from the museum

Blue monkeys in one of the frescoes on the walls.

Blog post and all photos © 2025 mae sander