Jul 29

Jul 29 Day 2: Syros, Greece

This morning, Silver Moon docked in Syros, Greece, part of the Cyclades group of islands. The ship is within walking distance of Ermoupoli, the capital city. From our veranda, I am able to take the photo above. This morning we have booked the Neoclassical Errmoupolis On Foot ($49pp) excursion with the Silver Moon excursion desk. The tickets were in our suite when we boarded.

While Rickee was getting ready, I had time to walk down to La Terrazza, which is just aft on Deck 7 (our deck). The buffet breakfast is impressive and I was surprised by how few people were there. I had two eggs over medium, some bacon, link sausage and coffee. A perfect low-carb way to start the day! I had to pass by the breakfast pastries without indulging, but they look great.

We disembarked Silver Moon in time for our 10:30 walking tour. After disembarking the ship, we met with Olena, one of the Silversea excursion team members, who would be joining us on the tour. There were only 4 guests signed up for the tour. By 10:35, it became obvious that Olena was frantically trying to locate the local tour guide. We waited for about 20 minutes and, finally, another local who normally comes on board the ship to inform guests of local attractions, was persuaded to conduct the tour.

Rickee disembarks Silver Moon in Syros, Greece

Our impromtu tour guide apologized for her English and was obviously making the tour up as she went, but honestly, her English was far better than my Greek and she took us to some interesting sites. Since there were only four of us, we did not even need to use the iTour Smart Guide app to listen to her commentary.

The tour guide explains something to Rickee about the area through which we are walking

The tour only lasted about an hour and a half and there was some strenuous walking, some of it up inclines and steps. Those with mobility issues should refrain from booking this tour.

Rickee and I are not big on organized excursions. We tend to explore a destination on our own. However, there are some times when a guided tour can be interesting.

Rickee stops along the way to take a photo of some flowers

We were back on board Silver Moon in time for a late lunch. We decided to check out Atlantide and found it to be nearly empty! We love it when we can avoid a crowd. We were seated at a beautiful window table. We each had the Egg Drop Soup, which was very good. I ordered the BBQ Beef Short Ribs. The waiter knew that I did not eat starchy vegetables because of my low-carb lifestyle, so he offered to swap the baked potato for a corn relish that was surprisingly spicy and delicious. The ribs were fork tender and also very good.

Much of the afternoon was spent shooting video of the ship and one failed attempt to shoot a review of the Veranda Stateroom. My microphone came unplugged and I did not know it until I started trying to edit the video! Damn. Oh well, we will just have to re-shoot the video tomorrow. Tonight is formal night, so we dressed up and went to Dolce Vita for a cocktail before our 7:00pm dinner reservation at La Terrazza.

We noticed a table next to us at Dolce Vita was reserved for solo travelers. There was only one elderly lady sitting there by herself…rather sad. Soon, the Assistant Cruise Director, Katherine, came over and sat down with her and started a conversation. We noticed later, at La Terrazza, that Katherine was also having dinner with the lady. These are little things we think of when we think of why Silversea Cruises is so special.

We arrived at La Terrazza for dinner and were encouraged by the Maître d’ to sit outside. The weather was perfect for al fresco dining, so outside seating it was. We have enjoyed many meals at La Terrazza on Silversea ships, but have never had dinner al fresco.

The meal begins with a antipasti platter with an assortment of meats, cheeses, olives, roasted garlic and accompanied by a basket of delicious breads.

Rickee ordered Beef Carpaccio as a starter and I had the Caprese salad…both were delicious. For my main course, I ordered the Veal Chop and Rickee had a vegetarian dish with poached eggs, Parmesan cheese and a Bechemel sauce. It looked really good. I will order the veal chop again on my next visit. It was tender, delicious and perfectly prepared.

We skipped dessert and headed for Panorama Lounge where Rickee enjoyed a Limoncello after dinner dink. At 10:00pm, we went to the Venetian Lounge to hear the Voices of Silversea perform Mind the Gap, a collection of 60s British Rock and Roll music. It was a great show and the vocals were the best we have heard on Silversea.

Silver Moon’s Venetian Lounge features a large video screen stretcing the full width and height of the stage which really amps up the visual dynamic of the performances. We were very impressed. Tomorrow, we will be in Patmos, Greece.