Enter a land rich in art, history and gastronomy set among world heritage sites. Lyn Le Provost enjoyed all of this on a cruise that visited the lesser known islands of the Mediterranean and some old favourite destinations.

‘Cruising with gusto’ summarises a seven day MSC Mediterranean voyage brimming with activity, action adventures and passionate pastimes! The Mediterranean Sea becomes a super highway that carries you along to glimpse islands diverse in history and cultures, and gives you the opportunity to revisit old favourite attractions. And the joy of cruising – at the end of each day a familiar bed in a moving hotel that deposits us in a new destination daily.

From anchors aweigh at the mighty, historic port of Genoa we are soon enjoying a bottle of chilled Prosecco at one of the eclectic bars that cluster around the small harbour of Portofino. Here is true la dolce vita; super yachts line the crescent-shaped harbour as Genoa’s early merchant ships may have done some centuries ago. The launch transfer to and from our ship enhances the experience and promises fulfilment in the journey ahead.

Located at the end of a picturesque gulf, the port of Olbia in Sardinia is a centre for prehistoric study. If you have a passion for the prehistoric you can visit the nuraghi or megalithic edifices (antiquated towers) that have become the symbol of Sardinia. Then visit the Giant’s tomb – no, not the burial site of an exceptionally tall person, but a collective tomb used by the whole village. Very economical.

Onward to the hullabaloo of today’s Tunisia where a visit to the legendary Carthage is a must. Now a mere suburb, this was once one of the largest cities in the ancient world.

The Punic Empire commenced around 814BC, constructing miracles of engineering in a commercial and military port still visible today. Rome soon decided there was only room for one superpower so they razed the original Carthage to the ground. Enter Julius Caesar who rebuilt and rededicated the city to become an even more splendid empire than before.

The Antonine Baths are the best remnants of the Roman era and provide an impression of the complex’s sheer size and opulence in its heyday. There is just time for a visit to the market including the perfume factory and rug warehouse, where we spend our remaining cash and deplete our credit cards.

Maybe some of Caesar’s army found solace in the restored Lupanare or brothel at our next port of call, Pompeii. One of the highlights, the frescoes, have been newly restored to reveal illustrated scenes of sexual acts. Each fresco is situated above a room indicating the occupier had a speciality in what was being portrayed. In case you should not be able to find this site, look for the phalluses engraved on the basalt road surface or on stones set into the facades of houses giving visitors clear indications on how to reach the brothels.

History is not always ancient and many of our companions onboard would say that the 1960s could not hold much history. But from the port of Toulon take the shore excursion to Port Grimaud. Here is the original model for the many canal village developments that have proliferated around the world. The idea of Alsatian, François Spoerry, was to create a completely new Venetian-style lagoon village where each house has its boat parking space at the end of the garden. The development features wood and stone bridges, shady squares, town hall, post office, shops and restaurants – even a market. Many contemporary canal development architects could take lessons from the intrinsic village atmosphere created by Spoerry.

Our final visit is to the exquisite town of Ajaccio in Corsica; no shore excursion needed here, just disembark and enjoy the dockside markets, local shops and old town which is the birthplace of Napoleon. Choose a harbourside cafe for a seafood lunch and maybe a swim in the late afternoon – a perfect end to a lively week.

In a mere seven days we crossed more than 150,000 years of civilisation, saw sophisticated lifestyles of earlier empires, appreciated rugged mountainous coastlines, vast tracts of striking vineyards, orchards, garden terraces, huge lakes and inviting beaches.

A satisfying week and the only question we are left to answer is where to hang the Tunisian rug that we purchased with such gusto when we were convinced it was the bargain of a lifetime!

Visit: www.msccruises.com.au