SPAIN, FRANCE, ITALY, CROATIA, SLOVENIA, MONTENEGRO, ALBANIA, GREECE, TURKEY, RUSSIA, UKRAINE, BULGARIA

Vibrant Barcelona is the first stop in this Grand Voyage, where an eclectic mix of architectural styles somehow blends harmoniously. Sete's roots lie in ancient Greece. D H Lawrence succumbed to the charm of Rapallo, whilst Livorno and Civitavecchia promise countless works from the masters Bernini, Leonardo da Vinci and Michelangelo. Sicily's gem is Taormina and Brindisi was a fixture on the famed Silk Road. Croatian cities reborn after conflict in recent years nurture legacies bequeathed by Romans, Venetians and Hapsburgs. Immerse yourself in the art, architecture and culture of Venice "Queen of the Adriatic". Tales of Homer's hero Odysseus loom large in waters lapping around Ithaca before Istanbul - full of Eastern promise. The Black Sea region still holds intrigue; famous cities like Yalta, Sevastopol and Odessa have witnessed heroic sieges and been playgrounds of powerful dictators and Russian Tsars.