Minotaur legends hide inland from Crete’s bleached seafront. Creamycoloured ramparts mark out Malta’s capital. Sicilian Messina overlooks the strait where Odysseus faced Scylla and Charybdis. There are Vatican treasures crafted by Michelangelo and Raphael, Napoleonic echoes that resonate around Ajaccio. Enlightened by our onboard lecturers, we’ll go on, unravelling the mysteries of Pompeii, the Alhambra and Lisbon’s lovely Alfama quarter.