His poem "By the Fireside", which contemplates the beauty of a setting where "Alp meets heaven in snow", describes the lakeside village of Pella as a luminous "speck of white... in the evening-glow".Strangely, despite such praise, Orta seems nowadays to have become rather a secret place - so secluded that many Italians have never heard of it. But to those who know its fairy-tale setting, the lake is Cenerentola (Cinderella): the beautiful, self-effacing maiden ordered to stay at home while her flashy elder sisters go to the ball. As visitors flock eastwards to the comparative fleshpots of the nearby, much larger Lake Maggiore, pretty Orta offers altogether quieter, more mystical pleasures.Isola San Giulio (St Julius's island), home to the haunting music that greeted our arrival at the lake, encapsulates that mysticism in miniature It houses an ancient basilica and a 19th-century seminary. From Paros, it is possible to take a day-trip to neighbouring Antiparos before heading for Naxos.On Naxos, you can take advantage of excursions to the small Cycladian islands of Iraklia, Delos and Koufonissia From Naxos it is another easy hop to Ios or Santorini. On a typical trip down the most popular line, the first stage is from Athens to Paros.
The unpredictability of the ferry links makes putting such packages together difficult, but one firm that does is Island WanderingHolidays (01580 860733; ), which offers a range of options, from set routes to accommodation-only go-as-you-please trips.A GOOD ITINERARY, PLEASEMost hoppers visit three, four or five islands on a typical fortnight's holiday, usually starting and ending in Athens. Even so, ticket prices for short hops remain low, and the faster boats are popular with the locals. So much so that in the summer, or for weekend journeys to or from Piraeus, it is usually necessary to buy tickets a day or two in advance.Packaged island-hopping holidays remain thin on the ground. The high-speed ferries and catamarans, which are twice as fast as the old ferries, command double the regular ferry fare. Traditional (slow) ferries more than 10 years old are the cheapest way of moving around; you can expect to pay €8.50 (£6) for a typical two-hour hop to the next island.
More modern regular ferries are usually 20 per cent faster and command a similar hike in fares. Prices are still controlled, but companies are now able to charge different fares for the same "deck" ticket according to the age and speed of the boat. You are dependent on the agent's knowledge or willingness to look up details on their system.WHAT TYPES OF TICKET EXIST AND HOW DO YOU BUY THEM?In the past, fares were fixed by the government. Today, the free market is taking hold and things are more complicated.
