Culture, history, small-ship intimacy: These expert-led Ponant cruises with Smithsonian Journeys have it all

I had forgotten how much I loved learning about the Greeks.Our guide, Natale, is leading us through the spectacular ruins of ancient Syracuse — the famed Greek city state along the southeastern coast of Sicily — regaling us with tales of its riches and power.It was, as he notes, so wealthy and strong that it defeated the most iconic of Greek powers, Athens, during the Peloponnesian War. It was also home to Archimedes, the legendary Greek polymath famous for figuring out how levers work and calculating the value of Pi."People think he lived in mainland Greece, but he was born and lived right here," Natale, a local, says with obvious pride as he moves us toward the site's monumental Greek theater.Some of what Natale is telling a dozen other passengers and me from the small Ponant Explorations vessel Le Dumont d'Urville are things I knew from my years studying history. Some of it is new to me. But either way, it is history coming alive in a way it only does when you're able to walk through the very places where it happened. And I am finding I can't get enough of it.The ancient Greek theater of Syracuse. GENE SLOAN/THE POINTS GUYLuckily, it is just one of many days like this for my fel...