Ciao! Our last dinner on board the ship was wonderful – took lots of pictures, laughed, cried, and of course had many beverages. We even got to see the grand finale of the karaoke superstar competition…what a great way to end the trip!
Our ship docked in Civitavecchia early at 5am and we got off the ship for the last time at 7:15am and boarded a bus for our tour of the Vatican City in Rome. It was about a 45 minute bus ride from the port to the city center where we got off the bus, and we were appreciative of the nap time! Once we got to the Vatican City walls, we met up with Fabio who would be our tour guide. He led us up some stairs to a kind of back entrance to the Vatican where we went through security and directly into the Vatican Museum (instead of the main entrance into St. Peter’s Square that is so popular and crowded). The museum was wonderful – they have so many fabulous artifacts and pieces of art (shocker), obtained God knows how (probably not all purchased honestly if you catch my drift…again, shocker). There were enormous tapestries, statues, Roman candelabras, the first maps ever commissioned by a Pope, and so many other wonderful things. Check the pictures when we finally get them online. Then we made our way to the Sistine Chapel…beyond words that place is. The paintings done by Michelangelo cover the entire ceiling and all 4 walls. It is absolutely breathtaking and wonderful. Fabio explained to us before entering the various meanings of all the different scenes, origins of the stories they tell, and also the process of the conclave, how the stove works, and all of that. A tip for anyone who wants to visit the Vatican: do it with a guide, you will learn so much more. Also bring a neck brace for after you visit the chapel, because you will get a crick staring at the ceiling for 20 minutes…totally worth it. I could talk about this place for another 5 paragraphs so I’ll move on. We then made our way out of the chapel and to St. Peter’s Basilica. Again, absolutely wonderful and breath-taking. I am of the opinion that you don’t have to be Catholic to appreciate all of these things, but because I am Catholic I suppose I can’t speak for those of you who aren’t…go there and then tell me if you agree that it’s absolutely fabulous and awesome. The Basilica, for those of you that don’t know, is the biggest basilica in the WORLD. Yes, like the whole entire globe. And once we were inside I had no trouble believing that – it is huge and seemingly endless. The first awesome thing we saw was Michelangelo’s Pieta’, which, like the statue of David, is wonderful to see in person. Another little lesson for you folks (I’m sure some of you know this already but I didn’t so I’m sharing), the Pieta’ di Maria, or the Compassion of Mary, is a common statue and painting idea that was done during the Renaissance (and before and after that as well), but Michelangelo’s is simply the most famous representation of Mary’s compassion for her Son after He has been crucified. It is really quite moving.
So anyways then we moved on to numerous other landmarks within the Basilica, including different famous Pope’s entombed above ground with shrines and statues, marble work, and one of the most impressive things, the mosaics. There are absolutely no paintings or frescos in the Basilica – it is ALL mosaics, which is again just mind-blowing. Check out the pictures and you’ll get a good idea. Moving on we explored more shrines to Popes, saints, martyrs, the most important of which (next to Jesus obviously) was the one for St. Peter, which was especially decorated since it was the week of his feast day. Then we saw Bernini’s most famous altar (it is enormous and beautiful also), and more little mini shrines and altars along the way on the way out. The Basilica is 3 football fields long and ridiculously tall. Inside the biggest dome and all along the main aisle, the letters along the ceiling are 6 feet tall. The place is just huge.
After exiting the Basilica we were able to enjoy the beauty of the Square, the symmetry of the columns surrounding it, and the lovely sound of hammers and cranes as they set up for St. Peter’s feast day event. We then traveled with our tour group to a gift shop selling mostly Catholic goodies (big crucifixes, millions of rosaries, statues of Mary, mini holy water holders to hang by your door…like I said, Catholic goodies), and then after a bit of shopping and free toilettes (which as you know are a hot commodity in Italy) we boarded the bus again and were dropped at Termini Station for transport to our hotel.
This part of the trip is less interesting but certainly comical and worth mentioning. We waited at the station for a taxi for quite a while, and finally with the help of Armando, secured an honest taxi (again hard to come by) and made our way back to the Rome Park Hotel where we stayed pre-cruise. The weather was lovely and so we decided to nap by the pool, however after a while it was a bit too blustery for relaxation and we moved our naps inside. Our plan was to wake up and go to the city center or a local place for dinner around 8 or 9 (since the Marriott charges 15 euros for a soda, it’s not an economical place to have any meals), but when we woke up at 9:30 we decided to bag dinner and kept sleeping until morning. It was fabulous, and I for one was not even hungry, having eaten for 9 people the past two weeks.
So tomorrow, we will sleep in a little and venture back to Rome to do some more touring!
Monday, June 29, 2009
Wednesday, June 24, 2009
O, Napoli!
Firstly, I want to apologize for forgetting my blog title mechanism…I forgot I was doing this in parts, and if any of you know me, you know that when I realized I had forgotten that for the last few titles, it really bothered me. Unfortunately I cannot change it now, and so enough with the parts and on to Naples!
We started the morning by being ready for our excursion today by 7:15am! Yay. Our tour started with a bus ride through Naples, and around Mount Vesuvius to the ruins of Pompeii. First our guide led us through a cameo factory where we got to see an artist in progress (fascinating!), and then got to look through their very extensive showroom. Like the Murano glass showroom, there was some beautiful jewelry, furniture, and other pieces of art, but they were quite over priced. Still nice to look though! So from there, we walked across the street (after getting our complimentary bottle of water…ooh!) to the old original entrance of the ruins of Pompeii. I really am not sure how to go about explaining this place, but it was really fascinating to see the things that had been preserved underneath 8 meters of ash after the massive eruption of Mount Vesuvius in the 1600s (our guide had an intense accent, we never could hear the actual date. Google it if you want to know). We got to see some old Roman temples, a house that had been preserved miraculously, the fish market, some shops, the city square, the whore house (complete with frescos above the doors letting customers know what they could expect in each room) and sadly some of the mummified remains of some of the victims. There were lots of things the people of Pompeii had in their city that were very advanced and it was really cool to see all that stuff.
So from there, we got back on our bus and traveled south along the beautiful Amalfi coast to the town of Salerno – the views on the way there were just breath-taking, and I would say probably some of the best in the world (at least the part of it that I’ve seen). From there we boarded a boat and had a nice relaxing cruise along the coastline to see all the little towns that dot the Amalfi coast. The architecture in this region is mind-blowing, with homes built right into the rocks of the cliffs, highways zig-zagging back and forth, tunnels going through mountain sides, and massive arches supporting tight curves overlooking nothing but the sea below. Sort of scary if you don’t know what you’re doing! Our boat ride was about a 45 minute trip to the town of Amalfi, where we docked and had some free time to roam the streets. Or should I say street, since there was really only one main street and one church. We didn’t do too much touring since we will be returning there in a few more days. We relaxed at a café and had a taste of some local limoncello (so strong!!) and a delicious margherita pizza, and then got back on the boat to head back to Salerno, and then back on the bus to go back to the ship.
We left Naples at around 6pm and are cruising (big time speed tonight) back to Civitavecchia and will dock at around 5am. The DiMantova’s are debarking at 7am to do a guided tour of Rome and the Vatican, so it promises to be lots of fun and very tiring! Big hugs for everyone, will write more as soon as we get someplace with cheap internet!
We started the morning by being ready for our excursion today by 7:15am! Yay. Our tour started with a bus ride through Naples, and around Mount Vesuvius to the ruins of Pompeii. First our guide led us through a cameo factory where we got to see an artist in progress (fascinating!), and then got to look through their very extensive showroom. Like the Murano glass showroom, there was some beautiful jewelry, furniture, and other pieces of art, but they were quite over priced. Still nice to look though! So from there, we walked across the street (after getting our complimentary bottle of water…ooh!) to the old original entrance of the ruins of Pompeii. I really am not sure how to go about explaining this place, but it was really fascinating to see the things that had been preserved underneath 8 meters of ash after the massive eruption of Mount Vesuvius in the 1600s (our guide had an intense accent, we never could hear the actual date. Google it if you want to know). We got to see some old Roman temples, a house that had been preserved miraculously, the fish market, some shops, the city square, the whore house (complete with frescos above the doors letting customers know what they could expect in each room) and sadly some of the mummified remains of some of the victims. There were lots of things the people of Pompeii had in their city that were very advanced and it was really cool to see all that stuff.
So from there, we got back on our bus and traveled south along the beautiful Amalfi coast to the town of Salerno – the views on the way there were just breath-taking, and I would say probably some of the best in the world (at least the part of it that I’ve seen). From there we boarded a boat and had a nice relaxing cruise along the coastline to see all the little towns that dot the Amalfi coast. The architecture in this region is mind-blowing, with homes built right into the rocks of the cliffs, highways zig-zagging back and forth, tunnels going through mountain sides, and massive arches supporting tight curves overlooking nothing but the sea below. Sort of scary if you don’t know what you’re doing! Our boat ride was about a 45 minute trip to the town of Amalfi, where we docked and had some free time to roam the streets. Or should I say street, since there was really only one main street and one church. We didn’t do too much touring since we will be returning there in a few more days. We relaxed at a café and had a taste of some local limoncello (so strong!!) and a delicious margherita pizza, and then got back on the boat to head back to Salerno, and then back on the bus to go back to the ship.
We left Naples at around 6pm and are cruising (big time speed tonight) back to Civitavecchia and will dock at around 5am. The DiMantova’s are debarking at 7am to do a guided tour of Rome and the Vatican, so it promises to be lots of fun and very tiring! Big hugs for everyone, will write more as soon as we get someplace with cheap internet!
Tuesday, June 23, 2009
Un altro giorno al mare!
Today we slept in again, and I finished my second book of the trip (Atonement – if you’ve not read it, you must, it was very intriguing and captivating), and went to the gym. Mum and Dad enjoyed a relaxing breakfast, and then they too made their way to the gym and now they are relaxing by the pool. I am thinking of joining them! Tonight is our last formal night (which we are thinking of skipping…dressing up is such a task sometimes!), and I believe there is a good show on afterwards, or possibly more karaoke…if so you will all know where we will be.
I hope you are all enjoying the blog and enjoying your times at home! We are missing all of you and our own home (and the dogs of course!), but are very happy with this long vacation, and excited for the next portion of our trip! Stay tuned for adventures in Napoli tomorrow! Hugs to everyone :)
I hope you are all enjoying the blog and enjoying your times at home! We are missing all of you and our own home (and the dogs of course!), but are very happy with this long vacation, and excited for the next portion of our trip! Stay tuned for adventures in Napoli tomorrow! Hugs to everyone :)
Dubrovnik!
I have no idea how to greet people in Croatian, so hello will have to do! Today we docked and got up early for our excursion to Dubrovnik. We started out on a coach and traveled along the coastline (beautiful – rocky cliffs and views of the sea and mountains) to a little town called Cavtat. Here we had some free time to wander and check out the churches and local stores, and then boarded a little boat for a “cruise” to see the Dalmatian coastline. It was gorgeous, except for the sea was very rough that day and so we did more rocking, clinging to our seats, and lifting bags clear of splashing water than taking pictures. I did manage a couple good shots, and miraculously no one fell overboard or got sick in the 45 minute adventure. Then we docked in old town Dubrovnik, which is a walled city fortress that used to be great and powerful trading and commerce city, back when Eastern European countries were not all socialist and scared of Russians. We visited the old Franciscan Monastery, where Monks still live in poverty and carry out their good works, and then wandered the main street of the walled city to see the old homes and shops along the way. Then we were treated to a traditional Croatian lunch at a local restaurant by the sea – The Nautika. We had delicious veggie risotto, which again even a veggie hater like me just loved, and some kind of grilled turkey steak in delicious mushroom sauce with yummy gnocchi-like potato cakes, followed by refreshing ice cream dessert. Splendid! During lunch, we got to chat with a fellow from Australia who sings on another of Royal Carribean’s ships – he was on 6 months vacation, and it was cheaper for him to cruise than fly home! We learned a lot about the goings-on on all the ships and the way things operate; it’s really quite fascinating! Following lunch we did a bit more exploring of the town and the walled city, and then made our way back to the ship for much needed naps.
We skipped the headliner show, and dinner was a little quiet tonight, as one of our ladies wasn’t feeling up to joining the table. The seas were a bit rough for the first time yesterday and the ship was doing a lot of rocking and rolling! Luckily, the DiMantova’s escaped sea-sickness, and I only felt a little dizzy at times with all the swaying. It gave me the sensation of being rocked to sleep as a baby, and I do believe we all slept wonderfully that night!
Tomorrow is another day at sea as we travel back south to our last port, Naples! Very excited. Stay classy, America!
We skipped the headliner show, and dinner was a little quiet tonight, as one of our ladies wasn’t feeling up to joining the table. The seas were a bit rough for the first time yesterday and the ship was doing a lot of rocking and rolling! Luckily, the DiMantova’s escaped sea-sickness, and I only felt a little dizzy at times with all the swaying. It gave me the sensation of being rocked to sleep as a baby, and I do believe we all slept wonderfully that night!
Tomorrow is another day at sea as we travel back south to our last port, Naples! Very excited. Stay classy, America!
Buongiorno al mare e Venezia!
Another uneventful day at sea has passed – we took advantage of no tours or events onboard and slept in until about 10:30. A good breakfast and excellent workouts followed, and then a little relaxation around the ship until the late afternoon. We played a bit of mini golf and shuffle board on the top deck, until it was too windy to continue, and then got ready for the evening show and dinner. Tonight’s show was a singing/comedy performance by Jordan Bennet, the star of Les Miserables, which was absolutely wonderful. After the show we went up to the lounge to participate in the karaoke competition but unfortunately were unable to get Momma D on the list – next time!
The next morning, our tour of Venice began at 8:30, but we all got up early to sit on our balcony and watch as our ship cruised through the canals to the port. It is absolutely breathtaking and wonderful, and definitely surpasses all explanations of how awesome Venice is and any pictures we have seen. So then our tour began with a boat ride to a small island across from St. Mark’s Square to see the church of San Giorgo Maggiore – absolutely beautiful. Then our boat shuttle took us to the island of Murano, made famous by the beautiful glass that is created there. We got to see two master craftsmen at work in the factory, and then toured the showrooms. I have never seen such beautiful pieces in my life, and for such a price! We contemplated a couple of chandeliers for about 250,000 Euros each (not to mention the outrageous current exchange rate), and Mum had her eye on a couple of glass bowls and dolphins that would go wonderfully in our living room. Unfortunately each piece costs more than 4 years of tuition at UofR, so we proceeded to what they called the “tourist shop” and bought some more reasonably priced and smaller pieces for some friends and as souvenirs. Then we climbed back on the boat and made our way to the Grand Canal where we disembarked to walk to a small pier, where we all boarded gondolas, and had a pleasant ride through some small canals to see houses and hotels, and back down the Grand Canal to finish it off. Marco our gondolier, strongly resembled a pirate, and spent the whole 25 minute ride yelling back and forth with the other gondoliers in our little parade of gondolas. I tried to pick up on what they were saying, and apparently one of the other gondoliers had just gotten out of jail, and this was the main topic of conversation as we tried to enjoy this supposedly romantic tradition. It was pretty cool though and no visit to Venice is complete without a gondola ride, yelling or not.
So then we opted out of transferring back to the boat so early since we are in port for 2 days, and asked our tour guide, beautiful Adriana, for a good local place to eat. She suggested we find Ristorante San Trovaso which was sort of on the way to St. Mark’s Square. So we meandered through the tiny streets, across some bridges, and with the combined power of three brains and three sets of eyes, we finally found this tiny out of the way place that probably hardly ever sees tourists. It was absolutely delicious – we had fish soup (which is more like a bowl of shrimp, clams, oysters, crab, and scampi in a tiny amount of broth), meaty lasagna, oyster spaghetti, shrimp and clam linguini, and some delicious meat dish. Needless to say we were stuffed, and for a decent price got to enjoy a traditional Venetian meal. After this we managed to find our way to the Piazza San Marco, which is the only Piazza in all of Venice – they only have small piazzas, which they call campo, or camponelli. We did some wandering checking out the vendors and souvenirs, and other glass shops. Some friends had recommended that we find Harry’s Bar and have a bellini, so after asking about 5 people where the heck this place was, we finally found it, a little hole in the wall place that seats about 30 people if that, and ordered a bellini. It was, in my opinion, overpriced, small, and very interesting. I couldn’t begin to tell you what was in it, but it was a pinkish purplish color, had a hint of champagne maybe, and some kind of fruit juice was evident by the pulp left in the glass. No idea. So then, having missed our rendezvous with our dinner friends (meeting up in St Mark’s Square is impossible), we went to investigate another suggestions, the Danieli Hotel which was supposed to have a wonderful piano bar. Just our kind of entertainment! Upon entering however we realized we were not properly dressed, and decided to make our way back to the ship for dinner and a long nap.
Our next day in Venice started at 8:45 with our guide, Patrizia, taking us through the Doges’ Palace. A Doge is like a Duke of Venice, and so this is where the seat of power lived during the times of the Venetian Republic. We got to see some marvelous rooms and paintings by Tintoretto and Veronese, walk up the golden staircase, see the Great Council Chamber, and cross the Bridge of Sighs. Then finishing in the palace, we were supposed to have a tour of the grand cathedral of St. Mark’s, but of course it was Sunday so it was “closed.” So instead we decided to again leave our tour group and got to attend high mass at 10:30am. It was absolutely glorious. The cathedral is beautiful, with incredible mosaics covering the entire ceiling and walls, old paintings and statues. It was just phenomenal. The choir they had was unbelievably good, and I’m sure the great acoustics of the building didn’t hurt them. Everything was in Italian of course, but a little sister at the front provided us with an English translation of the readings of the day and listing of the songs. I attempted to translate a bit of the homily which was given by one of the 8 priests they had present, but with the echoing and the priest’s fast speaking it was pretty impossible. So then after mass we did a little more wandering around, all bought traditional Venetian masks, a painting by a local artist, and returned to the ship in time for our 2pm departure. Watching from the upper deck as we left the lagoon was awesome – the views from about a hundred feet up are pretty good!
That night, after refreshing naps, we made our way to the entertainment theater where we anticipated a “comedy show”, which I took to mean that a comedian would be there doing a little stand-up, which is always entertaining. Instead, it was this guy who looked like Einstein with the big white hair, named Zietwig or something, and it was more of a slap stick performance – although he was a very talented musician and ended up playing some impressive pieces in between falling off his bench, playing with his toes, laying inside the piano and playing backwards, and the like. Not really my cup of tea, but hearing Claire de Lune is always pleasant. After dinner and a dinner group photo of all of us in our Venetian mask finery, Dad and I made our way to the casino where I ended up being a bit of a bad luck charm, but still a good time!
Tomorrow we venture to our only non-Italian port of call, Duprovnik, Croatia. Buon Viaggio!
The next morning, our tour of Venice began at 8:30, but we all got up early to sit on our balcony and watch as our ship cruised through the canals to the port. It is absolutely breathtaking and wonderful, and definitely surpasses all explanations of how awesome Venice is and any pictures we have seen. So then our tour began with a boat ride to a small island across from St. Mark’s Square to see the church of San Giorgo Maggiore – absolutely beautiful. Then our boat shuttle took us to the island of Murano, made famous by the beautiful glass that is created there. We got to see two master craftsmen at work in the factory, and then toured the showrooms. I have never seen such beautiful pieces in my life, and for such a price! We contemplated a couple of chandeliers for about 250,000 Euros each (not to mention the outrageous current exchange rate), and Mum had her eye on a couple of glass bowls and dolphins that would go wonderfully in our living room. Unfortunately each piece costs more than 4 years of tuition at UofR, so we proceeded to what they called the “tourist shop” and bought some more reasonably priced and smaller pieces for some friends and as souvenirs. Then we climbed back on the boat and made our way to the Grand Canal where we disembarked to walk to a small pier, where we all boarded gondolas, and had a pleasant ride through some small canals to see houses and hotels, and back down the Grand Canal to finish it off. Marco our gondolier, strongly resembled a pirate, and spent the whole 25 minute ride yelling back and forth with the other gondoliers in our little parade of gondolas. I tried to pick up on what they were saying, and apparently one of the other gondoliers had just gotten out of jail, and this was the main topic of conversation as we tried to enjoy this supposedly romantic tradition. It was pretty cool though and no visit to Venice is complete without a gondola ride, yelling or not.
So then we opted out of transferring back to the boat so early since we are in port for 2 days, and asked our tour guide, beautiful Adriana, for a good local place to eat. She suggested we find Ristorante San Trovaso which was sort of on the way to St. Mark’s Square. So we meandered through the tiny streets, across some bridges, and with the combined power of three brains and three sets of eyes, we finally found this tiny out of the way place that probably hardly ever sees tourists. It was absolutely delicious – we had fish soup (which is more like a bowl of shrimp, clams, oysters, crab, and scampi in a tiny amount of broth), meaty lasagna, oyster spaghetti, shrimp and clam linguini, and some delicious meat dish. Needless to say we were stuffed, and for a decent price got to enjoy a traditional Venetian meal. After this we managed to find our way to the Piazza San Marco, which is the only Piazza in all of Venice – they only have small piazzas, which they call campo, or camponelli. We did some wandering checking out the vendors and souvenirs, and other glass shops. Some friends had recommended that we find Harry’s Bar and have a bellini, so after asking about 5 people where the heck this place was, we finally found it, a little hole in the wall place that seats about 30 people if that, and ordered a bellini. It was, in my opinion, overpriced, small, and very interesting. I couldn’t begin to tell you what was in it, but it was a pinkish purplish color, had a hint of champagne maybe, and some kind of fruit juice was evident by the pulp left in the glass. No idea. So then, having missed our rendezvous with our dinner friends (meeting up in St Mark’s Square is impossible), we went to investigate another suggestions, the Danieli Hotel which was supposed to have a wonderful piano bar. Just our kind of entertainment! Upon entering however we realized we were not properly dressed, and decided to make our way back to the ship for dinner and a long nap.
Our next day in Venice started at 8:45 with our guide, Patrizia, taking us through the Doges’ Palace. A Doge is like a Duke of Venice, and so this is where the seat of power lived during the times of the Venetian Republic. We got to see some marvelous rooms and paintings by Tintoretto and Veronese, walk up the golden staircase, see the Great Council Chamber, and cross the Bridge of Sighs. Then finishing in the palace, we were supposed to have a tour of the grand cathedral of St. Mark’s, but of course it was Sunday so it was “closed.” So instead we decided to again leave our tour group and got to attend high mass at 10:30am. It was absolutely glorious. The cathedral is beautiful, with incredible mosaics covering the entire ceiling and walls, old paintings and statues. It was just phenomenal. The choir they had was unbelievably good, and I’m sure the great acoustics of the building didn’t hurt them. Everything was in Italian of course, but a little sister at the front provided us with an English translation of the readings of the day and listing of the songs. I attempted to translate a bit of the homily which was given by one of the 8 priests they had present, but with the echoing and the priest’s fast speaking it was pretty impossible. So then after mass we did a little more wandering around, all bought traditional Venetian masks, a painting by a local artist, and returned to the ship in time for our 2pm departure. Watching from the upper deck as we left the lagoon was awesome – the views from about a hundred feet up are pretty good!
That night, after refreshing naps, we made our way to the entertainment theater where we anticipated a “comedy show”, which I took to mean that a comedian would be there doing a little stand-up, which is always entertaining. Instead, it was this guy who looked like Einstein with the big white hair, named Zietwig or something, and it was more of a slap stick performance – although he was a very talented musician and ended up playing some impressive pieces in between falling off his bench, playing with his toes, laying inside the piano and playing backwards, and the like. Not really my cup of tea, but hearing Claire de Lune is always pleasant. After dinner and a dinner group photo of all of us in our Venetian mask finery, Dad and I made our way to the casino where I ended up being a bit of a bad luck charm, but still a good time!
Tomorrow we venture to our only non-Italian port of call, Duprovnik, Croatia. Buon Viaggio!
Thursday, June 18, 2009
Part 5: Day at Sea, and Sicilia!
Our day at sea was lovely. As I said in the last entry, we did indeed sleep in until about 11am. Momma and Poppa D got up for breakfast and I hung out in our room organizing pictures (which we still haven’t been able to upload – sorry!). They went to work out after that and I went topside to enjoy the beautiful Mediterranean sun and read. Then at 3:30 we all enjoyed a wonderful wine tasting – definitely look for pictures from that, it was hilarious, and delicious. Afterwards, I went to do my workout, and after a short nap it was time for dinner! It was one of our dinner-mate’s birthdays, so we got to sing to him and had a wonderful time. After dinner we went up to the lounge bar for Rat Pack hour, followed by ladies night and a very disturbing performance by what they called “Hunk-a-Mania.” I really have no words to describe this, except that they were hardly hunks if you catch my drift. Ladies, you missed nothing, and in fact I definitely could have gone without seeing it. Comical though, nonetheless.
So then today, we docked in beautiful Messina, Sicily and were ready to board our coach for Taormina at 8:30am. Taormina is a little city of about 11,000 people about 30 minutes south of the city we’re docked in and is absolutely beautiful. Apparently, scenes from the Godfather when Michael is banished to Sicily were filmed in the countryside right outside of Taormina. This is because the real town of Corleone would not allow the film-makers to film in the actual city, since there really was/is Mafioso there. We even got to see the church were Michael marries Appollonia! Fascinating. Anyways, so the city of Taormina is situated on the side of a big hill/mountain right near Mt. Etna, overlooking the sea. The road to get there is so twisty and winding, going out onto cliffs and going into mountain tunnels. Scary! But our bus driver, Giuseppe, was excellent. Gorgeous views everywhere you look. We wandered through the streets with our guide, Marina, and saw all the different parts of the town: the Arabian side, the Greek side, and the Byzantine side. Taormina was conquered by all of these at some point in time and so there are different parts of the city which reflect each of the different cultures. While the Greeks were in Taormina, they built a beautiful Greek Theater which overlooks the sea, the mountainside, and Mt. Etna. The Romans came in and of course changed some things, so now it is a Roman Theater. The awesome part is that the acoustics are so good, they still use it for concerts today!
So now we are back onto the ship, and will set off this evening for Venice! Tomorrow we have another day at sea, and then we reach Venice early Saturday morning and will be there for two days. So excited!
I hope you are all enjoying yourselves, where ever you are. Big hugs from the Legend of the Seas :)
So then today, we docked in beautiful Messina, Sicily and were ready to board our coach for Taormina at 8:30am. Taormina is a little city of about 11,000 people about 30 minutes south of the city we’re docked in and is absolutely beautiful. Apparently, scenes from the Godfather when Michael is banished to Sicily were filmed in the countryside right outside of Taormina. This is because the real town of Corleone would not allow the film-makers to film in the actual city, since there really was/is Mafioso there. We even got to see the church were Michael marries Appollonia! Fascinating. Anyways, so the city of Taormina is situated on the side of a big hill/mountain right near Mt. Etna, overlooking the sea. The road to get there is so twisty and winding, going out onto cliffs and going into mountain tunnels. Scary! But our bus driver, Giuseppe, was excellent. Gorgeous views everywhere you look. We wandered through the streets with our guide, Marina, and saw all the different parts of the town: the Arabian side, the Greek side, and the Byzantine side. Taormina was conquered by all of these at some point in time and so there are different parts of the city which reflect each of the different cultures. While the Greeks were in Taormina, they built a beautiful Greek Theater which overlooks the sea, the mountainside, and Mt. Etna. The Romans came in and of course changed some things, so now it is a Roman Theater. The awesome part is that the acoustics are so good, they still use it for concerts today!
So now we are back onto the ship, and will set off this evening for Venice! Tomorrow we have another day at sea, and then we reach Venice early Saturday morning and will be there for two days. So excited!
I hope you are all enjoying yourselves, where ever you are. Big hugs from the Legend of the Seas :)
Part 4: Florence and the Tuscan Countryside
Buongiorno! Today we got up early to catch our 7:30am coach for our excursion to Florence. Once on the bus, we met our guide, Lucia, and got bright pink stickers to identify us as a touring group. The travel time from Livorno to Florence was about an hour and a half, and she spent most of the hour talking to us about the history of Florence, the Medici royal family, and other famous people who made Florence their home. Apparently Florence was quite the cosmopolitan place back in the day, which continues today. Once we arrived, we first stopped at a piazza which over-looked the whole city of Florence – absolutely gorgeous views of the old city walls, the cathedrals, and old palazzos. After a few minutes stop for picture taking, we again boarded the bus and traveled the rest of the way into the city center to begin the walking tour. Lucia guided us first to the Accademia Museum, where we saw fine examples of Medieval Art, and compared it to the paintings of the Renaissance – definitely an interesting study of art work, and so thrilling to be so close to such old artifacts! The other main attraction at this museum was the famous statue of Michelangelo’s “David.” I must say that it really is worth the hype to see the real one; it really is very impressive to see all 15 feet of him in real life and to look at all the angles and details and everything. We also got to see some other unfinished sculptures done by Michelangelo, and learn a little of the history. Very cool stuff.
After the museum, we traveled on to Cathedral Square to see the famous Duomo, Baptistery, and Bell Tower of Florence. The detail in these places is absolutely amazing, and to hear the stories of how they were created and what they’ve been through is just beyond imagination. From there we walked to the other famous square in Florence, Piazza della Signoria, to see the copy of the “David” that now stands in the original’s place and other statues, fountains and monuments. Around the corner was the old Palazzo used by the Medici family, and the Ponte Vecchio with all its gold and jewelry vendors. We also visited the Church of Santa Croce and got to see all the famous people buried there, like Michelangelo and Galileo just to name a couple. Very cool to see their sarcophaguses with all the fancy marbling and statues and plaques surrounding them. After that we were treated (included in the price of the tour) to a delicious “authentic Florentine” lunch, which included spinach lasagna (it was yummy – even to a veggie hater like me!), thinly sliced roast beef with gravy and roasted potatoes, followed by a delicious tart which I can only describe as being creamy, fruity, and light. We had limited time to explore on our own and then met to take the bus back to the boat for our departure.
Tomorrow is a day at sea, which I know the DiMantova’s will be enjoying by sleeping in and relaxing all day. Until tomorrow…
After the museum, we traveled on to Cathedral Square to see the famous Duomo, Baptistery, and Bell Tower of Florence. The detail in these places is absolutely amazing, and to hear the stories of how they were created and what they’ve been through is just beyond imagination. From there we walked to the other famous square in Florence, Piazza della Signoria, to see the copy of the “David” that now stands in the original’s place and other statues, fountains and monuments. Around the corner was the old Palazzo used by the Medici family, and the Ponte Vecchio with all its gold and jewelry vendors. We also visited the Church of Santa Croce and got to see all the famous people buried there, like Michelangelo and Galileo just to name a couple. Very cool to see their sarcophaguses with all the fancy marbling and statues and plaques surrounding them. After that we were treated (included in the price of the tour) to a delicious “authentic Florentine” lunch, which included spinach lasagna (it was yummy – even to a veggie hater like me!), thinly sliced roast beef with gravy and roasted potatoes, followed by a delicious tart which I can only describe as being creamy, fruity, and light. We had limited time to explore on our own and then met to take the bus back to the boat for our departure.
Tomorrow is a day at sea, which I know the DiMantova’s will be enjoying by sleeping in and relaxing all day. Until tomorrow…
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