I got a real kick out of this. I hope you do too.
Back to Italy soon. (Venice!)
Wednesday, July 15, 2009
Sunday, July 12, 2009
2009-06-18 Italy Trip - Messina, Sicily
View Livorno to Messina, Sicily in a larger map
Up early and down to breakfast getting ready to go to Messina and on to Mt. Etna. Had Eggs Benedict. Justin had blueberry pancakes (I know!)
Took a 2 hour ride on the tour bus (number 13) to Mount Etna. It was quite amazing to see all the lava flows. There was a large eruption in 1908, and another in 1983, and more in 2001 and 2002. A whole town of 550 was engulfed in 2002, but luckily nobody was hurt. We walked around one of the dormant lower craters and took lots of pictures. One thing that intrigued me was that while we were on the most barren part of the craters, we were absolutely inundated with lady bugs and another type of beetle. There was no vegetation to speak of apart from the small cushions of low flowers (the first colonizers after the lichens) and I didn’t see any aphids on the flowers (lady bugs love aphids) so I couldn’t figure out why we were being covered in lady bugs. Another mystery for another time…
After returning from the tour, we grabbed a buffet lunch on the ship and ventured out into Messina for some more touring and perhaps a bit of shopping. We went to the Messina Cathedral which had been destroyed six times by earthquakes and wars and rebuilt each time to look like the original design. The clock tower was installed in 1933 and is the largest astronomical clock in the world. It has LOTS of moving statues that come out and perform on the hour, half hour, and quarter hour. The best show is at noon, but we were too late for that. We paid € 3.50 to climb the stairs (Eva says she counted 264) in the clock tower and it was quite a feat in the heat. We got to watch some of the movements from the inside on the quarter hour and the way it was designed to move and even make the figures “walk” was astounding .
Next to the clock tower is the Fountain of Orion which commemorates the completion of the aqueduct. It's a beautiful fountain and I found the Latin inscription online that adorns it, but cannot find a translation. Anybody? "NILVS ECO ICNOTVM SEPTENA PER OSTIA FESSUS HIC CAPVT IN CREMIO ZANCLA REPONO TVO"
We were told by our tour guide, David, in Pisa to try the cassata and granita (gra-NEE-tah) in Sicily. I had two granitas and found them very refreshing. Interesting that the one on Etna was vanilla and € 3 and the one in Messina was limone (lee-MON-ay=lemon). It was much better and only € 1 in a small gelateria (jel-a-ta-REE-a). Very refreshing on a day when the face is melting off your head.
Back to the ship for dinner : baby shrimp cocktail with caviar, hard boiled egg, and Belgian endives (I LOVE endives), followed by medium rare roast beef and chocolate bread pudding. Meredith had Asian rice noodles and shrimp (I know! Things are falling apart!)
After dinner we went to the duty free shops and nosed around for a while. Uncle Scott and Pop-pop went to the casino and played quarter slots. Pop-pop hit for six hundred quarters ($150). He kept playing for ~2 hours winning enough to keep him going. Uncle Scott hit for 155 quarters and kept going until he was only $3.25 ahead and quit. Pop-pop cashed out with $139. Way to go! I dumped $20 and at one point had doubled my money, but like a good tourist, put it all back in and walked away with nothing within fifteen minutes. I offered to treat everyone to pizza to celebrate their winnings (it’s free), so we went to the pizza buffet at 23:30.
Going up Mt. Etna.
Karen and Stephanie on Mt. Etna.
Like the surface of the moon...
2009-06-17 Italy Trip Sea Day
Slept through breakfast this morning. Stephanie and Meredith went up to the Windjammer for the buffet and brought back yogurt for me and fruit for Karen.
Met up with Scott and the boys for the first lunch in the Romeo and Juliet restaurant. They had a salad bar where you choose the ingredients and the staff makes the salad for you in a steel mixing bowl. At the end, they use a pizza cutter to cut it up and mix in your choice of dressing before transferring it to the serving bowl. Quite nice. I had the beef and avocado fajitas and carrot cake. Justin had chocolate/banana crunch cake. No wonder he climbs the rock wall so well. We asked Tolga why there was no octopus on the menu and he said we should have octopus cream pie. He quickly recanted and said, “That would be gross”.
We are at sea today so I am trying to get some work done in the computer study.
Big dinner tonight. Most of us had the pork loin and it was so tender we could have cut it with a fork. Meredith had salmon.
After dinner we went to the theater and saw the Swing Time review performed by the Royal Caribbean singers and dancers and the Legend of the Seas band. It was very nicely done with some very talented performers. After that, a quick trip to the room and back to the theater for the “Love and Marriage Game Show” which was basically the old Newlywed Show with four couples married: 7 days, 4 years, 28 years, and 52 years. It was a lot of fun and we laughed pretty hard at some of the antics on stage. Uncle Scott bought me and himself a Heineken draft. Thanks Uncle Scott!
We decided that Justin climbs that rock wall so well because he eats so many bananas. We called him “banana boy” but soon changed it to “monkey man”.
Hector making his "fish face" with Stephanie.
The view down the Centrum.
Pop-pop and Uncle Scott.
Met up with Scott and the boys for the first lunch in the Romeo and Juliet restaurant. They had a salad bar where you choose the ingredients and the staff makes the salad for you in a steel mixing bowl. At the end, they use a pizza cutter to cut it up and mix in your choice of dressing before transferring it to the serving bowl. Quite nice. I had the beef and avocado fajitas and carrot cake. Justin had chocolate/banana crunch cake. No wonder he climbs the rock wall so well. We asked Tolga why there was no octopus on the menu and he said we should have octopus cream pie. He quickly recanted and said, “That would be gross”.
We are at sea today so I am trying to get some work done in the computer study.
Big dinner tonight. Most of us had the pork loin and it was so tender we could have cut it with a fork. Meredith had salmon.
After dinner we went to the theater and saw the Swing Time review performed by the Royal Caribbean singers and dancers and the Legend of the Seas band. It was very nicely done with some very talented performers. After that, a quick trip to the room and back to the theater for the “Love and Marriage Game Show” which was basically the old Newlywed Show with four couples married: 7 days, 4 years, 28 years, and 52 years. It was a lot of fun and we laughed pretty hard at some of the antics on stage. Uncle Scott bought me and himself a Heineken draft. Thanks Uncle Scott!
We decided that Justin climbs that rock wall so well because he eats so many bananas. We called him “banana boy” but soon changed it to “monkey man”.
Hector making his "fish face" with Stephanie.
The view down the Centrum.
Pop-pop and Uncle Scott.
Sunday, July 5, 2009
2009-06-16 Italy Trip - Pisa
Went to breakfast at 7:00 and asked for Robert’s table. The hostess told us that she hadn’t seen Robert this morning and that he had a big mouth and she would have heard him if he was there today. Apparently he was working the buffet today. We had Lloyd and (someone else) and still missed Robert. Justin had banana pancakes.
Worked on computer for a while, went to lunch buffet at Windjammer Café.
View Livorno to Pisa, Italy in a larger map
Went to Pisa with the Royal Caribbean tour at 13:15. We rode a bus with David (DAH-vid) guiding the tour. On the way he pointed out the maritime pines which are the strange, umbrella-shaped pine trees that grow here. Pine nuts (pignoli (pin-YOL-ee)) come from the pine cones of these trees. We passed the huge Camp Darby, a US logistical base established after WWII. It houses about 200 American and Italian troops and is mostly a depot for equipment and vehicles.
Upon arriving in Pisa we had about a 20 minute walk to the piazza since tour buses are not allowed into the historic section. We followed the big “22” sign David was holding up as he walked. We were to have another guide at the cathedral, but they didn’t arrive, so David continued the tour with us. He was VERY knowledgeable of the culture and history of the area and I thought he was an excellent tour guide.
At one time in antiquity, Pisa was the port city of the area since it was on the delta of the Arno river and an important commercial port. Since then the delta has filled and Pisa has been supplanted as the main port by Livorno.
He showed us the different architectural styles of the baptistry, the church, the cemetery, and the famous bell tower. It was started in 1063 and the whole structure was influenced by Arab architecture since the Pisans were the last defense against the Arabs who had already taken Sicily and many parts of Italy at the time. The Pope charged the Pisan navy with pushing back the Arab hordes.
The first floor of the baptistry was built in the accepted Romanesque style with open, rounded arches and the Arab style of using different colors of stonework to make stripes. The second story was added more than 100 years later and shows the gothic influence with closed, pointed arches. The third floor is also in the gothic style. Finally the roof is half lead and half ceramic tile since they ran out of money for the leading.
The church has five new arches added to the front of it since the Pisans didn’t think it was grand enough. Much of the stone was re-used from old Roman buildings and since the stone masons usually couldn’t read, the engraved words on the old stones are upside down or sideways. There was a fire in the church in ~1260 and most of the inside was gutted including the mosaics on the floor. It was rebuilt in the Renaissance style of the time, so it’s quite a mixture.
The cemetery was started in the Romanesque style and finished by a gothic architect so it has a mixture of the two styles.
The famous bell tower leans because of the sandy, wet soil upon which it’s built. Nobody knows the architect that built the original tower since there are no records of it. It was a very short tower until it was modified later. The Pisans were so proud they built their cathedral outside the city facing the sea so travelers would see the grandeur of their cathedral first.
A poet once came to the area and after learning the mottled history of the buildings dubbed it the “Field of Miracles” since it was a miracle the buildings were finished.
We stopped in a small café and Scott, Eva, and I shared a bottle of wine from the area. It was nice and we enjoyed it in the 90 degree heat.
There are MANY illegal immigrants from Senegal here that try to sell sunglasses, hand bags, belts, and watches to tourists in the streets. They are polite, but sometimes politely insistent.
We resisted the temptation to take pictures of ourselves pushing the tower back and instead opted for several group shots at its base. Unfortunately we didn’t have time to climb the 294 steps inside the tower since the line was too long.
We were held up in traffic and barely got back to the ship in time for dinner. I had the Tuscan white bean soup, a wonderful Coq Au Vin, and dark chocolate/hazelnut tart. Meredith had salmon.
Stephanie and Justin climbed the rock wall and Justin won the race both times. He climbs really well. We think it might be all those banana pancakes.
At 21:00 we went to the magic show in the theater and then off to the toga party on the pool deck. We all wore togas and had another amazing buffet from 23:30 to 0:30.
Maritime pines.
Piazza del Duomo, Pisa.
(Baptistry, church, bell tower)
Drinking some wine in the shade.
(Scott, Eva, and me.)
The gang at the foot of the tower.
Worked on computer for a while, went to lunch buffet at Windjammer Café.
View Livorno to Pisa, Italy in a larger map
Went to Pisa with the Royal Caribbean tour at 13:15. We rode a bus with David (DAH-vid) guiding the tour. On the way he pointed out the maritime pines which are the strange, umbrella-shaped pine trees that grow here. Pine nuts (pignoli (pin-YOL-ee)) come from the pine cones of these trees. We passed the huge Camp Darby, a US logistical base established after WWII. It houses about 200 American and Italian troops and is mostly a depot for equipment and vehicles.
Upon arriving in Pisa we had about a 20 minute walk to the piazza since tour buses are not allowed into the historic section. We followed the big “22” sign David was holding up as he walked. We were to have another guide at the cathedral, but they didn’t arrive, so David continued the tour with us. He was VERY knowledgeable of the culture and history of the area and I thought he was an excellent tour guide.
At one time in antiquity, Pisa was the port city of the area since it was on the delta of the Arno river and an important commercial port. Since then the delta has filled and Pisa has been supplanted as the main port by Livorno.
He showed us the different architectural styles of the baptistry, the church, the cemetery, and the famous bell tower. It was started in 1063 and the whole structure was influenced by Arab architecture since the Pisans were the last defense against the Arabs who had already taken Sicily and many parts of Italy at the time. The Pope charged the Pisan navy with pushing back the Arab hordes.
The first floor of the baptistry was built in the accepted Romanesque style with open, rounded arches and the Arab style of using different colors of stonework to make stripes. The second story was added more than 100 years later and shows the gothic influence with closed, pointed arches. The third floor is also in the gothic style. Finally the roof is half lead and half ceramic tile since they ran out of money for the leading.
The church has five new arches added to the front of it since the Pisans didn’t think it was grand enough. Much of the stone was re-used from old Roman buildings and since the stone masons usually couldn’t read, the engraved words on the old stones are upside down or sideways. There was a fire in the church in ~1260 and most of the inside was gutted including the mosaics on the floor. It was rebuilt in the Renaissance style of the time, so it’s quite a mixture.
The cemetery was started in the Romanesque style and finished by a gothic architect so it has a mixture of the two styles.
The famous bell tower leans because of the sandy, wet soil upon which it’s built. Nobody knows the architect that built the original tower since there are no records of it. It was a very short tower until it was modified later. The Pisans were so proud they built their cathedral outside the city facing the sea so travelers would see the grandeur of their cathedral first.
A poet once came to the area and after learning the mottled history of the buildings dubbed it the “Field of Miracles” since it was a miracle the buildings were finished.
We stopped in a small café and Scott, Eva, and I shared a bottle of wine from the area. It was nice and we enjoyed it in the 90 degree heat.
There are MANY illegal immigrants from Senegal here that try to sell sunglasses, hand bags, belts, and watches to tourists in the streets. They are polite, but sometimes politely insistent.
We resisted the temptation to take pictures of ourselves pushing the tower back and instead opted for several group shots at its base. Unfortunately we didn’t have time to climb the 294 steps inside the tower since the line was too long.
We were held up in traffic and barely got back to the ship in time for dinner. I had the Tuscan white bean soup, a wonderful Coq Au Vin, and dark chocolate/hazelnut tart. Meredith had salmon.
Stephanie and Justin climbed the rock wall and Justin won the race both times. He climbs really well. We think it might be all those banana pancakes.
At 21:00 we went to the magic show in the theater and then off to the toga party on the pool deck. We all wore togas and had another amazing buffet from 23:30 to 0:30.
Maritime pines.
Piazza del Duomo, Pisa.(Baptistry, church, bell tower)
Drinking some wine in the shade.(Scott, Eva, and me.)
The gang at the foot of the tower.
Saturday, July 4, 2009
2009-06-15 Italy Trip - Livorno
Cruised to Livorno overnight.
View Portofino to Livorno, Italy in a larger map
(Google maps only work on land...)
We started with a breakfast in the Romeo and Juliet dining room. Stephanie was wearing a shirt with peace signs, Audrey had the word Love on hers. Meredith was wearing her “Hard work never killed anyone, but I’m not taking any chances” shirt and Ryan one with the angel of death on it. I made the comment that we had Peace, Love, Sloth, and Death sitting at the table with us. Walt and Xuong were waiters –we missed Robert and Anca. Justin had banana pancakes.
Went ashore on shuttle bus to City Center and shopped the huge farmers market. Bought cookies and Audrey shopped for shoes. Inside the building as we were rounding a corner I heard an elderly woman drop a coin. She was having trouble locating it and I picked it up for her. She said “grazie mille” which I took to mean “a thousand thanks”.
Scott started talking to a couple from CA on the steps of the locked church in the Piazza Grande. They were cruising and then going to drive to Germany to visit his sister who lives there. They told us where an Informacion de Tourista was and we told them were a Farmacia (pharmacy) was located.
Got directions at the tourist information kiosk to a pizza place (real Neapolitan pizza) on the other side of the Piazza de la Republica. Couldn’t find it. Found a piazza with two large statues and no pizza parlor. Walked back to the small piazza we found upon leaving the bus and ate pizza at a small café called Titty de la Puce. (Had Tweety Bird on the window. Apparently it's the the way they say "tweet".) Good pizza – square cheese for Karen and kids. I got covered (crust on top and bottom) pizza slice with “ricotta e spinaci” which was really “SPINACI e ricotta”. Very good, though.
Scott, Justin, Ryan and I went to “Farmacia de 24 Hours” (pharmacy) to look for batteries for Scott’s camera. Apparently pharmacies ONLY sell pharmaceuticals in Italy. They sent us to “Ovesimo” down the block. When entering Ovesimo (a clothing store), we realized that the escalators inside the store led downstairs to “Standa”, a supermarket. We found the batteries (and Oreos!) and Scott tried to pay for them with a 50 Euro note. The cashier said “No” and for a moment we thought the batteries cost more than 50 Euros. Turns out she couldn’t deal with a bill that large and wanted us to use a smaller one. Scott gave her a 10 Euro and she said “una Euro” so she could give us a 5 back. Apparently there are no 1 Euro notes, only coins and they are harder to deal with.
Went to the Piazza Grande to catch the number 2 bus to go to the Funnicolare Montenero (funicular) at the shrine on the mountain. A very kind gentleman that spoke no English showed us where and when the bus would arrive. After asking him, he informed us that we were in Piazza Grande, and that the piazza I had gone searching for the pizza parlor was, in fact, Piazza della Repubblica. Oh well.
As for the Piazza della Repubblica, from the wikipedia Livorno entry: "In Livorno there is an important square called "Piazza della Repubblica" that contains two important monuments of Italian politicians. Thus, this square is also a bridge: in fact, under the bridge there is an old, big canal. Piazza della Repubblica is the largest bridge of Europe." You can see that here. Another picture here. Finally, one of mine.
View Livorno to Funicolare Montenero in a larger map
The bus ride to the Funicolare di Montenero was uneventful and we enjoyed the funicular ride with the help of a woman from just east of London who has lived in Livorno for ~2 years. She told us how it operated (it's fully automated) and where the best lookouts were for photos at the top. The views were spectacular and we could even see our ship in the harbor. There was a candy stand at the top which had many great treats for 2 Euros each and we bought several. Ryan exclaimed that this was heaven. I told him that we weren’t quite that high.
Came back down, caught the ‘other’ number 2 bus after the first driver told us (in Italian) that he was on break for 10 more minutes and the other bus was leaving in ~1 minute. We sprinted to the other bus and rode it back to Piazza Grande.
Karen, Eva and I stopped in a bakery (next to McDonald’s) and bought SEVERAL cookies and pastries. The person behind the counter spoke some English, but the owner didn't. The owner asked if we were on the boat (with wave-like hand gestures) and asked if we were going to Roma. I told him we went to Portofino, Santa Margherita Ligure, and here and that we ended at Rome. He asked if we were going to the "Il Vaticano" and going to see "Il Papa". I said "si". Lots of "grazie's" all around and we dashed off with our treats.
On the shuttle bus back to the ship. Short nap and off to dinner. Hector said I must be "that missing guy". Ordered the Mediterranean seafood salad with shrimp, octopus, bitter greens and a slice of eggplant –great choice. Mistakenly ordered shells in marinara sauce, Scott ordered pork medallions and they brought him lamb chops. It worked out well since I took the lamb chops, Scott got another pork plate and several people used my shells as a side dish. Pop-pop had been asking for strawberries on his ice cream all week and tonight Hector delivered. He also stated that he had “risked his life for those”. He is quite a character. The head waiter, Tolga (from Turkey) told us about eating octopus since they eat a lot of octopus in his part of Turkey. He said that you have to use a spear gun to kill it and then beat it on the rocks to get the “juice” out of it and tenderize it. (The "juice" apparently makes the suckers work... whatever.)
Zucchini at the farmers market.
Uncle Scott, the director of "Camp Snoopy".
Ryan, Stephanie, Scott, Justin, Meredith.
In the Funicolare di Montenero for the descent.
Stephanie, Audrey, Justin, Scott, Meredith, Ryan.
The rest of the photos are here.
View Portofino to Livorno, Italy in a larger map
(Google maps only work on land...)
We started with a breakfast in the Romeo and Juliet dining room. Stephanie was wearing a shirt with peace signs, Audrey had the word Love on hers. Meredith was wearing her “Hard work never killed anyone, but I’m not taking any chances” shirt and Ryan one with the angel of death on it. I made the comment that we had Peace, Love, Sloth, and Death sitting at the table with us. Walt and Xuong were waiters –we missed Robert and Anca. Justin had banana pancakes.
Went ashore on shuttle bus to City Center and shopped the huge farmers market. Bought cookies and Audrey shopped for shoes. Inside the building as we were rounding a corner I heard an elderly woman drop a coin. She was having trouble locating it and I picked it up for her. She said “grazie mille” which I took to mean “a thousand thanks”.
Scott started talking to a couple from CA on the steps of the locked church in the Piazza Grande. They were cruising and then going to drive to Germany to visit his sister who lives there. They told us where an Informacion de Tourista was and we told them were a Farmacia (pharmacy) was located.
Got directions at the tourist information kiosk to a pizza place (real Neapolitan pizza) on the other side of the Piazza de la Republica. Couldn’t find it. Found a piazza with two large statues and no pizza parlor. Walked back to the small piazza we found upon leaving the bus and ate pizza at a small café called Titty de la Puce. (Had Tweety Bird on the window. Apparently it's the the way they say "tweet".) Good pizza – square cheese for Karen and kids. I got covered (crust on top and bottom) pizza slice with “ricotta e spinaci” which was really “SPINACI e ricotta”. Very good, though.
Scott, Justin, Ryan and I went to “Farmacia de 24 Hours” (pharmacy) to look for batteries for Scott’s camera. Apparently pharmacies ONLY sell pharmaceuticals in Italy. They sent us to “Ovesimo” down the block. When entering Ovesimo (a clothing store), we realized that the escalators inside the store led downstairs to “Standa”, a supermarket. We found the batteries (and Oreos!) and Scott tried to pay for them with a 50 Euro note. The cashier said “No” and for a moment we thought the batteries cost more than 50 Euros. Turns out she couldn’t deal with a bill that large and wanted us to use a smaller one. Scott gave her a 10 Euro and she said “una Euro” so she could give us a 5 back. Apparently there are no 1 Euro notes, only coins and they are harder to deal with.
Went to the Piazza Grande to catch the number 2 bus to go to the Funnicolare Montenero (funicular) at the shrine on the mountain. A very kind gentleman that spoke no English showed us where and when the bus would arrive. After asking him, he informed us that we were in Piazza Grande, and that the piazza I had gone searching for the pizza parlor was, in fact, Piazza della Repubblica. Oh well.
As for the Piazza della Repubblica, from the wikipedia Livorno entry: "In Livorno there is an important square called "Piazza della Repubblica" that contains two important monuments of Italian politicians. Thus, this square is also a bridge: in fact, under the bridge there is an old, big canal. Piazza della Repubblica is the largest bridge of Europe." You can see that here. Another picture here. Finally, one of mine.
View Livorno to Funicolare Montenero in a larger map
The bus ride to the Funicolare di Montenero was uneventful and we enjoyed the funicular ride with the help of a woman from just east of London who has lived in Livorno for ~2 years. She told us how it operated (it's fully automated) and where the best lookouts were for photos at the top. The views were spectacular and we could even see our ship in the harbor. There was a candy stand at the top which had many great treats for 2 Euros each and we bought several. Ryan exclaimed that this was heaven. I told him that we weren’t quite that high.
Came back down, caught the ‘other’ number 2 bus after the first driver told us (in Italian) that he was on break for 10 more minutes and the other bus was leaving in ~1 minute. We sprinted to the other bus and rode it back to Piazza Grande.
Karen, Eva and I stopped in a bakery (next to McDonald’s) and bought SEVERAL cookies and pastries. The person behind the counter spoke some English, but the owner didn't. The owner asked if we were on the boat (with wave-like hand gestures) and asked if we were going to Roma. I told him we went to Portofino, Santa Margherita Ligure, and here and that we ended at Rome. He asked if we were going to the "Il Vaticano" and going to see "Il Papa". I said "si". Lots of "grazie's" all around and we dashed off with our treats.
On the shuttle bus back to the ship. Short nap and off to dinner. Hector said I must be "that missing guy". Ordered the Mediterranean seafood salad with shrimp, octopus, bitter greens and a slice of eggplant –great choice. Mistakenly ordered shells in marinara sauce, Scott ordered pork medallions and they brought him lamb chops. It worked out well since I took the lamb chops, Scott got another pork plate and several people used my shells as a side dish. Pop-pop had been asking for strawberries on his ice cream all week and tonight Hector delivered. He also stated that he had “risked his life for those”. He is quite a character. The head waiter, Tolga (from Turkey) told us about eating octopus since they eat a lot of octopus in his part of Turkey. He said that you have to use a spear gun to kill it and then beat it on the rocks to get the “juice” out of it and tenderize it. (The "juice" apparently makes the suckers work... whatever.)
Zucchini at the farmers market.
Uncle Scott, the director of "Camp Snoopy".Ryan, Stephanie, Scott, Justin, Meredith.
In the Funicolare di Montenero for the descent.Stephanie, Audrey, Justin, Scott, Meredith, Ryan.
The rest of the photos are here.
Friday, July 3, 2009
2009-06-14 Italy Trip - Portofino
Arrived in Portofino overnight.
Breakfast with Robert and Anca serving (both from Romania). Had a blast with them. Justin had banana pancakes. I told Robert that I just wanted to stay at table. He said no, that I had to go and that I should go now. We laughed.
Went ashore in tender boats 9:30
Explored Portofino, caught 82 bus to Santa Margherita Ligure – ended up at the train station and had to walk back down to the piazza. Mass was in progress, so we didn’t get inside the church. Shame, since it’s apparently one of the world’s most beautiful churches.
Had gelato dipped in rich, dark chocolate. Molto bene! Got water from another gelateria and heard Amy MacDonald playing on the radio –in Italian! Audrey shopped for shoes.
Met a family from Evergreen, CO (Dave). He’s a pharmacist who now works on the local hospital’s pharmacological computer systems.
Met another couple on the return dock. He lived in Perkasie, PA when he was very young, moved to Teaneck, NJ for his formative years and played baseball at Teaneck High as a relief pitcher. The only game he ever got to pitch was against Bogota every year since their team was awful (1950-54). He and his wife lived in Charlotte, NC in 1967, then moved to CT. They are moving to their house in NH soon. What are the odds of meeting someone who lived in Perkasie, Teaneck, and Charlotte?
Missed dinner – formal. Hector sent up cheesecake for me. Meredith had salmon.
View Portofino to Santa Margherita Ligure, Italy in a larger map
Portofino
Portofino
Santa Margherita Ligure
Breakfast with Robert and Anca serving (both from Romania). Had a blast with them. Justin had banana pancakes. I told Robert that I just wanted to stay at table. He said no, that I had to go and that I should go now. We laughed.
Went ashore in tender boats 9:30
Explored Portofino, caught 82 bus to Santa Margherita Ligure – ended up at the train station and had to walk back down to the piazza. Mass was in progress, so we didn’t get inside the church. Shame, since it’s apparently one of the world’s most beautiful churches.
Had gelato dipped in rich, dark chocolate. Molto bene! Got water from another gelateria and heard Amy MacDonald playing on the radio –in Italian! Audrey shopped for shoes.
Met a family from Evergreen, CO (Dave). He’s a pharmacist who now works on the local hospital’s pharmacological computer systems.
Met another couple on the return dock. He lived in Perkasie, PA when he was very young, moved to Teaneck, NJ for his formative years and played baseball at Teaneck High as a relief pitcher. The only game he ever got to pitch was against Bogota every year since their team was awful (1950-54). He and his wife lived in Charlotte, NC in 1967, then moved to CT. They are moving to their house in NH soon. What are the odds of meeting someone who lived in Perkasie, Teaneck, and Charlotte?
Missed dinner – formal. Hector sent up cheesecake for me. Meredith had salmon.
View Portofino to Santa Margherita Ligure, Italy in a larger map
Portofino
Portofino
Santa Margherita Ligure
Thursday, July 2, 2009
2009-06-11/13 Italy Trip
As you might have guessed, our family took a two week trip to Italy. We went with my in-laws and there were ten of us all together ages twelve to eighty. It was the trip of a lifetime and I tried to document as much as I could with photos and videos since I don't know when or if we'll ever have the opportunity to return (although there has been some discussion on working towards another trip in 2011...). I have kept a daily journal during the trip and will post the days in order along with a few pictures and links to the rest of them. Hopefully it will be interesting to someone besides me.
Let's dive in...
Thursday, June 11, 2009
Friday, June 12, 2009
View Charlotte, NC to Perkasie, PA in a larger map
Saturday, June 13, 2009
To the port of Civitavecchia on the bus.
At the port.
Cruising into the sunset on the Legend of the Seas.
Let's dive in...
Thursday, June 11, 2009
Drive to PA 19:30 to 23:30. Stopped in Staunton, VA.
Friday, June 12, 2009
Drive to PA 7:30 to 13:30 to in-laws houses.
Catch shuttle to airport 14:00 (just made it!)
Catch plane to Rome 18:30 to 8:30 (that's PM to AM)
View Charlotte, NC to Perkasie, PA in a larger map
Saturday, June 13, 2009
Catch shuttle from Rome to Civitevechia 11:30
Board Legend of the Seas 13:00
Had lunch in Windjammer Café (buffet).
Cruise from Civitevechia 18:00
Skipped dinner. Too full from lunch and need more sleep. Everyone came back and raved about it and Hector the waiter from Chile.
To the port of Civitavecchia on the bus.
At the port.
Cruising into the sunset on the Legend of the Seas.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)