July
6, 2014 – Mediterranean Cruise –
Durres, Albania
It has just dawned
on me that I never gave you the details of our itinerary. We are doing two
cruises back to back on Oceania Insignia. The first segment is June 30 to July
12 from Istanbul to Venice. We will remain aboard from July 12 to July 22 from
Venice to Civitavecchia.
SEGMENT 1
Jun 30 Istanbul, Turkey
Jul 01 Istanbul, Turkey 4:00 p.m.
Jul 02 Ephesus (Kusadasi), Turkey 2:00 p.m. 10:00 p.m.
Jul 03 Santorini, Greece 8:00 a.m. 6:00 p.m.
Jul 04 Zakynthos, Greece 12:00 p.m. 8:00 p.m.
Jul 05 Corfu, Greece 8:00 a.m. 7:00 p.m.
Jul 06 Tirana (Durres), Albania 9:00 a.m. 6:00 p.m.
Jul 07 Kotor, Montenegro 8:00 a.m. 6:00 p.m.
Jul 08 Dubrovnik, Croatia 8:00 a.m. 4:00 p.m.
Jul 09 Ravenna, Italy 10:00 a.m. 8:00 p.m.
Jul 10 Koper, Slovenia 8:00 a.m. 8:00 p.m.
Jul 11 Venice, Italy 8:00 a.m.
Jul 12 Venice, Italy
SEGMENT 2
Jul 12 Venice, Italy
Jul 13 Venice, Italy 5:00 p.m.
Jul 14 Dubrovnik, Croatia 1:00 p.m. 7:00 p.m.
Jul 15 Corfu, Greece 10:00 a.m. 5:00 p.m.
Jul 16 Taormina (Sicily), Italy 9:00 a.m. 5:00 p.m.
Jul 17 Amalfi/Positano, Italy 8:00 a.m. 5:00 p.m.
Jul 18 Olbia/Porto Cervo (Sardinia), Italy 8:00 a.m. 5:00 p.m.
Jul 19 Saint-Tropez, France 8:00 a.m. 11:59 p.m.
Jul 20 Monte Carlo, Monaco 8:00 a.m. 11:00 p.m.
Jul 21 Florence/Pisa/Tuscany (Livorno), Italy 8:00 a.m. 8:00 p.m.
Jul 22 Rome (Civitavecchia), Italy 6:00 a.m.
We arrived in Durres on schedule, and immediately
boarded a coach for our excursion to Tirana, the capital of Albania. Durres is
a coastal city with a busy commercial port. Hundreds of thousands of new
vehicles are shipped out of here each year. Most of these new vehicles come
from Hungary by rail, since Hungary is land locked. Not far away from the port are
beautiful beaches. As we drove out of the city, the inbound traffic was backed
up for miles. It was Sunday and families were heading to the beaches.
Our guide provided a good commentary on the history
and economic status of Albania. It is a poor country that suffered badly under
communism. The average monthly wage is 350 euros. That is about $500. The
buildings are in poor repair. The people look sad. Tourism may provide a boost
to the economy, but it is just getting started. This is borne out by the
highlights of our visit.
First we stopped at a mosque near the city center. The
guide had to bang on the door to rouse an elderly gentleman, who let us in
after much conversation. We dutifully shed our shoes and entered the small
place of worship. After the mosques of Istanbul, this was far less opulent. It
did reflect the diversity of religion. It was very small and modestly adorned
with mosaics.
Our next stop was the Kinestudio. This is a museum to the
art of film in the communist era. Many propaganda documentaries were made here.
We viewed two examples that lasted five minutes each. Then we were taken
outside to where the museum will display old sets and props. I say will because
now it is a weedy lot with run down garages that house rusting vehicles that
were used in films. In its prime this industry produced 5 to 7 feature films
per year. They used a lot of cars.
It was explained that the “museum’s” progress is slow
because of lack of funding. It is government funded. As a result it has a very
low priority. There are no volunteers. The government pays all the employees.
We were bussed back to the main square to start a
walking tour. Our first stop proved to be the highlight of the whole tour. It
was a catholic church where t wedding had just taken place. The bride and groom
were posing for photos on the church steps. When finished, the bride got into a
vintage car and the groom drove away with her. What a thrill it was to be able
to “participate” in this event. We hope we bring them luck.
Walking on, we passed the Tirana Pyramid. This was a
large marble clad pyramid in communist times. Today it is stripped of all the
marble with broken glazing and abundant graffiti.
We returned to the ship with some sad impressions of
Albania. Tourism may be their salvation, but it will be a long time coming
July
7, 2014 – Mediterranean Cruise – Kotor,
Montenegro
We were told that the pilot would board the
ship at 6:30 AM to guide us through the archipelago that leads to Kotor. The
views were to be especially beautiful. Dutifully I awoke at 6:00 to dress and
go topside. What a delight this turned out to be. The views were spectacular as
we wound our way up the bay.
Upon docking in Kotor we boarded our coach
for a drive up the shore to the resort town of Budva. This had an old walled
town with access to several beaches. These were quite nice, but they were not
sandy. Small pebbles made walking without beach shoes rather difficult.
Back in Kotor we entered the walled old
city. A leisurely stroll with our guide took us to churches and museums. All
dated back centuries. On the mountainside far above the old city we could see a
church hugging the rocks. There was a stairway of a thousand steps that wound
up to it. We did not do this climb.
Upon leaving the walled citywe walked
away from the dock toward the river. We followed the river to the sea and
meandered along the coast. Again there were beaches and tavernas along the way.
A small park had a play area for children.
We returned to the ship tired, but impressed
with the cleanliness, good cheer and prosperity of Montenegro. This could merit
a return visit.
July
8, 2014 – Mediterranean Cruise – Dubrovnik,
Croatia
Because we have visited Dubrovnik before, we
opted to take a tour that included a short visit to the walled city before
leaving for the resort of Civtat about 30 miles away. The drive through the
countryside was quite scenic. When we arrived we walked into the town center to
view the beaches before heading to the restaurant for lunch. Our walk took us
along the edge of the marina right downtown. The yachts docked here were even
larger and more luxurious than those in Budva. The money some people have!
Lunch was an excellent buffet of seafood,
pasta and vegetables.
July
9, 2014 – Mediterranean Cruise – Ravenna,
Italy
This is our first Italian port, and
passports are required for identification to reboard the ship. The port is new
and is located in a small town 12 kilometers from Ravenna. Insignia provided a
free shuttle to Ravenna on the hour until departure. Alice and I went our at 9:45
to find the first shuttle already loading. The line was long, and appeared to
be more than could be boarded. With some fellow passengers we headed toward a
second shuttle. We were waved off by the driver and told to board the first
shuttle. We joined the line and sure enough the door was closed before we could
board. We moved back to the second shuttle. Many other passengers had
recognized that the line for the first shuttle was too long, and had created a
line at the second shuttle. This was the same line we were not allowed to form.
We joined it, and sure enough, 6 people before we could board the door closed.
The lone port agent told us the shuttles
would be back in half an hour. We waited in the sun. And waited. And waited. An
hour later we were the first six to board. It turned out that the shuttles both
went to the town center, waited till the half hour and returned together. Both
were empty. Because these were for independent travel, no one form Insignia was
on hand to control access. This was our first exposure to inconsiderate
shipmates
When we arrived in town the driver was very
helpful in directing us to the city center. Most of the route was along a
pedestrian way. This was great except that there was a yellow colored paving
tile creating a lane down the center. Look Out! This was the bike lane. Heaven
help you if you obstructed it. To our knowledge no one got hit, but there was some
muttering in Italian that could not have been pleasantries.
We enjoyed wandering town on our own. Then we
returned to Insignia for a quick lunch before joining a tour to the mosaics of
Ravenna. On the bus ride back to town our guide made a great point of telling
us that Ricardo Mutti, the conductor of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra lived in
Ravenna. In fact he was here now with his wife and children. He would return to
Chicago at the end of August. She had no idea that anyone from Chicago was on
the tour.
She took us to a mausoleum and several
churches that had mosaics from several centuries ago. The quality of these
mosaics rivaled those we had seen in Istanbul. Ravenna is a city of such beauty
and calm that we would love to return and spend an extended period here. To
wander the streets and stop at a café for a long coffee would be heaven.
July
10, 2014 – Mediterranean Cruise – Koper,
Slovenia
So, what do you do when you get to Koper,
Slovenia, You board a coach to Ljubljana. In the late 1980’s Alice and I
accompanied Sean on a high school orchestra tour of Europe. Ljubljana. Which
was then in Yugoslavia, was an overnight stop on that tour. We remember it so
well because one night we dined at a restaurant on the square. After dinner a
band started playing, and we danced in the street. We learned folk dances and
did some waltzes as well. We had a great time.
We wanted to see the city again to learn how
it had fared in the war. The tour included a ride on the river into the heart
of the city. Even in the rain it was beautiful. As it turned out this was the
only rainy day of the cruise.
From the river we walked to the market and
then the city center. Then it was on to see the bridges from above the water.
The rain took away some of our enthusiasm, but we were happy to have returned.
The 25 years since our first visit have served this city well. Tourism is thriving.
New construction has provided good hotels, and restaurants abound. The hotel we
had stayed in was a product of communist era construction. It had barely opened
and was already falling apart. It is gone now, replaced by a new hotel.
We had lunch at a local restaurant and
started our journey back. This was a day well spent, but, again, we wish we had
more time. Perhaps another day.
July
11, 2014 – Mediterranean Cruise –
Venice, Italy
We arrived in Venice early this morning. The
pilot boarded at 6:30 and we slowly made our way through the canals to the
port. This afforded our first views of San Marco Square and Basilica. Awesome.
The cruise director provided a narrative for the entire approach until we
docked at 8:00 AM.
At 9:00 we left for a tour of the Doge’s
Palace, San Marco Square and San Marco Basilica. Then we had a gondola ride.
Alice and I opted not to return to the ship with the group. We stayed and
explored the square and the shops all around it.
We lunched with a take away sandwich and
coke while sitting on the steps across from the basilica. The people watching
was phenomenal. The pigeons left us alone while we ate, but were right there
looking for crumbs when we got up to leave.
We managed to find some Murano glass beads
designed to fit the Pandora bands. Several shops had good selections. That made
the purchase choice difficult, but we managed.
Then it was off the square to find a
bookstore. Our guide had given us general directions to one. She told us it was
10 minutes away. We must look old and slow. It was right around the corner from
the basilica, and was less than a 5-minute walk. They had a great selection. We
found a book on Venice with excellent photos that will bring back fond
memories.
A leisurely walk across the square and along
the water brought us to the ticket booth for our boat ride back to the port.
This was a twenty-minute nonstop ride. The only downfall in all of this is the
long, long walk from the boat dock to the ship. This is the only port to
require a look at our passports. They look and they look before giving the OK.
Funny I don’t feel like a terrorist.
Today marks the last full day of this cruise
segment. Tomorrow morning is disembarkation for most of the passengers. We are
glad to be staying on. We will be able to sleep in.
Before going to bed we walked around the top
deck. It overlooks the pool area. A crew of 12 men was busy removing teak
planks from the deck around the pool. In some places they were replacing
individual planks. In another area between the pool and the bar they will
replace almost the entire width of the deck. It was fascinating to watch them
work. They were still in the removal process. We can’t wait to see how
they perform the installation. This is a
large area, and we sail at 5:00 PM on Sunday. They have just 2 more days to
finish this.
July
12, 2014 – Mediterranean Cruise –
Venice, Italy
This was a rare experience for us. It is
disembarkation day, and we slept in. We did not get up until 8:15, and headed
to breakfast at 9:00. Just before leaving the stateroom I noticed that
breakfast service stopped at 8:30. Usually it lasts until 9:30. We went up
anyway. When we entered the Terrace Café it was empty except for the servers
who were preparing for lunch for the newbies. They would start boarding at
noon. The manager spotted us and came over to apologize for the end of service.
When he realized that we were continuing on with the cruise, he quickly got us
seated and had a waiter bring juice, coffee, and a fine assortment of rolls etc.
This was a very adequate start to our day. We enjoyed it from the outside
terrace with a beautiful view of the city.
Back in the stateroom we caught up on
reading the ship’s materials. I started transferring photos from the past 5
days to my laptop. This took us to lunchtime. In transit guests had been
invited to the Grand Dining Room for a special lunch. Special indeed. The
appetizers were excellent. The waiter despite my reluctance brought my second
course. So glad he brought it. It was a lobster bisque with an entire lobster
tail cut into bite sized morsels. The main course was veal wellington. Superb!.
Dessert was a floating island. This was a merengue ball with a toasted crust
surrounded by a pistachio sauce. The presentations were beautiful.
After lunch we checked out the teak work.
Installation had begun, but not until the base had been power sanded and topped
with a floor leveler in the largest areas. Mastic was applied to the floor and
the new wood was laid in place. Wooden spacers were place alongside the planks
to keep a uniform margin consistent with the original teak. These workmen are
real craftsmen. They are also real Italians with much yelling and shouting at
each other as the job progressed.
We skipped dinner because at 6:00 we left
for an evening gondola tour. The sky had been getting darker all afternoon. We
boarded the boat that would take us to the gondola dock. The captain kept us at
this dock while he communicated with the office. He told us that the gondola
ride was cancelled because of lightning in the area. We exited the boat and
began the long walk back to the terminal.
Alice and I had donned our stylish rain
ponchos. It was a good thing because half way to the terminal the sky opened
and the deluge began. Here in Venice boarding requires a long walk along the
outside of a fence past the ship’s gangway. Upon entering the terminal one
takes an escalator to the second floor, and passes through passport control
then security screening. Finally you exit the terminal on the second level and
leave cover to take an escalator to ground level for a very long walk back to
the gangway. We waited in side the exit for over half an hour while the deluge
continued. We were treated to quite a show of thunder and lightning as we waited.
It finally let up enough that Alice and I made the dash for the gangway. Our
ponchos actually kept us fairly dry.
We ate dinner and retired to stateroom 6052
for the night.
July
13, 2014 – Mediterranean Cruise –
Venice, Italy
This is our final day in Venice. Our morning
tour, Hidden Treasures of Venice, was a walking tour from the dock at the train
station to various small squares, churches and byways. We crossed the Rialto
Bridge over the Grand Canal, and walked on and on until we ended in St. Mark’s
Square. Our guide was outstanding. He had details for every stop we made, as
well as a running commentary of history and anecdotes while we walked from
point to point. Our experience with Oceania shore excursions is that they are
excellent. All but one of our guides have been truly informative and
personable. Keep in mind that we have had an excursion every day except
yesterday.
We returned to the port by boat from St.
Mark’s Square. Again we had the long walk from the boat landing to the ship.
This has not been kind to Alice’s left knee. The brace has really helped,
though. After lunch I spent a couple of hours selecting the pictures for this
blog. Then I trudged back to the terminal. We had seen a sign for free Wi-Fi
when we passed through security earlier. The sign was still there along with a
user name and password. Unfortunately the signal was not there. I walked back
to the ship reminding myself that this is Italy, and, as one of our guides
pointed out, nothing works.
I will try to find free Wi-Fi somewhere
else. I have already burned through $90 of shipboard Internet. That got the
first portion of this blog posted, and I have less than 60 of my original 200
minutes left. The Internet service is very slow because of the need to use
satellites, and it costs $.80 per minute.
We did the sail away in the Horizons Lounge
on deck 10. The captain provided free drinks from 5 until 7 to thank us for our
patience as the teak around the pool was repaired. At 7 we went to our room to
change for dinner in Polo, the steak specialty restaurant. Jovan, our waiter
for our first visit to Polo, was taking reservations at lunchtime. He is the
only one to be calling us by name other than our room stewardess. We asked for
a table for two for this evening. We acknowledged that it was short notice, and
offered other nights just in case. He most graciously said that for us he could
work it out. I looked at his computer screen and all the slots for tonight were
red. We not only wanted a table for two, we wanted it to be his table. Boy are
we difficult. He smiled, forced an override and printed our reservation for
7:30. Bravo, Jovan!
Promptly at 7:30 we arrived at Polo. The maître
d was the same gentleman who had taken care of our breakfast after hours the
day before. Again, he was very gracious. He seated us at the same table we had
for Alice’s birthday. Jovan and Maria served us. We had a delightful time.
Upon returning home, we turned on the World
Cup match. Alice soon went to sleep. I stayed up to watch Germany win. This is
a good thing because there are many Germans aboard.
This new group of passengers is much younger
than those on our last segment. There seem to be fewer Aussies and more
Europeans. They are pleasant, but not as friendly. We wonder what the next days
will bring in the way of interaction.
July 14, 2014 – Mediterranean Cruise – Dubrovnik, Croatia
This marks our third visit to Dubrovnik and the second visit on this cruise. We have spent a lot of time in the old city before. This time we selected a shore excursion titled The Story of Dubrovnik. We must say our guide was the best guide we have ever had on any excursion. He was knowledgeable, easy to understand and had a great story telling ability. He lives in the old city in a house he inherited from his grandmother. He has always been involved in tourism. Most of the locals are involved in some way. He has two rooms on his property that he rents to tourists. Rick Steves has discovered his place, and since he mentioned it, Andrew’s rooms have been fully booked every season.
After a brief introduction as we drove from the pier to the city, we rode the cable car to the top of the mountain above Dubrovnik. There, in an old fortress, is a museum dedicated to the war with Serbia in the early 1990’s. It is very well done, and includes a 15 minute documentary of the bombardment of Dubrovnik by artillery from surrounding mountains and from the sea. Damage to the old city was not severe, but did cause some suffering. The cable car we rode up the mountain is a replacement for the original which was destroyed in the war. It opened three years ago. When we visited Dubrovnik in 2009 the cable car was not in service, and the museum did not exist. No one spoke of the war at that time.
We returned to the old town and Andrew continued with Dubrovnik’s story. He led us past historical sights and through winding lanes. His stories of life through the ages were fascinating. We saw parts of the city that we had never been taken to before. Our appreciation for this lovely place deepened.
July 15, 2014 – Mediterranean Cruise – Corfu, Greece
This was our third visit to this lovely island. Our tour took us to one of the highest nearby mountains. The bus ride to the top was harrowing. Many times we waited in small villages while oncoming traffic had to back up to let us pass. In one town three vehicles backed up together for about a quarter mile before each was able to turn into some lane or drive. All the time our bus kept moving up in front of them. The driver explained that tourists just don’t know how to drive these roads. After all, he had honked his horn as we proceeded up the narrow road. At the end of this long drive the scenery was spectacular. The island is lush with greenery and flowers. The cliffs and inlets below are aglow with emerald water. We could have sat up there forever. Alas we had to return down the mountain to again view the more mundane sights of Corfu.
One fortunate aspect of this cruise with Oceania is the variety and thoroughness of their excursions. We returned to Insignia feeling that once again we were first time visitors due to the new sites we visited.
July 16, 2014 – Mediterranean Cruise – Taormina, Sicily, Italy
This stop is completely new to us. Taormina is a town located high on a mountain in plain sight of mount Etna. As we docked we could see steam pouring from the top of this famous volcano. A bus ride took us from the port part way to Taormina. There we parked in a garage, and rode a local shuttle to the city above. The use of the shuttle limits vehicular traffic in the town and reduces pollution.
Our walking tour started at the main square and wound along the hillside until we reached the ancient Greek Amphitheater. This beautiful venue rises above the city. It was modified by the Romans in their era, and represents a fine example of the best of both Greek and Roman architecture.
The opening behind the stage frames Mount Etna in the distance. The seats rise from the stage level high up the hillside. The entire site is kept in good repair, as it is still used for music and theatrical presentations. Several arches remain to the sides of the stage. Aisles and seats made of stone rise high above the stage.
After our guide had finished her historical presentation, she offered to lead the group to the public park and garden. Or we could stay and explore the amphitheater on our own. Much to my surprise Alice wanted to climb to the top, and survey the area from above. My surprise stems from the fact that her left knee and foot have been giving her more pain. She insisted, and off we went. Two things surprised me. First was how quickly Alice negotiated the stairs. The second was how evenly the Greeks/Romans had spaced the stairs that led to the different rows of stone seats.
The views from the top of this great place were simply fantastic. The stage was easily viewed. As we moved to the outside, the landscape was simply gorgeous.
As our free time was almost up, we headed back to the town square. There we walked the length of the main street before we had to rejoin the group. We walked back to the shuttle for our ride to the garage. The bus followed an easier route down the mountain and back to the ship.
July 17, 2014 – Mediterranean Cruise – Amalfi/Positano, Italy
One of the attractions of this itinerary was the visit to Amalfi. We had long heard of the Amalfi Coast, and wanted to tour it. We had selected an excursion consisting of a bus drive along this scenic road. It was sold out so we chose an excursion that took a boat to Positano from our tender pier in Amalfi. This was a beautiful coastal ride. At Positano our guide explained that Positano is nicknamed the vertical city because it is built up the mountainside. It is indeed vertical. Even our explorations near the sea had many steps.
After a tour through some winding passages to visit a church and other historical sites we had some free time. Alice and I returned to the shore. After visiting some shops without buying anything we went to claim the Gelato our tour coupons entitled us to. In that area we found Heather and Roger. This couple is from Auckland, New Zealand. We had dinner with them the first night on the ship and have thoroughly enjoyed their company. They had taken a public bus from Amalfi, and were enjoying gelato at a different shop overlooking the harbor. Later they would take a boat back to Amalfi. We parted ways to rejoin our tour and cruise back to Amalfi.
There we toured the cathedral and its museum with our guide. This ended our guided tour. We decided to remain at the cathedral for a while. When we started down the many, many stairs to the street, a bride and groom appeared. We think they were models making a commercial. There were photographers, but no bridal party. Anyhow, they posed on the street, in front of a fountain, on the stair to the cathedral and at its doors. It was fun to watch.
We shopped the main street, and kept our money in our pockets. Things were nice, and priced accordingly. A short walk got us to the tender and our ride home.
July 18, 2014 – Mediterranean Cruise – Olbia, Sardinia, Italy
This morning Alice and I watched our approach to Olbia from our veranda before going to breakfast. The shoreline was picturesque with some large sailboats in a small harbor. In front of the break wall were many floats. We assumed they were seafood related, but had no idea how. We would learn later. As we neared the pier we saw many ferries. This is the prime means of arriving and departing Sardinia.
After breakfast we boarded a coach headed to Costa Smeralda, The Emerald Coast. This was to be the farthest point of today’s explorations. It is a resort area with expensive hotels, shops, homes and marinas. It also includes lovely sand beaches and golf courses. This area was developed in the 1960’s by Prince Karim Aga Khan, and is said to be the most expensive real estate in Europe. A square meter, about 9 square feet, goes for 300,000 euros. 5,000 square feet go for a cool 165,000,000 euros. Needless to say it is beautiful. The landscape is emerald green, but it is far outdone by the beauty of the water. Truly paradise, and not very crowded.
After strolling through a small shopping area where prices had far too many digits, we walked down to the marina and observed the wealth on water. This was to be our first taste of super yachts. Super indeed!
Aboard the coach again, we were off to visit the the Nurage. The what, you say. We had no idea what they were either. We had never heard the word before. We soon learned what they were, large structures made of stones piled high without mortar to hold the joints. Only the weight of the stones keeps these walls in place. The Nuraghe we visited was about 3 stories high, conical in shape, that had a double outer wall with a stairway between the walls. While we learned what they are, no one is sure what their purpose was. Our guide promoted the idea that they were temples of some sort.
The one we visited had several round stone circles next to it. These were the remains of the bases of huts that had straw roofs. It is thought the community built around the temple and “worshiped” there. Several of these “settlement” are being unearthed around Sardinia. Archeologists are still digging and studying in an effort to learn their secrets.
On the road again, we were off to a wine tasting. All along the road we had been seeing vinyards. Now we were to taste their production. The winery was very new, about 2005, and employed modern techniques and equipment. After a tour we weretreated to crackers, cheese and, of course, wine. We tasted a white, a red and a blended red. California need nit fear this competition. We actually liked the blended red, and bought a bottle for our veranda.
A pretty drive took us back to the port. Here we went through security in the terminal building. Alice and I spent some tiime in the shops and observed the people waiting for the ferry to Genoa. I was prowling for free internet. I did not find it. Once we passed through security, there was a shuttle to take us to the ship. Happy day for Alice.
After a fine lunch in Terrace Café, I sat on the veranda enjoying the views and watching the ferries load. For kicks I turned on my ipad in search of an off ship signal.
Low and behold there was an open connection from a restaurant I had been observing. It did not require a password, but did limit the connect time to 15 minutes. After that you were cut off, but could immediately login again. This blog was not ready for posting, but I did clean up my emails.
Sail away was uneventful.
July 19, 2014 – Mediterranean Cruise – Saint-Tropez, France
The first thing we noticed, as we approached Saint-Tropez, was that we could not count the number of yachts. This was only the anchorage. The super yachts were in the harbor, docked against the city walks.
This was another tender port. Our tender took right to the heart of the harbor. This was the same place where the dinghies from all the yachts stopped, but we had a reserved dock. A guide met us there, and we began our walking tour. First stop was the fish market. This was Saturday and it was very active, but would be sold out by about noon according to the guide. The local restaurants hang out and buy the remains. They are still fresh from the nights catch, but cheaper because of close out pricing.
We passed through the nearby flower market and walked past Senequier. This is a harbor front café with the most expensive coffee in town. The objective is to be seen here. Continuing on we arrived at an overlook for one of the beaches. It looked very nice. We had bigger things to do. Of course that meant more climbing. This target was the old fort high on a hill overlooking the city and the harbor. It was quite imposing, and judging from its good shape, defended the territory well. It was quite a trek. Alice is glad we are nearing the end of these walks.
As we walked back toward the harbor, our guide stopped at the Saturday market. This was like a flea market set up in the town square. Everything imaginable was available here. We saw tomatoes the likes of which we have never seen before. There were antiques, furniture, produce, clothing, cosmetics, flowers and, of course, souvenirs. At last it was back home for lunch.
We did not know what to expect here. Before we left home we booked excursions for the morning and the afternoon. So, after lunch, we set off again. This time it was to Grimaud and Port Grimaud.
A nice bus ride along the coast took us to Grimaud. This medieval village was perched high on a hilltop dating to the 11th century. Until the 17th century the Castle of Grimaud commanded the whole Gulf of Saint-Tropez.
Unfortunately the bus was required to stop low on the hill near the cemetery. Our walking began. We strolled to the church for a visit before starting up through the town. While the town prospered in medieval times, it is now nearly deserted. Its occupants work in tourism, and spend their days in Saint-Tropez. In the off season they retreat to other parts of France. As a result our walk was very quiet except for some very unruly French kids on holiday. We passed them, admiring the architecture along the way.
Then, at the end of a narrow lane we saw it. In front of us and very much above us was the castle. The town we had just walked through was built when the population grew too large to reside within the castle and immediate confines. We stood at the base of an amphitheater. Above it was a path that led to the castle. Alice decided that she was willing to do the climb. She did not consult her foot. So, off we went. Up and up and up. Sometimes there were stairs. Other times it was a gravel path. We did see a woman coming down take a spill. Her mates helped her up, and she staggered on. At last we reached the top. Just like Taormina, the views were spectacular. We were happy to have made the effort as we slowly made our way back down.
Now it was a ride to Port Grimaud. This was developed as a planned community in the 1960’s. It is situated on a lake below Grimaud, and consists of multiple peninsulas. The 2400 dwellings are all different in some way, and each has a dock. To us it appeared that the difference in the homes was mostly cosmetic, different colors. But the boats sure were different. Every type imaginable is represented here. Our tour included a boat ride through the canals, so we viewed the opulence firsthand. This is another highly visited place on the French Riviera. Not sure how many cruisers stop here, but we are glad we did.
After a brief ride we got off at the harbor in Saint-Tropez. We sat and people watched a bit. Then we boarded the Merry Go Round for a ride on the upper deck. The only other double decked merry go round we could remember was at Great America. This one is much smaller, but has great views of the harbor. It was fun.
More fun was had watching the yachts come and go. Our morning guide had told us that there is a 2 night maximum stay. As the afternoon wore on, we could see crews preparing to make way. In the process they opened the “garages”, the large storage areas in the stern. We were amazed to see very large hard bottomed dinghies and multiple jet skis in these. Everything had its place. For one of the super yachts the tender/dinghy was larger than some of the yachts docked at Burnham Harbor in Chicago. Money, money, money!
Tonight was a late departure so after dinner we sat on the veranda to watch the city lights come on. As the sun sank, the yachts came streaming in. Some were going to the harbor. Others were headed to the anchorage. At one point I counted 24 inbound boats. After dark the yachts at anchor turned on their anchor lights. These were often accompanied by the vessel’s name in lights on the cabin sides. More money,money,money.
Time for bed.
July 20, 2014 – Mediterranean Cruise – Monte Carlo, Monaco
We have been to Monaco before. After Saint-Tropez we expect it to be anticlimactic. We will tender into the dock, and we are forced to anchor pretty far out because of the number of yachts also anchored. Oh well, just a longer tender ride.
Because we have been here before, we have opted to tour to Nice. Our bus traversed the grand prix course before leaving the city to take the middle coast road along the coast. We will take the lower road on our return from Nice.
The drive was quite scenic with many fabulous overlooks. This was especially true as we approached Nice. Once there, we left the bus to walk into the old city. This was a nice walk in Nice. I am sorry, but I could not resist doing that at least once because Nice is nice. We walked along a main thoroughfare and tram line in a long but narrow park. It had excellent playgrounds for the children. When we arrived it was early and empty. When we returned to the buds it was busy. Children were waiting to use things as families looked on. Wish we saw more of that here.
In the old city our guide showed us where the market was and left us on our own for an hour. Alice and I headed away from the market to walk along the shore. Here we found an excellent paved walkway above the pebble beach. Lots of swimmers were at play.
As we walked along, there was a wide bike path between us and the road. It was well marked and well ridden. We reached a point where the beach narrowed so we headed inland. We were now at the opposite end of the market from where we had started. Perfect!
First came the vegetables, including more of the strange tomatoes we saw in Saint-Tropez, then the produce and prepared foods and finally, the flowers. We watched as a florist assembled a huge bouquet. We thought it must be for a funeral. Then the florist handed it over to a gentleman who had been patiently waiting. I could not see how much the man paid for it, but my guess is that at home it would have ben $50, about 40 euros. No way he paid that much. He grabbed the stems and walked off carrying the bouquet upside down. Beautiful.
We met the guide at the appointed time and headed to our wine tasting. The venue was a cave-like cellar. It was dark and cozy. Things were about to get even better. Our host was quite the showman. He talked with a thick French accent about wine types, grapes, regions and names. He shared a white, a blush and a red. They were all OK. Then he told us to get ready for the most important part of his presentation. Don’t get hung up with all the stuff. If you like it, drink it and buy more. Your palate is all that matters. So, enjoy.
His shop was up and across the street. We went and priced his offerings. We did not buy. Tonight’s Happy Hour will be good enough.
The walk back to the bus was fun because of all the activity in the park. The ride home was short and sweet. Now the adventure begins. We boarded the waiting tender, and it shoved off. As we rounded the break wall the bucking started. While we had been awaya front had stormed through and really kicked up the seas. Our ride back to the ship was very slow with the helmsman trying his best to ease our crossing of the waves. They were just too high. We bounced and we rocked and we dove. We have never seen a tender so awash in breaking waves. It stayed pretty dry inside. At least it did where we were sitting. When we finally reached the ship we kept getting pounded against the landing and then pushed away from it. The crew were admirable in getting all of us safely off the tender. The cry of mind the gap was headed by all, and strong arms were there to aid/push/pull us onboard insignia.
As we were eating lunch the announcement came that tender service had been suspended. No one could go ashore and those ashore would wait till conditions improved. It was forecast that they would, but of course the front had not been in the forecast. Who knows. Fortunately we had a late departure time. Conditions did improve about 3 hours later and service resumed. No one was left behind as we sailed out with Monte Carlo all aglow.
July 21, 2014 – Mediterranean Cruise – Livorno, Italy
This is our last port because tomorrow we dock at Civitavecchia and dash for the Rome airport.
We visited here five years ago. This is the jumping off point for day tours to Florence. Lucca and Pisa are also reachable from here. We have been to Florence, Lucca and Pisa. We so liked Lucca that we chose an excursion that included Lucca, the Tuscan hills and a winery.
The drive to Lucca was in a pouring rain. We donned our Holland America rain ponchos for the second time. I also had the ship’s umbrella for extra head protection. It was a good thing because it continued pouring as we walked from the bus to the meeting point in the old city. As the guide gave the meeting instructions the rain stopped.
We really liked Lucca from before and our unguided hour without rain convinced us that we still did. We returned to the church we had visited in 2009. It has not changed. Constancy is good.
We walked the streets and lanes and found some of the nooks we had liked before. We also saw some shops that we had never visited. Then we dutifully returned to the meeting point on time. Slowly the others gathered. We were waiting for one person, when a lady decided that she just had to buy something in the shop next door. It would only take a minute. Ten minutes later the rain started again. She was still in the store. As I opened the umbrella, it blew inside out. The rain came harder. Of course I had taken my poncho off when the rain stopped so I got wet. The bus ride to the winery dried me out.
We did have a nice drive through the soggy hills to the winery. The countryside was lovely. In sunlight it would have been heavenly. The winery was perched high on a hill with grapes growing all around it. They process only their own grapes. Buying from other might compromise the quality. We toured the modern facility, and settled in the tasting room. Three cheeses olives and tomatoes were our accompaniments. There were plenty of each.
Three wines were tasted. We had as much as we wished, but if we wanted to taste their other wines we would have to go to the wine bar. And so we did. This was super. We could try as many of their wines as we wished. They did not hold back, even for their most expensive wines. In fact, Alice and I were encouraged to try the most expensive wines. The hostess even suggested seconds of each, but time was running out.
Their wines are not exported, but are available for shipment to the US, if ordered on their website. Unfortunately a $30 bottle of wine becomes $55 with shipping. To make matters worse, what we liked were not $30 bottles. Because we had wine waiting onboard and this was our last night, we did not buy one to take to the ship.
The rain stopped on our way back to Insignia. We sadly bid Tuscany farewell.
Once in our stateroom we finished packing. A sad time. A perilous time as well. The checked bag weight limit is 50 pounds. Ours were 49 and 49 after loading some of the heavier stuff into my carryon. Thank goodness it is fairly small and hides its weight.
July 22, 2014 – Mediterranean Cruise – Civitavecchia, Italy and Home
After breakfast at 6:30 we were in the lounge at 7:00 with our carry-ons. At 7:15 our bus to the airport left right on schedule. We were told it would be an hour ride. It was exactly.
We flew American home. The plane was a 767 and held about 250 passengers. When we got American check in there were three lines, first class, business class and economy. There were three attendants, one for each class. Let me see, 8 first class seats, 30 business class seats and 200 plus economy seats. What is American thinking. An hour and fifteen minutes later we headed toward security. That went well, although we were required to put all electronic devices and cords in clear plastic bags they provided. Even cameras had to go into these. That was much of our checked baggage. I deliberately forgot about the cameras and shaver in my carry-on. No problem. I don’t know how they were checking.
The flight home was rough with seat belt sign on for 7 of the 10 hours. The service was good, but our domestic airlines don’t come close to matching the food and beverage service of the foreign carriers. Turkish Airlines put American to shame. And lets not get into fees for checking bags or being overweight. Round trip cruises from the states look better all the time. Look who must be getting old.
To sum up, the cruise was fine. Excursions were great. Food was great. Accommodations were fair to poor. Oceania will be our choice based on itinerary only. Maybe we will try one of their larger ships one day. Our veranda stateroom was 216 square feet. On their larger vessels it is 282. That might make it a winner, if they can get over their stuffiness.
On the health front, my left foot is still recovering from my April surgery. It was trying at times, but nothing like Alice’s experience. She was fitted just before we left with an unloading brace on her left leg to take some pressure off of her knee. This seemed to work well. However the second day on the ship she jammed her left foot in the cabin, and her little toe became quite swollen. She did everything she wanted to do for the remainder of the trip, but not without pain. Some days were really bad. We would both sit in the cabin or on the veranda icing feet. Our cabin stewardess was great about filling our ice bags morning and evening every day.
Alice saw our foot doctor the day after we got home. X-rays show nothing broken, but she has serious contusions. He put her on anti-inflammatories and into a boot to immobilize the foot. We went back after one week and he was not satisfied with her progress. His partner was to do a total knee replacement on August 4th. Dr. O’Hara said that will have to be postponed until the foot is better. He advised the knee surgeon, and the replacement is now scheduled for September 9th. We see Dr. O’Hara on August 8th to mark progress and see if an MRI is necessary.
I am very proud of how Alice soldiered on during our trip. I am even more proud of how positively she has accepted this scheduling setback. I am confident that her resolve will bring a positive outcome to all of this.
Thanks for following along.
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