October 24 - Siena and San Gimignano

The Piazza del Campo in Siena

Today we arrived in Livorno and were picked up by our driver and guide Ileana, arranged by Rome Connections for us. Ileana is an art historian so her knowledge of the area and its sights was excellent.

Our first stop after approximately a two hour drive was Siena. Siena is famous for, among other things, the Palio, an exciting horse race done in the center of the city in the main square (which is actually an oval). Siena is divided into 17 neighborhoods or contrades and these each field a horse and rider. Because there are so many, they actually run two races – one in July with 10 and a second a few weeks later with the other 7 and 3 picked somehow to ride again. The outside roadway of the square is covered with sand several inches deep just for the race and the center of the square is packed with people as are the balconies and windows of the surrounding buildings. It must be a very exciting event to see.

After visiting the Piazza del Campo our next stop in Siena was the cathedral, Santa Maria Assunta. The church was constructed in the 13^th century and the exterior includes some of the black and white marble stripes seen in other cathedrals such as the one in Orvieto. The truly remarkable thing about this cathedral are the magnificent mosaic floors. They were created between the 14^th and 16^th centuries and consist of 56 panels in different sizes covering the entire floor of the Duomo. They represent scenes from the Old Testament and are covered most of the year so they can’t be viewed. We were very lucky to see them uncovered and in their full glory.

Il Duomo - Cathedral of Santa Maria Assunta
Two of the magnificent mosaic floor panels

Our next stop was a winery in San Gimignano, Tenuta Torciano. It’s located in a very pastoral setting a few minutes outside the city. We had a wonderful lunch complemented with several lovely wines produced by the winery. They also produce a wonderful balsamic vinegar and some lovely olive oil, one of them flavored with black truffles. We had a delightful time and bought some wine, oil and vinegar which will be shipped to us. I think most of our fellow travelers did likewise.

Finally we visited San Gimignano. This small medieval hill town is famous for its towers which can be seen from miles outside the town. At one time there were more than 70 towers but now only about 14 remain. The town is an exquisite walled city with splendid medieval buildings. Some are former towers which were cut down and converted into houses with the additional bricks being used to construct other buildings. After we walked the main street which passes through the entire town it was time to head back to the ship. We could see that one could easily make a trip just to San Gimignano and have lots to see and do in a day tour.

On our way back to Livorno we had a few raindrops but our day ashore was wonderful with great weather.

San Gimignano

October 23 - Tuscania, Bracciano and Ceri

Lunch in Ceri
The village of Ceri perched on its little hill
The view of Lake Bracciano from the Castello Orsini-Odescalchi
The church of San Pietro in Tuscania
An Etruscan sarcophagus dating to approx. 700 BC

We arrived in Civitavecchia, the port for Rome, around sunrise. Since it was a Sunday and we had been to Rome a few times, we opted for a tour outside of the city. We were met ashore by our driver Marco of RomeConnections and off we went.

First stop was Tuscania. While there is some evidence of people in this little city in Lazio (same region as Rome) dating back to the Neolithic age, there are many artifacts from the Etruscans, the precursors of the Romans, c. 700 BC. We went first to the Etruscan Museum in an old monastery. On display there were many old sarcophagi from nearby tombs and many bronze and ceramic pieces found in the nearby countryside. The sarcophagi were quite beautifully carved. The other premier site in the town is the church of San Pietro. It’s a Romanesque church no longer in use built in the 8^th century and renovated a few hundred years later. It has a lovely rose window and some beautiful columns with a variety of capitals.

Our next stop was the Castello Orsini-Odescalchi on Lake Bracciano. The lake is a volcanic crater (some 600 feet deep in places) and one of the largest in Italy. The castle is a museum and one of the most beautiful examples of Renaissance military structures. It has become quite famous because some celebrities have rented it for weddings, including Tom Cruise when he married his current wife. The museum has many interesting military and Etruscan artifacts. The views from the ramparts of the castle of the lake and surrounding countryside were breathtaking. The tour of the place, though, is not for those with any mobility issues because there are quite a few steps.

Finally we drove to Ceri. This picturesque town is perched atop a hill and walled. To get there we had to drive on a hairpin turn street with a traffic light keeping traffic operating only one way at a time. At the top we went to a lovely, and very popular restaurant for a traditional meal of wild boar with pasta. Both the views and the food were outstanding. After a very enjoyable and educational day we drove back to Civitavecchia.

A comment about the weather. This is the latest we have done this cruise and these ports and we have had exceptionally nice weather in our opinion. The temperatures have been in the high 60’s which are perfect to us for doing lots of walking.

October 22 - Napoli

A magnificent mosaic in a villa in Herculaneum. Can you believe it was buried in mud for more than 1700 years?
One of the breath-taking vistas along the Amalfi Coast road
A 2000 year old street in Herculaneum

This morning we arrived bright and early in Napoli. Despite the weather forecast for cloudy and periodic rain we had a spectacular day. We met our friends ashore and our driver Biagio was waiting to take us on our tour for the day.

First stop was Herculaneum. This is a town which was destroyed during the eruption of Vesuvius in 79 A.D. While Pompeii was a working class city, Herculaneum was a more upper class resort town by the sea. While Pompeii was covered in ash and pumice and other pyroclastic material, Herculaneum was buried in a tremendous mudslide which occurred after the volcano erupted and subsequently there was tremendous rain. The city remained buried and forgotten until the 18^th century when it was accidentally rediscovered. Serious excavation didn’t begin until the late 19^th century. Because it didn’t succumb to tremendous heat, many things remained intact. Some of the houses still have beautiful murals and mosaic floors from which one can discern the beauty that must have existed. We learned a couple of interesting statistics from our guide. The average life expectancy of a Roman of the era was 41 years. The average life expectancy of a person after becoming a slave was 14 years.

After an interesting and educational visit we proceeded through Sorrento and on to the Amalfi Coast road. The drive is spectacular and not for the faint of heart. I know we could never make the drive ourselves. Around each turn the vistas of the tremendous cliffs with the sparkling blue sea below can take your breath away. Our first stop was Positano, one of my personal favorites. Our driver recommended a restaurant at the bottom near the beach. The walk down was steep with some steps but the payoff at the end was worth it. We ate at a place called La Campusa. The restaurant was open to the delightful sea breeze. I think we all agreed that each of our selections were very good, and the house wine was pretty good too!

The walk back up the hill helped to work off our lunch. Next stop was Amalfi, home to one of my favorite ceramic shops. Along the way Biagio told us a little about the history of the coast. From 700 to 1100 AD (roughly) the area was the Amalfi Republic and was one of the wealthiest states in the Mediterranean because of its extensive trade. Its wealth attracted the attention of Saracen invaders. As the towns were attacked, the people moved their towns further and further up the sides of the mountains. They also built a series of watchtowers both for defensive purposes and to act as signal towers to warn the populace of attack. One can see the remnants of some of them on rocky promontories along the way.

After wandering around Amalfi for awhile we followed Biagio’s recommendation and had a lemon gelato with limoncello in the middle of the bowl. What can I say? Yummy!!

Then it was time to head back to Naples to reboard our ship. It was a splendid day in Naples.

October 21 - A Day at Sea and the Meet & Greet

This morning we arose to a lovely day. Seas were moderate; temperatures were comfortable. After breakfast at Sabatinis we got ready for the Meet & Greet. We had been corresponding for 19 months with a large group of people on the Cruise Critic forum and today was the day we would finally meet old friends and new ones. With 422 people on the “Roll Call,” we had to change venues to accommodate so many. The turnout was excellent (approximately 290 people) and the Captain made an appearance to speak briefly and field questions. It was very nice seeing old friends and meeting new ones that we had previously only met online.

We spent the afternoon just chilling out. Al sat on the balcony and watched the Italian coastline while I took a nap. This evening we traversed the Straits of Messina. We ate in our favorite dining venue Sabatinis where we could see both the shoreline of Sicily and Italy through windows on opposite sides of the ship. At times it seemed we were close enough to touch the shore!

Tomorrow morning early we will dock in Naples for our tour to Herculaneum and the Amalfi Coast. Each day for the next several we’ll be ashore so posting may be difficult.

October 20 - Sailaway from Venice

The Moses Project - These are a series of huge floodgates being built to protect Venice from the sea. Over the years we have seen the progress being made and it looks like they may soon be completed.
From our vantage point on Deck 12 we towered over everything in Venice as we sailed past.

This morning we awoke to very overcast skies and rain. The wind was blowing above 30 knots which made leaving impossible. The Ruby is a very large ship and the channel out past Piazza San Marco is small so with wind it is difficult. We had friends up to our cabin for sailaway which was scheduled for 1:00 PM. The captain came over the PA system to announce that until the wind dropped below 30 knots we would not be leaving. We didn’t mind since we were having a good time with our friends.


At 3:00 PM we had the obligatory muster drill and as we were making our way back to our cabin, the captain announced that the wind had dropped sufficiently to sail. Shortly thereafter a tug came to manage our stern and we were off. We transited the Giudecca Channel and turned just past San Marco and the Doge’s Palace to head to the Adriatic. This was our 4th sailaway from Venice and I must say it was not as memorable because the views were not as good. But, the company was great and even a small glimpse of Venice is wonderful!

October 19 - Boarding the Ruby Princess

Octopi at the Rialto Market. I don't know why but they always fascinate me!
This is a Traghetto - a gondola-like boat on which you can cross the Grand Canal for a small fee while standing (although there is someone sitting in this photo - probably another crazy tourist!). Anyway, we are of the opinion that if we ever tried this we would probably wind up swimming in the Canal.

After two glorious days today we awoke to cloudy skies and cooler temperatures. Nonetheless we ate breakfast on the terrace and then made our requisite trip to the Rialto Market. It was interesting to see because we were there a little later in the season and the selection of some things (like mushrooms) was not as large. We still love markets and took lots of photos of seafood and other luscious looking things. On our way back to the hotel we made a trek to a post office to buy stamps for our postcards from Venice and the rest of Italy. Sometimes on the ship when you mail a postcard from Naples, it actually gets sent from Lisbon or even Ft. Lauderdale.

Around noon our water taxi arrived to take us to the ship. After saying our farewells to Armando and Bruno after another delightful stay at the Al Ponte Antico, we were on our way to the Ruby Princess. Check-in was quick and easy and before we knew it we were on our way to a light lunch at the buffet.

Our bags came quickly and we spent the afternoon getting unpacked, settled in and meeting friends. We dined with friends from Tidewater and after dinner went to a performance of the Venice Chamber Orchestra. All in all a nice day!

October 18 - Venezia again

This morning we awoke to another beautiful day with clear blue skies. The temperature was a little cool but we ate breakfast on the terrace nonetheless. Matteo made us omelets with eggs from his grandmother’s farm and they were scrumptious.

After breakfast we decided to a little shopping nearby. We found a couple of mementoes from Venice, which shall always remind us of the 2011 adventure. On our way back to the hotel to drop some things off we made a stop at the wine store where we’ve made some good buys in the past. It’s Mille Vini near the Rialto Bridge.

Then we decided to ride over to Murano, the glass-blowing island. We walked to the Fundament Nova on the other (north) side of the island. Along the way we saw a number of shops selling beautiful flowers. Others sold handmade pots and still others were marble carvers. When we boarded the vaporetto for the ride across the laguna our first stop was Cimitero, the cemetery island, and then it clicked why those businesses were along the way to the stop to board the boat that takes you to the cemetery.

Next stop was Murano where we returned to a restaurant we’d had lunch at last time we were there. Once again the food was as good as we remembered it. We also were pleased to note that house wines can be quite wonderful here in the Mediterranean area. As we got up from lunch I heard someone calling my name and saw Laura, one of my fellow cruise critic members whom I’d never met. She and her husband Sylvain were sitting almost behind us. What a pleasure to finally meet someone you’ve been talking to for near 18 months!

We made a stop at the glass factory at which we’d bought something a couple of years ago and then we headed back to the hotel in Venice. Next on our agenda was our obligatory ride on the vaporetto out to Lido and then back the length of the Grand Canal. In the past we’ve had some of our best views doing this. Today was not as good because the boats were so crowded! It was difficult to get near a window. We decided to get off at the Rialto station. Two stops before there Al looked to the front of the cabin and who was sitting there but our friends Bill and Irene who had come in after spending a week in Bologna for the cruise. After hugs all around we agreed we’d see each other tomorrow when we board.

Our evening was spent first on the terrace having drinks with Joe and Mollye and then we proceeded to dinner at another of our favorite restaurants, the Alla Borsa. After some good food and wine (and a little grappa after dinner) and even better conversation with lots of laughter interspersed, we walked back to the hotel for the night.

Tomorrow is the big day many of us have been waiting for since March or April, 2010. Let the cruise begin!