October 10 - Shopping with the Chef in Saint Raphael, France

It’s another beautiful day on the Odyssey.  Today we’re in Saint Raphael on the French Riviera.  We were supposed to go to a vineyard and taste wine, but an opportunity to go shopping with the Executive Chef Manfred came up so we canceled the wine tour and set out this morning to get some provisions.

We were on the first tender ashore and headed to what was supposed to be a fish market nearby.  This was Manfred’s first time shopping here so he was relying on secondhand information.  The market turned out to be a fish store that had nothing he wanted.  So, he made a call, a bus came to pick us up and we were off to the Marche Republique, a real market.

Our first stop was the fish counter.  The chef decided to buy a couple of fresh octopi for use in appetizers.  He showed us how to know if they are really fresh.  You put your finger on the suckers on the tentacles.  A fresh octopus will still have some suction.  Now I’m prepared the next time I shop for this!  The fish stall had some nice oysters so the chef bought and had them open some for all of us.  I have to say they were absolutely fabulous!  It is interesting that oysters from different waters have different tastes.  These were a little salty but delicious.

How to choose fresh octopus

Next we were on to the cheese vendor.  You can’t shop for food in France and not buy cheese.  There was a large brie in the case, around a foot in diameter.  Manfred told the vendor he wanted three.  She said “three wedges?”  He told her “no, three whole wheels.”  He bought several other kinds, some fresh butter, and about 25 jars of various honey, jam, and other condiments to serve with the cheeses.

Our chef Manfred checking out the cheese

He bought 3 of these brie

We passed by the produce and spices.  We found out later that his assistant had gone to the large produce warehouse and stocked up there.  When we boarded our tender to come back to the ship cases of strawberries, tomatoes, lettuces and other fruits were loaded on with us.  We won’t starve for the next few days!

The smell of the spices was incredible!

I'd love to be able to buy mushrooms like these at home

After Manfred headed back to the ship we walked around a little in Saint Raphael.  It’s less glamorous than places like Cannes and Monte Carlo but very pretty with lovely beaches.  As we walked along the seaside promenade we came across an antique car show.  Some of them reminded us of old Bogart films.  We had a cappuccino at a café on a square, walked a little more past a nice carousel along the beach and then headed back to the ship.  It was a nice day – a little less energetic than some we’ve had recently.

An old Citroen convertible

Another old Citroen

The carousel on the beach

Bringing on some extra produce.  We wouldn't want to run out in the next two days!

October 9 - Santa Margherita Ligure, Camogli, and Portofino

Today we anchored off the little Italian town of Santa Margherita Ligure for a day on the Italian Riviera.  We booked a tour which took us by boat to the abbey of San Fruttuoso, the fishing village of Camogli, and Portofino.

A gorgeous sunrise!

It was a little chilly as we sailed out from Santa Margherita in our tour boat but the sun came out and warmed up nicely.  San Fruttuoso is a small Abbey on a little bay accessible only by boat or a grueling hike over the mountain from Portofino.  We only stopped in the bay for a photo op and then continued on to the fishing village of Camogli which is built on the Golfo de Paradiso.  The village is fairly interesting because the buildings are all painted in trompe l’oeil.  What appear to be intricate marble window frames are in fact illusions.  The buildings are also unusual because they have a narrow alley-type entrance which slopes uphill.  Inside is a narrow open courtyard that all the apartments overlook.  There are no balconies.  The design developed so that if marauding pirates came ashore, the only access was through these little alleys.  Once inside the pirates were subject to being pelted by rocks, boiling oil  or boiling water and there was no place to take refuge from this. Now the courtyards are draped in colored lights and flags, quite unexpected.

Abbey of San Fruttuoso

Inner courtyard in Camogli

Trompe l'oeil decoration on the buildings

We reboarded our boat and headed to Portofino.  This is a small town which is apparently favored by the rich and famous.  It’s on a little cove and is accessible via boat, a narrow road from Santa Margherita, or of course, your private helicopter.  It literally is a tiny village, not at all what we expected.  Despite its size, every other shop seems to be a designer one like Gucci, Dior, Louis Vuitton, etc.  It’s definitely a high-end place.

Portofino

After a walk around, we headed back to Santa Margherita our starting point.  This village has a nice promenade along the waterfront with lots of cafes and restaurants.  We picked a restaurant and had a great lunch.  My fish was so fresh I think it jumped from the sea onto my plate. We had a salad composed of sliced fennel and sliced orange with balsamic vinegar and olive oil. It was fantastic!  I never would have thought of combining those ingredients but I will do so in the future.  After a little walk along the promenade to work off lunch, we headed back to the ship and spent the rest of the afternoon on our veranda watching the fishermen working nearby.

The seaside promenade in Santa Margherita

Statue of a famous Ligurian (Christopher Columbus) along the promenade.  He's pointing to the west.

In the evening we had been invited to try a new menu by the chef with whom Seabourn has formed a relationship.  He is Thomas Keller and evidently he has several famous restaurants in California and New York.  We sat outside in the restaurant and  had an interesting meal.  I actually think I prefer the regular fare served, but I suppose it’s good to try different things.

This was our last stop in Italy.  Tomorrow we’ll be in Saint Raphael on the French Riviera.

October 8 - Sorano and Pitigliano

Our port today was Civitavecchia, the port for Rome.  Since we’ve been to Rome before and we’d read of garbage strikes and transportation slowdowns we made other arrangements.  Our driver Angelo was waiting for us and off we went to Tuscany. 

Riding through the countryside of first Lazio and then  Tuscany was beautiful.  This region of Italy has lots of rolling hills and fields dotted with medieval towns and villages and farmhouses in the midst of olive groves and  fields of grape vines.  Since it’s autumn the colors were not as riotous as in the summer.  The grapes have been harvested and the vines are starting to acquire their fall color.  The olive trees are still loaded with fruit because that harvest doesn’t come for another couple of weeks.

Our first stop was Sorano, a typical medieval walled town.  It’s clearly not a big tourist destination but it was very interesting to walk through the narrow streets.  There was a little shop selling local ceramics; in fact the artist was the one tending the shop.  We found a small serving bowl decorated with paintings of olives.  The ceramics here are very different from those along the Amalfi coast where the color palette tends more toward rich reds and yellows to match the citrus that abounds there.  While I looked for a bathroom, Al sat on a bench and an Italian Nonna (grandmother) sat down and struck up a conversation. She spoke no English and of course he speaks no Italian, but somehow a conversation ensued.

A beautiful door in Sorano

 

Narrow streets with lots of flower pots around

Our next stop was the town of Pitigliano, a walled town sitting on a tufa rock.  Tufa is a form of limestone.  By the central square there is an aqueduct built by the Medici family in the 16^th century.  Since Pitigliano is atop this rock all the little side streets leading from the main street have lots of steps going down to the buildings built into the side of the rock.  One very interesting thing we saw was the Jewish ghetto area which is called  “La Piccola Gerusalemme,”  the Little Jerusalem with its synagogue.  During WWII some of the Jews from Rome managed to escape round-ups by the Nazis and they were sheltered in Pitigliano and thus survived.  The Synagogue was guarded by 3 Italian soldiers armed with machine guns.  Even in this quiet little town they are worried about attacks by extremists.

Steps, steps and more steps in Pitigliano

Flowers everywhere along the streets of Pitigliano

On the recommendation of Angelo we ate in a little restaurant called Il Tufo Allegro.  It’s mushroom season so Al had a lovely tagliatelle with mushrooms and my pasta was served with wild boar, another local dish.  With our side orders of salad and spinach cooked with pine nuts and raisins  accompanied by a house white wine, we had a fantastic meal! 

Before we left we saw the magnificent view from the main square down to a couple of waterfalls.  There was a great bronze sculpture of an old farmer with his burro there.  We weren’t sure what it commemorated but it was very pretty.

View from the walls

On our way back to the port we made a brief stop in Tarquinia.  That city is the home of one of the largest Etruscan museums in Italy.  The Etruscans pre-date the Romans so there civilization was before 700 BC.  Unfortunately we didn’t have time to visit the museum; we’ll have to save it for another trip here.

It was a truly wonderful day.  The weather was absolutely perfect with lots of sunshine but not much heat.  As we sailed away from Civitavecchia there was a beautiful sunset.  Tomorrow we’ll be in Santa Margherita Ligure on the Ligurian coast, Italy’s Riviera. 

October 7 - Beautiful Ravello and Amalfi

We were up before the sun and after breakfast in our cabin we met at the gathering point for our tour to Ravello.  There was a delay because the authorities told us we couldn’t anchor in our original spot. The ship had to move and then there were large swells which were making tendering more difficult.  After an hour-long delay we tendered ashore to the main dock in Amalfi.  There our guide Stefano took us to our little bus and we were off.

The Amalfi Coast is one of the most beautiful in the world in my opinion. Steep hills rise from the azure sea and villages hang on the hillsides.  People from here must have strong legs and be very fit.  The coast is dotted with old medieval watchtowers, which the local people used to warn of marauding pirates.  Some are in ruins and others have been incorporated into luxurious hotels or private villas.  The property here is extraordinarily expensive because no new construction is allowed.

The road to Ravello is not for the faint-hearted.  Ravello sits perched nearly above Amalfi but 1800 feet up.  The road is a series of hairpin turns on a road barely wide enough for two cars, let alone two buses.  At one point it’s too narrow and there is a traffic light to allow one-way traffic. 

The trip is definitely worth it though.  At the top sits Ravello with its magnificent view of the sea and the towns below.  I think it’s probably my favorite place on this coast; I think it’s more beautiful than its more famous neighbor Positano.  We’d been to Ravello three years ago so when we got off the bus we left the group and did our own thing.  We revisited a ceramic shop we had been to before and walked through the little streets around the main square.  We sat at a little café on the square and had the best pizza I can remember eating as a thunderstorm passed over.  The sturdy umbrellas of the café kept us dry and the sun came back as soon as the shower passed.

A street in Ravello

Rooftops of Ravello

The main square

 

A view to die for!

After lunch and some more picture-taking we met our group and headed back down the hill to Amalfi.  Stefano, our guide,  told us that there is a stairway you can take from Amalfi to Ravello!  I can tell you that is something we wouldn’t have tried even in our younger days.

We wandered around Amalfi for a little while.  We had some wonderful gelato and sat watching the throngs of tourists going by.  At the table next to us was an Oriental couple who were writing postcards in some kind of characters.  Even the address was in characters and I couldn’t help but wonder how the local post office would know where to route them. 

The Cathedral in the main square in Amalfi

Then it was time to go back to the ship.  All in all this was a lovely day here in Amalfi.  On our previous visits we’ve always docked in Naples and the trip here has involved long bus rides and hustling through many stops.  This was far more relaxing.

October 6 (continued) - The Strait of Messina

Right on schedule at 6 PM we picked up a pilot and transited  the strait.  I have to say that it is much more interesting going through at night when the lights of Italy are on one side and those of Sicily on the other.  In daylight it’s just not as spectacular. To watch the transit we went to the bow of the ship where there is a very nice open deck with a hot tub and lounge chairs.  We can see it’s a good place to hang out on a sea day.

The Italian side.  The pink things at the shore looked like some sort of circus tents

The pilot boat coming to pick up our pilot

I tried to get the pilot climbing down the ladder hanging from the ship but he was too fast for me.

Sorry there are no more exciting photos today.  Maybe nicer ones tomorrow.

Dinner was at Restaurant 2, a small reservations only venue which serves a tasting menu.  We’ve dined there on previous cruises and the menu is always very imaginative combining ingredients one wouldn’t normally think of putting together.  Last night was no exception.  After a full day of doing not much of anything it was off to bed.  We have a very early wake-up call in the morning.

October 6 - Cruising off the bottom of the boot

We had a good night’s sleep and awoke to really calm seas, partly cloudy skies, and the temperature in the mid-70’s.  We’re sailing along the southern Italian coast with an expected transit time of the Strait of Messina at 6 PM.  By the time we get to the northern end it should be sunset and we are expecting it to be spectacular with Sicily in the foreground.  The Captain told us during his midday report that we should have a view of Mt. Etna and later in the evening (around 10 PM) Stromboli, the other active volcano.

We’ve had a pretty lazy day.  At noon there was trivia.  Our team is in the middle of the pack.  This afternoon there was Caviar in the Pool.  It’s pretty neat actually.  The chef and his team set up a paddleboard in the pool and on it they have caviar and all the garnishes.   You can go in the pool and get it yourself or be served caviar and champagne at your seat.  We chose the latter.

No photos for the moment.  I forgot to bring my camera with me to the caviar event.

I’ll write more later and hopefully have some pictures of the passage through the Strait.

October 5 - Ragusa – AKA Dubrovnik

Today we anchored off the old port of Dubrovnik, Croatia.  Romans fleeing the barbarians  on the Italian peninsula settled the city in the 700’s AD and named it Ragusa.  Many natives still call it that.  It’s sometimes called the Pearl of the Adriatic and is one of the best-preserved medieval walled cities in the world.  After the breakup of the country of Yugoslavia in 1991, Dubrovnik was attacked by forces of the Yugoslav National Army (mainly Serbs and Montenegrins) and was significantly shelled during a siege which lasted for  about  seven months.  After the end of the war  the walls and city were restored  to the original style and the city is now a UNESCO World Heritage site. The walls are impressive and draw many visitors (nearly one million last year).  They encircle the old city and are about 2 km long.  On the landward side they are between 4 and 6 meters thick, while on the seaward side they are much thinner.

After tendering ashore we met our guide and we took a walk to the lower terminus of the cable car that takes you to the top of the nearby mountain for a panoramic view of the city and sea below.  It’s quite an impressive sight to see the old city perched on a rocky promontory surrounded by the massive wall punctuated by stout towers to help in its defense. 

After spending a little time at the summit we took the cable car down and walked to the Pile Gate.  The last time I was there was in the summer of 2014 with Katie and there were so many people trying to get through the gate that I gave up and went back to the ship.  Today was a pleasant change.  We walked through the walls with our guide Ivanne and strolled through the old city.  The amount of history she recounted to us was overwhelming.  There was a great earthquake in the 17^th century which destroyed many of the buildings so most of the architecture of the existing buildings is in the baroque style.  There are only a few structures which are original and dating back to either the Gothic or Romanesque style.

As we walked to the gate we passed the fire station and these firemen were practicing a stretcher rescue

A little hard to see but there are lots of steps down this street. Natives of Dubrovnik must have good knees and good stamina.

The Church of St. Blaise on the main square.  He's the favorite saint of Dubrovnik because according to local lore he saved the city several times.

After seeing the main sights we decided it was time to find an outdoor restaurant and try some Croatian food and wine.  Ragusans are fond of fish (stands to reason since they are on the sea). We had an excellent meal of grilled fish and some delicious Croatia dry rose.  It would have been perfect had it not started to rain and thunder.  We were under cover but we did get a little damp going back to the tender.  We didn’t melt so I guess we’re okay.

Now as I sit on our balcony it looks like the thunderstorm has passed and all is well with the world again.  Tomorrow is a sea day as we make our way out of the Adriatic and around the tip of the boot of Italy.