Monaco

Thursday, August 18

After a good nights sleep we awoke to find the ship had dropped anchor just outside Monaco Harbour. The view from our balcony was awesome, with lots of super yachts around us and in the Harbour. After breakfast we caught a ship's tender to the Harbour and set off for the station.

As we've been to Monaco a number of times before we thought we would check out another beachside town called Menton, a 20 minute train ride from Monaco. We had to get help with buying our tickets from the ticket machine, and after a number of tries we finally paid and printed our tickets. The train station at Monaco is massive, and inside a tunnel under the mountain that hems Monaco in. The train travels about a quarter of the way in tunnels, but when it is "outside" the views along the coastline are great.

We arrived in Menton and walked to the Tourist Information office to get a map, then headed for the water and walked along the Promenade du Soleil. Again the beach was pebbly, but it didn't seem to bother the sun bakers, and the water certainly looked inviting. Our mission though was lunch, and we found a nice cafe where we had a delicious meal and revived ourselves. 

After lunch we set off again along the Promenade, arriving at the port and more beaches with lots of people enjoying their summer holiday. There were also amusements for the kids for when they had had enough of the beach! Our next target was to visit the cemetery which was at the top of the hill overlooking the bay, so we started climbing the steps through the old town that lead to the cemetery. The views were certainly worth it, and there were also a number of old churches that we passed on the way down.

On our return walk to the station we enjoyed some local goodies, including limoncello and cherry icecream. We were happy to get back on the train to Monaco and return to the ship to freshen up after a hot and sticky day! After dinner we went to the show to see a guest comedian, and then to hear the band at the B B King's Blues Club, which is a first for us on a Holland America ship. Both shows were very good, and to cap it off we watched the lights of Monaco from our balcony as we set sail for Saint-Raphael a bit further along the French Riviera.

Livorno, Italy

Wednesday, August 17

We docked in Livorno and the shuttle bus dropped us at the main piazza in town. This is our third visit to Livorno, but when we were here in 2014 it was pouring so we didn't see everything then. Today we had great weather with lots of sun.

We set off and visited the Cathedral where there were some lovely paintings, but it had a plain interior. Another major church we came across was hidden by scaffolding so we couldn't see inside it, and the local Synagogue wasn't open either.

Next up was the local market, which had the best looking fish, meat, fruit & vegetables, as well as all the cold meats, olives and cheeses. We had a delicious pasta lunch, which was a sort of gnocchi with a homemade pesto sauce, and then found a specialist baker and had a yummy cake and coffee.

We finally got to the "new fort", which was only built in the late 1500s! Unfortunately it was bombed in WW2 so only had the walls intact, while the interior is now a park and children's playground. It was also used for homeless Livornese after the war until 1968! It is surrounded by the canals that run around Livorno, but they aren't quite up to Venice's standard! However it is a nice town and we enjoyed our time here again.

Civitavecchia - Day 2

Tuesday, August 16

This morning was a bit of a rush, as we had to check out of our B&B by 11am, and that was when we had requested a cab to take us to the Cruise Terminal. Our host Guilia advised us as we were finishing breakfast at about 10:30 that the taxi would be here in 10 minutes! We scrambled to get the final things done before saying goodbye to Guilia and headed off to the Cruise Terminal.

There was more of a police/army presence today, especially near the port as there were 4 cruise ships in town. We navigated our way through check in, and we finally boarded the Oosterdam just before 12. We dropped our carry on luggage in the cabin and went to lunch, then had an explore of the ship as it is a lot bigger than what we have been used to!

We were half unpacked when we went to a welcome drinks reception, and then it was off to the emergency drill procedure. We finished unpacking and then it was dinner time - cruising is definitely the way to go!! Our balcony cabin is very nice and with the warm weather forecast we should be able to enjoy it a lot.

Civitavecchia, Italy

Monday, August 15

Today is Assumption Day, a major religious holiday in many parts of Europe, but especially Italy. We slept in a bit and after breakfast went for a walk along the waterfront, which here is a lovely paved walkway with lots of restaurants facing the water. Near our B&B there is a little marina protected by a breakwater, and the water looked nicest just near there. 

Civitavecchia is a bit like Brighton in England, as it developed into the beach resort for Italians at the same time (mid to late 1800s) as Brighton did. However the piers and pavilions suffered major damage when a tidal wave hit in the early 1900s and it was never rebuilt to its former glory. Also during WW2, with it being a major Italian port, it got bombed heavily so it has lost a lot of its historic churches and original housing.

We walked around town, but nothing was open due to the holiday, and with it being so hot I decided to have a swim. It was beautiful in and very refreshing - just what the doctor ordered! We could only make an early reservation (7:30pm) for dinner at the restaurant next door to our B&B, as most restaurants were booked out after that. We enjoyed a delicious meal, and left just as most locals were only starting their meals! About 11:15pm we joined the other guests on the front porch to watch a terrific fireworks display, which capped off our time in Civitavecchia and Italy. Tomorrow we start our Mediterranean cruise!

Rome - Day 4

Sunday, August 14

Today is our last day in Rome, as we are travelling to Civitavecchia tonight by train, so we didn't want to rush around a lot and get all hot and sweaty! We had to check out of our B&B this morning and leave our luggage there, so we had until about 5pm to see some new things.

The Santa Maria Maggiore Basilica was a 5 minute walk, and being a Sunday we weren't sure if they would let tourists in while services were being held. We didn't have to worry, we just had to put our bags through the X-Ray machine and we walked through a metal detector, just like at an airport! This unfortunately is where the world is at, but better safe than sorry - and all this to get into a church!!

The hassle was definitely worth it, and after admiring the magnificence of the building we sat quietly to join in the service with the other worshippers. To see more than just the main nave you had to buy tickets to different parts of the building, so we chose to do a guided tour of the Loggia and Bernini staircase. The group we were in were mainly Italians, and the guide's English version seemed a lot shorter than his Italian explanation. Still he was good and what we saw was fantastic.

We also paid to see the treasures in the Museum, which consisted of lots of vestments worn by Popes and Cardinals, as well as lots of religious icons etc. We were amazed at the engravings of the church done in the 17th Century when it was enlarged, with cross sections and plans showing what it would look like - and it still does! We also bumped into Eugenia, a Russian girl who had studied in Australia  and who was on the same tour as us. We invited her to join us for lunch so we went to a nearby cafe.

After a very pleasant lunch we went our separate ways - we headed off to some shops and then a last walk down Via Cavour before collecting our luggage and heading for the nearby Metro station. Having done the journey before we knew where to go, but carrying the cases up and down stairs as well as wheeling them hundreds of meters added to the effort big time. We arrived at Ostiense station in plenty of time and enjoyed a refreshing beer and pizza for dinner! We then waited on Platform 4 for the train, and then about 10 minutes before we noticed they had changed the platform! This resulted in a mad dash, only to find the train was delayed 25 minutes!

We found our carriage and seats, only to find the air conditioning in our carriage wasn't working, but once the train got going it cooled down a bit. We reached Civitavecchia about 9pm, and were going to walk the 500 meters to our B&B, but a taxi was at the station so we paid 10 euro for the luxury of not pushing/dragging our cases in the dark! Money well spent after a big travel day. 

Rome, Day 3

Saturday, August 13

We did another trial run to Ostiense station and are comfortable with what we have to do with our suitcases tomorrow! From there we took the underground to Piazza Del Popolo to start our touring for the day. You pass through an impressive gate and then there is a fantastic Egyptian obelisk in the middle of the piazza.

We then walked to the Tiber river, passing the Palace of Justice (the Supreme Court) on our way to Piazza Navona - this is our favourite piazza in Rome and is always full of tourists. Restaurants and shops line the piazza and it's a very lovely spot.

We were touching base again with the main spots we like, and next up was the Pantheon, which was built around 25BC, but modified in 125AD after a couple of fires! We got inside without having to wait in line, and it truly is an architectural marvel.

Our final stop was the Trevi Fountain, which has been cleaned up since we were last here in 2008, and again it was a matter of being patient to get a photo. Everywhere we went today there was a strong police/army presence, which made us feel safe and secure. Rome is a great city and we have enjoyed our time, with lots to see, good food to eat and fantastic sights everywhere.

Rome - Day 2

Friday, August 12

We set off after breakfast and explored the area where our B&B is located, which is in an un-touristy area. Again we feel like we're "living like the locals", even though we are only about 600 metres from the main railway station! The biggest piazza in Rome is about 50 metres away (Piazza Vittorio Emanuele 2), and one of the famous (but less well known) arches in Rome is about 100 metres away, the Gallieno Arch. The colonnades around the piazza contained some little shops as well as market stalls, and you could tell this is where the locals shop.

We then caught the Metro to check out getting to Ostiense station on Sunday night, which is where we have to catch the train to Civitavecchia. After this trial run we caught the Metro to the Spanish Steps, only to find them closed for renovations! We walked towards Via Veneto, checking out the great clothing and shoe shops that abound in Rome, and stopped for a nice lunch along the way. At the start of Via Veneto is Piazza Barberini, with the lovely Triton Fountain in the middle of it. The Via Veneto area was where we stayed back in 1985, but it has lost a lot of the high end retail shops, however it still has some of the top hotels located there, as well as the US Embassy.

We then focused on some retail therapy, which is easy to do in Rome, and we both scored some items that we were really happy with. Wherever you walk in Rome there is always something interesting to look at, and at Piazza della Repubblica we came across some Army guys with feathers in their hats! There is an Army initiative in Italy (we noticed it in Milan too) called "Safe Streets", with Army personnel visible at all the major tourist sites as well as the piazzas, which is reassuring for us.

On our way home we walked past Santa Maria Maggiore, a majestic church not far from us, and it looked spectacular with the late afternoon sun shining on it.