An evening in Pisa, Italy, mid December 2015

While we were travelling by train to Pisa we became rather concerned when the blue sky changed to haze which became more and more dense as we travelled.  However it did clear and we arrived, late afternoon to pleasant grey balmy day at Pisa.

As it was still afternoon we  decided to visit the Palazzo Blu, about 30 minutes walk away from our hotel,was open til 8pm and thought we would check it out.  However, upon arrival we were surprised to be charged a significant fee to enter. But we dutifully paid and trouped upstairs to admire the impressive art and original décor of the palace museum. Most interesting was a collection of drawings of early buildings and scenery of Pisa. Collected and drawn by Adele and her daughter Adele, many of the buildings either do not exist or have  changed, making this a very valuable and treasured history of Pisa.  Just as we were about to leave, we noticed that people were going downstairs to the basement. We decided to follow and  discovered the real reason for the exhorbitant  entry fee - The Toulouse Lautrec Exhibition! This large dramatic display of his works and of the era that he lived and worked –  the stories and history  - most interesting! Here til February and well worth the visit if anyone is passing by.

We also wondered why all the Pisa crowds had decided to cruise down the Main street and why everything was humming.  It turned out that this Sunday evening was one of a series of Christmas festivities.  The featured band, Soul Wood treated us all to a couple of hours of excellent jazz – a perfect end of day event at Pisa. 

A day on the Water, Venice, Italy, Day 2

There is nothing better for maritime lovers to be out on the water, in any capacity, even while on holiday! Today we  boarded our ferry and set off for our water adventure in Venice. The day was so – unusually, we found out – warm and balmy – the water was so calm that we could have reached out and trailed our fingers in the water, and the sky was so blue….  We travelled past the extensive mud flats with a few birds flying here and there, and landed on the formally arranged tree bordered Cemetery Island. Extensive, well maintained, and still to be completely filled, this sanctuary presented a preliforia of family histories of the area – some still in their telling. The monuments also offered a history of memorials over time, in the area.  After a time of peace and reflection we cruised to Murano, an island not only renowned for its lace making, but for its colourful houses lining its canals. We all disembarked, admiring the colourful buildings with their closed doors and drapes, suspecting that their inhabitants might have felt like goldfish in a bowl! However we  tourists all strolled merrily by, occasionally dropping into the few lace and souvenir shops that were still open during this off-season, admired the island’s thick furred cats and all arrived at the one restaurant that was open to enjoy lunch  off an Italian styled family run ‘international’ menu which very efficiently catered for the huge variety of ethnic groups that called by. We thoroughly recommend the soup of the day! Upon our return to the ‘mainland’ we chattered with some very interesting people from China and Germany who had  ‘popped over to Venice’ for a few days break. Oh if only we could do the same……  We concluded this lovely autumn day by strolling  past St Mark's Square through Venice’s very exclusive hotel and shopping area, noting that the Christmas decorations were appropriate to people who might shop in this area. For our last supper in Venice we dined like royalty at another family restaurant - Trattoria Vittoria that we discovered upon another visit and again enjoyed the décor, authentic Italian food and hospitality.  Next day we travelled by train -  you might have noticed that pic of the water as we travelled along the causeway from Venice on to Bologna – our next adventure in Italy…..

The French Riviera

Ah - the South of France - isn't this everyone's neck of the woods dream to visit, lie in the warm sun and mingle with celebrities? We purchased a 'Le Tan' package at a hotel in Nice and arrived on a cool overcast day all set to relax after our cruise. As well as a very good rate which included an excellent breakfast, robes, slippers and products to make our bathroom activities more relaxing, free visits to the hotel solaruim was promoted. That sounds like me! Where are the relaxing products in the bathroom? Oh - there they are - shampoo and bath gel. Oh well, I will just zip up to the solarium and work on my tan. Up on the 12th floor the swimming pool was empty - well it was no longer the summer season. But where is the solarium? Down to Reception to enquire. That area around the pool is the solarium, I was told. What? How can I get a suntan up there? There is no sun!!!!

There was a pause as the folks at Reception gave me a funny look. What did I expect at this time of year? Do you have an indoor solaruim? In the sunny South of France?? You must be kidding....

Ah - Naples, Pompei and Sorrento

Our cruise ship the Costa Serena's last port of call was Naples. Anxious to view Mt Vesuvious we were up early an high up on deck, however mist shrouded this famous mountain and instead we were reduced to viewing the many superyachts lounging about -ready to hibernate for winter. Soon we were on a bus travelling to Sorrento, a quaint seaside tourist town. We left the port, passing many very shabby apartment buildings in the Naples city centre, boarded a train and travelled for about an hour through the Naples suburbs and surrounds. The land is very fertile, our guide informed us and it was interesting to see gardens, lemon tree plantations and glass houses dotted everywhere throughout the suburbs. Upon our arrival at Sorrento, we were directed to a place to have a 'technical' stop, which meant a toilet and coffee break. The local coffee is excellent here. I think it is Neopolitan. It has a unique taste and I have to say that coffee has never tasted the same since - it was so delicious! Off we went on our walking tour. Sorrento is old historic, quaint and very tourist orientated. The streets are narrow - many are just walkways and the whole place is geared for local and upmarket shopping. As it was near Xmas the town was decorated - Christmas trees, leafy bowers under windows and Xmas lights everywhere! It must look so picturesque at night!
Eventually we arrived at the water's edge. Er - not exactly - we were about 50 metres above the water on top of a rocky cliff. In Sorrento it is difficult to get to the sea. And there is no beach! Instead people have to pay to sunbathe on piers stretching over the beautiful, clear, blue waters. At last our walking tour ended -not surprisingly, at a pre arranged shop from where we could purchase almost anything made of and to do with lemons - from a huge array of sweets to lemoncellos presented in most decorative bottles, handcrafts and ornaments.

Thankfully we did not have much time to contribute to the local economy and shop - the prices were Definately for the Well Heeled Traveller, and soon we were back on the train. Oh, look! There are the ruins of Pompei! Why didn't we visit them? other Cruise Ship visitors confirmed what we suspected - one needed a whole day to inspect the genuine and replica ruins on display. I would like to come back to Naples and visit the Pompei ruins, and also inspect the city centre - a group of very tall newish glass buildings soaring like a sore tooth out of the eyesores of apartments in the suburbs by the port's edge.

And now it is back to the Costa Serena and get ready to finish our Italiabn cruise ship adventure at Slovena.

Ports of Call when on a cruise ship around Italy

The first port that our cruise ship Costa Serena berthed at was Bari. As we were to be there for about 4 hours we did not take a tour but walked around the shops then the old town. Being the end of the tourist and summer season, it was very quiet and the street paving in the old town were so white that they looked as if they had been scrubbed clean. Many streets were narrow and resident's laundry hung from balconies above. The laundry was often covered with sheets of plastic, whether to protect it from the rain, or pidgeons, we were not too sure. From the wide walkways around the water's edge it was obvious that Bari would have been a seaside paradise for crowds of holiday makers during the summer season. Our next port of call was the Island of Corfu.This trip rather challenged our holiday timetable becuase the cruise ship was passing from one time zone in Italy, to another in Greece, so we had to arise an hour earlier in the morning to go ashore - dreadful for people like me who do absolutely everything on a cruise ship! Many resort hotels, restaurants and bars on Corfu had closed for the season, which meant that the only tour groups visiting the churches and monuments were from our cruise ship. Corfu is best known for tourism and olive oil production and its seven months of summer! The waters are calm and deep blue and the scenery - awesome! No wonder many people cruise here and also to the many islands of nearby Croatia.
Next we visited Valetta on the Island of Malta. We arrived at dawn, weaving and turning on a five cent piece to get into the narrow entrance of the harbour. Many of the old towns have fortress have walls built right at the water's edge and the houses on the cliff faces above - exactly as you see on pics of Malta. Our walking tour group were all English speaking, and we had a hilarous time laughing with everyone.This was most refreshing as on the ship many languages were spoken so it was good to have a few laughs in English with everyone, including the tour guide. Valetta is very well set up for shopping, and many people in our group peeled off to do so. After we visited St John's Cathedral which houses the tombs of 400 knights of Malta (this was a most interesting story in itself) there were only 4 of us left of our group! So we had a quick peek at an exhibition of Flemish tapestries - not part of the "official" tour then repaired to enjoy the local (and famous) local beer at one of the local cafes. Because it was the beginning of the quiet season in Valetta and Malta we were able to enjoy a conversation with our waitress, an Australian lady who had come to Malta for a holiday and met a man - yes 25 years later she was still here. She told us she misses the mountains and open spaces and if she ever returned to Australia, she might never return!

We had a chuckle upon returning to our cruise ship Costa Serena. Becuase it was such a fine sunny day everyone had gone to the upper decks to sunbathe. And what outfits! No, not bikinis, g's or even shorts! Yes - jeans, boots, jackets, overcoats, topped off with Costa Serena black and yellow check woollen blankets! I kid you not....

Flight called - and more champagne - will write soon....

How to get lost on a cruise ship

For someone who goes boating on a cruise ship for the first time it is very easy to get lost. Because the main foyer or the restaurants may be several floors high one often cannot travel from one end of the boat to another on the same floor or corridor. And do not think that to ask a crew person the directions! On the 4th floor, you will be told, but you will not be informed that you must go up an additional level, around a corner then down again. And do not ask another crew person either! Oh that person was new and did not know, you will be told. Oh well, after all that stress of getting lost I think I will retire to the warm spa and solarium...... Now, purchasing that Spa package and relaxing from the crowds of passengers is more my cup of green tea...... Just a minute, are there not 6 pubs, cocktails of the day,lots of wine,dancing,shopping and art to be enjoyed? Must get travelling around this cruise ship, there is so much to discover! Now where is the library? Ah, found it on the last day of our trip when we had to queue to pick up our passports!

Our Venice Adventure and how to follow directions

Everytime we travel to Venice we enjoy a different adventure and this was no different. This was to be q short stay an overnight one before we boarded the Costa Serena for our cruise ship adventure.

By chqnce we heard that the last day of the Famous Biennalle Exhibition was on. Artists from eighty coutries including two from New Zealand were exhibiting so we went along to have a quick look. As everyone knows we all have different ideas about what modern art is and all I can say is that there was so,ething for everyone there. Take a look at my pics and you will see what I mean. Having enjoyed the exhibits at the main venue we set off to find the New Zealand Artists located at other venues in Venice. However we had forgotten than Venicians cannot or do not give precise directions. The best you might get from them is an area or locality. A main street might be a narrow alleyway; and left at the bridge might mean three bridges down the next canal. Needless to say after battling hundreds of locals and tourists Sunday walking we ran out of time to find them. Oh and did I mention it took an hour to find the locql Jazz Club which was five minutes away..... And speaking of getting lost more about that in the cruise ship item