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Med Cruise II: A Taste of Tuscany

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This day probably ended up being the most laid-back yet enjoyable leg of the entire cruise, as our excursion was just half a day and we then got the ship to ourselves for the whole afternoon and it was ecstatically gorgeous weather.

May 20, 2013 – Visiting Tuscania, an Olive Oil Factory, and a Sunny Afternoon on Equinox

And now it’s time to talk about Today, Monday, May 20, in Civitivecchia! As I mentioned, we didn’t do a Rome excursion, as it would just be too exhausting and we already had a pretty definitive experience there less than 2 years ago. So we picked an excursion that sounded nice and ended up being fantastic: An olive oil tasting on a farm mixed in with scenic driving through the countryside. It met all expectations.

Driving through Tuscan Countryside

Civitavecchia, our old home port
We took a tour of Tuscany instead of Rome
We obviously did Rome in 2011, so this was a nice change
As you can see, the Tuscan countryside is gorgeous

We drove through a few medieval towns that were filled with charm and cool towers, such as Taquina (?) and then actually stopped and walked around the town of Tuscania, which only shares a name with the region known as Tuscany. It was a jaw-droppingly medieval town with gorgeous views everywhere. Also had a cheap (1 Euro) cappucino there in the town square.

Exploring the Town of Tuscania

We visited the medieval town of Tuscania
Beautiful fountains everywhere
Looking through the gate
It was a gorgeous day for this
Yeah, this was gorgeous
Unimpressed! Just kidding
Totally unimpressed
Could this be more lovely
Map of the town
Larry the Explorer
What do Italians eat?
This guy drinks
Coffee tastes better in medieval towns

After that we drove through more luxurious countryside while also getting to know some great people, Harriet and Doug. They were the first couple that was truly a blast to interact with, as most have been friendly but just not very energetic. Yay! We finally met an “Amy” I think. We actually saw them the night of the Monaco day as during that evening, we played craps (both Larry & I rolled – Larry did better than I did) and both of them had played a bit. I remembered her by her distinctive short hairstyle. Anyway, she’s a freakin’ riot, as is he. An older couple, but total NYers. Love them. Hope to see them again this evening or at least again a few times during the cruise.

Back to today’s excursion, we then got to the olive oil farm, and the handsome Italian owner, Flavio, first fed us some prusciuttto and bread along with various of his olive oils, and it was fantastic. There was also an adorable but big dog there that couldn’t have been friendlier. So cool. We got to see the operation a bit as well as do some souvenir shopping, and I got a very small tin of extra virgin oil. The drive back was very pleasant although I’m pretty sure I passed out. The countryside is unreal. Lots of pictures.

Olive Oil Factory

After Tuscania, we headed to an olive oil press
Cerrosughero, where our olive oil tour took place
The owner’s yellow house
The handsome Italian owner
Where we had the sampling
What modern olive oil presses look like
I bought one of those little oil tins
An olive tree up close

Anyway, the best part of today is that we were done by 12. We actually had the whole rest of the day to just relax and enjoy the ship, and it was fantastic as most of the passengers went on Rome-based excursions and they weren’t coming back till 5. Actually, as I type this on my balcony, I’ve been listening to the many tour busses coming back. That meant we had open access to everything. And it was gloriously sunny so we took advantage of that, first going to the lawn club for a few drinks before heading back to the Pool area, getting a snack to hold us over until our dinner reservation at 8:30pm at the Tuscan Grill. We then went to the Pool Bar where a very attractive Turk named Musa was holding bar, and he was a great bartender and very easy to talk to. I think we spent a few hours there just talking to him and enjoying the scenery there (him) as really, all the young people had left for the tours and not much was there to look at. He even admitted that. Got quite toasty there and met a few people at the bar, including a hilarious drunk British lady. Good times! Larry & I then enjoyed the hot tub as it was perfect weather and no one was around to fight for it. Then it was shower time and after a soft drink back at the Sunset Deck, we are back at the room, with me typing this novel while Larry passes out and recharges. I should do that, but oh well.

A Leisurely Afternoon on the Equinox

Some Roman aqueducts
Back at Civitavecchia
We got back early and had the ship to ourselves
It was a beautiful day too
The Lawn Deck on the ship
Enjoying an afternoon drink
The cute pool bartender, Musa
The ship was totally empty as most were in Rome

After that luxurious afternoon, we then ended up making reservations at the Tuscan Grille for dinner. Delicious and plentiful Italian food was pushed on us by our very courteous and friendly waitress, and I think it was good that we loaded up on food, as while we drank plenty of wine, we then decided to continue the fun, ending up back at the Martini Bar. While there, got to know the bartenders a bit and also ended up meeting Melissa, who had sat next to us with her empty bottle of alcohol that also happened to have a dead scorpion in it. I thought she was a prostitute at first, but after starting to talk with her realized that I was not correct. But she was a riot and had lots of interesting stories. Finally poured ourselves home as we still had another day ahead of us with excursions when visiting our next destination….

Nighttime Fun

For dinner, we ate at the Tuscan Grille
Drinks at the Martini Bar – a regular event that trip
Our friendly Martini bar bartenders
He can pour 12 martinis at once
There’s Larry, Melissa and Bud

2013 Mediterranean Adventure Pics

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Day 1 on Equinox / Leaving Civitivecchia (2011 Trip)

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Leaving Civitivecchia – Aug 29, 2011

Arrivederci, Roma!

After a fantastic few days in beautiful Rome, we wrapped up our Roman Holiday there in order to begin the true vacation on the Celebrity Equinox!  First things first, we had to get re-packed and ready for a bit of a hustle, as instead of doing the sane thing and calling a cab to take us to the harbor city of Civitivecchia, which happens to be about 45 minutes or so away by road from Rome, I thought an adventure by train was in order.   I had read plenty online about how to do it and frankly, it was cheaper, and quite easy.  But that “easy” part?  That’s if you’re traveling light.  We were far from traveling light, as not only had we packed for both a 3-day Roman vacation, but also an 11-night cruise, including formalwear.  So yeah, lots of bags.

After checking out of the great Best Western Hotel Royal Santina, it was time to schlep ourselves over to the nearby Roma Termini.  Frankly, the easiest part about this was that our hotel was very near to the train station.  But that was it.  Because once we figured out the right tickets to buy, we had not a  clue which track was the right one.  None of the ones we were near were right.  Only after getting a bit of help at the info booth did we discover that the train track we needed was pretty much as far away as you could get from where we were.  So more schlepping of luggage.  We managed to get there with plenty of time and actually had a nice comfortable place to sit and put our luggage, which was a relief.  We were able to spend that time cooling down and drinking water, as I knew that our death marches weren’t over for the day yet.

The train ride from Rome to Civitivecchia is gorgeous.  After getting an interesting view of Rome from the tracks, you then ride through beautiful farmland and countryside until finally you end up on a traintrack along the Italian coast.  Ah-MAH-zing.  All the nonsense was worth it at that point, even if we were drenched in sweat.  This train wasn’t ending in Civitivecchia though and you had to be paying attention to the stops, as you could easily end up missing it.  Of course, we didn’t, as I am an amazing navigator.  We got off the train fairly easily, but then you’re now at a train station in the town of Civitivecchia but the cruise port is still a mile away.  Ugh.  And as I read about on the internet, there really isn’t a taxi scene there.  So you walk.  And walk we did.  Did I mention it was effing humid and hot at this point too?  I didn’t?  It was effing humid and hot.  Larry & I continued the schlep of our luggage along the coast, walking along the beautiful coast and the quaint little shops and restaurants, surely disturbing or amusing the patrons.  Whatevs.   I knew where we were going, at least I hoped I did.

Train Ride to the Coast

“Glamorous” view from our hotel room’s window
What our room’s interior looked like
You can see the mood lighting here – blue now, but can be red or green too.
In Roma Termini train station before schlepping to the way other side for our train
Track 15, but we had to go all the way to 24, which wasn’t close at all
A relieved Larry in the train as we await departure
The view of Termini as we pull away
Relieved, excited, and exhausted
View from the train as we got next to the shoreline
Exciting to finally see the Sea, even if it was hot as balls

Fortunately, I did know where I was going and we made it to the Castel Columbus (or something), where the massive cruise port is.  At this point, things get a bit easier for you, as you just have to wait for the frequent shuttle buses for your particular cruise line (Celebrity, for us), load up your luggage, and then get driven to the embarkation area.  There was a bit of confusion by most of the people waiting at the shuttle bus station though, as it seemed they were all first-timers too.  Two buses came by that weren’t for us but finally a big Celebrity bus came and my sense of relief started to finally come.  It was even air-conditioned.  Praise the gods!

The embarkation terminal was a relief as well, as we could finally drop off our fucking luggage to a porter.  At that point, we just had our carry-on bag with our IDs and such and it was time to check-in for the cruise.  This took a bit of time but who cared at that point, as the ginormous Equinox was right there awaiting us, as were the many drinks we were about to consume!  The staff ends up taking possession of your passport, with your Celebrity SeaPass effectively becoming your ticket in and out of each of the countries.  It’s also your drink card.  That fucking card is magic.  After completing check-in, we boarded the Equinox and truly, finally, the next phase of our vacation was at hand….we were on a muthafuckin’ SHIP!   Upon arrival, you’re even handed a glass of champagne.  FINALLY.

Arrival at the Cruise Terminal at Civitivecchia

That’s the hint of how huge our boat was…
Larry’s ready to cruise
So was I
And that’s our ship, the Celebrity Equinox
Massive doesn’t really describe it. I think the Titanic would look quaint next to it.
As we boarded for the first time
The first thing to notice was our awesome deck. This was our view while docked.
Our wonderful and relaxing deck area
Welcome to Civitavecchia Harbor
The view of the lifeboats from our Concierge-class stateroom
Where our ship would eventually head to get out
Our room
From the other direction

A steward then grabs you and takes you to your room – we ended up on the 11th floor (yes, 11th – there are actually 16 stories to this bad boy, I believe) on the Penthouse Deck in room 1649, which was situated on the port (left) side of the ship near the back.  We booked Concierge Class which means you pay for a bit more pampering as well as nicer rooms.  Our room was amazing.  The balcony….oh, the balcony.  It’s so wonderful to sit on a balcony while looking out over the water.  It was spacious too, so you could recline a bit while sipping on a drink.  Another perk of Concierge Class when leaving is a chilled bottle of champagne waiting in your room – yeah, we finished that bad boy up.  🙂  After finally stopping the geek-out of how cool our room was, Larry & I both called our families to let them know we were onboard and ready to sail.  We then started our initial exploration of the ship, ending up first on the pool deck area and grabbing some food at the grill as we were STARVING.  The drinking began in earnest at that point too.  We had a Classic Drinks Package, meaning we could drink as much as we wanted but certain higher-level brands of alcohol were off limits.  It didn’t really impact us that much for the cruise, honestly.  I think though (speaking in 2012 and about to go another cruise in May 2013), we’re ready to go to Premium level. It’s such a nice thing to not worry about another bill at the end and having to worry about it.  Plus, if you love alcohol?  Yay!

Exploring the Equinox

This was what the main lobby looked like from our deck, 11
Looking up towards the pool deck
The Pool deck!
All these deck chairs ready for action
Larry and I were ravenous – so we indulged in some burgers and fries
People jumped in the pool before we even left the port
View of town
Heineken was my first drink, but trust, I did indulge in other spirits
A Corona for Larry, as we started to walk around and check everyone out
More shots of the port
The view from as high up as we could go, Deck 16
The real Lawn area, which also had a Hot Glass Blowing area
Designer furniture too
At the rear of the ship, where we would visit plenty throughout the journey
Quite a scenic ship
Us, reflected
Let the fun begin!
As you can see, we finally cast off and began the journey
Larry is mildly impressed
Arrivederci, Civitavecchia!
Button up your shirt, Barnes
Amongst the hordes watching the departure
Later that evening, we ventured to the Martini Bar, and I buttoned my shirt a bit more
Cosmos, anyone?
Our first official activity, a Molecular Cocktail intro. Kinda lame, actually.
But the drinks smoked, so that was kinda cool
And we got to drink one each
Unsure about all this craziness!
We missed the main dinner seating that night, so we went to the Chinese Food restaurant! Sweet!
The pool at night – very cool

There was a very cool party atmosphere around the pool area as the Equinox began to actually leave the port, and by that point, I was in heaven.  It really was such a great start to the vacation, especially after the hectic activities getting there.  Totally worth it all, and as you will see in the other pages to follow, lots of exciting destinations and experiences awaited us!

2011 Mediterranean Trip Pics Index

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Capri, Sorrento & Pompeii + Return to Rome (2011 Trip)

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I was appalled to discover that I had stopped posting pictures from my Mediterranean Cruise.  WTF?  I left everyone hanging with my pictures at Mykonos.  How do you know I even got home?  What if I’ve been writing from some Greek island this entire time?  All my stories are just that….STORIES!?!  Anyway, the new way I can display galleries of pictures makes it really easy to post things, so I’ll do that here.  And since I know very few people actually check my site out anymore, consider this post like a DVD’s special features.  🙂

As for the pictures shown here, this was basically the last port we went to before returning to Rome/Civitivecchia.  After Mykonos, we had a day at sea, and the sea was rough.  It was a nice break in the action and I even signed up to get a massage to see if that would help ease the pain in my lower back, ass and leg.  Obviously, I learned later that massage wasn’t going to cut it as it was a sciatic problem, not a muscle problem.  But the massage itself was pretty nice.  Here are pics from that Day at Sea after Mykonos:

Day at Sea, Sept 7, 2011

Can’t tell by this pic, but it was our rockiest seas of the entire trip
Whee
We were near the stern of the ship, so you can kinda see the engine kickback

September 8, 2011 – Our Last Port of Call

So the next day was a doozie.  We knew from when we booked the excursions before the cruise that this day was a long one, as the excursion was high intensity and lasted 10 hours.  OY.  It started early as we disembarked in Salerno and immediately boarded a huge ferry bound for the Isle of Capri.  Not the casino in Biloxi, but the actual place in Italy!  It’s a gorgeous, GORGEOUS island and the weather was wonderful for such a visit.  Unfortunately, it’s MOBBED with tourists.  And in Capri, you arrive at the port but the truly scenic stuff is up on the top of the island, and you basically have to take a funicular.  It’s a bottleneck, to put it nicely.  It’s a fucking nightmare, to put it bluntly.  I’m still in pain and now I’m a little tired (as vacationing can be tiring) but waiting in long, barely-moving lines is a quick way to Rage Town for me.  Anyway, we finally get up there and our tour is pretty awesome.  It helps when the place is jaw-droppingly gorgeous.  You can see in the pictures below, especially when you see the crystal blue-green waters.  Wonderful.

The Isle of Capri

The Italian port of Salerno
Looking north along the Amalfi Coast
Not just a cruise ship port
I love those arch-y bridges
Inside the Showroom where all excursions begin
We rode on a ferry along the Amalfi Coast to Capri
It was cloudy yet gorgeous
The Amalfi Coast here is strikingly beautiful
The almost magical Isle of Capri
Almost out of a pirate story
Looking into the Marina Grande
Yachts are plentiful here
There’s no shortage of tourism and wealth here
Walking from the pier into the main area of the marina
Reminds me a little of the area from Dirty Rotten Scoundrels
The Funiculare was our next mode of transportation
After a decent wait, got prime seating looking out the window
Our funiculare takes us up to the town of Capri
The counter-balance to our train
Beautiful scenery abounded
Still on the way up
Larry up top
Me too – looking a little haggard. Vacationing is hard work.
Our guide said this place was around $4K/night
The charming streets of Capri – not for the poor
Gorgeous lane towards the Augustus Gardens
Beautiful greenery and flora
The Augustus Garden entrance
While beautiful, the gardens are merely the path to the truly dramatic view
Yeah, this is all sorts of jawdropping
Larry
It was also hot – but our day was just beginning
Dramatic cliffs
With a twisty path down to the shore
And yeah, then there’s this coast
If I had a yacht, I don’t think I’d ever leave either
Capri is most definitely someplace I’d return to
Just look at the color of the water!
Larry is pleased with the accommodations
That’s the way to the twisty path down
Fabulous hotel rooms, I’m sure
Returning to the funiculare station via the ritzy lanes
One last shot before heading down
What a view!

After some time up top gawking at the scenery (natural and masculine) as well as getting some gelato, it was time to head back.  That line was just as fun as the one up.  Then at the bottom, after waiting so our tour group could re-group, it was time to wait in another long line for another ferry off the island.  Waiting in that line created an annex to Rage Town.  Regardless, we got off the island eventually and about 45 minutes later, the ferry got us to the coastal town of Sorrento.  Amazing place.  Fantastic food.  Lots of touristy beautiful alleys through charming buildings, much like in Trastevere in Rome.  After food there was time to browse and shop.  Yay for shopping.

Our First Time in Sorrento

Our next ferry was taking us back to the mainland
The next destination was Sorrento
And after 45 minutes or so, we were there
This part of the Italian coast was so beautiful!
Sorrento was much like Trastevere, with beautiful, pastel-colored medieval walkways
That’s Sorrento’s clocktower
Definitely a tourist town/trap, but still beautiful
This is one of Sorrento’s town square areas
Ritzy and chic
After Sorrento, we rode a bus to our last stop, Pompeii
On this hour drive, the scenery was again so dramatic
Of course, now you’ll start seeing a lot of Mt Vesuvius
Vesuvius being the famed active volcano responsible for destroying Pompeii

The final stop after this was Pompeii, the famous city that got pummeled by Mt Vesuvius 2000 years ago.  We boarded a coachbus that drove us along the beautiful coastline to Naples/Pompeii.  This was a nice drive.  Pompeii is also great, but I was pretty much exhausted by this point.  I regrettably became irritable.  Sorry, Larry. The most I can say is Pompeii is awesome, but to do an hour-long tour does not do that site justice.  It would be worth it to go back, I believe.  After that visit (and I know I’m doing it a disservice here, as I’m not writing much, but we didn’t get to really experience it that much and it was massively crowded.  It is a phenomenal site though), it was an hour and a half drive back to the ship, which I was soooo happy to see.

The Ruins of Pompeii

Even now, it could erupt. 2K years since Pompeii though. People seem calm.
But when Vesuvius erupted, half the mountain exploded. You can see that here.
The entrance to the Pompeii area
There is a TON of Pompeii to see, as it was so well preserved in ash
Our tour was a super brief run through – I’m sure you could spend hours there
The way for Italians to cross the streets so they didn’t have to trudge through sewage
You can really see Vesuvius’ scars there – it used to be twice as tall
So much Pompeii, so little time
I couldn’t tell you what these were – I was so tired by this point
Larry diligently kept his energy up
While I was fading fast and accordingly, getting grouchy
Safely back in our suite on Equinox
I’m a sucker for dramatic sunsets
Goodbye Salerno
The maneuvering engines kicking up Mediterranean gunk

We had one last dinner there and a final night to hang out with our ship-pal Amy at the “karaoke” night which only 10 people showed up to,  it seemed.

Last Night at Sea

Our two dining tables – we eventually got the smaller one so it wasn’t so odd
Our dining room view
As Equinox passed by Capri at night – such a magical sight
Finally a karoake night – the last night of the cruise. Larry was there.
Us with Amy, a very cool fellow traveler also from NYC
Our hallway

September 9, 2011 – Back to Civitavecchia and the End of the Cruise

Everyone was most likely packing and resting, as of course, the next day was disembarkation and the cruise line basically tells you, “get the fuck off our ship.”  It’s slightly politer than that, but I can’t say it was much more than that.  Your bags are taken off the ship over night and you can find them in a big hangar once you leave.  My sciatic pain was really bothering me at this point too, and while I had initially intended to reverse our route and take the trains back to Rome, I said “fuck it” and paid for a taxi.  We ended up sharing a van taxi with three older Australian women who had just finished a 27-day cruise.  27 days!!!!  That was most definitely the smartest use of money at that point, although we ended up getting to the airport like 5 hours early, so our flight wasn’t even on the boards yet.  Eventually, we got back…..but that was a long ass day of traveling home.  OY.

When we woke up – we were back in Civitavecchia
Parting is such sweet sorrow
A much more crowded port than before
Seagulls following the cruiser
Goodbye 1649 – you were an awesome room to cruise in
Our last meal in the Buffet
Sad Larry hamming it up for maximum pity points

Enough of that recap – here are some pics.  Plus I also realized that while I posted on Facebook and have all these pics on Picasa, I actually never posted or wrote about all the time before Day 2 of Istanbul either….such as our three days in Rome before the cruise and the ports before Istanbul, including Santorini, Athens and Day 1 in Istanbul.  For shame!

2011 Mediterranean Trip Pics Index