Italy and the Adriatic
- Rick Burk
- May 13
- 61 min read
Updated: Jun 17
Italy & the Adriatic by Land and Sea
May 16 - June 11, 2025
Friday, May 16
We were picked up at home at exactly 11:30 a.m. by Best Transportation for transfer to St. Louis airport. We had our "usual" driver who is always very friendly. After checking in we spent some time in the business class lounge located directly across from the gate where we would be boarding, which was scheduled for 3:00 p.m. We left the lounge around 2:15 p.m. and took a couple of seats at the gate. At 2:30 p.m. a severe storm moved through St. Louis dumping large hail in the area of the airport. An announcement in the airport mentioned a tornado was "in the area" but we found it interesting that no one (including ourselves) left the gate area to find shelter. The storm moved through very quickly (lasting about 20 minutes), but it led to our flight being delayed. We were finally able to board at 4:00 p.m. and the flight on Lufthansa to Frankfurt departed St. Louis at 4:45 p.m.
Since it was an overnight flight, we were able to get some sleep in the comfort of Business Class, which was made easier since our two in-flight entertainment monitors and controls were out of order. We weren't even able to watch the safety video. So we just enjoyed the good food and slept.
Saturday, May 17
We arrive at the Frankfurt airport at 8:25 a.m., only 35 minutes that originally scheduled. When we left St. Louis, the captain told us they had loaded extra fuel and he would fly as fast as he could to make up some of the time from the delayed departure - and he obviously did just that!
As soon as we made it through customs and another round of screening we walked a long way to the assigned gate for our flight to Venice. Fortunately, a Lufthansa Business Class Lounge was nearby, so we stopped in there to pass the time. As soon as we booted up our cell phones and took them off airplane mode, we began receiving the many text messages, Facebook postings and emails from folks in St. Louis letting us know of the devastation from the tornado which had hit portions of the city. The Westminster Church building where I had worked for thirteen years lost most of the roof over the sanctuary. (One wonders if the organ was damaged.) Union Avenue Christiaan Church located just north of Westminster also sustained some damage which may be a challenge for the Union Avenue Opera this summer. We were able to find out from neighbors that our neighborhood was spared from all this devastation. From the photos we've seen and the reports we've read, I suspect the cleanup and repair will be a huge challenge.
After two gate changes our flight from Frankfurt to Venice, Italy departed at 1:10 p.m., about 35 minutes later than scheduled. However, we arrived in Venice at 2:20 p.m., only 25 minutes later than scheduled. Since we had already cleared customs for the European Union in Frankfurt, we did not have to deal with that in Venice. Once we had collected our luggage we were met by a representative from Tauck Tours. A short while late two other travelers for our tour also arrived and the four of us were taken to board a water taxi (motorboat) for our transfer to the Ca’ Di Dio Hotel.
After checking in to the hotel and getting to our room we spent a little time just relaxing and catching our breath and decompressing from all the air travel. We then freshened up and walked a short distance to attend the 7:00 p.m. concert “Around Vivaldi-An Immersive Experience” at Chiesa della Pieta' (Vivaldi's Church). The music performed by the Vivaldi Baroque Ensemble was quite enjoyable. Following the hour-long concert, we walked back to our hotel and ordered drinks int he hotel bar along with a cheese and cold cut plate to nibble on. We hadn't been hungry enough to worry about dinner prior to the concert but needed a little something to munch on before calling it a day.
Sunday, May 18
After getting a good night's rest in an actual bed, we headed down for our complimentary breakfast around 9:00 a.m., choosing to sit outdoors in the hotel's courtyard even though it was a little cool and had a seagull diving for food. Following breakfast, we headed out on foot to explore some of Venice. We did quite a bit of walking seeing gondolas, the Doge Palace, the Royal Garden, an unidentified church, the shopping area for high end merchandise, and an art gallery, among other sights (and sounds). Around 12:15 p.m. we found ourselves in the Piazza San Marco (the plaza at San Marco Basilica) and opted for drinks and a light lunch at the outdoor section of Cafe Florian where we not only enjoyed good food, but great live entertainment by a group of musicians which included a string bass, piano, violin and accordion. The Cafe Florian first opened in 1720, so they must be doing something right! After an hour and a half, we strolled back to our hotel to rest before the official Tauck tour begins at 6:00 p.m. with a welcome reception and dinner at the Ca' di Dio Hotel.
At 6:00 p.m. we joined the other 22 members of the tour in the hotel courtyard for a welcome reception where we met the tour guide as well as our travel companions. We then shared a dinner in the hotel dining room where our tour guide also updated us on some of the changes to expect with the itinerary.
After dinner we took a very short walk outdoors and then returned to our room for the night.
Monday, May 19
After breakfast we met our tour guide at 10:00 a.m. Our first experience for the day was a half hour gondola ride on some of the canals which was very relaxing.
Following that we walked to a gallery where we enjoyed a glass blowing demonstration by one of the craftsmen from Murano. There were many tempting items in the various display rooms, but we managed to keep our money in our pockets.
We were then on our own for a while, so we ended up in Piazza San Marco once again where we had a light lunch at the Cafe Lavena.
At 1:15 p.m. our tour group met up again for a two-and-a-half-hour tour of the Doge Palace. (The Doge was the ruler of the Venetian Empire back in the day.)
At 3:00 p.m. Darwin returned to the hotel while Rick visited the Museum Correr which is located in parts of the buildings surrounding the Piazza San Marco. (Tauck had giving us tickets to use for the museum if we so chose.)
After visiting the museum Rick walked to the famous Rialto Bridge - the oldest (finished in 1591) and largest bridge which spans the Grand Canal. Due to its size, there are stores located on the bridge.
Rick returned to the hotel at 4:45 to join Darwin in relaxing before dinner.
At 6:30 p.m. we headed out to find a place for dinner. We opted to head in a different direction and found an area with quite a few restaurants from which to choose. We settled on Ristorante Biennale. The food and wine were amazing and the people watching was entertaining. Rick had an octopus salad and lasagna (melt in your mouth!) and Darwin had a shrimp cocktail salad and spaghetti carbonara.
After a leisurely (2+ hours) dinner we headed back to the hotel to repack as our bags need to be ready for pick up at 7:00 a.m. tomorrow and we ourselves need to be ready to leave at 7:50 a.m.
Tuesday, May 20
Today started early as we needed to be up, showered and dressed in time to have all of our luggage ready to be picked up from our room at 7:00 a.m. We accomplished that, then checked out of the hotel and had breakfast (included in the cost of the trip as all breakfasts are on this trip). We met with the tour director at 7:50 a.m. and were led to a nearby reserved water taxi (large enough to carry our entire group) for a ride to a pier, where we then took a motorcoach for a drive onto the mainland of Italy and the train station in the Venetian suburb of Mestre. We arrived in plenty of time to catch our high-speed train to Florence departing at 9:20 a.m. At 11:20 a.m. we arrived at the Santa Maria Novella train station in Florence and several minibuses transferred us to the Hotel Bernini Palace located in the center of the city of Florence.
Upon arrival at our hotel, we listened to a talk by an art historian who set the stage for our exploration of Florence as the "birthplace of the Renaissance." We then enjoyed a buffet lunch at the hotel which finished up around 2:00 p.m. At that time a local guide led us on a walking tour of Florence's historic center including the Piazza della Signoria and the Cathedral. The walking tour ended at the Galleria dell'Accademia, home to artistic treasures such as Michelangelo's David. A part of the Gallery/Museum also housed a small collection of ancient music instruments which we also toured.
When we had finished our visit at the museum we walked back to our hotel where we were able to get into our room and make sure our luggage had arrived safely. (Our tour director had given us our room keys during the walking tour as the rooms weren't all ready when we had first arrived at the hotel.) After getting somewhat settled into our room, we went down to the hotel bar for a drink. The only other people there were a couple (not part of our tour group) with whom we started up a conversation. A while later they needed to leave and we found out they had paid for our drinks. (The second round we paid for ourselves!) It was now around 6:30 p.m. and time to find a place for dinner. As we were leaving the hotel to do just that our tour director was also on her way out and gave us a couple of suggestions. We decided to try one of them which was just about a block down the street from our hotel - Francesco Vini. After a leisurely dinner (as is the Italian way) we headed back to our hotel at 8:45 p.m., bringing a long day to an end.
(A general observation)
After having spent three days in Venice where there were no motorized vehicles of any sort, it was a bit of a jolt to arrive in Florence and having to avoid all the vehicular traffic - and that is with motorized vehicles being limited to those needed for commerce (taxis, minibuses, emergency vehicles, residents, etc.). The basic mode of transportation for people working in Florence is the scooter.
Wednesday, May 21
Today began with breakfast at 8:00 a.m. (for us), then everyone met in the hotel lobby at 9:00 a.m. We then walked a block from our hotel to visit the Uffizi Museum. Uffizi would be translated into English as "the offices" and was a building initially conceived in 1581 as a massive government facility but was converted ten years later to a public museum which today holds some of the most important artworks of all time. Housing 45 exhibition halls and thousands of masterpieces, the Uffizi is an art immersion unlikely to be experienced anywhere else. The 2 hours and 45 minutes we were there only provided a small sampling of the many treasures.
Finishing at the museum at 11:00 a.m. we were on our own for the rest of the afternoon, so we walked across the Piazza de Signoria and enjoyed a two-hour lunch at the restaurant Pereo.
To help the digestive process we took a walk over to view the Arno River and then on to Santa Croce, a Franciscan church where many well-known Italians are entombed, such as Michelangelo, Galileo, Rossini and many others.
Finishing that tour at 2:00 p.m. we headed back to our hotel which was only about four blocks away. After resting for a while (and while Darwin continued his nap), Rick left the hotel at 4:00 p.m. to walk down to and across the Ponte Vecchio, a bridge crossing the Arno River which was originally built for the noble class (Medici family) to cross the river to a second palace - the Pitti Palace. Today there are many homes and retail stores (selling gold jewelry and leather products) built on the bridge.
At 6:00 p.m. we readied ourselves for the evening and headed down to the hotel lobby bar for a drink (as did many of the others from our tour group). At 7:00 p.m. we walked over to the Museum of the Duomo for a private tour that lasted until 8:30 p.m. The Museum houses many of the original statues, etc., that had been removed from the Duomo (Cathedral) for preservation and replaced by replicas.
Following the tour of the Duomo Museum we stopped at a restaurant called the Yellow Bar for a late dinner where Rick enjoyed the most amazing pizza ever created. (Darwin's carbonara pasta dinner wasn't shabby either!).
Finishing dinner at 9:45 p.m. we headed back to the hotel, ending another lovely day of adventures.
(A comment on the weather thus far)
The weather in Venice was wonderful with lots of sunshine and temperatures in the mid-sixties to low seventies.
In Florence we have been very fortunate so far, even though it has been rainy in general. On the day we arrived, it had rained earlier but had stopped during our transfer from the train station to the hotel. During lunch there was a downpour, but that also had ended by the time we went outside for our walking tour. While we were having drinks in the hotel lobby there was another bit of rain, but again it stopped before we left to walk to dinner. During dinner there was yet another downpour which ended prior to our having to walk back to the hotel. (Fortunately, we had opted to dine indoors!) The situation has been similar today (Wednesday) in that it has not rained at any time we needed to be outdoors. As in Venice, the temperatures have been very comfortable in Florence. Let's hope that trend continues through tomorrow since rain has been in the forecast for the entire time we will be in Florence, and the tour director has mentioned more than once that it is typical to have poor weather in Florence.
[Note: You will find many, many, many more photos on Darwin's Facebook page.]
Thursday, May 22
Today began with us going down for breakfast a little after 8:00 a.m.
At 9:25 a.m. the tour group met in the hotel lobby for an eight-minute walk to board a motorcoach for a drive outside the city of Florence. On the south side of the Arno River (which is on a hillside) we were able to enjoy some wonderful views of downtown Florence and a portion of the old city wall. We also passed one of the ancient gates of Florence. In the roundabout across from the city gate was an interesting more modern statue of a woman of today walking toward the future carrying another woman from the past on her head. The woman walking has her back toward Florence and is walking in the direction of Rome, and thus the citizens of Florence did not like the statue when it was first erected. Although they have come to accept it, they refer to it as the "headache."
Our drive continued through the Tuscan countryside on our way to the ancient monastery of Badia de Passignano in the Chianti Classico region, where the monks are known for their love of learning (Galileo taught here in 1587) and their cultivation of grapes. Our tour guide had arranged for a short side trip along the way to visit the Florence American Cemetery and Memorial which was the burial ground for American soldiers killed during the invasion of Italy. There is also a wall with the names of the fallen soldiers whose remains weren't found. For those whose remains were later discovered their name is highlighted in gold with a rosette next to their name. This site is relatively unknown but was quite moving, covering seventy acres with 4,392 buried and 1,409 named on the wall as missing in action.
Once we arrived at Badia de Passignano we were led on a tour of the wine cellar with a sommelier. There are actually still a few monks living in the monastery, but the cellars are leased by the Antinori family which owns the winery.
After the tour we enjoyed lunch at the adjoining Osteria di Passignano, beginning with an extra-virgin olive oil tasting followed by a celebration of traditional Tuscan cuisine paired with some of the famous wines produced in surrounding vineyards.
We returned to Florence and our hotel around 3:15 p.m. where we relaxed prior to our 7:00 p.m. dinner reservations at the Frescobaldi Restuarant (which was included in the price of the tour). Today's weather was very nice once again, the only hiccup being that there was a light rain shower when it was time to walk to the restaurant for tonight's dinner, but it was less than a five-minute walk and the seating was indoors, so that blip in the weather was easy to overlook. Tauck had divided the tour group up into smaller groups for this dinner and we had been able to select which evening and time. We were seated with two other couples and enjoyed another wonderful meal. (In the meantime, the rain had also stopped.) Before we all realized it, the time was 9:30 p.m. and we needed to head back to our hotel rooms to re-pack for the trip to Rome tomorrow. Two cities down and one to go for this portion of our trip.
Friday, May 23
The long day today began with needing to have our bags ready to be picked up in our rooms by 8:00 a.m. We actually got that done by 7:40 a.m. and went down to the lobby to check out and pay any extra room charges, then on to breakfast. After breakfast there was still some time before we were to be transferred to the train station, so we sat in the hotel lobby and scanned the New York Times, then Rick took a walk over to the Piazza della Signoria to take some photos of some of the statues around the plaza.
Our tour group was picked up at the hotel at 8:50 a.m. in minibuses for the ride to the train station in Florence where we boarded the 9:28 a.m. high speed train to Rome arriving at 11:00 a.m. After boarding our motorcoach, we drove through parts of Rome on our way to lunch at Tres Scalini located in the Piazza Navona where we were served a salad and lasagna (and wine, of course!) During the bus ride we passed sections of the original Roman wall. The length of the original wall was twelve miles, and eight miles of it is still in existence. Our bus driver said it had rained earlier in the morning, but there was perfect weather for the rest of the day.
Following our delicious and relaxing lunch we were driven around more areas of Rome on our way to Vatican City where we toured the Vatican Museum and Sistine Chapel. The museum is so large and contains so many items we began to experience sensory overload. The tour ended with a visit to the Sistine Chapel, which, of course, was stunning but photography is not allowed. It was especially meaningful to be there so soon after the recent papal conclave.
From Vatican City we were (finally) taken to our hotel, the Palazzo Ripetta arriving at 5:20 p.m.
After getting settled into the room, Rick went on the Tauck private tour of the Galleria Borghese, departing the hotel at 6:45 p.m. and returning at 8:30 p.m. The building was built in 1613 by Cardinal Scipione Borghese to display his collection of artwork. Darwin stayed at the hotel to rest.
When Rick returned to the hotel, he found Darwin in the courtyard bar area and joined him for some wine and a light meal (as we had not had time for any dinner earlier). Then on to bed after a long day of sightseeing with wonderful weather.
Saturday, May 24
We began today with breakfast around 8:00 a.m. The tour group then met in the hotel lobby at 8:50 a.m. to be driven to St. Peter's Square. After some time spent walking through the Square we got in line to enter St. Peter's Basilica. While there were of course many other tourists and pilgrims there, it was not as over-crowded as we had expected. While touring the inside of the Basilica there was a mass being held, so at times we were able to hear the organ being played (not that the organ there is of any great size or quality).
When the tour of St. Peter's Basilica was concluded we had some free time before leaving to visit the Coliseum. Darwin and I found a wine bar not far away and enjoyed a moment to let our feet rest while we sipped on a glass of wine and ate some chips. There was a church just across the street from the wine bar which we stopped to see, but there was a wedding taking place, so we did not get to tour the inside of the church. We then headed back to the meeting point to rejoin the group for a drive to see the Coliseum.
The drive to the Coliseum took us by Palatine Hill with some remains of the Roman Emperor's Palace and the Circus Maximus where chariot races took place in ancient times.
We also passed near the Jewish synagogue in Rome.
We arrived at the Coliseum at 12:05 p.m. and spent a little over an hour walking around the outside of the Coliseum.
At 1:15 p.m. we began our ride back to our hotel passing the ancient Roman Baths. The open area in front of the remains of the Baths is used today for outdoor opera performances during the summer months.
Arriving back at our hotel at 1:35 p.m. we went back to the room where Rick needed to recharge his now dead cell phone. Around 3:15 p.m., Rick went out to see some last sights while Darwin stayed back at the hotel to rest. Rick visited the Spanish Steps, Trevi Fountain (which was mobbed with tourists!) and the Pantheon, stopping in to see a couple of smaller churches along the way.
Rick returned to the hotel at 4:45 p.m. with plenty of time to rest a bit and get ready for the farewell gathering and dinner at 6:30 p.m. Following dinner everyone shared their farewells with each other, then a few of us from the tour group had a night cap at the outdoor bar before heading back to our rooms.
Sunday, May 25
The Tauck tour officially ended this morning as we left Rome.
The day began with breakfast at 9:00 a.m. We then returned to our room to relax for a while. We had to have our luggage ready to be picked up in the room by 11:45 a.m. After doing that we went down to the hotel lobby at 11:30 a.m. to check out. While we were checking out, we glanced over and saw our luggage had already been brought down. Even though we had just left the room with the bags still there, it seemed as if the luggage almost beat us to the lobby.
The Tauck transfer vehicle arrived at 11:45 a.m. to take us to Leonardo da Vinci Airport in Fiumicino arriving at 12:30 p.m. We were not actually flying anywhere today, but since Cunard would be picking us up at the airport tomorrow to take us to the ship, we had booked a room at the Hilton Rome Airport Hotel for tonight. There is a covered walkway between the airport and the hotel, which is what we had planned to use, but the driver was kind enough to actually drop us off in front of the hotel. We checked in, but our room would not be ready until 2:00 p.m. or after, so we took a walk over to the airport to check where we would need to be tomorrow morning. Returning to the hotel we parked ourselves in the hotel bar for a couple of glasses of wine while we waited for our room to be ready. At 2:30 p.m. we went up to the room and got settled in. At 5:00 p.m. we went down to the hotel restaurant for an early dinner since we hadn't had lunch today. We finished dinner at 6:30 p.m. and took a short walk outside the hotel, then went up to our room for the remainder of the evening and night.
Monday, May 26
Today began with breakfast at 9:00 a.m. after which we collected our luggage from our hotel room and walked
from the Hilton Rome Airport Hotel to the arrivals area in Terminal 3 at the Rome airport where we met a representative from Cunard for our transfer to the pier in Civitavecchia. We departed from the airport at 10:45 a.m. and arrived at the pier at 11:55 a.m. where we checked in and boarded the Queen Victoria. After dropping off a few items in our stateroom we ate lunch. Our assigned table in the Princess Grill is a table for two right next to the floor to ceiling windows on the starboard side. We will definitely be enjoying some wonderful views while dining at each meal.
Following lunch, we went back to our stateroom and found that our luggage had been delivered, so we proceeded to unpack and settle in. It was great to finally be able to take everything out of the suitcases rather than dig through them each day to find what we wanted to wear. We collected all of the dirty laundry from the past ten days and sent 60 items to be laundered. (They had a set price for fifteen items in one bag, so we filled four bags.) We then walked around the ship to get acquainted with the layout, although it is basically the same as the other Cunard ships on which we have sailed. We ended in the Commodore Club where we joined the LGBTQ+ welcome reception.
Dinner was at 7:00 p.m., after which we went to the Queen's Room to listen to music and watch the ballroom dancing. The Queen's Room and the orchestra are not as good on this ship as they were on the QE2 and QM2 which was somewhat disappointing. We headed back to our room at 10:00 p.m. as we would be losing an hour overnight with a time change.
Tuesday, May 27
With today being a day at sea, we slept in and skipped breakfast. After all, how much energy do you need to laze around a ship all day?! In lieu of breakfast we made ourselves some mimosas in our room using the gift bottle of Prosecco and canned orange juice from the mini bar and spent some time sitting out on our balcony.
At 11:30 a.m. we went for another walk through the ship and made our way to lunch at 12:30 p.m. After the two river boat cruises we have done, finding our way around a larger ship has taken some getting used to once again. During lunch we passed the underwater volcano Marsili.
Getting back to our room at 1:30 p.m. we spent most of the afternoon just enjoying the smooth sailing on such calm seas. Rick did iron some of the shirts which had been stuffed in the suitcase for over ten days. While clean, they were quite creased and wrinkled. Around 2:45 p.m. this ship passed through the Strait of Messina which runs between Sicily and the mainland of Italy. We were able to see land from both sides of the ship.
This evening was a formal Gala Evening with the theme of red and gold. We donned our tuxes and red ties, etc., in time to attend a 5:15 p.m. reception for Cunard World Club members. As the reception wound down, we spent some time chatting with a couple from Great Britain, then made our way to dinner at 6:30 p.m. Finished eating at 7:45 p.m. we stopped by the Queen's Room in time to watch a dance performed by the professional ball room dance couple on board. From there we went to the Royal Court Theater to watch this evening's entertainment, a song and dance program entitled "One Way or Another." We ended the day back in our room at 10:00 p.m.
Wednesday, May 28
We arrived in Argostoli on the island of Cephalonia, Greece around 7:15 a.m. We had miscalculated what time we needed to go on shore, so we ate an early breakfast at 7:30 a.m. We then spent some time sitting on our balcony until we needed to go on shore at 9:50 a.m. to board the motorcoach for our 10:00 a.m. "Leisurely Cephalonia" shore excursion.
Our first stop was at Kourkoumelata Village around 10:15 a.m. where were given about twenty minutes to stroll around a few blocks. This is one of the island’s prettiest villages, re-constructed in a Neo-classical style after the disastrous earthquake of 1953.
Heading further inland our next stop was at the Monastery of Apostle Andrew Milapidia near the town of Peratata. On the grounds there is an Ecclesiastical (Church) Museum, the old church and the new church. There are also five nuns in a convent on the grounds. During the 1953 earthquake, the whitewash inside the church walls was loosened, revealing frescoes dating back to the 13th and 17th centuries and these are considered to be one of the island’s chief artistic treasures.
From the Monastery grounds you can see the remains of St. George's Castle.
[The names of the towns and villages on Cephalonia all end with -ata which dates from the time of the Venetian occupation. The Venetians took the names and added the -ata to the end.]
At noon we arrived at the Robola Winery, Orealios Gaea, where we were given a presentation about the Robola wine which is produced only in this region of the world. Afterwards, we enjoyed a tasting of four of the wines produced. (The winery is located near the Monastery of St. Gerasimo in the Omala Valley.)
Below are the wines we tasted.
Following our visit to the winery the motorcoach took us on a scenic route back to the pier. As we rounded the Bay of Katavothres (sinkholes), we had a good view of what is now the longest stone bridge across sea water. It is currently only open to pedestrians but once handled vehicular traffic as well.
Arriving back on board the ship at 1:45 p.m. we rested for the remainder of the afternoon. At 6:15 p.m. we stopped at the Commodore Club for a cocktail before heading to dinner at 7:00 p.m. After another scrumptious and leisurely dinner, we stopped by the Queen's Room for a while to listen to the musical performances, then headed back to our stateroom at 9:45 p.m.
Thursday, May 29
The Queen Victoria arrived in Corfu, Greece around 8:00 a.m., just after we had woken up.
Around 8:45 a.m. we disembarked and walked to the port terminal to get on the shuttle for a ride into town. We had not purchased any shore excursion for today, so we set off to explore the old town of Corfu on our own.
We passed the home of Dionysios Solomos, the person who wrote the lyrics to "Hymn to Liberty," the Greek national anthem.
The next sight of interest we discovered tucked among some of the buildings was the Byzantine Museum housed in the Panagia Antivouniotissa Church built at the end of the 15th Century. (The church is no longer used for worship.)
From there we headed to the Palace of St. Micheal and St. George which was originally built as a home but today serves as a museum housing Asian artifacts. There are three rooms from the original use of the palace which are also part of the museum.
We continued strolling through some of the pedestrian streets taking in the sights such as a trio of street musicians.
We eventually came across the Music Museum of the Corfu Philharmonic Society. Since the admission was free, we went in to take a look. The space is small but housed some interesting musical instruments, music and music-related documents. One of the interesting discoveries was the tradition of Palm Sunday procession with marching bands which continues even today. The procession honors St. Spyridon, the patron saint of the island of Corfu and was first celebrated in 1630 to commemorate the island's exemption from the deadly epidemic of plague that decimated hundreds of people back in the 1629. The procession is the longest route in and wandering along the imaginary line of the old Venetian city walls, with several stops for prayers and supplications. It is unique, and all the 18 Bands of the island participate with citizens lining the route.
As we meandered our way through the streets of Corfu we stopped in at the Church of St. Spyridon. A little later we also stopped in another church (which we have not been able to identify).
By now it was 11:45 a.m. and time for lunch so we stopped at the Vernada Restuarant on the waterfront where we enjoyed a bottle of local wine and a lovely Greek meal.
Following lunch, we made our way back to the meeting point for the shuttle back to the ship where we arrived at 1:30 p.m. resting for the remainder of the afternoon. After getting dressed for the evening we went to the Commodore Club (located on an upper deck in the front of the ship) to watch the ship's departure from Corfu passing at one point through a very narrow passageway. Then it was on to dinner at 6:45 p.m. After dinner we went back to the Commodore Club for a short while and then back to our stateroom at 8:45 p.m. calling it an early evening.
Friday, May 30
Having been told that the views while entering Boka Bay would be amazing, we woke at 5:15 a.m. today. Due to the narrow waterway and high mountain cliffs, the area is often referred to as the fjords of southern Europe. Below are some photos of what we saw from our stateroom.
Having docked around 7:15 a.m. we were officially in Montenegro (which means "black mountain"). Having gotten ourselves ready for the day while the ship was sailing into the port of Kotor, we went up to breakfast at 7:30 a.m. Our shore excursion for today began at 8:30 a.m. with a drive in a motorcoach up Mount Lovcen on a narrow road with 25 hairpin curves (not to count the curves that weren't that severe!). The road dates back to the late eighteenth/early nineteenth centuries and is protected by UNESCO. The bus driver did an amazing job, and we arrived safely at the apex of the mountain at 2900 feet above sea level. Here are some photos taken from the top of Mount Lovcen.
As we began our descent in the opposite direction from whence we came (and with less severe curves in the road), we stopped in the small village of Njegusi where we enjoyed a snack of local wine, cheese and prosciutto at the Bastadur Restaurant. Njegusi is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
After our snack we also visited the local smokehouse where the ham is smoked to produce the prosciutto.
On the rest of our drive back to Kotor there were some excellent views of the town of Budva.
We ran into a traffic jam as we were entering Kotor, but we were able to begin our tour of the old medieval section of Kotor around 1:30 p.m. In addition to taking in the views of the streets and buildings of the town, we visited St. Tryphon's Cathedral, which was completed in 1166 and is filled with rare art.
We also visited the Maritime Museum which is housed in the former Grgurina Family Palace and features many seafaring models and artefacts.
We returned to the ship at 2:30 p.m. and had a late lunch at the Lido Pool Grill. Rick had a chicken Schnitzel sandwich and Darwin had a Coney Island hotdog. Returning to our stateroom around 3:00 p.m. we spent some time relaxing on our balcony before getting ready for dinner.
At 6:15 p.m. we went to the Commodore Club for cocktails as we watched the ships departure from Kotor. On to dinner at 7:15 p.m. where we once again were treated to a beautiful sunset.
Following dinner, we made our usual stop by the Queen's Room to listen to the musical entertainment, then back to our room at 10:30 p.m.
Saturday, May 31
Having arrived at the port of Dubrovnik, Croatia earlier, we were up at 6:00 a.m. and off to breakfast at 7:30 a.m. as our shore excursion started at 8:30 a.m. The tour began with a short drive up the coastal highway to a slightly higher elevation where we stopped to enjoy some views of Dubrovnik across the Lapad Bay.
We were back in oldtown Dubrovnik to begin our walking tour at 9:05 a.m. Driving past part of the old city wall we left the motorcoach and walked a short distance to enter the old part of the city via the Pile Gate.
Just inside the Pile Gate is the Onofrio's Fountain between 1438 and 1440 to provide drinking water from an aqueduct.
Because old town Dubrovnik is located at the base of a mountain, the pedestrian walkways off the main street are steep with many stairs.
Continuing on our walking tour we passed by the Church of St. Nicholas built in 1727.
Next, we toured the Dominican Monastery Museum. Construction on the Monastery first began in 1301.
Back out on the streets of Dubrovnik we saw the outside of the Church of St. Blaise, the patron saint of Dubrovnik. The church was built in 1715.
Continuing our walk, we passed a statue of Marin Držić, who was a famous playwright from Dubrovnik.
We also passed the Rector's Palace which was the former seat of government. The Rector of Ragusa (Dubrovnik) was the head of the government from the 14th century until 1808.
Next, we visited the Roman Catholic Cathedral of the Assumption of the Virgin Mary built in 1713.
Finished with the official walking tour we were on our own for further exploration. We visited the Memorial Room of Dubrovnik Defenders. Housed in the Sponza Palace, the Museum is dedicated to Dubrovnik defenders who died in the Croation War of Independence. The war was fought between 1991 and 1995 to gain independence from the former Yugoslavia. The memorial was quite moving.
It was now 11:00 a.m. and time for a break. We stopped for a couple of glasses of wine at the Hard Rock Cafe in old town Dubrovnik which seemed like a strange combination of the old and the new.
We needed to be back at the meeting point for the motorcoach by 12:15 p.m., so we took a walk along the waterfront outside the city walls of old town Dubrovnik on our way.
We returned to the ship by 12:40 p.m. in time to have lunch, then take naps. At 6:00 p.m. we headed up to the Commodore Club for cocktails then on to dinner around 7:00 p.m. After dinner we made our usual stop by the Queen's Room to listen to the music and headed on to bed at 10:15 p.m.
Sunday, June 1
We awoke around 7:30 a.m. Darwin opted to skip breakfast, so Rick went up to the restaurant around 8:30 a.m. for his breakfast. With this being a day at sea we spent the morning relaxing in our stateroom. Before going to lunch we took a walk around the promenade deck as well as a few public spaces inside the ship. We had signed up for a special wine tasting lunch which began at 12:00 p.m. in the Verandah Restaurant. We sat with an interesting couple from Great Britain. This was a four-course lunch with two wines with each course. Both the food and the wine were quite good.
After a lunch lasting almost two hours, we returned to our stateroom to continue relaxing. At 5:15 p.m. we had cocktails as usual in the Commodore Club followed by a slow walk around the deck before heading to dinner at 6:15 p.m. Following dinner, we found that the Queen's Room was extremely crowded, so we went back up to the Grill's Lounge for a quiet remainder of the evening. We headed back to our stateroom at 8:45 p.m.
Monday, June 2 - Republic Day in Italy
The ship arrived in the Gulf of Trieste and was docked around 5:00 a.m. - or so we were told! We didn't arise until 7:00 a.m. and had breakfast at 8:20 a.m. We did not have a shore excursion booked for today, so we headed out on our own after breakfast.
The Piazza Unità d'Italia (Unity of Italy Square), the largest plaza in Trieste, was a short walk from the ship, so we began our explorations there. The Piazza is surrounded by several beautiful buildings.
Walking down a street to the left of the Municipal Building, we came to the Bossa Vecchio building which was originally the Stock Exchange but is now the Chamber of Commerce. It was built in 1806.
Winding through several more streets we came across the following interesting sign on a building.
We then made our way to the ruins of the Teatro Romano (Roman Theater) which was first bult in the first century BC, then expanded in the second century AD.
A short walk away was the church of Santa Maria Maggiore (St. Mary Major) built in the 17th century by the Jesuits. Today the church is maintained by the Franciscan Friars. After climbing the many steps, we took in the wonderful views of the interior of the church.
From the Santa Maria Maggiore Church we walked up a very steep hill on uneven sidewalks and stone streets to arrive at the Hill of San Giusto. The walk was challenging but worth the effort. Here is some history of the area I found online followed by some of our photos.
San Giusto Hill is the heart of Trieste: the first human settlement, a so-called castelliere, dates back to prehistoric times.
In Roman times, walls were built to protect it and within the walls the first public and religious buildings were erected: the forensic basilica and the temple, probably dedicated to the Capitoline Triad (Jupiter, Juno and Minerva).
The Propylaea and the base of the original civic Basilica - where courts were held and business took place - were built in the second half of the 1st century A.D.
The Propylaea, the entrance of the sacred area, most probably were two large lateral structures decorated with columns and with steps in the middle. The remains, still visible today, give an idea of the monumental size of the building.
Between 1929 and 1934, works carried out not far from the Propylaea unearthed the three-nave Civic Basilica and the paved stalls area, which probably was the Forum (a large open space surrounded by buildings where Roman citizens met to discuss business) or a part of it.
Many centuries later, in the Middle Age, the Castle and the Cathedral as we see them today, were built next to it.
Finishing up our time on San Giusto Hill we began the trek back down. Because the stones are slick from centuries of wear and tear, the walk downhill was not all that much less treacherous than the walk uphill taking into consideration the pull of gravity. A little more than halfway down there was a couple who had stopped to catch their breath and assess whether they wanted to continue the walk up the hill. (We had done that a couple of times ourselves on the way up.) They asked about what lay ahead and we told them it would be worse before getting better, but that it was worth the trip.
Once we had made it safely to sea level and were back at the Piazza Unità d'Italia, it was time for lunch. After checking out a few places we settled on Harry’s where we enjoyed some delicious pasta dishes and local wine.
Following a relaxing lunch (all the meals in Italy move at a leisurely pace), we continued our meandering around Trieste, although we stayed on level ground for the rest of the afternoon. We crossed the Canale Grande (Grand Canal) which is much shorter than the Grand Canal in Venice.
Making our way along the Canale Grande toward the Gulf of Trieste, we came across the Theatre Museum “Carlo Schmidl.” Founded by Carlo Schmidl for celebrating local stage memories, the Museum started with the far-sighted donation of his Historical-musical Collection. Its aim is to document the stage and musical life of Trieste from the 18th century to the present day. A very large collection of posters, fliers, photos, engravings, medals, paintings, musical instruments, various objects, archives and manuscripts build up a “theatre of memory”, whose collections have been constantly increased during the last century, following the founder’s example. The Museum is currently located in the Palazzo Gopcevich, built in 1850.
Having spent five and a half hours wandering through some of the streets of Trieste, we were ready to head back to the ship for some relaxation. We walked the few blocks along the water’s edge passing some steps that led down into the water.
Back on board the Queen Victoria by 3:10 p.m. we headed to our stateroom for a well-deserved nap. At 5:30 p.m. we went to the Commodore Club for cocktails, then on to dinner at 6:30 p.m. where we were able to view the Piazza Unità d'Italia for one last time before setting sail.
After dinner we stopped in at the Queen’s Room to listen to the evening’s musical performance and watch people dance. Then on to bed at 10:45 p.m.
Tuesday, June 3
For some reason we were awake at 5:45 a.m. today. We could already see the coastline of Croatia from our stateroom.
Following breakfast, we had a short bus ride into the old town of Zadar to begin our three-hour guided walking tour.
The tour began at the furthermost corner of the town where there is a unique tribute to the beautiful sunsets for which Zadar has become known. While a guest of room 204 of the former Hotel Zagreb in Zadar, famous film director and producer Alfred Hitchcock is quoted as saying: “The sunset of Zadar is the world’s most beautiful and incomparably better than in Key West, Florida.” This honor was bestowed upon the sunsets of Zadar back in May of 1964 and continues to garner much attention today. The circular grid of lights set into the white marble walkway is named “Greetings to the Sun” (or “Monument to the Sun”). The glass circle is 24 yards in diameter. At night it produces a light show. We, unfortunately, would be gone before sunset.
Just a short distance from the “Greetings to the Sun” is a sea organ. This sea organ, made in 2005, is one of the most interesting attractions of the town. As long as we have the waves and tides, we will have the sea music here. Made together by architects and composers, this unique sea instrument is a perfect match with the nearby "Greeting to the Sun" monument. The sea organ is both an architectural sound art object and an experimental musical instrument, which plays music by way of sea waves and tubes located underneath a set of large marble steps. The waves interact with the organ and create somewhat random but harmonic sounds. The white marble steps leading down to the water were built later. Concealed under these steps, which both protect and invite, is a system of polyethylene tubes and a resonating cavity.
Continuing our walk along the Adriatic Sea we came to the ruins of the former Roman Forum in Zadar. The Church of St Donatus, which is believed to have been built by Bishop Donatus on Roman foundations at the beginning of the 9th century, is also located here.
We then walked past the Pillar of Shame. In the Middle Ages, the pillar was a place of punishment, earning it the nickname the “pillar of shame.” People were chained to it, then mocked, humiliated, and even whipped. These punishments would sometimes last for hours, and the whole city was welcome to stop and watch the public spectacle.
We made a stop to see the inside of the Church of St. Elias the Prophet, a Serbian Orthodox Church. It was constructed in the 16th century on the spot of the Medieval catholic church of the same name. It preserves a rich collection of icons dating back from the 16th to the 18th century.
Next, we visited the Cathedral of St. Anastasia. The church's origins date back to a Christian basilica built in the 4th and 5th centuries, while much of the currently standing three-nave building was constructed in the Romanesque style during the 12th and 13th centuries.
From the Cathedral of St. Anastasia, we moved on to the Church of St. Mary. We were not able to get inside the church, but we visited the museum which is a part of the church contains a wonderful exhibition of gold and silver relics. [We were able to take one photo before being told photography was not allowed!]
Walking through several more streets of old town Zadar we saw one of the city gates in the distance as we made our way to the Jadera Restaurant, where we had the opportunity to sample the traditional Maraschino Liqueur, accompanied by a snack homemade bread and sheep’s cheese.
Finished with the walking tour we were driven back to the ship where we had lunch at 12:30 p.m. After lunch it was time to gather some more items to be sent to the laundry, then we spent several hours just relaxing on our stateroom balcony. At 5:30 p.m. we headed to the Commodore Club for cocktails where we had a great view of the narrow passageway the ship would have to pass through as we were leaving port.
Then on to dinner at 6:30 p.m. and the Queen’s Room at 8:15 p.m. We were back in our stateroom at 10:00 p.m. (which was a long enough day after awaking at 5:45 a.m.!)
Wednesday, June 4
Today we were up at 6:30 a.m. and had breakfast at 8:20 a.m. At 9:30 a.m. we were on the motorcoach for today’s tour. We began with a scenic drive to the neighboring town of Salona to visit an archaeological site of ancient Roman ruins. Salona was an ancient city and the capital of the Roman province of Dalmatia. It was one of the largest cities of the late Roman empire with 60,000 inhabitants. It was the last residence of the final western Roman Emperor Julius Nepos and acted as the de facto capital of the Western Roman Empire during the years 476-480.
Rev. Frane Bulić became the curator of the Split Archaeological Museum and was entrusted with the conservation of cultural and historical antiquities over all of Dalmatia, including this area in Salona.
We saw the remnants of the Basilica and cemetery. The earliest parts of the complex date back to the second century BC. The bishop and martyr, Domnio, was buried here after being executed in the arena of the amphitheater on 304 AD. At the end of the fourth century, the complex was partly destroyed during the German incursions, and in the mid-fifth century, a three-nave basilica was constructed on top of the ruins. Many sarcophagi can be found here.
Built in 1898 by Rev. Bulić, the Tusculum was intended to be used by visiting archeologists to discuss their work.
Farther down a path were the ruins of the old town of Salona.
On our way back to the old town of Split, we stopped to visit the Archaeological Museum. The permanent display of the Archaeological Museum in Split, installed in the yard, veranda, atrium, corridor and exhibition halls, presents the past of Illyricum and Dalmatia as reflected in material remains.
Split was built around a spectacular 4th century Roman palace, erected by Emperor Diocletian and our walking tour continued with a visit to its well-preserved cellars followed by exploring other portions of the Palace that remain today.
The Cathedral of St. Duje since the 7th century is in the previous mausoleum of Diocletian.
Across from the Cathedral is the Baptistry - at least since the 7th century. Originally it was built by Diocletian as a Temple to Jupiter. Today it has a large stone baptismal font and a statue of John the Baptist.
Walking through the streets of old town Split we passed the Golden Gate and ended in the Square of the Radić Brothers, known locally as the Fruit Square since locals used to gather here to sell the fruit they had harvested.
Once the official walking tour had ended, we opted to walk back to the ship where we went to the Lido Pool Grill for a late lunch, then back to our stateroom to relax.
The ship departed Split at 4:30 p.m. and around 5:30 p.m. we made our way to the Commodare Club for cocktails. We had made reservations for 6:30 p.m. at Steakhouse at the Verandah. This was to celebrate our tenth wedding anniversary one month early. It was a wonderful alternative to our usual dining experience on the Queen Victoria.
Following dinner, we, as usual, stopped by the Queen’s Room for a while, then headed back to our stateroom at 10:15 p.m.
Thursday, June 5
After rising at 7:15 a.m. we had our breakfast at 8:30 a.m. The couple sitting at the next table to ours had boarded on this past Monday. They were from Canada, and we had already had many discussions during mealtimes. Following breakfast today the four of us left the dining room at the same time to return to our cabins, only to discover that they were also in the stateroom next to ours.
Being a day at sea, today was one of relaxation. After spending some time in our stateroom, we took a walk before heading to lunch at 12:15 p.m. Later in the afternoon, at 2:15 p.m. we attended a very fast-paced presentation on art collecting. Somewhat interesting, but no real new information.
The remainder of the afternoon was spent relaxing until we headed to the Commodore’s Club at 5:00 p.m. and then to dinner at 6:30 p.m. Following dinner, we headed to the Queen’s Room for an evening of music and on to our stateroom at 10:40 p.m.
Friday, June 6
When we woke at 8:00 a.m. the ship had already docked in Valletta, Malta.
We opted to skip breakfast today and left the ship at 9:00 a.m. to begin walking around the old town of Valletta. A relatively short walk from the pier brought us to an elevator which took us up to the old town area which sits high above the coastline. The first section encountered was the Upper Barrakka Gardens. This area is a public garden offering a panoramic view of the Grand Harbour. The gardens are located on the upper tier of Saints Peter and Paul Bastion, which was built in the 1560s. The garden's terraced arches were built in 1661 by the Italian knight Fra Flaminio Balbiani. They were originally roofed, but the ceiling was removed in 1775. The gardens were originally used to offer recreation to the knights of the Italian langue of the Order of Saint John but were opened to the public following the end of the two-year French occupation of Malta in 1800. In the park there are several monuments and memorials to a number of prominent people.
Walking out of the Gardens area we came to a plaza known as Castile Place. The Malta Stock Exchange building faces the plaza on one side and there are several statues of former prime ministers.
The Auberge de Castille (auberge = an inn or hotel) is also located at Castile Place, close to Saint James Cavalier and the Malta Stock Exchange. It sits at the highest point of Valletta and overlooks Floriana and the Grand Harbour area. Built in the Baroque style under the magistracy of Portuguese Grand Master Manuel Pinto da Fonseca in the 1740s. Today it houses the office of the Prime Minister.
On another side of Castile Place is the Church of St. Catherine of Alexandria, commonly known as the Church of St. Catherine of Italy. It was built in 1576 by the Italian knights of St. John to serve as their church. In the 17th century the church was enlarged. Today the church still serves as the parish church of the Italian community of Malta.
Across from the Church of St. Catherine of Italy is Our Lady of Victory Church, formerly known as the Saint Anthony the Abbot Church, was the first church and building completed in Valletta, Malta. In 1566, following the Great Siege of Malta, Grand Master Jean Parisot de Valette and his Order showed interest to build a church in the name of the Nativity of the Virgin as a form of thanksgiving. The church was built to commemorate the victory of the Knights of the Order of St. John and the Maltese over the Ottoman invaders on September 8, 1565. It was built on the site where a religious ceremony was held to inaugurate the laying of the foundation stone of the new city of Valletta on March 28, 1566.
Walking down South Street toward Republic Street we passed by an open-air performance venue on the site of the original Royal Opera House. The Opera House was erected in 1866. In 1873 its interior was extensively damaged by fire but was eventually restored by 1877. The theatre received a direct hit from aerial bombing in 1942 during World War II. After several abandoned plans to rebuild the theatre, the ruins were redesigned and in 2013 it once again started functioning as an “outdoor” performance venue.
Turning left onto Republic Street we passed the Parliament Building – a newer building designed to blend in with the old. This area is known as Freedom Square.
Passing through what was originally the City Gate we came to Triton Fountain which consists of three bronze Tritons (sea gods) holding up a large basin, balanced on a concentric base built out of concrete and clad in 730 tons of travertine slabs. The fountain was designed and constructed between 1952 and 1959.
Past the Fountain we came to the Independence Monument which stands as a significant tribute to the country’s achievement of independence from British rule on September 21, 1964. Located in the Independence Garden the monument was inaugurated in 1989. It features a bronze statue of a woman, symbolizing Malta, holding a torch high to signify the nation's new beginning and freedom.
Turning back, we stopped for a water break, then continued back down Republic Street in the opposite direction and came upon the Church of St. Francis of Assisi which was built beginning in 1598 and was completed by 1607. After a few decades, however, the church developed structural defects and in 1681 it was rebuilt. The church was enlarged in the 1920s when the dome was added.
After visiting the Church of St. Francis, we continued our walk down to the Grandmaster’s Palace and St. George’s Square. The Grandmaster's Palace was built between the 16th and 18th centuries as the palace of the Grand Master of the Knights Hospitaller, who ruled Malta from 1530 to 1798, and was also known as the Magisterial Palace. When the knights were expelled by Napoleonic France, it became the National Palace. During the period of British rule beginning in 1800, it was the Governor's Palace and British royal residence. The Palace currently houses the Office of the President of Malta.
Farther down the street we ventured into Casa Rocca Piccola, a palace built in 1580. Changes were made in the late 18th century to divide the house into two smaller houses. Further changes were made in 1918 and before the Second World War an air raid shelter was added.
Having seen most of the sights on our list it was time for lunch. We chose The Capitol City Bar for that and enjoyed people watching as we ate a leisurely lunch of rabbit ravioli.
It was now 2:30 p.m. and time to head back to the ship, so we retraced our steps to find the elevator that would take us down to the level of the pier, having to wait in line a bit in the hot sun.
Back on board the Queen Victoria we relaxed for a while, then got ourselves ready for the evening and stopped at the Commodore Club where we got a nice view of the narrow space the ship was having to navigate to depart from the Grand Harbour.
It was then time to head to dinner, after which we stopped in the Chart Room Bar for a nightcap, then on to our stateroom at 9:00 p.m. All the walking today had worn us out!
Saturday, June 7
Today we didn’t get up until 8:00 a.m. and skipped breakfast. We figured we had enough food stored up in our bodies from the past twenty-one days. At 11:30 a.m. we listened via the TV to a presentation about the Messina Strait as we were passing through it and viewing the one side of it from our stateroom.
At 12:30 p.m. we had lunch followed by a leisurely walk around the ship, then back to the stateroom for yet more relaxation.
At 4:00 p.m. we passed the active volcanic island of Stromboli visible from our stateroom and balcony.
At 5:15 p.m. it was time to make our way to the Commodore Club followed by dinner at 6:45 p.m. We pre-ordered the roast duck a la orange for two. Following dinner, we headed up to the outside on deck 12 (one deck above our dining room) to watch another glorious sunset.
We spent the rest of the evening in the Queen’s Room listening to the band and singers. We had met one of the singers, Jeremy Wong, back on the second day of our cruise and had chatted with him often between his singing sets. Today was the last day of his contract before a six-week break, so we stayed until the end at 11:15 p.m.
Sunday, June 8
Today will be the last port we visit before the end of the fourteen-day cruise. We were up by 7:00 a.m. Rick went down to breakfast at 8:00 a.m. Darwin had dealt with an upset stomach all night, so he was not up to facing food quite yet. The rest of the morning was spent relaxing in our stateroom. Rick worked on this blog and Darwin rested and tried to recover from his stomach ailment.
Our shore excursion for today had been changed from the morning to the afternoon. This was the only port where the ship had to anchor offshore and use tenders to transport passengers to the pier and back. It was also one of the warmest days of the trip. Taking all of that into consideration, Darwin did not feel up to making the trek onto land but remained in the stateroom and did some packing. There wasn’t time for lunch, but having had a large breakfast, Rick headed down to catch a tender at 12:40 p.m. to go ashore and meet the tour guide for “A Taste of Sorrento.” Once the tour group had gathered, we were shuttled in minibuses the relatively short distance on a winding road to the town of Sorrento.
A short walk from where we got off the minibus took us up to Giardini di Cataldo, a 150-year-old lemon and orange grove, store and tasting venue. It was now 1:10 p.m. and we began with a discussion on how limoncello is made. The yellow part of the lemon rind is soaked in pure alcohol for several days. Then that liquid is strained in the sugar water to produce the drink which obviously has a very high alcohol content. The tasting we received was barely a teaspoon and was indeed potent. That was followed by a demonstration on the making of mozzarella cheese. We were then served a snack plate with some of the mozzarella, some meats, bread with orange flavored olive oil and freshly made ricotta cheese. There was also a bottle of red wine on the table to accompany the snack. At the end we were also served a small portion of a licorice flavored liqueur called liquidicia (spelling ?).
We had some time to kill, so Rick purchased a small gelato and then took a short walk up the street and found a lovely park which had a monument dedicated to the memory of COVID 19 victims.
At 2:35 p.m. we boarded a motorcoach for a thirty-minute drive up the mountain on another winding road. The views were spectacular. Our destination was the town of Massa Lubrense where we were to have a great view of the Island of Capri. We could see it, but barely, due to the heavy haze and cloud cover. However, there was the Church of Santa Maria delle Grazie nearby which I popped into.
On the drive back down to Sorrento we had a glimpse of Mount Vesuvius, but I was unable to take a photo from the moving motorcoach. There were some awesome panoramic views of Sorrento and the Queen Victoria along the way.
It was now around 4:05 p.m. and the all-aboard time for the ship was scheduled for 4:30 p.m. Part of the tour was to have included some time walking around the old parts of Sorrento. Due to the time, we were given the option to head back to the ship or follow the tour guide for a very quick walk to the center of town and then back to catch the shuttle bus down to the pier. Only three of us opted for the quick walking tour. We walked several blocks up one street passing a statue of Sant’Antonino, the patron saint of Sorrento, located in Piazza Tasso, the hub of Sorrento and the middle of the main shopping street, Corso Italia.
We continued on to the Cathedral of Saints Philip and James, commonly known as the Sorrento Cathedral. The Cathedral is dedicated to Saints Philip the Apostle and James the Just and was first built around the 11th century and was rebuilt in the 15th century. We had a few minutes to go inside, then quickly walked back down a different street to the parking lot for the last shuttle bus which had been hastily arranged to wait for us. At least Rick was able to take a few photos and say he had actually been in Sorrento!
On the walk back to the shuttle bus, we were able to get a good view of the Cathedral bell tower which is three stories tall and is decorated with a clock. The base of the bell tower dates to the time of the Roman Empire, but the façade dates from 1924.
We also passed the Sedile Dominova (Seat of Memory) which was built in the 14th (some say 16th) century, by some nobles and is completely covered by frescoes. This was the place where nobles met in order to talk about the problems of the town. After being a prison and a guardhouse, today the seat has turned into an Association, with a display of artwork on this particular day.
Back on board the ship at 5:05 p.m. Rick quickly freshened up and dressed for dinner. We were still able to make it to the Commodore Club by 5:45 for cocktails before heading to our last dinner on board at 6:30 p.m. Following dinner at 8:15 p.m. we went up onto deck 12 to watch another beautiful sunset.
We stopped in the Chart Room Bar at 8:35 p.m. for a nightcap, then on to our stateroom at 9:00 p.m. to finish packing and set our luggage out before 11:00 p.m.
Monday, June 9
We set an alarm for 6:00 a.m. but for some reason we woke up at 5:30 a.m. It definitely was NOT because we were anxious for the cruise to end. We would have gladly stayed for another two weeks. We needed to vacate our stateroom by 8:30 a.m. and since we had gotten up so early, we headed to breakfast at 7:15 a.m. After breakfast we went to the Queen’s Room to sit and wait for our 11:30 a.m. disembarkation, spending the time reading.
Once we left the ship, we gathered our luggage and boarded the motorcoach for our transfer to the Rome airport. From the airport we use the connecting walkway to get to the Hilton Hotel where we would be staying for the night. Checking in at 1:15 p.m. we dropped the luggage off in the room and went down to the bar for a couple of drinks and snacks. Back in the room we relaxed for a couple of hours then headed back down to the hotel restaurant for dinner at 5:00 p.m. We hadn’t had any lunch, so we were ready for an early dinner. Then back up to the room for the rest of the evening and to re-pack our luggage for airline travel beginning tomorrow.
Tuesday, June 10
We were up today at 5:00 a.m. Skipping breakfast, we walked from the Hilton Hotel to the Rome airport (all connected) to check in for our flight to Frankfurt, Germany. There was no line at the ticket counter, so we were able to check in quite quickly. The agent tagged our bags and gave us boarding passes – for both the flight from Rome to Frankfurt and for tomorrow’s flight from Frankfurt to St. Louis. As we walked away, I suddenly wondered – if we were given boarding passes for both flights, where were our bags tagged to go. We went back to the ticket counter. The woman who had first checked us in was busy, so we went up to the other woman working at the Business Class counter (who turned out to be very nice and helpful). It turns out our luggage had been tagged to go on to St. Louis, NOT just to Frankfurt. After several telephone calls, the agent was able to have our luggage pulled and we were told it would show up in baggage claim on carousel 25. To get there required going past security, so we first had to go to an information desk and get a slip of paper allowing us to go through security that staff and flight crews use.
Once down at baggage claim, we had to again explain the whole situation to the person who handles baggage lost and found. He eventually understood the issue and after some more telephone calls we were told to wait by carousel 25 for our bags. Not knowing how long it would take for our bags to show up, we began thinking of alternate plans that might include needing to rebook on a later flight. Darwin had checked and there were two flights later in the day. After about an hour and a half our bags finally showed up on the carousel, so we grabbed them and headed back up to the ticket counter so they could be re-tagged for Frankfurt. To get to our gate, we now had to go through regular security which was slightly organized chaos. Not having time to go to the Business Class Lounge, we headed straight to the gate, arriving at 8:50 a.m., just 25 minutes before boarding began. Since we hadn’t eaten breakfast at the hotel, or had time to get anything in the Lounge, Rick purchased a can of Pringles for us to snack on.
Our flight departed on time, and we enjoyed a delicious meal on board, although neither of us could figure out what we were eating. During the flight we had a nice view of the Italian Alps as we flew over them.
We arrived in Frankfurt at 11:55 a.m. After collecting our luggage at a mostly empty baggage claim area, we found the walkway connecting the airport to the Marriott Hotel and made the short walk to the hotel and checked in by 12:30 p.m. We had the afternoon free and originally planned to take a cab to oldtown Frankfurt to do some sightseeing there. However, our cab driver talked us into going to Mainz, Germany instead. After a twenty-five-minute cab ride we were dropped off at the edge of oldtown Mainz. The cab driver gave us his cell phone number so we could call him later to come pick us up. With no specific sights in mind, we just began walking down one of the pedestrian streets.
We soon came to the Augustinerkirche (Augustinian Church) which today is the seminary church of the seminary of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Mainz. The church was built from 1768 to 1771 by Augustinian Hermits. After the monastery was dissolved in 1803, the building complex became the seminary of the newly re-established diocese in 1805, and the church thus became a seminary church. Unlike much of Mainz's inner city, the Augustinian Church was not destroyed by bombing during World War II.
Only a short walk farther down the street we came to the Church of St. Ignaz. This church was built from 1763 to 1774/75 and is dedicated to Ignatius of Antioch, the martyr and bishop of Antioch, who died in 107 AD.
Next to St. Ignaz Church is the Kreuzigungsgruppe (Crucifixion group) by Hans Backoffen (ca. 1470–1519), a citizen of Mainz who served as court sculptor to the Archbishops of Mainz. He primarily created tombstones and crucifixion groups such as this one.
After visiting those two churches in quick succession we meandered through several more streets taking in the sights of oldtown Mainz eventually coming to the Mainz Cathedral. The Mainz Cathedral or St. Martin's Cathedral was built over a thousand years ago. The entrance to the Cathedral is from the sides as there are chancels at both ends of the building. From the ninth to 12th century, several important churches in the Holy Roman Empire were built with chancels on both ends. The reason for building two chancels is not entirely clear. Many scholars suggest that there is some symbolic significance, such as empire and church, or body and spirit, but no irrefutable evidence for these theories exists. Others claim that the construction has a functional purpose for ceremonial processions. Whatever the original intent of the double chancel, the eastern chancel came to serve as the location for the mass and the western chancel was reserved for the bishop and pontiffs.
Mainz Cathedral in Germany is currently showcasing the world’s largest Bible page to the public in honor of the 625th birthday of Johannes Gutenberg, the inventor of the printing press and producer of the Gutenberg Bible. The 16.4ft x 23.6ft page presents the first page of John’s Gospel and is on display until Aug. 31, 2025.
Just outside the Cathedral, the Marktbrunnen is a renaissance fountain located at the ″Markt″ (marketplace) of Mainz.
Walking toward the river we passed the Gutenberg Museum, one of the oldest museums of printing in the world. It is named after Johannes Gutenberg, the inventor of printing from movable metal type in Western Europe and a native of Mainz. (We didn’t have time to go inside.)
We continued our walk to the Rhine River. Mainz had not been a stop on the Rhine River cruise we took last year. It appeared that the water levels were pretty high again this year.
There was a sculpture park located along the river with some interesting (and not so interesting) pieces on display.
Circling back toward the center of oldtown Mainz we came across a monument of Gutenberg.
We eventually found our way back to the point where we would be picked up later. There was a restaurant right at that point, so we stopped to rest and imbibe a couple of glasses of wine.
There was a street musician performing which was great entertainment while we relaxed.
While having our second glass of wine, Rick called the cabbie since it would be a while before he would arrive to pick us up. The driver showed up a bit after 5:00 p.m. and we were back at the airport hotel by 5:45 p.m. Not having had much to eat so far today, we went directly to the hotel restaurant for dinner. Interestingly, the menu featured mostly American meals of barbeque, Cajun food, hamburgers, etc. Unfortunately, the meal sizes were also American, i.e. too large! As hungry as we were, there was no way we could eat all the food on our plates. Up until now, all the meals we had eaten in Europe were of a much more manageable size. It was too bad that the restaurant felt they needed to follow the American tradition of providing such wastefully large meals.
After dinner we made our way back up to our room for our last night of the trip.
Wednesday, June 11
The last day of this trip has finally arrived. In order to be able to check out of the hotel and check in for our flight in a timely manner, we were up at 5:45 a.m. It was a short walk from the Marriott Hotel to the Lufthansa ticket counter in the airport (all connected indoors). There were no lines, and we were checked in by 6:55 a.m. Passing through security was also a quick process as, again, there were no lines (unlike the chaos we had encountered at the Rome airport).
We went to one of the Lufthansa Business Class Lounges until we boarded our flight at 9:55 a.m. In the Lounge we ate breakfast and did some reading to pass the time.
Our 9 ½ hour flight from Frankfurt to St. Louis departed on time and we arrived in St. Louis at 1:45 p.m. However, we still did not have our feet on the ground as the customs officials were not ready for us, and we had to stay on the plane for another half hour or so. We were finally able to get off the plane and pass through customs, which went very quickly for us as we both have the global reentry pass. But then there was quite a wait for the luggage to arrive at the carousel. Fortunately, the driver who was picking us up was patient and we eventually made it to the house around 3:30 p.m.
In summary, this was an amazing trip, and certainly one of the longest we have ever done. In twenty-six days, we were in six countries (Italy, Greece, Montenegro, Croatia, Malta and Germany) and visited fifteen or more cities and towns. Out of all of those, we both agreed that Venice was our favorite, but we would gladly revisit any of them. Now back to reality!
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