OneSixtyToOne

After the mandatory safety review, we always go to the World Cafe when we board. Pool grill is another option. BTW you can take your food from the pool into the WC, which is right next door. Lots of seating and desserts! If our room isn’t ready we stroll around the ship, sports deck, promenade deck, etc.

Please let me know if the free day of your Classic Greece extension has shifted to Monday.

Day 16 - Lunch and the Towers of San Gimignano We departed Siena for lunch at a rustic farm, Fattoria San Donato, located outside of San Gimignano. This is the heart of Chianti country but the San Gimignano area is known for production of the white Vernaccia grape and saffron. Chianti must be at least 80% Sangiovese grapes and on this trip it ranged from 85%-95%. We passed through scenic hills with short glimpses of the towers from the town occasionally visible. We arrived at the rustic farmhouse for another delicious traditional Tuscan lunch and of course plenty of wine. On the way back to the bus we met the family dog. This is the first flat-coated retriever I've ever seen in person. I have always admired them when watching dog shows on TV. They look like a small Irish Setter but have a solid black or liver coat and a playful personality. Our group was so engrossed with this magnificent dog that we lost track of time and our way back to the bus. Roberta was not happy. At least she didn't make us do push-ups. San Gimignano is known as the Town of Fine Towers. Like Florence and Siena it is on Via Francigena, the "road that comes from France" which medieval pilgrims followed to Rome. At one time there were over 70 towers in San Gimignano, but now only 14 remain. Some have been shortened and converted into modern living spaces but the largest ones are empty. Because it was a walled city on a hill, the only way to build was up. This created a competition to build the tallest tower to show your wealth and power. The competition got to the point where someone decided to build a twin tower, so if you add the two together, they are taller than the tallest tower. After our tour we had some free time. We went into a small shop that was sampling balsamic vinegar. Here I tasted white balsamic for the first time. Made from the Vernaccia grape, it has the sweetness of sherry. I can't wait to try it on a homemade Caprese salad. We also took some time to view the countryside below the town. We headed back to our villa at sunset. Upon returning, we were treated to our farewell dinner. After saying our goodbyes, we headed to our room. Tomorrow, it's a 5:30 AM shuttle to the airport

Day 16 - A Tale of Two Cities With a long drive ahead of us, today's tour left the villa at 8:00 AM. On the way, Roberta updated us with some good news about the weather. The cold wind we experienced yesterday was gone, skies were sunny, and temperatures near 60. Ideal conditions for what lie ahead. She told us to forget all about Florence, which is flat land located in a river valley. Today we were heading for the hill towns of Sienna and San Gimignano where we will be going up and down steep hills all day. She took some time to instruct us on the pronunciation of San Gimignano. The best I can recommend is "San Jimmy-Ya-No." Say it fast and you're in the ballpark. The titular two cites I'm referring to are Florence and Sienna. To say the least, they don't like each other. This is more than second city syndrome, it goes back centuries. Cosimo I de' Medici unified Tuscany. He defeated the Sienese at the Battle of Marciano in 1554 and laid siege to their city. Despite the inhabitants' desperate resistance, the city fell in 1555 after a 15-month siege, its population diminished from forty thousand to eight thousand. His goal was to never let Sienna have a position of power in Tuscany again. Roberta left out these grim details and gave us a more jovial version akin to sibling rivalry. It really runs much deeper. Our tour guide for the day was Isabella, a friend of Roberta. As a practical joke we were asked to comment how much better Florence was than Sienna. As fate would have it, this joke wrote itself. The bus was required to stop outside the city to obtained a timed parking permit, here we would have a restroom break. When we arrived the restrooms we undergoing renovations and were closed. When we finally met Isabella, the first thing we needed was to find restrooms. We then told Isabella "You know, all the restrooms are open in Florence." That got a big laugh from Isabella, but later in the day it proved prophetic because every public restroom we were directed to was closed. People ended up buying a coffee or gelato just to use the restroom. Isabella had a marvelous dry sense of humor and was the best tour guide of our entire trip. She hammered home the theme of the Sienese / Florentine rivalry many times. She masterly weaved many tales, from the stolen head of St. Catherine of Sienna (it's in the altar), to the quest to find a water supply. Isabella was a fountainhead of information, all told with wit and style. Unfortunately no pictures were allowed within the Basilica Cateriniana. Inside are flags from all the districts in Sienna, each having it's own heraldry. Here are some exterior shots. Did I mention hills? The districts, or neighborhoods, of Sienna have a longstanding political and social significance. Like something out of Romeo and Juliet, you are not allowed to marry someone outside your district. You'll see tiles on the houses indicating which district you are in. This district rivalry cumulates every year in the Palio Horse Race. Twice each summer, jockeys hired by the districts ride bareback on horses chosen by lot. It's two minutes of sheer bedlam as they race around the central square, the Piazza del Campo. Tens of thousands of people pack into the center of the square and according to Isabella, "see absolutely nothing." If the rider falls off, it doesn't matter. The horse crossing the finish line is all that counts. The winning district gets bragging rights and nothing more. Just a hunch, but I suspect there is a lot of backroom gambling going on. The Campo itself is shaped like a scallop shell with herringbone stone sections representing the districts. Sienna is built on clay hills in the middle of nowhere. Isabella asked us "Why? Why would someone want to settle here." The answer was pilgrims. Sienna and San Gimignano are on the pilgrim's trail to Rome. Each stop along the way was trying to build a bigger and more elaborate cathedral. Think of it as a medieval theme park. I failed to mention a moment we had while standing in front of the baptistry in Florence. A siren rang out and an ambulance drove by. The city hospital is right next door. That seems odd to us but it dates back to the times of the cathedral construction. Pilgrims would show up in need of food, water as well as being sick and tired. Hospitality houses were built to tend to them. So like in Florence, a hospitality house is next to the Cathedral in Sienna. The cathedral in Sienna has the most ornate exterior of any one in the world. Even the Medici acknowledged this. To build this cathedral they brought in the person who designed the infamous Leaning Tower of Pisa. By this time he had learned a little more about building on clay. Instead of a separate tower, the bell tower is incorporated into the church itself. Notice the increase in the number of columns as it get higher. This significantly lowers the weight of each successive level. An attempt to build a cathedral bigger than the one Florence collapsed. All that is left is an arch in front of a parking lot. Notice how the column is leaning. Next up, lunch and the towers of San Gimignano.

It’s a Gianni Conti

Also note that sometimes “sold out” means the excursion is cancelled due to lack of resources (tour guides, busses). Also, truly sold out tours may open up later. People can cancel or if enough interest is shown, sometimes additional busses may be added. If it shows “sold out” check everyday.

They may have extended that promo with FR23 which ends Feb 28th https://boards.cruisecritic.com.au/topic/2863068-post-viking-promos/?do=findComment&comment=64734559

DW wanted a small travel purse with LOTS of compartments. 140€ out the door.

I failed to mention we has a great guest lecturer onboard, Peter LaSorsa. One of his presentations went into detail about the differences between the two. Our next cruise (Mediterranean Odyssey) also stops at Naples and we have booked the Herculaneum tour. I'll be liveblogging that also. Peter LaSorsa is a masterful storyteller, always entertaining, and cuts to the chase. The three lectures we attended were amazing. He pointed out certain things he felt important that in case the tour guide failed to mention, you would be informed of. For example the picture I took of the stepping stones in Pompeii was a result of him pointing out the fact that they had no sewers, unlike the more prosperous Herculaneum. He also showed a picture of the streets of Herculaneum that contain reflective white stones. to help guide you in the moonlight. Other contrasts, Pompeii is massive. The area that has been excavated is the size of the actual city. You could spend a week there. Herculaneum had illegal housing built all around it so much of the city has not been uncovered, hence the site is much smaller. People's houses still overlook the ruins. Herculaneum was where the wealthy Romans built their villas and the ruins reflect this wealth. Pompeii was a blue collar working class city. Half of the mountain exploded and landed directly on Pompeii, crushing it. Herculaneum was not covered in ash, instead the pyroclastic flow from the side of the mountain covered everything. The result was there are no skeletons in Pompeii, only the voids left from decaying bodies. Herculaneum has lots of skeletons found near the docks. The rich Romans had abandoned their summer villas and left the slaves behind to tend to the properties. Those who remained headed to the water to try and escape. Also, there is no furniture in Pompeii, it all rotted away. In Herculaneum, it was preserved by the mud. Peter also pointed out that a lot of the frescos and artifacts at both sites are reproductions and the most important pieces are in the Archeological Museum, which we plan to visit on our next trip. He also mentioned that all the erotic frescos are kept in a special gallery that doesn't keep regular hours. They keep changing it so you should check that out first to see when it is open. There was a real controversy about displaying the material so they placed it all in a special room that can be shut down in case a dignitary or the Pope shows up. The random hours thing was an attempt to keep perverts away. Like I said, Peter was entertaining and inciteful. If your happen to end up on a cruise with him. his lectures are a must see.

Day 15 - The Renaissance (continued) and Casa Machiavelli. We left Florence and headed for dinner at Casa Machiavelli. This is the ancestral home of Niccolò Machiavelli. Also know as L'Albergaccio, it literary translates as Bad Hotel. Machiavelli hated the place. When the Medici were replace by a republic, Machiavelli was a minister in the government. When the Medici returned to power, he was exiled here. In a famous letter, he wrote about his boring life on the farm and playing cards in the tavern with the owner and the butcher. At night he would read the classics and write. From this solitude came his masterwork The Prince. Beneath the house are the wine cellars and a secret escape tunnel which was eventually widened and goes under the road to the tavern across the street. After a welcoming toast of blue sparkling wine we toured the house, learned about its history, visited the cellars, and passed through the secret passage under the road to the tavern across the street. At the tavern we tasted a variety of wines made on the estate. For dinner they brought out a flaming pork tenderloin Everything was delicious. I’ve yet to have a bad meal in Tuscany. After an exhausting day, we returned to our villa to recharge for our final day of touring. Next up, Sienna and San Gimignano.

Day 15 - The Renaissance (continued) and pasta!!! After a short walk along the Arno River, we ventured behind city hall to view more magnificent architecture. We learned that the Ponte Vecchio was once filled with leather manufacturers, a process that requires an abundant supply of water. Having them located on the bridge seemed like a good idea….. except for the smell. The Medici wanted no part of that near the palace, so they ordered them moved and all the shops on the bridge were eventually replaced with gold and silversmiths. We now headed for the Piazza di Santa Croce, the heart of the leather district and where we would eat lunch and rendezvous after our free time. The Basilica contains monuments to and tombs of legendary Italians. Everyone from Dante and Galileo to Fermi and Marconi are inside. The streets to the piazza are line with numerous leather shops selling everything imaginable. Florence is renowned for its leather goods and fine gold jewelry. We combined the two with a visit to a leather factory / goldsmith. There we had a tutorial on how to determine real leather from fake and recycled leather, as well as being shown the latest in gold jewelry. During the pandemic the goldsmiths were working on new designs that are pretty amazing. All Italian gold is 18K. If it’s anything else, it not genuine. If you want high quality craftsmanship and design, Italy is the place to find it. The leather factory was low pressure and they allow you to use their restrooms for the rest of they day. They also offered a pretty deep discount as well as free gold leaf embossing on their leather goods. DW bought a purse which she had embossed with her initials. I don’t wear jewelry so I got out of there with little damage to my wallet. I will say the leather jackets were amazing, but being from a warm weather climate, I had no need of one. After the short demo and fashion show we headed across the piazza for lunch at Casa Toscana. Our search for pasta was finally completed with our second course, lasagna!!!! This was by far the best lasagna I’ve ever had. The pasta and the cheese melted in your mouth. It was divine. Our newfound cruise friends Buffy and Ted, members of the pasta posse. The hanging meat is real, as we found out when an employee took one down to use 😆 After lunch we had time on our own. We decided to window shop all the jewelry stores on the Ponte Vecchio. But first we had to visit our friend il Porcellino, the piglet of Florence. Place a coin in the mouth for good luck and rub its snot to return to Florence. The fountain figure was sculpted and cast by Baroque master Pietro Tacca. It’s based on a marble Roman copy of a Greek statue. The original was found in Rome and removed to Florence in the mid-16th century by the Medici. The theme of the Medici doing whatever they please carries over tomorrow when we visit Florence’s rival city, Sienna. Stay tuned. On the Ponte Vecchio, there are these curious, out of place windows in the middle of the bridge. They are part of the Vasari Corridor but not original. They were built by Mussolini for a visit to Florence by Hitler. He wanted his best buddy to have a better view of the river. The result is that it really messed up the temperature in the corridor as the afternoon sun shines directly inside. The artwork in this area had to be moved elsewhere. Operating on “Roberta Time” we headed back to Santa Croce to meet up our tour group and headed to our last stop, a dinner that was literally Machiavellian.

Day 15 - The Renaissance Woke up to a cold and windy, but dry Tuscan morning. We have a very long day ahead of us and won’t return until well after 8:00 PM. After breakfast we took the short ride into Florence. Our first glimpse of the city was magical. The dark storm clouds were in the distance creating a dramatic backdrop to the sunlit city in the Arno River Valley. Definitely a Kodak Moment. Since traffic is restricted in the old town, we drove as close as possible to meet our tour guide to begin our 90 minute walking tour of the city. Our guide Constanza was an art historian who gave us great insight into what we were seeing. We had previously spent four days in Florence visiting the museums so this was a great opportunity for us to learn more about this beautiful city from a local just by walking the streets. One of the first orphanages in the world was founded in Florence. The concept was to teach children a trade, instead of leaving them on the streets to become criminals. Ferdinando I de' Medici, Grand Duke of Tuscany As we continued down narrow streets, Il Duomo suddenly appeared. The dome of the cathedral is the third largest in the world. St. Peter’s in Rome and St. Paul’s in London are the largest. The white, pink and green marble cathedral is the crown jewel in a city filled with countless gems. The bell tower is a separate impressive structure. The first building constructed on the site was the Baptistry. Before a pagan was allowed to enter the church they needed to be baptized. Therefore it was common to make it a separate structure. The doors of Florence’s baptistry are legendary. The side doors were completed first and done in carved wood with gold leaf. Years later the front doors were commissioned and Renaissance perspective was now the style. The difference is striking. Instead of square panels as were originally planned, permission was given to make them rectangular bronze panels, to allow the scenes to demonstrate the new technique. Imagine the impression this made on medieval pilgrims setting their eyes on three dimensional life-like art for the first time. Side doors Main doors From here we ventured into a side street to view two medieval towers that are now a luxury hotel and apartments. As our guide pointed out, the towers were once abandoned because nobody wanted to live in them. Now, everybody wants to live in them. We then headed to the main city square, where the City Hall, The Uffizi, and statuary dominate the space. The copy of David in front of city hall is in the original location. It was later moved inside to the Accademia Gallery. Before becoming an art gallery, the Uffizi was the administrative center. It literally means ”offices.” The Medici family didn’t want to mingle with commoners and feared assassination, so they built a secret corridor from the Uffizi, across the top of the Ponte Vecchio, to a fountain in the Pitti Palace. On our previous trip we toured the corridor. Reservations are required as the number of visitors per day is highly regulated. If you have an extended stay in Florence, do visit it. In the pictures below you can see the corridor running along the top of the Ponte Vecchio and into the Uffizi. More Florence in my next post.

In yesterday’s mail. Promo code FR23. May be an extension of Promo RJE23 post #452

We flew Lufthansa all the way from LAX to Athens. Our return was from Florence so the Florence to Munich leg was on a regional carrier Air Dolomiti. Not sure what the Lufthansa business class carryon policy is. Our next cruise is LAX to Venice via Frankfort, return is Barcelona to San Diego via Munich, all on Lufthansa. We get better arrival times if we fly out of LAX but we live in San Diego. Lufthansa has a non stop Munich to San Diego. I was able to schedule all of this in MVJ without air plus.

Took this picture in the actual Explorer’s Lounge a few days ago. It’s a rare view of a snow covered Mt. Vesuvius.

We just flew LAX to Athens with a 90 minute layover in Munich and arrive at 5:50 PM. Munich is one of the easiest airports to navigate through. Passport control took less than 3 minutes. Paris is nightmare.

We just returned from our cruise where we had a DV1 aft cabin on Deck 4. We really enjoyed the sail away views. You can find pictures and video in this post.

Day 14 - Arrivederci Roma - In search of Pasta We docked in Civitavecchia before dawn. We had our last breakfast in the World Cafe before the mandatory 8:00 AM checkout. Our Tuscany post cruise extension left at 9:00 AM, which left us an hour to relax in the Atrium before boarding our bus. One last picture from our aft veranda. We boarded our bus and met our tour director, Roberta. She was very entertaining and no nonsense when it came to time. So called us her little chickens and operated on what I call “Lombardi Time.” Legendary coach Vince Lombardi emphasized you should always be early for a meeting and if you were on time you were late. Lombardi’s standard was 15 minutes early. Luckily for us, Roberta’s time frame was only one minute early. After a few minutes of drilling this into our heads, she said something like “We meet at 12:30. What time do we meet?” to which most of us replied “12:29” eliciting a positive response. By the 2nd day, everyone was on board with “Roberta Time.” We drove for about 2 hours to coastal Tuscany where we stopped at an agriturismo organic farm La Parrina for a short tour and lunch. We toured the fields, vineyards, produce stand, and wine cellars. We sampled their cheese and wine then sat down for our delicious lunch, prepared with ingredients from the farm. BTW the cheese was indescribably delicious. All over Italy you’ll see pecorino as a prefix on the name of the cheese. It simply means it’s made from sheep’s milk. After our rustic Tuscan lunch (no pasta) we headed to our accommodations at the lovely Villa Il Poggiale. We arrived just before sunset and were assigned our rooms, no two of which are alike. By the luck of the draw we had a fantastic room which opened out onto the 17th Century courtyard. At 7:00 PM everyone gathered in the dining room for another delicious meal that inexplicably contained no pasta. This became a running joke with a group of us. Where are they hiding the pasta? On the bus, Roberta was checking with people that had dietary restrictions. When the topic of shellfish came up she flat out declared you won’t find shellfish or seafood in Tuscany. Since I don’t eat either I’m all in on Tuscan cuisine, I love Parma ham!!! She also stated you won’t find too many potatoes. This became the other running joke because we have two Tuscan meals and both served potatoes instead of pasta. Go figure. After a very long day it was off to sleep in our canopied bed. Tomorrow we visit the birthplace of the Renaissance, Florence.

Day 13 - Continued After the morning Pompei excursion we returned to the ship for a quick lunch. This was the only day we were able to schedule a morning optional excursion with an included afternoon excursion. After a hasty bite to eat in the World Cafe we headed to the bus for the included Naples tour. Typical of included tours, there was a bus ride with the photo stop and a short walking tour of the shopping district. Our next cruise will also stop at Naples and we will use the time to go to the Archeological Museum, where most of the original frescoes from Pompei are housed. We did have a few Kodak moments on the tour. I took a unique shot of our docked ship. During the walking tour we stopped at the pastry shop that is next to the Bourbon Palace and was supplier to the court. We can see why. On return we took a picture of the aft of the ship and our DV1 4122 It’s time to cast off and head to Rome for disembarking. The sail away views from the aft cabins are amazing. IMG_0310.MOV IMG_0315.MOV

Day 13 - Cold Rain & Snow Today we arrived in a very cold, rainy, and snowy Naples. We have been dodging major rain for over a week but on the 13th day our luck ran out. Mt. Vesuvius only has snowfall one or times a year so I’ll look on the bright side and consider this a rare chance to snap some iconic photos. View from the Explorers Lounge We took the excursion to Pompei and once again had a great tour guide. Vesuvius was twice as high as its current twin peak, and much like Mt St Helen’s, is an explosive volcano. Half of the mountain exploded in the 79 AD eruption, landing directly on Pompei, crushing the city and inhabitants in 20+ ft of ash and rock. Herculean met a different fate as that side of the mountain sustained the pyroclastic flow, covering it in mud and other debris. The result was that no skeletons were found in Pompei. Instead hollow pockets were discovered that later were filled with plaster to find the outlines of human bodies and animals. Unlike the wealthy Herculean, there were no sewers, instead raw sewage would run down the streets necessitating stepping stones to cross. Notice the chariot tracks in the road. Pompei is a vast area and we only saw a small part. There were ancient “fast food” shops on every street. It’s a truly remarkable site to explore. I’ll have to stop here, as we are ready to board our flight back to the states. I’ll finish up our day in Naples as well as the Tuscany post cruise extension when we are finally home.

I’m currently on the post cruise extension in Tuscany and a couple days behind with my postings, but after tonight’s wine tasting, it might have to wait until we return home. Cheers. 🍷

I’m currently on the Sky and prices have gone up as per my previous posts.

Tips are included on all drinks, but people have been know to tip there favorite server near the end of the cruise.

Day 12 - Leave the ship, take the cannoli Today we arrive in Sicily. A steady drizzle greeted us as we arrive in Sicily. The upside is it’s Sunday and there are no crowds which is great for photography. Lots of charming buildings in Taormina, along with cannolis and Sicilian pizza! I’m Sicilian on both sides so it reminded me of the food my mom would make. Enjoy the photos.

The Glens say hi.