Almost Live - Viking Sky - Journey to Antiquities - Jan 2023

[miami mama]

You have talked about rain and wind on the trip and you look to be wearing winter jackets. Just wondering how cold it has been. We are going in just about a month and still can't decide on how heavy of a jacket to bring or to just use the windbreakers (with some lining in them) and layer with shirts and sweaters underneath. 

Thanks for all of your reporting and pictures. What a wonderful adventure. 

[SantaFe1]

23 minutes ago, miami mama said:

You have talked about rain and wind on the trip and you look to be wearing winter jackets. Just wondering how cold it has been. We are going in just about a month and still can't decide on how heavy of a jacket to bring or to just use the windbreakers (with some lining in them) and layer with shirts and sweaters underneath. 

Thanks for all of your reporting and pictures. What a wonderful adventure. 

I also keep watching the attire as we leave in just over three weeks.  Regardless of what we pack, I’m pretty sure we will arrive at the airport in parkas.  It has just been miserable here.  But those first sunny days sure look nice!

[miami mama]

It sure does look beautiful and it makes me think it might be warmer than it is. I don't like overpacking (although we seem to all the time) but I also don't like to be cold. 

[OneSixtyToOne]

9 hours ago, FetaCheese said:

We were in Chania on Venus in Dec. 2021.  The Agora (central market) was closing in 2022 for renovations.  It was a terrific place!

 

Do you know if a temp market was set up for the vendors?  Thanks 

The tour bus was literally at the gangway. Knossos tour took us all day and we departed as soon as we returned. Never went into town.

[sugarside]

We did this trip early December last year and found temperatures really reasonable and only a lightweight waterproof jacket was needed at the worse.

[miami mama]

Well, it really does seem like layers may be enough. Thanks for sharing. 

[OneSixtyToOne]

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. 

[OneSixtyToOne]

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. 🍷

[Azulann]

22 minutes ago, OneSixtyToOne said:

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 am so envious. I love Tuscany and have done many wine tastings there when I have visited. 

Cheers!

[miami mama]

You must be having a great time. Can't wait to see your postings. 

[Sleep7]

👋Hi OneSixtyToOne!

I just saw your thread now and I'm just loving the happy tale of your trip!

Interesting commentary,  fantastic pictures and a great sense of humor.

Perfect!😊

[OneSixtyToOne]

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. 

 

Edited January 27, 2023 by OneSixtyToOne

[OneSixtyToOne]

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.

 

 

 

Edited January 29, 2023 by OneSixtyToOne

[millybess]

Great photos. Thanks too for the sail away videos from the aft cabins. 

[Sleep7]

Yes!! I agree! Your photos are amazing.🤩

[OneSixtyToOne]

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.  

 

 

Edited January 29, 2023 by OneSixtyToOne

[CHammond]

Thank you so much for posting! I’ve really enjoyed reading your trip report, we are taking the same extension in April and seeing your pictures has made me super excited to go!

[OneSixtyToOne]

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.

 

 

Edited January 30, 2023 by OneSixtyToOne

[FetaCheese]

Thank you for taking time to share your wonderful travelogue and beautiful photos. 

[OneSixtyToOne]

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.

Edited January 30, 2023 by OneSixtyToOne

[OneSixtyToOne]

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. 

 

 

Edited January 30, 2023 by OneSixtyToOne

[Azulann]

I am loving your posts  while in Tuscany after your cruise.

I spent a  week in Tuscany at a villa with friends and we had cars and travel every white road we found. Yes ,Tuscan food  has lots of meat, pork especially. I first tasted porchetta there. 

love your pictures. My favorite white wine is Vernnachia. From the grapes only grown on the side of San Gimignano.  Look forward to your pictures of Sienna, one of my favorite Italian cities.. 

[aungrl]

Picture of the new purse, please!  (Loving all of the rest of them.  You take wonderful pics.)

[Sleep7]

Yes! New purse pictures please.😊

[KTRaveller]

Thank you for taking so much time to post about your experiences.  We'll overlap with a great deal of your trip next October when we'll travel from Rome to Istanbul, via Athens -- two trips back to back -- but we get to stay on the same ship, same cabin.  Sweet!  Did you talk to anyone who opted to go to Herculaneum instead of Pompeii and compare experiences?  We've heard so much about crowds at Pompeii... We hope October is late enough in the season to not be too bad.  Congratulations on your anniversary, too -- and best wishes for many more.