Feeling the heat on the Beyond: Review of 10 day Italy, Greece and Croatia Cruise 7th- 17th July

[Scottishclover]

Due to the lovely responses I got from my review of our Baltic Cruise on the Apex last summer, I thought I’d give you all some tips and insights on our Beyond cruise this year as well as our pre- cruise experience. I will also try to answer these fundamental questions:

 

Can 4 adults really survive 10 days in an inside cabin without killing each other?

Is the Italy and Greece  in the height of summer ever a good idea 🥵?

 

 Is there a pre- cruise alternative to Rome city centre when sailing from Civitavecchia?

 

Can you eat well on a cruise if you are coeliac and vegan?

 

Can you ever tire of too much gelato?

 

Will you need a holiday to recover from the 3 week holiday you have just had? ( I think you might know the answer to this one already…..)

 

OUR ITINERARY 

4 nights in Lucca, Tuscany

4 nights in Rome

10 nights cruise (ports were Katakolon, Corfu, Dubrovnik, Kotor, Messina, Naples, Livorno 

Warning: If you love a review with lots of ship and cruise food photos, this is not for you. Vloggers on Youtube do that much better. However,  if you like tips and ideas about ports ( mostly on a budget), enjoy photos of stunning scenery, have food allergies to manage and are interested on what a youngish!! ( I know I’m kidding myself) demographic think about Celebrity then please stick around and enjoy.

 

QUICK INTRO

The only selfie of all us from the trip. Gold star if you can guess from which port on the itinerary we took this.

 

What do you need to know about us? We are a Scottish family living just south of Edinburgh. DH and myself have just celebrated the “big 50” hence the big trip, and our daughters are 20 and 18. We are outdoorsy, independent travellers and tend to enjoy holidays hiking in nice scenery and cooler climates. We have cruised to Norway, Alaska and Scandinavia before so surely this warm weather cruise is not for us?

Well, last year we enjoyed our first foray with Celebrity on the Apex to Scandinavia so much,  we decided to try the Beyond. It was a toss up between this itinerary or the following cruise to Turkey and Greece but our girls realised they would be ticking off more countries on this particular itinerary so the decision was made (for which I am eternally grateful given what happened to the temperatures shortly after we returned home.)
 

PRE- CRUISE:LOVING LIFE IN LUCCA

 

I beg you if you have never been to Lucca, go now.
 

Reason 1: Easy to get there on a cheap, direct flight to Pisa from Scotland and other UK airports. Sorry my American friends  can’t imagine there’s direct flights from the US.

Reason 2: It is just a beautiful wee Tuscan gem. Simple.

Reason 3: Really handy for day trips to Florence and Pisa.

Reason 4: There is a direct train from Pisa Centrale to Civitavecchia so an ideal place to visit pre-cruise if you are looking for a change from Rome.

Reason 5: It’s cheap compared to other places in Italy - this is judged by my very non-scientific benchmark of the price of an aperol spritz😂

 

Our journey had not got off to the best start. In my stupidity, I had not booked the cheap, direct flight from Scotland as recommended above, and so we found ourselves belting through London Gatwick to the horrific sound of “any remaining passengers to Pisa” over the tannoy. I’ll learn from that mistake.
However, once on Italian soil it was an easy train ride on the Pisa Mover to Pisa Centrale and then 30 min train journey to Lucca. 
 

We like to mix our accommodation up a bit on trips so stayed in the delightful, classically Italian, Hotel Ilaria, just inside the city walls. We had a family suite and breakfast was included. I would go back in a heartbeat. Great choice for anyone. 
 

First, we went off in search of  the Italian holy grail….

Espresso, first of many….

Pasta at Cibo e Convivo ( lots of gf and vegan options)

Enjoying our first gelato of the trip in the Piazza dell’ Anfiteatro in Lucca. Top tip: we found that all fruit flavours and dark chocolate were vegan in any good gelateria and and anything without obvious cake/biscuit additions were gluten free. No fillers are used.

Our first day we just chilled in the morning. There was an epic rainstorm and given we were in Italy to escape a rainy Scottish summer, it was a bit of a downer. However we knew that blue skies were on the horizon and this was in fact the only rain we encountered on our 18 day trip so we weren’t too miffed. Once it cleared up, we went out for a bit of a potter. The only things on the agenda was to climb the Torre Guinigi later in the day and find a gluten free bakery I had read about.

San Michele in Forno . There’s lots of churches in Lucca but this was a standout. It’s made from local marble.

 

Different views from the tower. It’s an easy climb up and has trees growing on the top! Price €6 acceptable to DH.

 

Another great activity in Lucca is to walk, run or cycle around the city walls. They are 4km long, shady on hot afternoons and have lots of points where you can come off them into the town. Best of all they are free ( pay attention Dubrovnik!!) and even better we had free bike rental from the hotel so DH was especially happy! 

Taken from the walls. However lots of rain + lots of trees can only equal one thing. Me and DD1 were bitten alive. It was worse than the Scottish midges😩

Starbene Bakery near the Santa Anna Gate. Completely gluten free products. DH got pizza and focaccia straight from the oven as well as some sweet treats. It was worth searching out.

 

My Lucca Top Three Tips

- Enjoy an aperativo at a cafe in one of the many relaxing piazzas.

- Hire bikes and explore the city walls (Celebrity actually do an excursion from Livorno called Lucca by Bike.)

- Wear bug spray!!

 

Coming next…. One day in Florence

[Provence55always]

Thank you for taking the time, looking forward to following. We enjoyed a few days in Lucca years ago as we traveled around Italy by bus and train. I remember our hotel inside the walls had no air conditioning ( it was so hot) but the management were very kind. My husband left his man bag😂at reception with a lot of valuable and they delivered it next day to our hotel in Pisa. Enjoy Florence. 

[Scottishclover]

FIGHTING THE CROWDS IN FLORENCE 

 

Okay, I should preface this by saying that Florence was the scene of the great gelato scandal of 2000 when DH paid €9 for two ice creams. DH was not too bothered about returning. 
 

After a great breakfast with fresh gf and vegan pastries ( 🙌Hotel Ilaria) , we got the  train to Florence. It took 1 hour  20. On arrival in Florence the station was hoachin’ ( to use some good Scottish Vernacular) and it set the tone for the day. No matter how crowded you imagine Florence is going to be, it will be worse than you think. 
 

First we headed to the Duomo. Queues were already long but we had plans to just see it from the outside anyway. It is an amazing structure, especially when you consider the architecture behind Brunelleschi’s done.
 

Then we hotfooted it to Palazzo Vecchio for a tour called Hidden Passages. The guide was excellent but I wouldn’t say it was a must do if you only have one day. 

You can see a copy of David in the background. Unfortunately the closest we got to the real thing.

 

 

Images from The Hall of the 500.  On our tour we went right up into the attic and learned how these amazing paintings were attached to the ceiling.

 

After lunch at a great gluten free restaurant called Ristorante Quinoa, we headed to Ponte Vecchio then over the river to the Piazzale Michelangelo for some views. It was well worth the walk.

Ponte Vecchio is a bit of a tourist trap and a pickpocket’s dream.

 

The quintessential view.

Then we had a Free Walking Tour at 5pm but of course it started at the other side of town. So we retraced our steps through the crowds on our already weary feet. Again the guide was great, but all the crowds made his job difficult and a walking tour in the heat of the day isn’t a great idea. It was a tough crowd. We use Free Walking Tours a lot and they are a good way to keep costs down. 
 

Once the tour ended we decided we had had enough, so said farewell to Florence got the return train to Lucca. Not before stumbling on the offending gelateria from our last visit in 2000. Once bitten, twice shy. We waited till we were back in our little oasis of Lucca before partaking in some gelato.

 

Florence Top Three Tips

- If you are doing a walking tour, do it early on to beat the crowds.

- Book in advance if you want to go to Uffizi or Accademia galleries. I could have got tickets for Accademia months ago but I put it off and then nearer the time everything was sold out. 
-Reading up on some of the history of the Medici family helps you get the most out of Florence.

 

Florence deserves much more than a one day visit if you are an art lover. It just wasn’t so appealing to us and the crowds affected our experience. On our cruise there were day tours to Florence from Livorno but I think they would have been really hectic and hot. If I ever go back to Florence it will be in low season. 
 

Next up….. Pisa

 

 

[Scottishclover]

14 hours ago, Provence55always said:

Thank you for taking the time, looking forward to following. We enjoyed a few days in Lucca years ago as we traveled around Italy by bus and train. I remember our hotel inside the walls had no air conditioning ( it was so hot) but the management were very kind. My husband left his man bag😂at reception with a lot of valuable and they delivered it next day to our hotel in Pisa. Enjoy Florence. 

You are very welcome. Hotel Ilaria had air conditioning, which we were grateful for. I actually like the level of air conditioning in Italy. It’s not too severe. I find the temperature on the celebrity ships too cool for my liking - even when I’ve just returned from near 40 degree heat. Of course we are not used to air conditioning in Scotland. I’m a teacher and the air conditioning in schools consists of opening the windows😂

Edited July 29, 2023 by Scottishclover

[Scottishclover]

A PERFECT DAY IN PISA

 

It was another early start as I had booked a timed entry for the Leaning Tower at 10am. After a short train journey it was about a 20 min walk to the Square of Miracles through the University quarter. By the way, we are walkers or use public transport.  We never use taxis or Ubers.
 

We were expecting crowds but were very pleasantly surprised. Maybe we just beat all the tour groups? We had tickets for entry to all the different buildings in the Square of Miracles costing €27 . It’s €20 for the tower only.  You need timed entry for the tower, which can be booked 20 days in advance. Due to the timed entry the queue for the tower was pretty much non-existent. One thing to note, you  need to check in all your bags before climbing it. The steps aren’t that narrow and the climb is easy for any relatively fit person.

The lean is actually less in percentage terms than you would think.

View of the Cathedral from the top of the tower.

The Baptistery . As you can see the lawns are well kept.

Even by lunch things weren’t too crowded.

A bit cheesy but had to be done.

It’s fun to watch everyone try to get THAT photo!!

 

One building not to miss is the Camposanto. There’s lots of paintings of biblical scenes inside, some in the process of being restored. One thing to remember, especially ladies, is to be respectful and keep shoulders and knees covered at religious sites. I carried a scarf and the girls had very fine crochet boleros to put on when going into churches.

 

After a thoroughly enjoyable morning, we decided to go into the nearby University Botanical Gardens. As it was the first Sunday in the month, we got in for free

( always welcome).  It was fine for a stroll but not much was in flower. Our destination for lunch was Filter Coffee Lab. It was a trendy, hipster place near the uni that I knew would be right up the girls’ street. It was busy and service was quite slow but we were in no hurry and there were loads of gf and vegan options. It’s about 5 mins from the Square of Miracles.

 

In the afternoon we wandered into the centre and down by the River  Arno. We got a contender for the best gelato of the trip at Gelateria de’ Coltelli. It’s on the bank of the river and a little walk from the main shopping street so wasn’t busy. I had lemon and peach and DH had hazelnut. They source most of their ingredients locally. You know it’s going to be good when the ice cream is not on display but contained in metal tubs with lids. This was the case in our 3 favourite gelaterias.

Down by the river Arno. It was very peaceful.

 

All in all, we had a great day in Pisa. I would totally recommend it if your ship docks in Livorno. It’s pretty compact for getting around and was just a nice change of pace from the day before in Florence.

 

Pisa: Top 3 Tips

-Get to  the Square of Miracles as early as possible to get the most out of your visit.

-All the buildings in the Square of Miracles are worth a look, not just the tower.

- Don’t ignore the rest of Pisa. It has a lovely vibe, it’s a university town after all. 
 

Next up……how to make the most of your pre-cruise stay in Rome.

[Arzeena]

Following along. What a lovely family! And great pictures.

[Scottishclover]

 

47 minutes ago, Arzeena said:

Following along. What a lovely family! And great pictures.

Thank you. We made some great memories on the trip.

[Scottishclover]

 Our journey from Lucca to Rome was a comfortable and easy one on the regional train. It stopped at Civitavecchia, which got me thinking…. Next time we cruise out of Rome I would stay in Lucca for a few days and then head to the port by train in the morning. It’s definitely a viable pre-cruise option if you have already been to Rome a few times. 
 

ROME ESSENTIALS

Probably the biggest concern for tourists is where to stay. Obviously it depends on your budget and preference but we wanted to keep costs down ( we have 2 girls to put through university). We decided to stay in an Airbnb a little outside the Centro Storico in the area of Testaccio to save some money and it was an inspired choice.

 

The location was fantastic. For walkers like us: 20 mins to the Colosseum, 40 to Trevi Fountain area, 50 to the Vatican City and 15 to Travestere. For non- walkers:  very close to Roma  Ostiense station for direct links to Termini and the port and also minutes from Piramide underground station.

 

Taken from the Non-Catholic Cemetery just round the corner from the apartment. Shelly, Keats and Goethe are buried here.( That's one for the German scholars among us , myself and DD1 included.)

 

Testaccio is much loved by foodies and has some famous, traditional, Roman trattorias in the area as well as a covered market, a bit like Granville Island Market in Vancouver. I tried the Roman snack Suppli there and it was delicious. There’s also an abundance of bars, cafes and gelaterias.

Could this be the best flavour combination ever? Dark chocolate with raspberry, mint and chilli from Panna & Co on Via Marmorata.

 

However, the highlight for me was Piazza Testaccio. After 6pm it was teeming with local life; people chatting on benches with a glass of wine, children playing football ( the real game ⚽️😀) and drawing with chalk on the pavement. That is why I love staying away from the main tourist drags in Airbnb - you get to  see how the locals live. If you plan to go to Rome, I would recommend heading to Testaccio for a meal in the evening. 

 

After settling in, we headed to Rome proper in the evening to do some sightseeing with lighter crowds.

 

The girls’ first glimpse of the Colosseum. I know they are awe-struck when the phones come out straight away.

 

There was still quite a crowd at The Trevi Fountain at 8 pm.

Looking down at the Spanish Steps. If you sit down at all you will get a whistle blown at you by the police. It was quite amusing to watch.

You are allowed to sit down on the upper section.

Vittorio Emanuele ll monument. You can see the streets were quiet by this point.

We had a realistic itinerary planned for the rest of the week. I knew we would need some down time due to the heat so didn’t over plan. The last time DH and I were in Rome over 20 years ago we just queued to get into the sights. Now you have to be ultra organised with online tickets. 
 

We had 3 full days and our plans were:

Day 1 - St Peter’s and dome climb early am, Borghese Gardens, official Vatican Tour pm.

Day 2 - Pantheon first thing then walk in the centre. Back to Testaccio Market for lunch and some downtime. Walk over to Travestere for aperativo in the evening.

Day 3 - WalkItaly tour of Colosseum and Roman Forum am then go with the flow pm.

 

This was as much as we could manage in the extreme heat and we walked miles doing it all.

 

Edited July 29, 2023 by Scottishclover

[Les43]

Enjoying your latest review. We have just completed the Greece / Malta 10 night cruise on Reflection which visited a couple of the same ports as Beyond. Will be interested to get your thoughts on those and the heat 🥵. I have also completed a semi-live review of that cruise. 

[Scottishclover]

5 minutes ago, Les43 said:

Enjoying your latest review. We have just completed the Greece / Malta 10 night cruise on Reflection which visited a couple of the same ports as Beyond. Will be interested to get your thoughts on those and the heat 🥵. I have also completed a semi-live review of that cruise. 

Yes, I enjoyed your review very much. I’m not organised enough to do a live review and too cheap to pay for the good WiFi 😂

 

I think we just about got away with the heat. I was concerned about that element of the trip. However that nice 6 weeks of consistently good weather we had in May and June this year got me a wee bit accustomed to it. I’m a Primary School teacher so we had no option but to go in July. I’ve also had skin cancer so need to be very careful in the sun hence the sun hat and always factor 50. Being a woman of a certain age does not help with the sweating situation either🤦‍♀️ The final couple of days on the cruise in Sicily and Naples the temperatures really seemed to go up a notch.

[Les43]

2 minutes ago, Scottishclover said:

Yes, I enjoyed your review very much. I’m not organised enough to do a live review and too cheap to pay for the good WiFi 😂

 

I think we just about got away with the heat. I was concerned about that element of the trip. However that nice 6 weeks of consistently good weather we had in May and June this year got me a wee bit accustomed to it. I’m a Primary School teacher so we had no option but to go in July. I’ve also had skin cancer so need to be very careful in the sun hence the sun hat and always factor 50. Being a woman of a certain age does not help with the sweating situation either🤦‍♀️ The final couple of days on the cruise in Sicily and Naples the temperatures really seemed to go up a notch.

Thank you - glad you enjoyed! I also work in education in Scotland but have slightly more flexibility now as I am no longer in a school. As a woman of a certain age I share your pain! Looking forward to the rest of your review! 

[PTC DAWG]

Nice pictures..4 in an inside…I don’t think I could do it for free. 

[Scottishclover]

8 minutes ago, PTC DAWG said:

Nice pictures..4 in an inside…I don’t think I could do it for free. 

😂😂😂 I understand but here’s the thing, the price differential between an inside and veranda allowed us to have a cheeky wee trip to Porto and Lisbon instead. We did move-up last year to a IV on Apex and considered it for this trip but DD1 is studying in Germany this year so we thought the money could be better used for flights to visit her there. And honestly we only used the balcony section last year to air our gym clothes. We are more out and about on the ship people.

 

I find the storage for 4 to be adequate in an inside but you do have to be on top of keeping things organised. I did do a bit of nagging on that front but was entirely vindicated as our stateroom attendant told me she had all her colleagues come and see her “showroom” . Nobody could believe there were 4 adults in there🤩

 

Another bonus is that our daughters are teeny weeny which helps. 4 in a room can be done and we wouldn’t think twice about doing it again to save some money. I’m not sure I could ever bring myself to spend the money for a suite but I know others feel differently. Remember we are canny Scots…..

[Scottishclover]

ST PETER’S BASILICA

So why do your teenagers agree to get up at the ungodly hour of 5:45am on holiday? Well, for this…

An empty St Peter’s at 7:30 am. 

 

Mission accomplished. After a 50 minute walk along the river, accompanied by lots of runners and cyclists, we made it St Peter’s with hardly any queue at the security check. This is one place where they are very strict about covered knees and shoulders. Not easy in the heat but linen is your friend, ladies. 
 

We made a beeline for the dome climb before it got too busy and took the cheapest option ( I’m sure you are noticing a pattern) to walk instead of taking the lift. The lift only goes part way up anyway.

Half way up you can get into the dome to see these amazing mosaics close up.

No matter where you look, every square inch is covered in amazing art.

 

If you are at all claustrophobic or are not particularly fit, avoid doing the dome climb. I don’t think their warning signs are quite forceful enough. I’m not going to lie, it was hot and sweaty and you are at the mercy of the pace setters in front of you. In our case as our (bad) luck would have it, a very fit and fast German school group. There really aren’t many places for a breather and it made The Leaning Tower seem like a stroll in the park. Once at the top it was totally worth it though!

View to Bernini’s famous square.

View to the gardens of the Vatican.

 

After the climb down you end up inside the basilica. I mean there are just no words to describe the grandeur so some photos will just have to do.

Michelangelo’s sculpture Pieta is behind glass.

Even if  you are not religious, you can’t help but be affected by the feeling of spirituality in the basilica. It’s just an amazing building inside and out. 

After a quick espresso pit stop in Prati, we made our way towards the Piazza del Popolo  and the Borghese Gardens.

 

Taken from Terrazza del Pincio.

Great views from the river. Walking is the way to go. 

We actually didn’t stay too long in the gardens, primarily as I could feel the beasties biting. We were in the mood for gelato again, and stumbled across Gelateria La Romana on Via Cola di Rienzo. We were desperately in need of some air conditioning and a seat by this point but this place offered so much more. It was a covered metal tub scenario again, indicating quality, and the taste was spectacular. I had Fior di Latte. Now we live in a town with an award winning ice cream shop but this was the best ice cream I have ever tasted. Every gelateria we visited had a plethora of vegan and gf choices and most had gf cones too.

 

We carried on back towards the Vatican, did a bit of shopping and then had a late lunch at an organic place in Prati. We were all flagging with the heat and the early start and we still had our tour of the Vatican to do. It really took an extra effort and I realised that really we were doing too much in the one day and would need to adjust accordingly. 

[Luckynana]

Lovely pictures.  Following!

[agape01]

I'll send this to my Brother who is going to Italy this coming winter.

Give him some ideas and tips.

[Missusdubbya]

Wonderful review so far, thank you!

[Scottishclover]

11 hours ago, Luckynana said:

Lovely pictures.  Following!

Thanks, we tried our best with photos but just really snaps from the iPhone. 

[Scottishclover]

11 hours ago, agape01 said:

I'll send this to my Brother who is going to Italy this coming winter.

Give him some ideas and tips.

He certainly won’t have the heat or the crowds in the winter. My advice is to be organised and get tickets for any of the big sights in advance. Also don’t be frightened to use the trains to get around.  Italy actually has a pretty good rail system.

[Scottishclover]

10 hours ago, Missusdubbya said:

Wonderful review so far, thank you!

Thanks, you’re very welcome .I’m going to try to shorten things down a bit to get to the cruise section which is probably what most folks are interested in.

[agape01]

2 minutes ago, Scottishclover said:

He certainly won’t have the heat or the crowds in the winter. My advice is to be organised and get tickets for any of the big sights in advance. Also don’t be frightened to use the trains to get around.  Italy actually has a pretty good rail system.

 

Thanks for the heads up.

 

It wouldn't be his first time to Europe and also would be his second time to Italy.

[Scottishclover]

VATICAN MUSEUMS DOs AND DON’Ts

 

-Do buy a ticket in advance, we walked straight in.

-Do get a tour. The museum is so vast, without a guide and in the heavy crowds we would have been lost.

-Do follow the rules in the Sistine Chapel. As well as the amazing art, it is still a holy place and there’s no photos or talking allowed.

-Do think about a private tour if you have issues with mobility. Our guide stopped rarely, it was walk and talk. You had to be quick to keep up!

 

-Don’t expect air conditioning - it damages the art ( or so they say, maybe they are just saving on energy bills!)

-Don’t be late if you have a Vatican Official Tour. Our guide left  at 2:55 sharp for a 3 o’clock tour and didn’t check if everyone was there.

-Don’t believe what you read. I had read that it was quieter late afternoon as all tour groups go in the morning. I don’t think they could have squeezed another human in the inside of the building, if they had tried.

 

It was really tricky to take photos inside due to the heavy crowds. I also didn’t want to stop and lose the guide. I was also constantly trying to keep track of my family when we moved from one room to the next. Here are the few I took:

Pio- Clementino section of the museum.

 

Apollo Belvedere sculpture.

 

It was actually nice to get a little air outside. 

Remember to also look up when you walk through the museum. These ceilings look 3D but they are actually flat. 

 

I booked tickets and a tour on the official Vatican Museums website. There’s lots of options, the cheapest tickets go fast. I was just going to go for audio guides but the guided tour was not much extra. Our guide was exceptional. She started by using an interactive display to explain the different sections of the Sistine Chapel as she isn’t allowed  to enter with her group. This was really useful when we came to view the main event later on.

 

 Then we moved through some of the main highlights of the museum. The room of maps was especially interesting and I really enjoyed the Raphael rooms. Our guide told us about the Michelangelo v Raphael situation. They were completely opposite in terms of personality and it was Raphael who was really the Rome superstar. As I said, the only thing was we were mostly moving the whole time, especially in the long halls so there wasn’t a lot of time to  completely admire and study the art. I think this will be the same for most tours Overall I thought this tour was very informative and she also added the odd wee joke to keep things light. The couple of hours just flew by. It was definitely value for money and I would recommend it for a visit to the Vatican Museums.

 

FANCY FOOTWEAR IN ROME

I had a wee giggle at a topic on the Italy ports of call forum so am going to give my thoughts here. Should you wear ugly but comfy trainers or try to be a bit more stylish ?

 

Our footwear of choice in Rome was Birkenstock. They were a very popular choice. I have Gizeh and the rest have the 2 strap Arizonas. I also alternated with a pair of Timberland leather Malibu waves sandals which have a back strap and ortholite support. These were a great investment bought specifically for this trip. After DH being called the worst dress man in Stockholm by our daughters last year ( it was true, I compared him to others the whole day), he wanted to get a bit more stylish and Birkenstock were the way to go for him. But there’s still plenty of folk walking about in comfy trainers.

 

Let’s face it nobody will ever be as stylish as the Italians do there’s no point in trying to blend in. In fact Rome is so full of tourists, they seemed to be in the majority so just wear what you find comfy.

 

Even our trusty Birkenstocks didn’t do the trick by the time we walked back to the Apartment on Tuesday evening. Our phones told us that in the 24 hours we had been in Rome we had walked over 50 km😱. I rest my case for trainers.

 

[chemmo]

Thoroughly enjoying your review….Beautiful sites but you are making beautiful future family memories too…

[Jopix]

33 minutes ago, Scottishclover said:

VATICAN MUSEUMS DOs AND DON’Ts

 

-Do buy a ticket in advance, we walked straight in.

-Do get a tour. The museum is so vast, without a guide and in the heavy crowds we would have been lost.

-Do follow the rules in the Sistine Chapel. As well as the amazing art, it is still a holy place and there’s no photos or talking allowed.

-Do think about a private tour if you have issues with mobility. Our guide stopped rarely, it was walk and talk. You had to be quick to keep up!

 

-Don’t expect air conditioning - it damages the art ( or so they say, maybe they are just saving on energy bills!)

-Don’t be late if you have a Vatican Official Tour. Our guide left  at 2:55 sharp for a 3 o’clock tour and didn’t check if everyone was there.

-Don’t believe what you read. I had read that it was quieter late afternoon as all tour groups go in the morning. I don’t think they could have squeezed another human in the inside of the building, if they had tried.

 

It was really tricky to take photos inside due to the heavy crowds. I also didn’t want to stop and lose the guide. I was also constantly trying to keep track of my family when we moved from one room to the next. Here are the few I took:

Pio- Clementino section of the museum.

 

Apollo Belvedere sculpture.

 

It was actually nice to get a little air outside. 

Remember to also look up when you walk through the museum. These ceilings look 3D but they are actually flat. 

 

I booked tickets and a tour on the official Vatican Museums website. There’s lots of options, the cheapest tickets go fast. I was just going to go for audio guides but the guided tour was not much extra. Our guide was exceptional. She started by using an interactive display to explain the different sections of the Sistine Chapel as she isn’t allowed  to enter with her group. This was really useful when we came to view the main event later on.

 

 Then we moved through some of the main highlights of the museum. The room of maps was especially interesting and I really enjoyed the Raphael rooms. Our guide told us about the Michelangelo v Raphael situation. They were completely opposite in terms of personality and it was Raphael who was really the Rome superstar. As I said, the only thing was we were mostly moving the whole time, especially in the long halls so there wasn’t a lot of time to  completely admire and study the art. I think this will be the same for most tours Overall I thought this tour was very informative and she also added the odd wee joke to keep things light. The couple of hours just flew by. It was definitely value for money and I would recommend it for a visit to the Vatican Museums.

 

FANCY FOOTWEAR IN ROME

I had a wee giggle at a topic on the Italy ports of call forum so am going to give my thoughts here. Should you wear ugly but comfy trainers or try to be a bit more stylish ?

 

Our footwear of choice in Rome was Birkenstock. They were a very popular choice. I have Gizeh and the rest have the 2 strap Arizonas. I also alternated with a pair of Timberland leather Malibu waves sandals which have a back strap and ortholite support. These were a great investment bought specifically for this trip. After DH being called the worst dress man in Stockholm by our daughters last year ( it was true, I compared him to others the whole day), he wanted to get a bit more stylish and Birkenstock were the way to go for him. But there’s still plenty of folk walking about in comfy trainers.

 

Let’s face it nobody will ever be as stylish as the Italians do there’s no point in trying to blend in. In fact Rome is so full of tourists, they seemed to be in the majority so just wear what you find comfy.

 

Even our trusty Birkenstocks didn’t do the trick by the time we walked back to the Apartment on Tuesday evening. Our phones told us that in the 24 hours we had been in Rome we had walked over 50 km😱. I rest my case for trainers.

 

Just wear Gucci trainers 😂

19 minutes ago, chemmo said:

Thoroughly enjoying your review….Beautiful sites but you are making beautiful future family memories too…

 

[Scottishclover]

TAKING IT EASY IN ROME 

So our feet hadn’t quite recovered and by luck this was the day with no real plans. The only thing on the agenda was a visit to The Pantheon. 
 

Now it used to be free to enter but 2 days before our visit a charge was introduced. It was minimal at €5 but I couldn’t find out how to buy online tickets beforehand. In the end we just went old school and queued  up on the day. We got there around 9:20 am and had a 20 minute wait at the most,  but it was in full sun. There’s different lines for cash and credit card so check you are in the right one. It was a little chaotic but I’m sure they will iron out the kinks in time.

There was already quite a queue early on.

 

It wasn’t too busy inside. It’s hard to believe quite how old this building actually is. The floor work is beautiful.
 

Looking up towards the oculus.

 

Afterwards we just went on a stroll nearby.

Piazza Navona

 

Bernini’s fountain at Piazza Navona

 

Campo d’Fiori

 

The girls were very tempted to remove the bottom melon😂

 

We began to walk back to our apartment via the Colosseum with a stop at the ‘wedding cake’ monument for some views and then coffee.

 

This was a very cute espresso! Tip: espresso is cheaper if you have it standing at the bar.

 

Once back in Testaccio we went to the market to grab some lunch and buy some fruit and veg.  Prices were reasonable and lots of locals were there shopping. There’s something for everyone- even us vegan and gluten free weirdos - and there’s seating in the centre atrium.

The afternoon was spent having a bit of much needed R&R in the Airbnb. DD1 had a bit of admin to do in preparation for her year abroad in Germany and I wanted to do some washing before we got on the ship.

 

After a while we decided to head over to Travestere for a drink. It was a lovely area to explore. Still quite touristy in comparison to Testaccio though.

 

Spritz anyone? Me - Aperol, DD 2 - Hugo and DD1- Campari. 
 

Coming up next ….. final day in Rome and Colosseum tour.