Vatican Scavi FAQs and Links

[TLCOhio]

Hi Terry, What kind of camera do you have? Your pictures are so clear--mine are blurry and no depth.

 

Appreciate your nice comments on my pictures. It's not that complicated. It's part equipment and a certain amount of skill/practice. Plus, only show people your better pictures.

 

These days, the digital technology has improved so, so much that nearly everyone or more can take good to great pictures. In early October, I upgraded to a new Nikon D3100. Had a Nikon D50 SLR prior. The new camera does high definition, 1080p video, plus its still pictures are done at a much pixel level and the viewing screen is much larger and sharper. Plus, this camera has many other improvements, etc. That camera is around $600 now. Below you can check some of my tips, secrets and suggestions for getting better pictures, . It's titled: Baltics/Picture Secrets! Key Tips, Ideas, etc. Check this summary out and let me know your feed-back, questions and comments.

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=977864

 

Since I have a "SLR" or single lens reflex camera, that bring up the question of lens. SLR's allow more that you can with your pictures and the quality. More depth, better details, etc. I have a 10-20 mm lens that gives a wider angle view than average. That really helped create some picture "drama" without being too wide and distorted as can happen with a fish-eye lens. This wide-angle lens does especially well for the interiors of great churches and historic buildings. There are cases where my longer lens (have a Nikkor 70-300 mm zoom) can really help. In many cases, my basic Nikkor 18-55 mm zoom covers the middle range very well and is used the most. It's nice to have only one lens that covers all needs, but then you lose some in the desired picture quality.

 

On such trips as recently to Norway and the Baltics, I download my pictures most days to the MacBook Pro laptop that I usually bring along for such trip. Today's technology makes it easier to straighten pictures, adjust the cropping, improve the exposure, fix color balance, etc. By taking the laptop along, downloading and checking the pictures as I travel, it helps to know what I'm getting and improve my "focus" as I travel in such great, scenic places. Playing with the pictures on the flight back while I listen to the "tunes" on my computer also helps pass the time quicker. Many laptops also have great programs to put these pictures into nice “slide shows” with various great visuals tools to add titles, do dissolves, etc.

 

I found taking cruise and travel pictures is fun, plus much, much cheaper than shopping for souvenirs. It also keeps these memories "fresh" as you can re-live your experiences, share them with friends, post on the web, etc.

 

Does this help? Reactions after reading through these other tips and ideas? THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

[CruzinCruzan]

Hello All:

 

We will be in Rome in September and having seen the Vatican many times, we are thinking about the Scavi Tour. My mother will be with us and our question is how difficult is the tour for a senior? Are there a large number of stairs, are the stairs difficult to manage? She is ambulatory, but we are just wondering what you all would consider the difficulty level of taking the tour. Can anyone help?

Any comments will be appreciated.

Thanks,

Teri

[euro cruiser]

There are stairs, some of them quite narrow, but I don't remember a great deal of them. My mother had no problem doing this tour when in her early 80's.

 

Much of the tour is in very tight spaces and can be hot and humid. We took the tour in January and were perfectly comfortable but I can imagine that it's pretty close in the summer months.

[CruzinCruzan]

There are stairs, some of them quite narrow, but I don't remember a great deal of them. My mother had no problem doing this tour when in her early 80's.

 

Much of the tour is in very tight spaces and can be hot and humid. We took the tour in January and were perfectly comfortable but I can imagine that it's pretty close in the summer months.

 

 

Thank you so much for your info. Mom is 76 and in relatively good shape, so it should be OK.

 

Teri

[Clay Clayton]

Let me ask one more question...how low are the ceilings? I am six foot seven and don't want to end up bumping my head the whole time:eek:

[ksps cruise fan]

Hello All:

 

We will be in Rome in September and having seen the Vatican many times, we are thinking about the Scavi Tour. My mother will be with us and our question is how difficult is the tour for a senior? Are there a large number of stairs, are the stairs difficult to manage? She is ambulatory, but we are just wondering what you all would consider the difficulty level of taking the tour. Can anyone help?

Any comments will be appreciated.

Thanks,

Teri

 

My best recollection is that the longest flight of stairs consists of a cluster of five steps, and I believe that occurs only once. I believe that is the lone set of steps that will present a bit more of a challenge for a different reason.

 

Those steps begins with a straight run of several steps, and, then, continues with two or three more steps going in a clockwise (or counter clockwise) direction. One side of this cluster of steps is against the wall, but the other side is completely open. There is no railing on either side. One member of your party could stand on the side that is completely open to be a safety net/resource for your mother when it is her turn to climb. Incidentally, my recollection is that we climbed up to see the sights at the end of this spur and then climbed down when that part of the tour was done.

[ksps cruise fan]

Let me ask one more question...how low are the ceilings? I am six foot seven and don't want to end up bumping my head the whole time:eek:

 

Not the whole time, but there's definitely one point in the tour when the guide will warn the group about a low ceiling. I'm 5'3" and I made it through easily. My 5'9" husband ducked his head just because, but looking at him, I think he could have made it through standing fully. 6'7" -- not even close!! Can you schooch down to become 5'7" or slightly less?

[CruzinCruzan]

My best recollection is that the longest flight of stairs consists of a cluster of five steps, and I believe that occurs only once. I believe that is the lone set of steps that will present a bit more of a challenge for a different reason.

 

Those steps begins with a straight run of several steps, and, then, continues with two or three more steps going in a clockwise (or counter clockwise) direction. One side of this cluster of steps is against the wall, but the other side is completely open. There is no railing on either side. One member of your party could stand on the side that is completely open to be a safety net/resource for your mother when it is her turn to climb. Incidentally, my recollection is that we climbed up to see the sights at the end of this spur and then climbed down when that part of the tour was done.

 

 

Thanks for the tip! Do you recall if it is absolutely necessary to go up there, or is it a necessary part of the tour?

[TLCOhio]

Not the whole time, but there's definitely one point in the tour when the guide will warn the group about a low ceiling. I'm 5'3" and I made it through easily. My 5'9" husband ducked his head just because, but looking at him, I think he could have made it through standing fully. 6'7" -- not even close!! Can you schooch down to become 5'7" or slightly less?

 

Being 6' 2", my recollection is that for most all of the tour, ceiling height is not a problem in any way. There was that one set of stairs that was a little challenging. It's just takes a little time and patience The good news is that most groups are only 15-20 people. It's not like trying to rush through a group of 50-75 people.

 

THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

 

Did a June 7-19, 2011, Solstice cruise from Barcelona that had stops in Villefranche, ports near Pisa and Rome, Naples, Kotor, Venice and Dubrovnik. Enjoyed great weather and a wonderful trip. Dozens of wonderful visuals with key highlights, tips, comments, etc., on these postings. We are now at 87,006 views for this live/blog re-cap on our first sailing with Celebrity and much on wonderful Barcelona. Check these postings and added info at:

http://www.boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1426474

[Clay Clayton]

schooch yes, do it for an hour no LOL

sounds like i can do it!

thanks!

[D4]

Hello All:

 

We will be in Rome in September and having seen the Vatican many times, we are thinking about the Scavi Tour. My mother will be with us and our question is how difficult is the tour for a senior? Are there a large number of stairs, are the stairs difficult to manage? She is ambulatory, but we are just wondering what you all would consider the difficulty level of taking the tour. Can anyone help?

Any comments will be appreciated.

Thanks,

Teri

 

DH has mobility issues, so I went on this tour by myself. It was a good thing too. You are basically walking in underground ruins. The pavement is VERY uneven.

[ksps cruise fan]

Thanks for the tip! Do you recall if it is absolutely necessary to go up there, or is it a necessary part of the tour?

 

Sorry for the delay in getting back to you.

 

We went up the steps, saw whatever was at the top of the steps, and then, came back down. I simply can't recall what we saw precisely at the top of the steps.

 

There are lots of other cruisers touring Scavi in the next weeks and months. Perhaps you could ask them to pay attention to what they saw at the top of these slightly more challenging steps. Then, you could decide if the pay off is worth the effort for that small section of the tour.