The meal service is over … the flight attendant served our pre-ordered meals minutes after the aircraft reached flight altitude. I have a couple of hours to at least get started on today’s story.
The last port of call on this cruise. We had fun exploring La Spezia, which is in the Liguaria Region of Italy, but that’s not what we had planned to do. No, we were going to use this stop as the jumping off point for the Cinque Terre. But Mui pulled a leg muscle, so we decided it would be best not to aggravate it by going on a hike. Another time.
The only change to our port-day routine was a stop to see the concierge before we disembarked the ship. She had left a voice message saying she had information about La Spezia that might help us plan our day … nothing very useful, I’m afraid. But more importantly, she reminded us that if we gave her our flight information, she could print out our boarding passes. We gave her the info and said we would stop by later in the day to collect the passes.
The port facilities in La Spezia came as a surprise to me. I was expecting a small, fishing village atmosphere. Instead we found ourselves in a major commercial port lined with stacks and stacks of containers. Passengers were not allowed to wander through the area on foot. No problem … free shuttle service was provided to the small cruise terminal.
Since we changed our plans at the last minute and had no idea what the town might have in store for us, we spoke with the woman at the information kiosk before leaving the port. She showed us the attractions on a map, which we then received with the purchase of the city’s welcome card … just €3.
Passeggiata Costantino Morin is a pedestrian walkway that follows Viale Italia into town.
Buon Appetito … a series of posters with recipes for local delicacies lines the Passeggiata.
By 9:00a, we were following the palm-tree lined Passeggiata Costantino Morin toward Ponte Thaon di Revel … the city bridge that offers nice views over Golfo della Spezia, which is also known by the more romantic name of Golfo dei Poeti [Gulf of the Poets]. To entertain us — not really, but it seemed like it — a section of the bridge was raised while we were on it to let a small, tall-masted sailing boat through.
A glimpse of Ponte Thaon di Revel (the City Bridge) from the Passeggiata.
Two to Travel takes advantage of this scenic spot for a La Spezia postcard!
Panoramic view of the Gulf of the Poets and La Spezia from the city bridge.
Cheap entertainment … The guy in the lower left photo uses a small device to
raise the center span of the bridge so this small sailing vessel can go through.
Next we headed up Via del Prione — the main drag — stopping periodically to check out some of the sites marked on the map. One of the most interesting of these sites was the Chiesa di Santa Maria Assunta, a 15th century church that is best known for an enameled terracotta panel by Andrea della Robbia entitled “The Coronation of the Virgin” … beautiful indeed. Perhaps even more beautiful, however, were the murals covering the wall and ceiling of one of the chapels.
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Chiesa di Santa Maria Assunta has a Romanesque Revival exterior…
with a clearly Renaissance style interior.
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Anthony, the patron saint of domesticated animals, is often portrayed standing next to a pig.
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Left: Andrea Della Robbia’s glazed earthenware “Coronation of the Virgin.”
Right: Looking across the altar into one of the side chapels.
From the church, we headed to the lift at Via Independenzia — two elevators really, with the second one in the form of a funicular. The first one took us up to Via XX Settembre; the second one to the base of Castello di San Giorgio, a fortification built high above the city.
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The Via Independenzia lift takes us up to Sacra Cuore di Gesu (Sacred Heart of Jesus), but the church is locked up tight, so We take the funicular up to the castle / Archaeological Museum.
Built and expanded several times between the 14th and 17th centuries, the castle is composed of two connected but independent parts. Today it houses an archaeological museum with exhibits featuring prehistoric, porto-historic, Roman, and mediaeval artifacts. The bad news — no photography allowed, except out on the ramparts. The good news — with the welcome card, we gained entrance to the museum and the terraces for €3.50pp … normally the price to visit just the terraces … a nice discount that paid for the card.
Finished at the castle, we headed back down to Via del Prione and somehow made our way to the fish market at Piazza Cavour. Actually, there was much more than fish being sold here — vegetables and fruits, flowers, cheeses and charcuterie, and more were all on offer. The place was hopping with locals doing their daily shopping. It was fun to wander around and check out the variety of goods being sold.
Mui is in cheese heaven.
The fish market at Piazza Cavour sells far more than just seafood.
By this time it was just past 11:30, so we thought we’d return to the marina and see if there was a ferry to Portovenere. Alas, the last ferry that would have been a reasonable one for us to take had already left. So, we decided to just stay in town and find something to eat instead.
Detail from some of the historic buildings we come across on our meandering stroll.
Under the impression that the welcome card offered a 10% discount at select establishments, we focused our attention on the listed cafés and restaurants. They were all casual places, which suited us perfectly. In the end, we chose to eat Italian street food at a place called La Pucceria di Mary & An. A treat this turned out to be — a big treat! Ordering at the counter, we made ourselves comfortable on one of the benches on the sidewalk and munched on sandwiches made with typical Pugliese bread … very similar to a pita pocket. I had a caprese; Mui ordered the ham and cheese one. Both huge. Both very filling. Sharing the benches and coffee tables with us were a bunch of local patrons — not a tourist in sight. Wonderful.
Turns out the place did not offer the promised discount unless the card had #27 printed on it — the designator for the property. But the woman at the counter felt so bad about the misunderstanding that first she gave us a free beverage, and later she sent out the dessert version of the sandwich … filled with Nutella. So we really made out like bandits.
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A Puccia — whether savory or sweet — is tasty and filling street food.
Afterwards, we headed to another church on the map — Chiesa Nostra Signora Della Neve [Church of Our Lady of the Snow] … designed in 1901. Unfortunately, the doors were closed and the woman manning the market stall closest to the church said opening hours were not reliable. Maybe another time.
Beautiful tile work on the exterior of Our Lady of the Snow.
It was still early, but the slow meandering had taken its toll. We both felt worn out, so we decided to retrace our steps along the passeggiata to the cruise terminal. A shuttle promptly whisked us back to the ship. I lost no time in making myself comfortable on the veranda to start writing this post. And now, as the ship pulls away from the pier, I can put a period at the end of this sentence.
Next Stop: Civitavecchia … 177 nautical miles from La Spezia.
To say that I am stuffed — mentally and physically — would be an understatement!
When I decided to join the small-group tour organized by my-newly-minted friend Janell [she’s the one wearing the green cardigan] I knew we would be doing some tastings along the way, but I had no idea there would be so much food. Nor that we would learn so much. And even better — that we would have such an overall fantastic day. A day that brings a smile to my lips as I write about it. A day that I will remember for a long, long time as one of the best shore excursions we’ve done in our 15-year cruising history.
Dinner is over and I am back on the veranda. It’s a bit on the chilly side, but tucked in against the divider that separates our veranda from the adjacent one, I’ve got enough protection from the wind to sit outside and write today’s post … as long as I am quick about it! Let’s start in Civitavecchia and go from there …
The first phase of today’s travels is completed. We flew from İzmir to İstanbul and are currently ensconced in the LGM Lounge at Sabİha Gökçen Airport (SAW) awaiting our forward flight to Rome’s Fiumicino Airport (FCO). Time to catch up … in bits and pieces and from here and there.
Up at 4:00a, we were out the door an hour later. We dragged our bags the few short steps to the taxi stand on the corner of Mustafa Bey and Plevne for the 30-minute or so ride to ADB. Predictably, traffic was nil at that hour. The domestic departures terminal was fairly quiet as well — no waiting at the Pegasus Airlines counter. We checked in for our flight to SAW without delay ... bags tagged through to FCO. With plenty of time on our hands, our next stop was Mail Café, where we got a bite to eat since budget-airline Pegasus only offers pay-meals. For the outrageous price of TL35 (~$12), we got access to the wi-fi along with a simple breakfast of kaşarlı gevrek and caffeinated beverages.
Although boarding was delayed 20 minutes due to late-arriving equipment, PC4119 pushed back on time at 7:40a. The flight time was listed as one hour and ten minutes, but we knew that was bogus … 40-50 minutes is the norm for this route. In fact, we barely had time to enjoy our exit row seats 16C/D before the pilot announced we were descending into SAW.
Since we already had our SAW-FCO boarding passes, we made our way directly to passport control. Good thing we did — the lines were outrageously long … for both Turkish and foreign passport holders. I thought I remembered that there was another checkpoint, but I couldn’t be sure, so we entered the first one we came to. The line inched along, but we had plenty of time before our 11:50 scheduled departure … so no stress, no mess. By contrast the security checkpoint was easy peasy.
Formalities completed, we made our way to the LGM Lounge to see if we could get in. Sure enough, Mui’s newly-minted İş Banks credit card was accepted — and there was a promotion to boot, so we got in for TL27.50 (~$9) each. There were just a few people and plenty of comfortable seating. The buffet was set up with a selection of pastries — simit, poğaça, tarts, and eclairs … to name but a few. Wine, beer, and assorted pastries were available gratis. An excellent place to wait for our flight … and for me to catch up on the events of this morning.
The departures board at the LGM Lounge indicated that the gate assignment for our FCO flight would be posted at 10:50a … just 15 minutes prior to the schedule boarding time. At least the SAW system is prompt. At the designated time, we learned that we didn’t have far to walk … gate 204A was adjacent to the lounge. Boarding was delayed slightly, but when flight PC535 was called, things proceeded in an orderly fashion — none of the hullabaloo that usually accompanies the boarding of flights operated by Turkish carriers. The plane — a B737-800 — pushed back five minutes early at 11:45a; 10 minutes later we were in the air … no sign of the massive delays we were told to expect.
Shortly after the aircraft leveled off at flight altitude, the hot meals I had pre-ordered online were served … mushroom ravioli in a cheese sauce for me; köfte with bulgur and grilled veggies for Mui. My meal was accompanied by an artichoke and lettuce salad and chocolate mousse; Mui’s tray held a version of a çoban salatatası (tomatoes, cucumbers, olives, and feta cheese) and revani for dessert. A bread roll each was provided, but no water … the latter available for a price … go figure. No matter, we expected as much and brought a couple of bottles of water onboard with us.
As I did for the ADB-SAW flight, I pre-purchased exit row seats for this flight — 16C/D again. Since this leg is just under three hours, we have time to enjoy the legroom … although the seat width does leave a bit to be desired. And that catches me up for the time being. Next entry … probably from our hotel in Civitavecchia when we get settled.
The balance of our flight to FCO was uneventful. So much so that we actually landed at 1:00p, Central European Time — 40 minutes ahead of schedule. The downside to our early arrival was that the buses to transfer us to the terminal were nowhere to be found, so we were delayed about 10 minutes deplaning. The upside — we made it to passport control just before all the other passengers arriving at FCO at about when we should have landed.
By 1:40p, we had our bags and were walking to the train station attached to the airport. Having used the trains a couple of times during our three-week stay in Rome last year, buying tickets for the local train to Civitavecchia was a piece of cake … we weren’t even surprised when the TrenItalia vending machines spit out tickets that were good for any train after 2:00p even though the system had us pick a specific departure. We missed the earliest departure by just a minute or two — blame it on the temperamental ticket validation machine on the station’s platform. No matter, the 2:42p train to Rome arrived early enough that we didn’t have to stand around waiting on the platform.
The only glitch — and it wasn’t much of one anyway — happened when we detrained at the Trastevere Station to switch to the Civitavecchia train. We didn’t notice the overhead sign that indicated we were already at the right binario [platform], so we ended up making an unnecessary elevator trip to get to the terminal only to retrace our steps in short order. The entire trip from FCO to Civitavecchia took about 1½ hours.
When we disembarked at the terminal, we followed roughly the route I had mapped out to Hotel Traghetto for our overnight stay. The walk was less than a mile (1.4 km per Google) and took about 20 minutes. Not a bad walk at all — even with the luggage. By 5:00p, we were at the hotel’s front desk, handing over our passports to have them photocopied.
I had already requested a room overlooking the port, and the clerk at the front desk confirmed our room as being 302. The hotel isn’t much to look at. The furnishings are quite outdated, but everything is spic and span clean. That’s really all we need for an overnight stay. The Traghetto has the added advantage of being across the street from where the port shuttles depart to take passengers to the various terminals. Definitely a bonus. And we have a view of the ship’s in port … but if my recollection of the port map is accurate we may not be able to see much of Silhouette when she comes into port tomorrow.
After dropping off our bags, we walked back into downtown Civitavecchia. Our goal: get a bite to eat before calling it a day. We ended up choosing a place called Gran Caffè on Viale Giuseppe Garibaldi. I enjoyed my pizza … something called Bufalino (pomodoro sauce and buffalo milk mozzarella); and Mui said his grilled fresh fish was really good, too. A shared insalate completed our meal. We skipped desert at the café in lieu of gelato from Casa del Gelato on the way back to the hotel.
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A tasty dinner at Gran Caffè. | A peak @ Forte Michelangelo. |
I seem to have a slight case of dock-rock even before embarking the ship … in this case from being dead tired after getting just three hours of sleep last night. Plan to get a good night’s rest tonight. We have no plans to do anything but relax tomorrow before we check out of the hotel to embark Silhouette.
We said farewell to my family today … they took an early morning flight back to Turkey where I will see them in a couple of weeks when I arrive in İzmir for my annual visit with them.
One of the last things we did together before they left was a night tour of Rome. I have no “post”cards since low-light and a moving vehicle don’t make for ideal photography conditions with Mui’s smartphone, but I thought I’d share one photograph at least.
Tomorrow we leave Rome for the next segment of our fall travels in Europe.The Coliseum being used as a canvas for an art installation/slideshow consisting
of images of bacteria collected from the walls of this ancient structure.
It hasn’t been easy to sightsee with the ever-rising temperatures, but we’ve soldiered on with our exploration of Rome since my family joined us on Monday. Yesterday and today, we headed out bright and early and used the tickets we purchased online to visit Palatine Hill, the Roman Forum, and the Coliseum.
Stadium of Domitian — from Palatine Hill
Domus Augustana — Palatine Hill
The Forum and the Coliseum from a terrace on Palatine Hill.
The Temple of Antoninus and Faustina (left) and Temple of Romulus from Palatine Hill.
Temple of Saturn (columns on the right) with Palatine Hill in the distance.
Arch of Septimius Severus
Looking across the Atrium Vestae.
Forum of Caesar
Coliseum
Sorry … no time for more than just pictures at the moment.
© 2004-2015 Two to Travel. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED by ERIN ERKUN.
Today was moving day. After sending Hakan off to do some sightseeing, we grabbed a cab to our home away from home for the next week. While still convenient to the “must-see” places in Rome, this apartment is outside the historic center of the city. In fact, one more block and we would be outside the Aurelian Walls, which were built in mid-270AD to enclose the seven hills on which Rome was founded.
We had plans to do some sightseeing this afternoon, but checking in with the rental agency rep took a little longer than we expected. Instead, we went for a stroll around the neighborhood, found an excellent gelateria for a little sweet treat, and then returned to the apartment to settle in.
The Pyramid of Cestius and the San Paolo Gate of Rome's Aurelian Walls are
two of the landmarks that are a 5-minute walk from our apartment.
Our plans to enjoy the large terrace that comes with this apartment were rained out unfortunately. Oh well, we’ll be here for a week so I am sure another opportunity will present itself soon enough.
Tomorrow, my family arrives and we will resume our sightseeing.
We had set this morning aside to pack our bags. No, we are not leaving Rome, but rather moving to a larger apartment for our last week here … one that will accommodate my family, who will be joining us on Monday. My nephew was to have arrived this morning, so we had planned to do some sightseeing with him this afternoon. As it turns out, his flight was delayed and he had to switch to a later flight that will be arriving early this evening.
A good excuse to put off packing! Instead, we went for a meandering stroll that took us to Piazza della Repubblica … with a few stops along the way.
The Fontana dell'Acqua Felice [Fountain of Happy Waters] is also known as the Fountain of Moses.
A rare traffic-free moment affords a clear view of the Fountain of the Naiads on Piazza della Repubblica with the Basilica of St Mary of the Angels and the Martyrs in the background.
We’re back at the apartment now. The bags are packed and the pasta water is set to boil for a quiet dinner at the apartment once Mui and Hakan arrive. Tomorrow is moving day … but maybe we’ll get to squeeze in some sightseeing, too.
Today’s sightseeing plans took us to Trastevere … literally, across the Tiber [River]. Here we wandered through narrow streets and around neighborhoods that I found to be a more authentic Italian experience … more like what I was expecting to see. We even found a small trattoria for lunch — da Lucia … a family-operated establishment since WWII. Located on a narrow alley, with a row of tables lined up on the cobblestone street, it was just the kind of casual dining experience we were looking for.
But before enjoying the good food, we visited Villa Farnesina. Every room of this early 16th century home of a banker from Sienna is decorated with jaw-droppingly beautiful frescoes painted or designed by artists of the period, including Raphael.
The Hall of Perspective Views … the frescoes in this room have a distinctly 3-D effect.
The north wall of what was the bedchamber of the banker is decorated with
a Fresco known as the Marriage of Alexander the Great and Roxana.
Having started our day with a church visit on the way to Trastevere, we ended it at another church. Then it was across the Ponte Garibaldi [Garibaldi Bridge] and back to the east bank of the river. As we were crossing the Tevere, the skies got dark and we heard the distant rumble of thunder. We didn’t quite escape getting sprinkled on, but the heavy rain waited to fall after we were safely at the apartment.
looking across the Tevere where it is split by Isola Tiberina [Tiber Island].
Another great day in Rome … and so much still remains to be seen and done.
© 2004-2015 Two to Travel. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED by ERIN ERKUN.
Timed-admission tickets are required to visit Galleria Borghese, an art museum housed in the former villa by the same name. When I say timed tickets, I mean that literally. Tickets are sold in two hour blocks — you enter at a specified time, and you’re shooed out at a specified time. Mui went online Tuesday evening and bought tickets for the 3:00-5:00p slot today … the only time available this week.
Taking the morning easy, we had lunch on the terrace before setting out for the gallery. Of the several bus lines we could have taken, #160 arrived first so we jumped on it even though we knew we’d have a longer walk through a big park to get to the gallery. We had plenty of time before our appointed time, so the stroll under the shade trees turned out to be a pleasant diversion.
The former Villa Borghese is now a gallery filled with much of the art collected by the family.
The collection of paintings and statues is housed in 20 rooms on two floors of the former villa. And what rooms they are … with paintings on the vaulted ceilings and frescoed walls at every turn, they are works of art in their own right. The opulence of old Rome is something to behold.
When our designated time came, we were directed to the top floor first to wander around at will. Although we didn’t plan it that way, we spent an hour on each floor, thus using our allotted two hours equally. Scattered amongst the classical works of artists such as Raphael, Bernini, and Caravaggio — to name just a few — was a very modern couture sculpture exhibit that added another dimension to our visit.
One of several beautiful ceiling medallions in the Galleria Borghese.
Modern couture sculptures against a classical background.
I wasn’t sure we were going to have time to fit the Borghese into our schedule this trip. So glad we did … it’s the kind of place that will easily turn anyone into an art aficionado.
© 2004-2015 Two to Travel. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED by ERIN ERKUN.
