Good news. No more Mrs Moan or Mr Queasy. The last three days have been a whole lot better.
For a start, we've been to three ports and we've settled into the ship's routine a bit better
.
First of the Italian ports was the surprisingly attractive town of Civitavecchia, with most people choosing to head off to Rome. We decided against that as we've been a few times before.
The first time was in 1972 when I was travelling with Julianne by Eurail pass and then a few weeks later with Rick.
Both times there weren't too many people, apart from Easter at St. Peter's, and we walked around the Colosseum at ease.
The last time, in the '80s, Rick was nearly pick pocketed, with an ensuing hair-tugging fracas around the Trevi Fountain with curious but unhelpful crowds looking on.
So what with that memory, and then hearing the stories of horrendous crowds from passengers who did choose to go into Rome, were very glad we chose another option.
This was a drive through the calm Etruscan countryside to Tuscania, a very pretty medieval town, with no tourists apart from our group
.
This was followed by an olive oil- and local produce-tasting at a farm near Tarquinia.
All was of excellent quality and far more relaxing -- and tasty -- than barging through heaving hordes in Rome.
The wine was earthy but pleasant and a whole lot better than the 'Chateau de Tiber' that Rick and I bought for a few lire back in 1972 --in bulk -- so poured into my leather wine pouch or whatever those half-moon shaped things we thought were so hippy and trendy back then.
Neither of us remembers much about that very rough red, polished off on the night train to Switzerland, but we do remember feeling as rough as the wine next morning.
This time round, a couple of civilised glasses poured from a carafe, not squirted from a leather skin, and not scraped from the bottom of a very dodgy bottle
An Etruscan Feast
Monday, October 03, 2016
Civitavecchia, Lazio, Italy
Other Entries
-
1Making Landfall
Aug 3133 days priorNewark, United Statesphoto_camera2videocam 0comment 1 -
2Millersburg, PA
Sep 0132 days priorMillersburg, United Statesphoto_camera11videocam 0comment 0 -
3DC Capers
Sep 0528 days priorWashington DC, United Statesphoto_camera11videocam 0comment 1 -
4Going Troppo
Sep 1419 days priorKey West Florida, United Statesphoto_camera24videocam 0comment 0 -
5Last Plane to London
Sep 1419 days priorNewark, United Statesphoto_camera1videocam 0comment 0 -
6Stopover UK
Sep 1617 days priorGatwick, United Kingdomphoto_camera0videocam 0comment 0 -
7Santorini Sunset
Sep 249 days priorMegalochori, Greecephoto_camera22videocam 0comment 0 -
8Bon Voyage
Sep 276 days priorSouthampton, United Kingdomphoto_camera2videocam 0comment 4 -
9On board the Emerald Princess
Oct 021 day priorGibraltar, United Kingdomphoto_camera0videocam 0comment 0 -
10Leaving England
Oct 03earlier that dayCivitavecchia, Italyphoto_camera4videocam 0comment 0 -
11An Etruscan Feast
Oct 03Civitavecchia, Italyphoto_camera3videocam 0comment 0 -
12Down to Earth in Naples
Oct 041 day laterNaples, Italyphoto_camera13videocam 0comment 2 -
13Venturing to Mt Etna and Discovering Taormina
Oct 052 days laterMessina, Italyphoto_camera9videocam 0comment 0 -
14Transiting Suez Canal
Oct 085 days laterSuez Canal, Egyptphoto_camera2videocam 0comment 0 -
15Archaeological Feast
Oct 107 days laterPetra, Jordanphoto_camera7videocam 0comment 1 -
16Desert Malls
Oct 1815 days laterDubai, United Arab Emiratesphoto_camera8videocam 0comment 1 -
17Living on the Edge
Oct 2219 days laterKerala, Indiaphoto_camera7videocam 0comment 1 -
18Asian Waters
Oct 3128 days laterMuang Pattaya, Thailandphoto_camera28videocam 0comment 1 -
19Back to Bali
Nov 0432 days laterBali, Indonesiaphoto_camera13videocam 0comment 3
2025-02-13