Sicily: The Godfather tour
Here, we did our tour guide and fellow tourists a disservice. In order to choose our excursions, I’d downloaded and printed them. Each of us read through the choices and marked our favorites on the back. If we didn’t immediately agree on one or two--and it was amazing how often we did--we discussed it and made the choice. For this day it was the Godfather tour of Sicily. That’s Godfather, as in the Francis Ford Coppola movie, and neither of us are that big of fans. It just sounded like a nice overview of the island. Alas, we were traveling with true aficionados. Hang our heads in shame, we didn’t recognize the landmarks.
What surprised us both about Sicily was its greenness. I suppose we expected a brown rock with a volcano, Mt. Etna (still active), stuck in the middle, not lush countryside and twists and turns on the highway up to the villages. We viewed churches and catacombs--but not like what we would see two days later near Rome--then settled down for refreshment in Bar Vitelli.
I liked the vistas and the flowers and our guide. I wished I’d watched the movie before we went.
Amalfi: The Rapture, Italian-style
Before we left home, a friend commented that when we saw the Amalfi Coast, we’d know what Heaven looks like. As we were there on Saturday, May 21, the day of the latest predicted final event, and it did indeed look wonderful, we must have experienced The Rapture, Italian-Style. We took so many photos of the Amalfi Coast, we’ve had difficulty picking one to share. The sky was blue, the hills green, the distance between ship and shore just right for photography.
From Amalfi itself, we took a boat ride to Positano, 45 minutes away. You can’t get lost, the guide said, there’s only one street. Well, yes and no. We wandered and shopped and gawked. It’s the home of the huge Sorrento lemons which give way to Limoncello, the local sweet liqueur. My eyes were full, and we had yet to explore Amalfi, the home of the Cathedral of Amalfi.
There, we climbed the mosaic steps, toured the Cloister of Paradise, the Museum, the Crypt of St. Andrew, which houses the head and other bones of the Saint, and the Cathedral. We don’t often want to return to a place. Once is enough. I’d go back to the Amalfi Coast.
Rome: Catacombs and the Appian Way
My high school Latin teacher would be proud: I finally made it to the Via Appia. From ancient Roman road to present-day bike path, it redeems itself by being worthy of whichever century it is called upon to serve. The ship docked at the port of Civitavecchia which is, inconveniently enough, 50 miles from Rome. And not a very pretty site. Or sight.
We had opted for the Roman countryside tour and, given that we were there on a Sunday and much was closed, whether because of the day or the marathon taking place, we’re glad we did. However, if there were a day we should have chosen to stay on the ship and explore its many programs, this would have been it. Hindsight is 20/20.
We were halfway through the cruise and fatigue was setting in. However, we were on an air-conditioned bus with a knowledgeable guide, and our money had been collected many months before. Off we went!
First stop was the Catacombs of Domitilla. We were guided through only a very small portion of the 24 miles of burial sites. These catacombs are the oldest of Rome’s underground burial sites and contain a 2nd century fresco of The Last Supper. I kept waiting for the Mammoth Cave moment, and those of you who’ve experienced it know already what I’m talking about. In Mammoth Cave National Park in central Kentucky, the friendly park ranger turns out the lights. (Or did in 1985 when we visited.) There is no dark like it. But in the Catacombs of Domitilla, no such moment.
We ventured to the Pope’s summer residence in Castel Gandolfo on Lake Albano. It was a very pleasant stop with free village wifi, and where I learned that even on a Sunday morning, one’s son does not appreciate a text message from his mother saying she’s just fine when it arrives at 4 a.m.
Tuscany: Lunch in a 17th century villa
Monday the 23rd of May and we’d been onboard a week. Was it possible? Today was our second Biale outing, this time to Folonari, a winery in Tuscany. Fresh off my low-light photography course, I was ready for the barrel ageing room and the cellar. What I didn’t expect was the wine tasting in the 17th century villa with the Tuscany vineyard backdrop, then the appetizers and lunch. Just roll us back onto the bus; we were a happy lot.
Catacombs of Domitilla: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catacomb_of_Domitilla#Catacombs_of_Domitilla