samavarcruiser

I wanted to provide details and visuals on our Saturday, July 11, adventure from Naples. This is especially to spotlight our great guide-driver from Romeinlimo, Carmine! Our group of eight experienced a totally wonderful day. First, it was driving through the mountains south of Naples that they call “the little Switzerland” as we moved towards Ravello. Carmine told us about his love of Naples and this whole area. There were great Italian songs on the CD as we went through the mountains. Carmine stopped to get and share some fresh fruit from a roadside stand and told us a few jokes, including what Italians view as what the letters in the name of their car company, FIAT, mean. He said that car name means “Fix It Again, Tony”. F. I. A. T.!! We were riding in a nice Mercedes van.

 

When in the Naples-Amalfi area in 1999, we had not seen this part of the region. We previously had lunch overlooking the beach at Chez Black in Positano, but we had not gone farther east from that point to see these areas that we reached this year. It was wonderful to see so much more during this visit. Ravello overlooks the Gulf of Salerno and the Mediterranean. Ravello is famed as a place where Wagner composed many music pieces, famous (Gore Vidal) lived/wrote at La Rondinaia (The Swallow's Nest) and many others visited for the great views. Then we went through several of the charming towns along this coast, including Atrani and Amalfi, traveling narrow, twisted routes with steep terraces above and below us. It was great to have Carmine do the driving while I was taking pictures and the others enjoyed the great views and sights. We wanted to have lunch in a smaller, less tourist place and Carmine came up with the perfect, super scenic location.

 

Our lunch location was right above Positano as the sun came out in full force to offer the best views one could ever hope for or seek. Lunch? It was a super treat, family-style, plus views, wine, drinks, etc.!!! Then, we drove to the Bay of Naples side, through parts of Sorrento on the way to the historic area of Herculaneum. Great and enjoyable day. Just wanted to make sure that Carmine and Romeinlimo got proper credit for doing a wonderful job that was a highlight of our trip. Here are more pictures to document that it was really as great as claimed.

 

Near Pisa, Vinni from Romeinlimo, also did a wonderful job for our group. We focused on a plan that included the historic walled city of Lucca, then doing a brief stop in Pisa for you know what, then going to San Gimignano. That worked very well, including lots of mostly sunny skies, but not too hot. Lucca is the town of Puccini, has an interesting Roman outdoor theater, offering lots of great shops and other buildings, etc. Great day in Tuscany!!!

 

Check out my live/blog posting for lots more details, pictures, etc. Let me know any questions on that Solstice posting series. Happy to share more.

 

THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

 

You can see all of the details and lots of visuals on our June 7-19 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 special pictures with key highlights, tips, comments, etc., plus much on wonderful Barcelona. These postings are now over 13,000 views for this live/blog re-cap on our first sailing with Celebrity. Don't be shy in asking any questions, making comments, etc. Check these postings and added info at:

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

 

As he drove through the “Little Switzerland” mountains, Carmine was driving, singing, telling us fun stories, making sure we did the right and best photo stops, etc. :

 

 

 

At our lunch place beautifully above Positano, here is Carmine posing next to the sign at this enjoyable stop. :

 

 

 

This was one of the great views of Positano as we did a photo stop just east of this beautiful location. :

 

 

 

Near Ravello and at other locations along the Amalfi Coast, we saw many examples of how the mountainside were terraced and used to crow citrus and other products.:

 

 

 

From our dining location, here was another example of the spectacular view towards Positano and west along this scenic coastal regional of Italy.:

 

 

 

It was a big “WOW” for our first visit to Pisa. This tower is much taller than I expected. They just completed a major cleaning of it in the past few weeks, making things perfect, except for that little foundation problem with one tower. Also impressive here are the Pisa Baptistry and Duomo (main) church. Pisa has a couple of major universities here. There is another church here that also also a learning (and shorter) tower. We drove by that site. Two leaning towers in Pisa! How many knew that?:

 

Nice report and great pictures, thanks for sharing them with us.

We just returned from a 12 day RCCL cruise. Romeinlimo picked us up at the airport, brought us to the ship, then in Messina, Sicily we had a fantastic tour with RIL and met Alessandro, who took us to Mt. Etna, to Castelmolo, Taormina, Messina-Fantastic tour. We also were picked up on the 16th by Mauro, and before we checked into our hotel, had a grand Rome tour, with two hours at St. Peters, all the major sites, and also a visit to Castel Gandolfo and a lakeside lunch. We had a fantastic day, all over Rome and surrounds. The following day, RIL picked us up, Mauro again, for our journey to the Emerald cove and Positano, with a little pop visit through Sorrento, and it was glorious!! The following day, Romeinlimo-Mauro-took us to Umbria, to Assisi and we had yet again an amazing day. We met up with Duman that night, and were whisked off to the airport the morning of the 19th, again with RIL, and now are at home.

This is the FOURTH year we have booked all our Italy tours with Romeinlimo. As always, the service is fantastic, Jany is amazing, and all the drivers are wonderful. We had other private tours during the cruise, which I will post in the appropriate forum, and Romeinlimo gets my vote yet again for the best tours we've taken in Italy, bar none.

Thanks for sharing, can you tell me more about your day in Umbria please

Thanks Suite Traveller - replies from operators now received - just took a long time. Glad you had a great day in Vigo.

You might want to try also http://barcelonadaytours.com

On the Pisa tour where do you stop for lunch. Do you have the choice of just having a salad or is it a set menu.

They should give you that choice, that is why you go on a private tour :)

Thanks so much for this suggestion. We have this tour booked now so we won't waste a day just travelling from Rome to the ship. I'm very excited about seeing this entire area especially the castle. I would much rather make the most of every moment we have in Italy than try to get on the ship at Noon and wait around for sailaway...there isn't any food on the buffet worth missing a tour like this. Thanks again!

Castel Odescalchi Castle Odescalchi tells its six centuries of history through old weapons, fittings and paintings, books and manuscripts, decorations and frescos. After popes and kings, weddings and sieges, the prince Baldassarre Odescalchi and the architect Raffaello Ojetti began a long campaign of restorations at the turn of the century in 1900 giving the old stones their beauty back, the halls their splendour, the gardens their quiet and elegance. Open to the public since 1952 by the will of Livio IV Odescalchi, today the Castle in Bracciano is a dynamic reality which conciliates its own museum vocation with the organization of events which are necessary to improve the value and create a virtuous circle that permits to carry on a wise and steady work of preservation and restoration. The painstaking administration of the princess Maria Pace Odescalchi assures a wise preservation and a full usability without interruptions which allows welcomes visitors who are motivated by the curiosity of the tourist and also by the interest of the scholar and researcher.

On our upcoming cruise, we dock one day at Sorrento and a different day at Amalfi/Positano. Are romeinlimo drivers actually guides or just drivers to take you to places? We are a group of 6 and definitely want a guide to show us everything and allow us time to explore all the area.

From Sorrento, you can catch the train and tour Pompeii on your own or you can rent audio guides once there. Train station in Sorrento is not far from the central Tasso Square, journey takes approx. 45 mins - 1 hour

Hi all... We just booked Romeinlimo for Naples & Rome on our August cruise. I know tipping is handled a little differently in Europe but just wondered if I should plan on 20% for our drivers as if we were in the States or what sort of percentage should I budget for?? What is appropriate there?? We also booked private guides for the Coliseum, the Vatican and Pompeii so I assume we need to tip them as well...same percentage as what is recommended for the drivers or what??? TIA!

This subject has come up here many, many times, so I suggest that you do a search for more opinions :)

just putting in my recommendation-we've used Romeinlimo for every port in Italy we could over the past three years, and every single trip--some to the same cities-have been different, awesome, and we are again booking june with Jany--you cannot beat the personal service, customized days, information, you name it. We consider ourselves extremely fortunate to find RIL and continue to do business with them. Just a small example of their service--in August 2010 I mentioned i wanted to find a particular wine to try, only created in Naples. I didn't mention it to Giovanni, our driver, until we were nearly in Positano. When we were at the beach, he got the wine, sliced peaches, had it waiting for us at the van when we came from the beach/shopping. That's priceless to me, that my single days in port are memorable because of the customized service we get from Duman and Jany and all the men and women drivers and guides we have met. Another little aside--we had a fantastic guide for the Vatican, booked by RIL, who was a wonderful woman, scholar, incredibly bright, and we loved meeting her. We considered her the best of the best. Next trip to the Vatican, with different friends, we booked another guide through RIL. She was ALSO fantastic! Totally different experience, totally awesome. And we actually have been at the Vatican multiple times over the years, but with the two guides we had via RIL, we had a better experience than all the hours spent on our own inside Vatican city. You always feel special the way you are treated. You always feel that you are their only client, their most important client. Cannot beat that for a great experience.

What a wonderful review, thanks for sharing it with us :)

We used RIL (Rome In Limo) for two separate tours last week. One was in Sorrento (Antonino) and the other was in Florence (Gian). They were prompt and waiting for us as we disembarked our ship. They had comfortable vehicles, a great sense of humor and best of all, phone communication to their head office where they were informed of any problems that might arise. On the way to Pompeii, there was a 3 hr. morning strike. Our driver got a call from the head office and found out, so we turned around, visiting Positano instead in the morning hours. We later went back to Pompeii for the afternoon.

 

The only thing that bothered me about the Livorno (for Florence) tour was the fact that I was told ahead of time that we would have time to visit both the Uffizi and the Accademia (which was really a waste of time other than 5 mins. to see the David). Once we were all in the van, we were informed that we would not have time to do both. We weren't running late, but the driver wanted to take us where THEY wanted us to go. We ended up wasting a couple hours shopping. This is one thing we did NOT want to do at all. We could have had plenty of time to see the rooms I wanted to see at the Uffizi if we hadn't wasted time shopping. No one bought much of anything and it was very sad for me not to get to see the world-famous museum.

 

A word of advice for those that book any private tour: make sure you go over your itinerary with the DRIVER before you start out for the day. The drivers do not seem to get the same information that you may have previously exchanged with Jany at the head office. I should've been very specific about what we wanted to see for the day with the driver and I wasn't. Instead, we saw and did what they think all Americans want to see & do (shop).

 

We still had a great time on both tours, but the Florence one was definitely dampened because of not going to see the one attraction I was told we would see.

Thanks for sharing your experience with us

Bump. Can anyone answer this for me?

You should 1st choose your itinerary, we loved Positano

Bump. Can anyone answer this for me?

You should 1st choose your itinerary, we loved Positano

Thank you Melissasimon and Nebr.cruiser for your advice. It seems like we should save the money on the guide here and go with one in Pompeii instead. I have done a lot of reading on the art collection at the Vatican so maybe I can be the "guide" for our group there. Hearing about your experiences has helped me alot. Karyn

Vatican guided tour

http://mv.vatican.va/3_EN/pages/z-Info/MV_Info_Servizi_Visite.html

This link might be helpful

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1252234&highlight=group+tours

When we were in Pisa we were able to climb the Leaning Tower. I have heard they closed that down and no more climbing the tower.. is that true ??

No, you can still climb the tower.

Ticket office on-line :)

http://boxoffice.opapisa.it/Torre/first.jsp

Thank you for the great information!!

You are welcome, this link is also very helpful :)

http://www.capri.com/

We have booked RIL for their Naples - Pompeii, Sorrento, Capri tour. Jany has recommended we don't need a driver in Capri, we can do it on our own. Has anyone done this and how much time did you have in Capri? What sites are must sees? Or do you recommend going with a driver in Capri?

Capri Travel Guide :)

http://wikitravel.org/en/Capri

Get in

By boat

• Capri is reached in about 40 minutes by hydrofoil from the port of Ischia or Forio, docking at Marina Grande on the north side of the island. There are also daily ferries from Naples (20/day, €16, 40 minutes), Amalfi, Positano and from Sorrento (15/day, €14, 20 minutes). Boats are operated by Caremar and SNAV.
  

• For arriving in style, Capritime Boats specialises in water taxi direct transfers from Naples, Sorrento, the Amalfi Coast and Ischia to Capri. They also provide luxury full-day and half-day boat tours to the Amalfi Coast and Sorrento Coast from Capri, tailor itineraries for cruise ship passengers docked in Sorrento, Capri, Naples and Amalfi and also offer special Capri and Ischia island boat excursions.
  

• From Marina Grande, a funicular goes up to Capri Town, and boats leave for the Blue Grotto. The fourth store to the right of the funicular provides baggage storage for €2.50/day per bag, from 8:30-6:00. Tickets for buses, funicular, and return boats are for sale at kiosks, along with public toilets. The Tourist Information office offers €1 maps, open daily April to October 8:30-8:30PM, November to March Monday to Sunday 9:00-1:00 & 3:30-6:30. The Bar Augusto has internet access from 6:00AM - 8:00 PM
  

Get around

• By foot: from the main harbour to the town up the hill leads a range of stairs. Stairs and walkways, mostly signposted, crisscross the island.
  
• By funicolare: this mountain tram connects the harbour with the town up the hill. Read also about the unified public transport ticket Campania Unico.
  
• By bus: Island buses are readily available to take you to the various areas of the island. They run on a schedule and cost 1,30 € per ride, €2,80 for 60 minutes unlimited use, or €6,70 plus €1 deposit for unlimited day use (deposit is refunded to you at end of day). Buses run from:
  

• 
  
  • Marina Grande to Capri town (4/hour) and then take bus to Anacapri (4/hour) but the Capri to Anacapri bus gets crowded, so you could take a bus direct from Marina to Anacapri (2/hour)
    
  • Anacapri Buses go to Capri (at least 4/hour) and to the Blue Grotto
    

   

The roads are very narrow and quite dangerous. Bus travel is for the brave!

See

• The town of Anacapri and its surrounding villas and hikes
  

• Blue Grotto (Grotta Azzurra) - The Blue Grotto is a beautiful cave at the water's edge with a tiny opening to the sea that opens and closes with the tide, used as a bath since the Roman times. The entrance is small and depending on the tide there is just enough space for only a small rowboat to get through. Dark at the entrance, one has to enter 20-30 yards and then turn around to view the beautiful sight of the light from the entrance flowing through the water lit turquoise from below by the sun. Hence the sight of the "Blue Grotto". You'll be amazed at the turquoise hues glimmering in the water and against the rocks. The grotto often closes due to tides and waves, and it may take a while for your boat to get in, with many other boats trying to do the same. It may also be advisable to check the tides beforehand to avoid disappointment. The trip on the passenger boat from Marina Grande to outside the Blue Grotto cavern costs about €9, then €10.50 or higher for the rowboat to take you in through the tiny entrance which includes the entrance ticket to the cave a total of around €20, with a round trip of about 1 to 3 hours. There are also cruises that circumnavigate Capri and stop at the Blue Grotto allowing passengers to board a row boat and enter the grotto. The rowboat operator will also ask for a tip. Alternatively, one can take a bus to Anacapri, walking 100m (inquire locally), then taking another bus to the Grotta Azzurra, and then paying €9 for a rowman to take you in and out. This has the advantage of cutting on the cost from Marina Grande, as well as placing you near Anacapri where much else is to be seen. The grotto is open from 9:00 to one hour before sunset daily. If the grotto closes suddenly (hopefully while you are outside it), consider a €12 cruise around the magnificent Faraglioni Rocks instead.
  

• Villa Jovis - Villa Jovis, the splendid residence of the Emperor Tiberius, start from Piazzetta Umberto I and turn into Via delle Botteghe, continuing straight on through Via Fuorlovado, Via Croce and, finally, Via Tiberio. After visiting the villa, you could dedicate some time to other attractions in the vicinity, such as the Church of Santa Maria del Soccorso, the Cave of Tiberius and the Lighthouse Tower.
  

Sunrise - If you take the early ferry from Naples (the one at 6.45AM), then as you travel to Capri, the sun rises over the mountains. The sky turns from deep violet to pink to orange to gold. It is an amazingly beautiful sight, certainly worth waking up at the ungodly hour!

Do

Capri is a place to do as little or as much as you like. The four cafes in the main square are the place to be seen in the evenings after the deluge of day trippers have left. Celebrities can occasionally be found sipping drinks there. High end shops line the streets if you feel the need for retail therapy.

• Walk Take one of the public footpaths which let you reach, for instance, the "Arco Naturale" and other beautiful sights which the large majority of tourists will only see from their boat trips around the island. Some of these paths are very steep and you need to walk up and down long stairs sometimes. The map you can buy for a small fee at the main tourist office in the harbor shows most of the footpaths. However, it is difficult to get lost on such a small island.
  

• Hike Nearly the entire perimeter of the island is accessible for hiking. Few people, except local fishers and hunters, take advantage of these beautiful natural trails. Several abandoned forts are found along the path and there are trails and paved descents that can take you all the way to the water's edge. This is a great way to explore the natural beauty of the island when the day tripping tourists flood the more populous regions of the island. Bring plenty of water and comfortable shoes if you do hike, you may be a long distance from the nearest road or bus stop.
  

• Boat tour around the island You cannot come all the way to this magical island without viewing it from the sea. Capritime Boats specialises in luxury motor-yacht charters, private boat tours, water taxi and cruise excursions for the island of Capri, Amalfi Coast, Ischia, Sorrento and Naples in Italy. Next to the ferry ticket office you can also rent a boat that can fit 5 people for 2 hours at the cost of 80€. Weather permitting, you can dip the anchor and go swim around the various grottos.
  

• Rent a motor scooter to tour the island. Gets you around much quicker than on foot, but still allows you to easily maneuver the winding roads. Beware of crazy bus drivers especially around corners! Beware as they may only allow experienced drivers to rent scooters.
  

• Take the chairlift ride from Anacapri up Monte Salaro, the views from the summit are incredible, and there's some really pretty gardens and orchards underfoot on the way up the mountain. The ride takes 15 minutes each way, and you'll want at least 30 minutes at the top. €9 round trip, €7 one way. Open daily in summer 9:30 to 5PM, last run down at 5:30PM, November to March last run down at 3:30PM.
  

• Swim, many locals swim in the Blue Grotto after 6PM when the boats stop and in any of the other grottos around the island. Swimming is much safer however at the small beach to the left of the ticket kiosk for the furnicolare in Marina Grande or on the other side of the island at Marina Piccola (resort-like beach) or at any of the natural beaches reachable by boat. Swimming in grottos is only for experienced swimmers and is not for the faint-hearted, as tidal waves frequently close and open the openings to the grottos, and in the process, potentially injure a swimmer against the rocks when trying to enter or exit. Never do this alone, go with a local if you really feel the need to swim inside a grotto or the Blue Grotto which has a very low mouth opening.
  

• Marina Piccola is on the opposite end of the island from Marina Grande. You can walk, but the bus is probably easier. The Marina Piccola is a quieter area which has two beach areas where you can swim or layout on the smooth rock beach. But in July and August finding space on the pebbles is very difficult.
  

Great, glad to know that you can do things on your own. We've got our guidebooks and our podcasts along with maps, etc., so I think we should be ok and able to do things at our own pace.

 

I am waiting to hear from Scavi regarding the excavations tour, this is something I just learned of recently while doing some research. One thing I'm not clear on is just what tickets/tours we need. If we book online for a Vatican museum ticket, this I assume also allows you to see the Sistine Chapel, but then do you need another ticket to get into the Basilica?

 

By having the Vatican ticket purchased online, are you allowed to bypass the Basilica line, or is the only way to bypass the line to enter through the "secret" door?

Get more ideas :)

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1053781&highlight=rome+your+own

Depending upon when you are going, it might be wise.

What a wonderful "do it yourself" posting! Your pictures are wonderful and your instructions clear. Unfortunately, after two trips to Italy in the past six months (2 med. cruises), I probably won't be back in Italy for a while. But Cinque Terre is somewhere I want to visit, so I'll have your guide bookmarked. In fact, there are two of your pictures that I would love to try and paint. If you would be agreeable to sending me a larger format of the Vernazza harbor and the street scene you called Vernazza Awesome (which it is!), I would appreciate it. My email address is joann.lynn @ gmail.com. Thanks again for your posting.

 

Jo Ann (the OP of this thread)

 

Samavarcruiser simply provided a link to someone else's web site. The owner of the intellectual property you referenced (the Vernaza Awesome picture and the web site it appears on) is:

 

Tom Ogg

Tom Ogg & Associates

P.O. Box 2398

Valley Center, CA 92082

760-751-1007

TomOgg at aol.com (format like a regular email address)

Yes, he is a very good friend of mine :)

I will ask him to come here and share his experience

Samavarcruiser

Has anyone taken the Cinque Terre or Wine Tour with Romeinlimo?

Cinqueterre on your own is easy, learn about it :)

http://www.eportreviews.com/Europe/Italy/Cinque_Terra_Riomaggiore.htm

What about Florence and the lines for the museums there . . I have heard of complaints about long lines. Does Romeinlimo do the same there as well?

Buy them online :)

http://www.florence-tickets.com/index.php?accademia-tour-eng

Samavacruiser, thanks for the information! Have you or has anyone else done this tour? If so, can someone tell me how much stair climbing is required and how long the tour usually lasts?

Learn all about this tour :)

http://www.slowtrav.com/italy/rome/scavi_tour.htm

Confirmations for visits will only be sent to those who will actually be visiting the excavations.

• The exact number of visitors

  
  

• Their names (in case of groups, the composition and provenance of the group is also needed [e.g. university, parish, etc.])

  
  

• Language desired for the visit

  
  

• The dates available during which the Office can arrange the visit (The precise time of the visit will be determined by the Excavations Office).

  
  

• Contact information (an e-mail address, fax number, or full postal address) so that the Excavations Office may advise you about your visit.

  
  

• On occasion, due to the vast number of requests received and the time needed to process them, it may not be possible for the Office to even respond to an application prior to one’s arrival in Rome. In such cases, the Excavation Office regrets that a visit will not be possible.

  
  

• Orario Ufficio: dalle ore 9.00 alle 17.00: tutti i giorni escluso DOMENICA e FESTIVI vaticani

  
  

• Excavations Office Hours: 9:00 am – 5:00 pm, Closed Sunday and Holidays

  
  

• Bureau des fouilles: 9.00 - 17.00 (Ouverte tous les jours sauf le dimanche et les jours ferés)

  
  

• Geöffnet: Werktags von 9.00 Uhr bis 17.00 Uhr: Geschlossen: Sonntags und an Feiertagen

  
  

• Abierta desdelas9:00 a las17:00: Cerradolosdomingos y festivos

  
  

June 15th June 29thAugust 13-16thNovember 1-2ndDecember 8thDecember 24-27thDecember 31st

Ok, I've read everything here done my research and decided to go with Romeinlimo. There will be four of us. This trip is in part a gift to our son who is in cooking school so lunch stops are going to be on the schedule.

 

Here is my question, can a book a tour for four and then add people if roll call folks want to join? Since we don't cruise until July, it is way to early to expect anyone else to join.

FAMOUS CruiseCritic Roll Call forums :)

Hi-I'm just finally getting around to doing a cruise review of our recent cruise. The reason I am putting it under this heading is because Romeinlimo was our major tour guide during our time spent in Europe.

We started off in Barcelona where we spent one night pre-cruise at Hotel Continental. When we were there 2 yrs. ago,we were in a somewhat spacious(European standard)room. This time, they put us in one of their so-called renovated rooms which was the size of a large closet. We literally jumped from the door onto the bed and stayed there. While the free continental breakfast is still decent, I do not think we would be enticed to return to Hotel Continental any time soon.

The next morning, we jumped in a cab(quite happily, I might add) and proceeded to the port. We arrived around 11am and just as easy as can be,got in line and walked through with no pauses whatsoever. We did purchase some wine in the duty-free shop at the pier and proceeded on-board where we were greeted with champagne and mimosas. Love that touch! Our CC room was awaiting with yet more champagne(or whatever it is they call it!) and an OBC credit from our TA. Could this cruise get any better????

We dumped our stuff and checked out the lunch buffet which tasted wonderful. We had previously been on the Golden Princess a few months prior and were somewhat disappointed with the flow of the buffet-it just seemed to create logjams everywhere. This time around,everthing just seemed to flow. The servers were very gracious and carried my tray to the table several times during the week.

That night we met our tablemates at dinner and they have become fast friends. Hello to Jayne and Peter and Don and Jo-Elle. They were the absolute best as were our waiters. I'm sorry-after all this time I have forgotten their names,but there wasn't anything that couldn't be done for us.

The next day we tendered into Cannes where Catherine Coppex from travel tour prestige was waiting. She was fabulous and so animated!! What a funny,lovely lady-she kept a van full of us entertained the whole day and suggested a wonderful lunch in Nice that was full of locals,not tourists. The weather was in the mid-20's and glorious. St. Paul-de-Vence was my favourite place that we travelled that day. Full of artists' colonies and cobblestone steps, it's very easy to get lost in the maze of twists and turns. Once can also look out onto the grave of Marc Chagall, the famous painter, in the beautiful flower-lined cemetery beneath the wall. Our last stop of the day was at the Fragonard Perfumerie where the smell prevented some of us from going in,but others enjoyed and purchased some scents. The smell was very strong, I found.

Next day, we docked in Genoa, which is a place I knew nothing about so off we went with no pre-conceived idea of what to expect. It turns out,we were very pleasantly surprised by what we found! The huge St. Lorenzo cathedral was our first stop after being driven into the centre of town by taxi. We picked up a local map at a nearby travel info centre which was very helpful. From the cathedral, we literally roamed the streets,not having a clue where we wanted to go, but just enjoying the beauty of the place. We ended up in a town square with the most beautiful fountain I have ever seen! From there, we walked down a boutique-laden street(big names)until we found the birthplace of Christopher Columbus. We literally turned the corner and it was there. The place is VERY tiny but interesting to see.

After lunching at an outdoor cafe,we were off to see the Japanese bird garden., What I wasn't expecting was the smell!! And right after eating,it wasn't very pleasant!! So, we kept walking and walking and walking until we realized we had absolutely no idea where we were;then, much to my husband's dismay(you know how they are-I can find the way!),I hailed a taxi back to the port. If I had left it to him, we would still be in Genoa looking for the right street!!

Next port was Livorno. For this one, we simply decided to take the Celebrity bus into town and do the sight-seeing on our own. First stop was Pisa, which was so beautiful as it was early morning and we were the first ones there. As we were leaving,we saw the big tour buses pulling into the parking lot,so I'm glad we got there first. Trudy was our guide and she was very knowledgeable-very funny! The sight of the stalls next to the Tower of Pisa is somewhat disconcerting. It just feels out of place somehow.

Next up was Florence,a place we have never been and it was everything we expected and more. It was more compact in size than I expected and walking was no problem. The Accademia(for which we had tickets) was only a 10 min. walk at the most from the main square. What we enjoyed the most was eating gelato and sitting in the square people-watching! We did some shopping but for the most part just soaked up the culture and the beauty of the place. I must say I also enjoyed the drive to and from the port through the countryside-absolutely beautiful. If we are ever lucky enough to return, I would love to have a tour through the rural areas.

After a peaceful nights sleep, we were in Rome again! This time around I wanted to see the Appian Way and the Roman Forum up close. So, we hired Romeinlimo whom we had used 2 years ago and had absolute faith in. Sure enough, Vincenzo was there to greet us and soon we were at the Appian Way touring the catacombs. What an experience to go beneath the ground and view such ancient burial places. I though I would be really creeped out but I was more in awe than anything. We drove by the Quo Vadis church where Peter supposedly saw Christ who encouraged him to return to Rome. It was closed.

Next up was the Roman Forum which we got to see only from the top of the Capitoline Hill last time. This time, we were totally immersed in the hub-bub of the action. Even though I had a map with me of the buildings, I felt so small and insignificant next to these massive buildings which had withstood eternity. Even now when I look back on my pictures, I can't believe I was actually there. After puffing and panting up the stairs to the Capitoline Hill(there's a lot of stairs there!!!), we met up with Vincenzo who then took us to a restaurant close to the Vatican by the name of Osteria dei Pontefici. Very appropriately named as it has pictures of the popes on the walls. While the main course was very good, all that I remember is the tiramisu that we had for dessert!!!!! The best ever!!! We had asked Vincenzo to join us for lunch-he couldn't but he did join us for coffee and dessert. We so enjoyed talking to him!

Last stop before the ship was the Vatican Musuems and to be perfectly honest, we did not do it justice. The place was full of tour groups and most of the time was spent either in front or behind them! One thing that I was particularly interested in seeing was the famous painting of the two fingers touching-I can't remember the name of it now. We finally arrived in this huge room where all the guard were telling everybody to hush and I just happened to look up and see it on the ceiling. I nearly shrieked in excitement-but it was so small!! I had expected it to cover nearly a ceiling,but it was just so minimal in size. Almost like seeing the MOna Lisa for the first time and realizing how small the painting is......

That ended the day for us.....we chatted with Vincenzo all the way back to the port and again,bid good-bye to Romeinlimo!

Next day, we were in Naples and had Giovanni and Gennaro from romeinlimo waiting for all 9 of us!! We had booked them for a full day tour of the Amalfi coast including a tour of Pompeii. This was a most beautiful day,both in terms of weather,good friends and good food and wine(and limoncello!!) After driving along the coast and seeing more postcard-perfect pictures than one can imagine, we landed at Trattoria La Tagliata-a restaurant high in the hills of Positano with views to die for!! One lady in our group(Anne?????!!!!) even took a picture from the bathroom window!! That's how amazing it was. In addition to the amazing view, food, and wine, they had entertainment to boot!!! Pappa took time out from the kitchen with his wooden instrument and joined the group in serenading us. We were waving our napkins in the air and clapping and singing,and before we knew it, it was time to go. If you are ever lucky enough to go,you will enjoy yourself immensely. The place was packed(we had reservations),so you'd better call ahead. www.latagliata.com.

Next up was a life-long dream come true for me--Pompeii. We had a lovely guide by the name of Lucia who really knew her history and made it come alive for us as she took us down the bumpy roads. It was just amazing to behold the place of such destruction and to see beauty all around. The dogs are abundant and appear to be well-cared for. We saw several tourists feeding them.

The house that really interested me was the House of the Poet with the Beware of Dog sign at the front. Even back then, they had their problems with trespassers! We peeked through the gates and saw a beautiful garden in the back. It allowed us a glimpse into the life of an ordinary man who went through such an extraordinary situation.

The sun was just setting as we left Pompeii and it will be a memory of a lifetime. We,being Canadians, thought the weather was very mild, but poor Lucia was bundled up against what she thought was frigid weather!!

We were very lucky to have such a sweet,intelligent guide! So, we said good-bye and headed to the port and for the last time,said good-bye to romeinlimo. The two drivers made the trip a wonderful experience and I can't say enough about this company. They truly care about their customers and really do aim to please!

Well, my trip report is over. Next up is Celebrity Constellation to Northern Europe. As you can tell, we love Celebrity-I only wish they had romeinlimo in no. Europe!! All the best, Shelly:)

Thanks for the review, I enjoy your post :)

:confused: So, from what I'm reading, tipping isn't 20% for the private tours in Italy like it would be at home?

 

For a full day tour, 20E per person is a good tip and 10E per person is the minimum?

Tipping is as it should be ONLY if you feel it is deserved.