LIVE From the Ruby Princess - Our European Adventure - July 4th to 16th

[J&Jtravelcouple]

Excellent report! Can't wait for the Amalfi coast. Thank you again Kimmer.

[J&Jtravelcouple]

please ignore - cannot delete an erroneous post, only edit it to this :eek:

[California Native]

Kimmer17..

I just wanted to say...

I'm absolutely loving your live from blog!!!!

Your writing style is fantastic! I don't want your cruise to end!

and........

Your posts are bringing back wonderful memories of each

of the ports!!!!

You will be back, I guarantee it!

You have been bitten by the travel bug and there is no cure!!!!

Buon Viaggio!

K.

[Woobstr112G]

Day 9 – Naples/Amalfi Coast

 

I am starting to fear that this cruise is going to cost us a fortune. By saying this, I am not actually referring to the cruise itself, but for all the places we feel we must return to in the future. It’s too bad Canada is so damn far from Europe, or we would be travelling extensively in the future.

 

The 6:30 wake up call was promptly answered and forgotten about this morning, as we continued sleeping until 7:15. Seeing as we were meeting the City Folks at 7:45, it is needless to say that we were rushed and in a panic as we managed to get down to Vines for 7:50. We were expecting a couple of our dealer friends to meet us, but apparently there was a big party for the crew last night, and they were nowhere in sight. We headed out of the ship, and found our tour guide for the day, Vittorio, waiting patiently for us.

 

We loaded up the Mercedes Van and headed out into the traffic of Napoli (Naples). Our day would include very little time in Naples, as we wanted to see the Amalfi Coast as much as possible. We drove past Vesuvius and Pompeii, which were interesting to see. We didn’t want to spend time exploring Pompeii, as we wanted to get the most out of our scenic day. We sit here, back in our cabin, very glad that we made this decision, as our tour today was exquisite.

 

Vittorio was such an amazing guide. I would highly recommend him and AP Tours, as he was both knowledgeable and catering. It didn’t hurt that Kim now feels like she finally has an Italian boyfriend, as he was very charismatic. He took us and the City Folks up the mountains, through the top and headed down to Ravello. The scenery of the Amalfi Coast is beyond words. If you are into winding roads, with beautiful sights at every turn, then I urge you to explore this area. I’m sure there are other places in the world that might rival it’s blend of urban living and mountainous beauty, but I am not aware of them.

 

We walked around for a short time in Ravello, exploring a wonderful ceramic shop (We bought some bowls to be shipped home……wonderful) before hopping back in the van and heading to Positano. What a beautiful and majestic small city. While it is difficult to get lost in this area, as there are only a couple of roads, the driving is quite a task, as the roads narrow quite often. Vittorio was an excellent, safe driver which made the day even better.

 

He dropped us off in Positano, and we walked down the road towards the beach. It is a long walk down a sloped and staired road/walkway, filled with great shops along the way. We decided to head down to the bottom, and shop as we came back up, knowing that any break would be welcomed. It was a beautiful day today, but quite hot, holding around 33 degrees Celsius. When we arrived at the beach, we took a quick look, and headed back up. It was very full of tourists (as we don’t consider ourselves tourists, although that is exactly what we are), but there was still lots of room to walk and explore. By going off the beaten path, we happened upon a small church, where the man there let us look around and take a few pictures. It was both humble, and beautiful. As we moved our way up, we bought a few linen clothes.

 

Arriving back at the van, Vittorio was there waiting, still in his tie and suit, ready to take us way up the mountain for lunch. Earlier in the day he had called the Restaurant and made a reservation for us. They were ready for us, having a window table with a beautiful view down on Positano waiting for us. Before we knew it, we were brought homemade wine, beer, Sparkling water and 8 various appetizers to eat. The restaurant is a family operated restaurant, where they grow all their vegetables (we also overlooked the gardens) and make their own pasta. Now, for the record, I am an incredibly picky eater ( I know…..I have problems….), but I tried almost everything they brought for us, and savored every single bite. The father and mother make all the food, and the kids wait on the tables. We felt like part of the family. After the appetizers were done (we were already pretty full), then came the pastas. Oh how we ate. I am now quite aware of what my friend Piero means, when he says, ”Nobody knows how to eat like the people of Italy!” I’m sure it wouldn’t surprise you to find out he was Italian, but I now know of what he speaks. A second bottle of white wine was brought out as we finished our pasta. We were then treated to a big plate of a selection of deserts, which perfectly complemented the meal. After an espresso, and an after lunch drink (Limoncello? A lemon alcohol) we got our bill of 25 Euro each. I would have paid 50, easily.

 

We headed out along the coast to Sorrento, where we had about an hour to explore the shops there. Another beautiful town, but different from the other two. We had a Gelato from a little shop recommended by Vittorio, which was out of this world. We did a bit more shopping and headed back to the Van. Vittorio took us the final short distance to the Ferry for Naples, and we said our goodbyes. Even the 45 minute ferry (10 Euros each) was spectacular, as I had a chance to look closely at Mt. Vesuvius along the way.

 

It is one of nature’s cruel twists how such an area can exist. With all the beauty of the mountains, and the incredibly fertile grounds for growing some of the tastiest fruit and vegetables comes the price of living in a place where the next disaster is not a case of if, but when. One day, ultimately, Vesuvius will once again decimate this area, and people will die. One day, ultimately, an earthquake will rock this area with such a force that death and destruction will be beyond comprehension. I suppose this inevitability is just an assumed risk for the people of this area. It is shown in their joy of life, which seemed to be evident in every person we met.

 

As we arrived back at the pier, finding our shuttle back to the boat, we reflected on yet another incredible day. We thought of the day we just experienced, and all the beautiful land and wonderful people we bumped into along the way. I am writing my entry today as we sit in our room, still docked in Naples. We are still an hour away from leaving port. Kim is having a little nap after a long day of travel, and an early morning. I imagine our night will include a lovely dinner at one of the restaurants (later), and a trip to the casino to visit friends, and find out just how good the party was last night.

 

We are looking forward to a long day of touring Rome tomorrow, back in with the herd. Tomorrow is our last completely organized tour with Princess, as we are exploring Florence and Monte Carlo on our own. I leave our first day in Italy having a much better understanding of all my Italian/Canadian friends back home. For years I have endured watching them wave their flags at World Cup time, discussing which little town and area of Italy they come from, and hearing that nobody can make pasta like their Mom’s. While I’m not ready to go out and buy a red, white and green flag, I will forever admire anyone who says they are from the Amalfi Coast, and I have a new appreciating for how Italian Momma’s make a meal. Ciao, Amalfi…..you are truly a spectacular and magical place. I hope to see you again in my life.

 

Sounds like another great day. Thanks for continue to post.....:):):)

 

Bob

[somogirl]

I am so Blessed!

 

1.) I booked my Europe Cruise for Sept.2011

2.) I started my research early and found Kimmer's thread

 

I have thoroughly enjoyed reading your daily entries. I was waiting with great anticipation to read about the Amalfi Coast-you didn't let me down. You & Kim travel like myself....you stop and smell the roses and really experience the flavor of the town. I loved the story of lunch in the family restaurant. I felt like I was there with you and I can't wait to experience that.

 

We are taking this cruise with our Canadian friends. I have copied all your daily writings into a folder to share with our friends.

 

Thank You very much for taking time away from your holiday to share with all of us.

[chasinraynbowz]

I want to add thanks, also! My sister and I are finalizing our plans for a Med cruise in Oct 2011. I am thoroughly enjoying reading your live from!! Thanks again!!

[teetee91477]

What was the name of the restaurant in Positano? I'll be on that cruise Friday, going backwards, so Naples is on the front end. The beach sounds like my sort of thing and the restaurant sounded lovely! If you get a chance to let me know the name of it I would appreciate it! Thanks!

[DeepWaterMariner]

What a great narrative of your adventures! It is great to read about people who know how to enjoy such an incredible itinerary.

[Jeniceves]

We are boarding our flight for Barcelona tonight and are sorry to miss your posts from Rome and Florence. You should wear a sign that says "Kimmer" so folks who are boarding on Friday can find you to say "hello" and "thank you" for the wonderful posts! Can't wait!!!!

[spingal]

Wow!! What a great thread!! Thanks for taking the time to write it. I did this cruise in 1998 and am re-living it through your posts. I love the way you write and am really enjoying reading the highlights of each of your days. :D:D

[suenruss]

What was the name of the restaurant in Positano? I'll be on that cruise Friday, going backwards, so Naples is on the front end. The beach sounds like my sort of thing and the restaurant sounded lovely! If you get a chance to let me know the name of it I would appreciate it! Thanks!

 

It sounds like the same restaurant we were taken to on a private tour in 2008 - you will never find it alone as it is up in the hills away from the town. It was our most memorable meal which we remember whenever we drink Limoncello (which is good but doesn't taste quite the same when we drink it in our garden!!!)

[teetee91477]

It sounds like the same restaurant we were taken to on a private tour in 2008 - you will never find it alone as it is up in the hills away from the town. It was our most memorable meal which we remember whenever we drink Limoncello (which is good but doesn't taste quite the same when we drink it in our garden!!!)

 

 

We have a private tour there too, so hopefully our driver will know about some good restaurants there. I was talking to a lady today that was just there, and she said in Positano there were a bunch of restaurants just like that...I'm so excited to see! I can't wait to drive along the coast and go to the beach! Sounds WONDERFUL!!!!:D

[Kimmer17]

Day 10 – Rome

They say that Rome wasn’t built in day…..I would add that Rome can’t be seen in a day either.

After sleeping through our wake up call for Amalfi, we made sure that we were up right with the call at 5:30 AM this morning. Painfull……absolutely. The thought of another packed bus tour didn’t tickle our fancy this morning, but Rome had to be seen. So up we were, ordering room service breakfast, with plenty of time to get ourselves looking beautiful. This, of course, is a much easier task for Kim than I.

We wanted to get down to the herding station early in an effort to get out as one of the first groups of our tour. Apparently, this is a science to some, as we were still given group four. We were signed up for the Elite Rome Tour with Princess. All we knew was that it was an expensive one.

As we herded our way to the bus, we were quite happy to see that our group was smaller, yet still in a full sized bus. Kim and I, as always, lollygagged our way to the bus and managed to get seats to ourselves. I love extra room, and there were a great many empty seats on the bus, which surprisingly stayed empty the whole day. At the bus we met our first guide, Corina, who was wonderful. As we headed out from the port of Civitivecchia (can I buy a vowel?), we picked up our second guide, Rita along the drive to Rome.

The drive afforded me some time to grab a nap, as the traffic was ample as the bus approached Rome. It took us around ninety minutes, which, apparently, was quite fast for rush hour. Arriving at 9:00 AM, Rita provided us with constant entertainment and information as we drove into Rome. It is really quite amazing how preserved the ancient sites are in this city. It is a wonderful mix of old and new wherever we drove today.

Listening to Rita speak of her city led me to feel that, within Italy, there is all there are two separate regions……Rome, and not Rome. She spoke of the city as not only the Capital of Italy, but the capital of the world. There was great pride in her narration which couldn’t help but make you feel like you are in the most important city in the world. Personally, I was more impressed with Istanbul, or even Ephesus, but I wouldn’t have said this to Rita. Picture the little exorcist lady from the movie, Poltergeist, and you have a good impression of Rita. She consistently referred to herself in the third person, as well, sparking memories of such lines as, “George likes his chicken spicy!”, for all you Seinfeld fans out there. (On a side note, I was saddened to read that Mr. Stienbrenner passed away today, despite the fact that my back to mediocre Blue Jays have been left in his wake for a great many years now.)

Oh yea…..Rome! Sorry. Just a taste for all of my loyal followers of what it might be like to be in my Grade 7 class. lol.

Our first stop was the Colliseum (spelling incorrect, I’m sure). I have seen many pictures of this sight over the years, and guess what…..it looks just like the pictures. Rita offered some interesting insight into the areas as we moved through it, but I didn’t find it all that impressive. (Kim enjoyed it more than I). I am starting to realize just how spoiled we have been thus far, as if this was one of the first sights of the trip, I’m sure it would have been more impactful. As I now reflect on the day, I fear I am becoming a bit of a pompous ass. Again….I digress.

My main advice for Rome would be to make sure you have tickets ahead of time for anything you want to see. We skipped the lines all day, as the lines to buy tickets were absolutely huge. It was great touring with a smaller group, as well, as moving around with 20 people is sooooo much easier than moving around with 40.

From here, we walked through town a little bit, following Rita with her red scarf on a stick, waving it high over her 5 foot stature. We arrived at Trevi Fountain. The amazing thing about this fountain is how new it looks. Honestly, it looks as if it were build last year. Other than that, it was a big wall that had a fountain coming out of it. I realize there are traditions, and history with the fountain, but again, the pompous ass in me reared its little head.

Fringe benefit number three of the Elite Tour……Lunch! We walked to the Hotel Majestic, which was a beautiful hotel right in the heart of Ancient Rome. We were one of two groups eating at the hotel, which made it much more intimate. The lunch was great, with wine and beer included. We enjoyed the food and the dining experience.

After lunch it was back into the hot sun (35 degrees all day!) as we headed to the Vatican. Although we were excited that we had the entire afternoon to explore and experience the Vatican, we quickly realized that an afternoon was not nearly enough. We followed Rita and her red scarf as we walked right by a huge line of people, and walked right in to the Vatican. After clearing the security checkpoint we proceeded into the Vatican museum. We moved quite quickly through treasure after treasure….sculpture after sculpture….homage to both Clergy and Royalty through the ages of Rome and Italy. It was very overwhelming. Every entrance into another wing brought a new visual and historical experience. The Vatican’s display of the treasures is simply incredible. Many of the treasures have been so well preserved, it was easy to forget that we were looking at Art that was hundreds…even thousands of years old. I particularly loved the tapestry section, which displayed massive tapestries depicting biblical stories in rich color. Incredible. The Museum left me wondering what other treasures lie within the walls of the Vatican, that are not displayed, or even truly known about by the public.

As we exited the museum, and entered what Rita referred to as the Courtyard of the big Pine Cone, which was a reference to the main sculpture of the square, we found our way to one of the big displays of the art of the Sistine Chapel. It was very busy, and most of the stations that depicted the art inside were being used by other groups. There was one station being used by an unlicensed guide with only two members of his tour. Well Rita had enough of that, and got into quite an argument with this guy, going so far as to find a security guard. I was waiting for her to pull a taser gun out of her pocket, but all was eventually resolved.

Now, as a Catholic who studies Art History in University, the Sistine Chapel has a lot of meaning to me. I had studied the art of the chapel at length back when I pretended to be an academic. It was one sight that I was very excited to see (for another example of this, please read about the Hagia Sophia, back on Istanbul day). It certainly didn’t disappoint. Michealangelo’s work was simply breathtaking in every way. We could have spent a whole afternoon looking at this treasure. Seeing the size, and detail, and understanding the extent of the work put into creating something so beautiful and significant was an incredible experience.

There are only a couple of rules in the Sistine Chapel……no pictures (it was the only place in the Vatican that asked you not to take pictures), please be quiet, as it is a church. It was so very frustrating to watch so very many people flagrantly break these rules. With staff everywhere monitoring these two rules, all I saw around me were people taking pictures, and talking to their hearts content. I now better understand why many Muslim’s frown on non-Muslim’s going into Mosques. Ninety percent of the people in the Sistine Chapel showed no respect for the rules, or for what they were viewing. I don’t expect every visitor to be as impacted both aesthetically and spiritually as myself. That is not the point. The point is that there are two simple requests, and most people couldn’t respect these simple requests. Our experience certainly wasn’t enhanced by this, although we thoroughly cherished our 2o minutes we spent in the presence of such beauty.

From here we headed out to see St. Peter’s Basilica, which was similarly impressive. Its vastness and serenity were simply humbling in every way. I only wish we could have been there to celebrate a mass there.

Our final stop for the day was a walk through St. Peter’s square, which I was excited to see after seeing it in so many movies over the years. Kim and I imagined being present for the selection of the new Pope. Speaking with Rita, she spoke of being present in the square for the last three presentations of the new Pope. Amazing.

We walked back to our bus, and had a pretty quick ride back to the ship. It was a tough day temperature-wise, as the outside heat combined with the freezing cold air conditioned bus, keeping our bodies in a constant state of flux. I also fear that, although I slept for much of the drive back to the boat, the people around me may have had to put up with my amply voluminous snoring. I fear the worst…..

After a much needed shower we headed straight down for a nice dinner at Da Vinci’s. I love to play mix and match with my order each time, and the staff there are always very accommodating to my whims. I must say that my family back home would be quite proud of my pasta consumption these last two days, as I have tried and liked much more than I ever have. I see a trip down to La Bruchetta on St. Clair St. (in Toronto) being a lot less embarrassing in the future. lol.

I will not speak of our time in the casino after dinner. Yes……it was that bad. I will find an empty piano tomorrow and play for nickels tomorrow in Florence. (side note to family…..it wasn’t really that bad….worry not). If you happen to be in Florence tomorrow, and see a lost soul playing songs by U2, The Cure or Spirit of the West songs tomorrow….be kind. It’s all for a good cause.

We now retire looking forward to no more herding from here on in. Our day in Florence tomorrow will be at our own pace. I expect to spend a great part of our day taking in works of art, and soaking in the city as are prone to do. New adventures await. Ciao from the most important city in the world (not really….but you have to admire the pride).

(SIDE NOTE: I will try and find out the name of the restaurant in Positano.....Vittorio would know)

[Pia1913]

Thanks again Kimmer for your humerous and informative narrative. As for spelling, it's Civitavecchia and Colosseum. However, you spelled aesthetically perfectly. :D

[rdsqrl]

Sounds like another wonderful day. I liked Rome far more than I liked Florence. I'll be eager to read your report.

We had the same experience re noise in the Sistine Chapel. The whispering would give rise to out-and-out talking, which would inevitably build to a crescendo of sound, at which point the guards stationed around the chapel would in concert hiss "SHHHHHHHHHHHHhhhhhhhhhhhh"; the noise would then die away and after a few minutes, the whispering would re-commence, to again build in intensity. . . and the cycle would repeat. I found it annoying, too, albeit somewhat entertaining in its predictability; I'm sorry it impacted your time there, too.

[sultan_sfo]

And it is "humorous"!

[Auntiejo]

I am throughly enjoying re-living our trip last year on the Ruby with the exact same itinerary - thanks for bringing us along for the ride!

[J&Jtravelcouple]

Great report again, thanks! Am quite worried about lines in Rome - considering too expensive tour for this reason.

 

We wanted to get down to the herding station early in an effort to get out as one of the first groups of our tour. Apparently, this is a science to some, as we were still given group four.

 

G. Orwell: "Some people are more equal than others." ;) (Frequent cruiser miles, deluxe stateroom passengers, and all that.)

 

,

 

[Great8]

Thanks so much for your reports. We are eagerly awaiting our similar cruise on the Star in late September.

 

I laughed out loud when I read your remark about watching the stain dry. That's exactly how I used to feel watching my kids play soccer in the spring after a hectic hockey season. :D

 

Enjoy the rest of your holiday!

[AliceS]

Your posts are now required reading for the group that I planned tours for in October of this year.

 

It's good that you hooked up with A & P and did a private tour. It's the way to go. You see more in a relaxed fashion. Ship's tours are OK, but I'm really in favor of the private companies.

 

Thank you so much for keeping a log, my group has never been to Europe and you helped me by giving a great discription of Rome and Amalfi.

[mycruz]

After reading about Rome, it is now on my bucket list.....don't know why it wasn't before being Catholic and all.....hmmmm

 

Keep it up, loving it!:D

[caber]

Thanks for another great report.

I first was in Rome in 1968 (I was very young):D and in those days there were no queues. We walked straight into the Vatican and the Colloseum.

We are doing Rome on our own next month and also Florence on our own with the Princess coach.

I look forward to your report on Florence even though I have been before. You have good ideas.

[Twotanks]

Brilliant blog - you should consider doing this professionally! Your trip has went in so quickly. So much valuable information. We are joining the ship on Friday - hope our trip goes as well as yours.

 

Thanks again.

[cruisemom42]

Great report again, thanks! Am quite worried about lines in Rome - considering too expensive tour for this reason.

 

 

 

 

Tickets can be pre-reserved for the Vatican online, only a small extra fee and you can walk right in, just like the tours. For the Colosseum, tickets can easily be purchased from the Palatine Hill ticket office (your ticket is good for the Colosseum, the Forum, and Palatine Hill) round the corner where there is usually next-to-no line.

 

Don't take an expensive tour just because of lines! ;)

[ronnie64]

Thanks Kimmer for making this come alive for us. I thought we were excited before reading your posts but now.......wow! Will be sending you a thank you hug in Barcelona as we will be boarding when you are disembarking. I'm sure all of these great memories will sustain you until you return...but did you throw a coin into the fountain??? ha ha