Review of the Jade (Western Med) 11/16-11/27

[gbntmom]

Freestyle Daily:

 

Day 4

Day 4-1.pdf

 

Day 4-2.pdf

Edited January 3, 2014 by gbntmom

[gbntmom]

Freestyle Daily

 

Day 3

 

Day 3-1.pdf

 

Day 3-2.pdf

[gbntmom]

Toulon - Day 4 - 9am-5pm

 

It was more difficult to find a tour for this port. Upon much research, I found Catherine (and her partner Marjolaine) at http://www.provence-travel.com . I chose a tour that included Aix-en-Provence and Cassis. From my emails with Catherine:

 

"Aix en Provenc and Cassis

We start the day in Aix-en-Provence: visit of the city with its sumptuous 17th and 18th century architecture, its nice terraces, its lovely streets with fountains singing everywhere...

There will be the big Provencal market taking place in the historical centre of the town. You'll find there all the things that make Provence famous, food of course (olive oil, goat cheese...) but also vegetal soaps, Provençal fabrics, potteries... Even if you don't buy anything that's a lovely spectacle showing you the lifestyle of local people in Provence.

We spend the rest of the day in the little fishing port of Cassis which is famous for its location itself between cliffs, sea and vineyards and for its Calanques (kind of little fjords with high limestone cliffs) we could see by boat if it is not too windy and if there are boats operating because Nov is the low season.

We will also go on the top of Cap Canaille to have a breathtaking view on the port and the Provencal countryside.

 

Price and service:

I (or the other experienced licensed tour guide working with me full time) come to pick you up to the ship in the morning, drive and guide you through the different places in comfortable 8 seater air-conditioned minivan, make a reservation in a good casual restaurant for lunch (but we can also skip it and grab a sandwich on our way) and drive you back to the ship at the end of the day.

 

Price for 2 persons: 430 Euros, all the car expenses are included (fuel, highway, parking...) but not extra costs such as drinks, lunch (with the guide), entrance fees, boat ride in Cassis, wine stating fees sometimes...

Price for 3 persons: 445 Euros, same conditions.

Price for 4 persons: 460 Euros, same conditions.

Price for 5 persons: 490 Euros, same conditions.

Price for 6 persons: 520 Euros, same conditions.

Price for 7 persons: 545 Euros, same conditions.

Price for 8 persons: 570 Euros, same conditions"

 

Catherine was already booked for the day (with another group from the Jade), so she opened a 2nd van and we had Marjolaine as our guide. She was waiting right outside the gate at the port right at 915am with a sign with our name - just as promised.

 

Marjolaine is 27 years old & has been a guide since she was 20. She is from Aix, so she was able to give us a very unique perspective of the area. Aix is actually home to a large university (14,000 students). The weather (overcast & rainy) is typical for November, since they get practically no rain over the summer. We learned that Aix was home to much royalty with many private mansions. Cezanne was from Aix & now the US is home to most of his paintings as the French were not very interested in 19th century painters.

 

We walked through Aix, starting with the oldest church - Cathedrale Saint-Sauveur. It was built in sections, starting in the 6th century until it was finished in the 15th century.

 

 

 

We walked on through the town, stopping at this sweet shop.

 

 

 

This was the candy shop that made the candies that made the queen smile - It was the only time she was ever seen smiling and the candies have now become a symbol of Aix. They are made of almonds, lemon & sugar. When you first taste them, you can taste the lemon, but then the aftertaste is almond. Something very different than candy in the US.

 

As we walked along, we were able to see some of the markets (not many vendors due to the weather).

 

 

We came to the Place d'Albertas - a little square.

 

 

We ended up our walking tour at one end of the Cours Mirabeau. Here, Marjolaine left us for about 1 hour - for us to explore & get a bite to eat, if interested. She pointed out some places that might interest us, and then left us to our own devices. Dad & I ended up picking up some lunch from a little deli, and we ate outside, sitting on a bench along the sidewalk. We had plenty of time to walk down the promenade to where we were meeting up.

[gbntmom]

Some of the fountains along the way.

 

 

 

A look from one end of the promenade down towards the other. They were just beginning to set up stands for the Christmas time vendors who use the promenade as a Christmas market. A few were open for business, but most were just starting to set up their wares.

 

The fountain at the one end of the Cours Mirabeau

 

.

 

Here we met Marjolaine at 1pm, and headed to Cassis (about a 45 min ride). While the day has been overcast & cloudy, we are hoping that the weather holds, as many in our group want to take a calanque boat ride in Cassis.

 

We arrived at a hilltop overlooking Cassis and we treated to stunning views.

 

 

 

We then headed down to the town of Cassis and had 1 hour & 15 minutes on our own to explore. Unfortunately, the next boat tour of the calanques would not work in terms of timing. We decided just to walk around & see what we could find.

[gbntmom]

My Dad & I decided to wander through the town, heading into the more residential sections. We stumbled across a cemetery and spent a while exploring. It was amazing to see how the graves were arranged and pretty cool to realized that even in the 1800s, people here lived into their 70s and 80s.

 

 

 

We continued to wander along & came across this wall of vines....I just thought it looked interesting.

 

 

We met up with the group and left Cassis around 315pm headed back to Toulon. We said our goodbyes to Marjolaine and headed back on board. I headed up to Deck 12 & 13 to take some pictures of the port area, while Dad headed back to the cabin.

 

 

We made our plans for an early dinner & early show, knowing that tomorrow was going to be a busy day. We joined another couple that we had met via CC for dinner and had a lovely time. Again, this evening was another incredible show - Illusions. You kept asking yourself, "How did they do that?". We were again informed by the captain to expect rough seas (10 ft + swells) and high winds (20-30 knots). It was definitely windy tonight, as we walked across the pool deck we were blown out one door and almost sucked right in to the other! It was pretty odd to see whitecaps in the pool! They are predicting sunny weather for tomorrow, so we'll keep our fingers crossed.

[gbntmom]

Barcelona - Day 5 - 8am-5pm

 

Woke up with our 7am wake-up call. It must have been rocky last night, as the drawers to the dresser had slid open! Neither one of us felt the movement & slept soundly. Got ready & had breakfast & got off the ship by 830am. Today was a DIY day, with plans to tour the city with the HOHO bus and see the Sagrada Familia. I had purchased both tickets ahead of time on line. For the Sagrada, I had chosen an entrance time of 11am, figuring that that way, we'd have enough time to take the HOHO route to the Sagrada & be there in time.

 

To get from the port to the Columbus Monument (at the bottom of Las Ramblas), there was a shuttle bus. The cost was 2,50 euro one way, or 3,50 euro round trip.

 

I had pre-purchased tickets for the Barcelona City Tour bus (the red bus) on line from their website. It was 23,40 euros for me (instead of 26 euros the day of) and 18 euros for my Dad (as a senior). There were going to be 2 routes running - the Orange & the Green, with each loop taking about 2 hours. There was a stop for the HOHO bus right across from the Monument (for the Orange line), but a very helpful representative gave us directions to where to pick up the Green line, which was just a walk over the bridge.

 

 

 

 

We caught the Green line bus with no problems and sat back to enjoy the ride. It was a gorgeous clear day (a little brisk) so we sat on the top deck of the bus. This narrated tour (in 12 different languages) was much, much better than the HOHO in Rome. We passed by the Olympic park & many other fascinating sites before we got to the Sagrada ...

 

 

 

[gbntmom]

We got to the Sagrada Familia at 1040am which gave us some time to walk around and admire the outside of the church. I did purchase our tickets on line ( for 2 of us it was 29,60 euros). It was definitely the right thing to do, saving us at least 20-30 minutes of waiting in line. We did not go up the elevators this time (a reason we need to go back!) We started at the Passion Facade.

 

 

They have great signage that explains what you are looking at. I used Rick Steves' guide & read as we walked along. We then passed the school that Gaudi had created for the children of the workers building the church.

 

 

We then entered the museum which is located under the church. It is filled with many interesting artifacts and models that Gaudi used. It also houses a workshop where people still work to create models for the final church.

 

 

We then came out at the Nativity side of the church, which is the only part of the church that was finished in Gaudi's lifetime.

 

 

When entering the church, we passed through the Gaudi & Nature exhibit, which was fascinating. It was interesting to see how Gaudi was inspired by nature and how he transformed nature into his work.

 

 

[gbntmom]

Pictures from the Sagrada....

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I thought that you might enjoy just a photo tour for here. Words can not even begin to describe the beauty.

[gbntmom]

We left the Sagrada around 1215pm and caught the next HOHO bus to Placa Catalunya where we would change over to the Orange Line. We decided not to stop for anything to eat, as we wanted to see as much of Barcelona as we could and we needed to get back to the ship by 430pm.

 

 

With the weather being colder, my camera battery life was shortened, so these are the only 2 photos from the second loop of the HOHO. The other couple that we were with now were made the photographers of the day!

 

With each loop of the HOHO taking about 2 hours, I could tell that my Dad was becoming increasingly anxious about getting back on time. We ended back at Placa Catalunya close to 4pm. The next HOHO bus was not leaving for 10-15 minutes and then had 4 stops to get to where we needed to be. We got directions for walking back (which was down Las Ramblas). While guide books may say that the walk from one end to the other is 30 minutes, my Dad made it in less than 10! We certainly did not need to worry about pickpockets, they would have had to run to keep up with us! Those human statues along the way, never saw them as things just flew by! We got to the bus stop for the port shuttle (at 415pm) and the line was HUGE! I figured at this point, there were so many people who were on our ship, that we had nothing to worry about. We got on a shuttle and made it to the security point to reboard the ship and it was 428pm! Since there was a line behind us, I still wasn't worried. I finally told Dad what time it was (after about 4-5 times of asking). He was a good sport about the whole thing. Another "adventure" to add to our list!

 

Since we hadn't stopped for lunch, we dropped our things in our cabin, and figured we would head to dinner. To our surprise, the Grand Pacific was already open (before the 530pm announced time). We had a great meal that certainly hit the spot!

 

 

Off we went to the early show - SHOUT! - again, another great production! After the show, I needed a 2nd dessert, so I headed up to the buffet. I figured that I had earned it with the jog that I took earlier in the day. Enjoyed meeting some of our CC mates and visited for a while. Ended up heading back to shower & get our bag of laundry ready for the next day.

 

In terms of the laundry "special" of 1 bag for $24.95 - we got a coupon for it on the first day, with all of our paperwork. It could be used any day we wished. Also, I believe that tonight we got another coupon and I know that somewhere along the way, we got yet a 3rd. I only used the laundry the 1 day, but I do know of others who used the coupon for multiple times and were only charged the $24.95 each time. The bags are pretty substantial - we just had to ask our cabin steward for them. I was able to fit 6 t-shirts, 6 pairs of underwear & 6 pairs of socks of Dad's along with 3 pairs of knit pants, 2 shirts, 4 bras and 6 pairs of socks for me topped off by Dad's sweatshirt. All were picked up in the am on Day 6 and we returned by the afternoon of Day 7. No problem with fading, or bleeding of any colors.

[jimbri]

Wonderful review!

[airedalecrazy]

Taking this cruise in March...thank you so much for the review its filled with so much great info can't wait to read more.

[SylvieSoleil21]

Sylvie -

 

You are definitely in for a good time! I'll keep writing, so hopefully you'll get to see most of the review before you leave. ;)

 

For easy walk off passengers, the times were 615am-930am. (posted in the daily). I know that our transport was for a 7am pickup. We disembarked at 645am & were outside before our van was!

 

Janet

Thanks Janet!!

Great pictures, love them :)

[gbntmom]

Freestyle Daily

 

Day 5 & 6

 

Day 5-1.pdf

 

Day 5-2.pdf

 

Day 6-1.pdf

 

Day 6-2.pdf

[gbntmom]

Valencia - Day 6 - 8am-5pm

 

We started off with a 645am wake up call, headed to the buffet for breakfast & were ready to go by 815am. Today's plans were DIY, with a bit of a twist. You see, my Mom & Dad had collected Lladro figurines since I was a child and after learning that Valencia was the home of Lladro, I figured that a surprise for my Dad was in order. I had made arrangements on line ahead of time for a tour of the Lladro factory. They have directions and information on their website.

 

We took a taxi from the port to Plaza de la Rena which was 15 euros for the 2 of us. NCL was running a shuttle bus from the dock to the port entrance only for 12 euros per person (round trip).

 

We had the chance to enjoy the quiet of the morning with hardly anyone around. While we wandered, we came across Plaza de la Vergin, a square nestled behind the main Cathedral. There, we found the Basilica de Virgen de Los Desampardos - home to the statue of Virgen of the Forsaken. From what I had read prior to this trip is that you could only see the statue from peering into windows in the Basilica's door, as the hours it was open was unpredictable. Not knowing what the building was (very plain from the outside), we walked into the Basilica (through a side door) while Mass was going on. As I was raised Catholic, my Dad & I sat through the remainder of the Mass, participating with the locals. While the language was unfamiliar, the routine was completely known. It was truly a peaceful & spiritual moment and a beautiful way to start the day. After Mass was over, and people left, I then took these pictures.

 

 

 

 

After that, we were going to need to catch the bus (#16) to head to the Lladro factory for our tour. The bus stop was right in Plaza de la Reina, and cost 1,50 euros per person. Our bus driver, who understood limited English, was able to tell us where/when to get off, how to get to the factory & where to catch the bus back. While he told us, "Go down that way", he failed to mention that he meant for 5-6 blocks. Not that the walk was a big deal, just that I had no idea of where I was. Luckily, there was a police station along the way, so we stopped to ask the officer. We got there just as the tour was starting. It was a fascinating tour with lots of details, just like the works they produce. My Dad really seemed to enjoy it and spent time talking with one of the representatives there who was willing to help him figure out how to find out the value of the pieces he owns.

 

 

We made our way back to the bus stop and got back to where we started without a problem. We then spent the next several hours wandering around the old town of Valencia. We came across the Plaza de Ayuntamento - and saw City Hall

 

 

A few blocks further up, we found the Train Station & the old bull ring

 

[gbntmom]

We kept on until we found Mercado Central & spent some time walking around inside. Very interesting, I must say. I, for one, prefer my meat without it's head or eyes remaining! I also kept laughing at what I called "the dancing hooves". They reminded me of the Rockettes line dancing!

 

 

 

We finished up in the Mercado and found our way to La Longa. The entry is no longer free - I believe 2 euros per person, but I could be wrong. We didn't go in, but instead made our way back to the Cathedral for a tour there. Along that walk, we needed to sample gelato in Spain to see how it compared to the gelato in Italy. Needless to say, both are very good! When we got to the Cathedral, there was a 5 euros per person fee which included a headset & walking tour. The walking tour was fascinating, and gave a good explanation of what we were looking at. The building was filled with priceless works of art, culminating in the Holy Grail. It was definitely worth the 5 euros and the time spent there.

 

 

 

 

 

 

[gbntmom]

After finishing at the Cathedral, we were pretty tired of walking (and had seen quite a bit in our time here), so we caught a taxi back to the ship. (15 euros). We got back around 3pm or so. Dad decided, while in Spain, do as the Spainards do, so he took himself a little siesta! I took my book & left for the deck to enjoy the fresh air, blue skies and sunshine. Came back to the cabin around 5pm and the captain was announcing changes in plans due to weather conditions. We learned that we were skipping our sea day scheduled for tomorrow and skipping Cagliari, Sardinia on Saturday. Instead, we were headed to Palma, Majorca tomorrow and having our sea day on Saturday. The rest of the itinerary would remain the same. We were only told that the changes were due to the high winds and rough seas. Of course, this lead many people to scramble and change plans - including our Meet & Greet for the sea day. I called as many people that I had cabin numbers for, just to day that we would still meet on our sea day - not tomorrow. If anything, this was surely a reason to share cabin #s. As I spoke with one person from our Roll Call, she told me that a cyclone hit Sardinia, which is why we were skipping it. Well - that certainly explains the weather!

 

Early dinner & early show again. Tonight, Steven Rawlings was performing a juggling/comedy act. His one-liners were hysterical! He definitely would be worth seeing a second time!

 

 

 

 

After the show, we headed back to the cabin to try to plan for tomorrow. This was one port that I did not have any information on in the books on my Kindle. Oh well, we are just going to be spontaneous and wing it! Kind of scary for a planner like me!;)

 

We decided for a 7am wake-up call so that we could be ready to meet up with another couple at 830am to be adventurous together for the day. Took my shower & surprise - Dad was watching the Lone Ranger! But in English this time! At least there was no gunfire!

[gbntmom]

Palma - Day 7

 

Day 7-1.pdf

 

Day 7-2.pdf

 

We went for breakfast & seemed that all the talk was about "what to do today?" Now while playing things by ear is not my forte, I figured we'd make the best of it. We left the ship around 830am with another couple to share the adventures of the day. As we walked, many taxi drivers approached, some rather pushy. As we made it outside, a gentleman, John, stopped us using a very modest technique, just wanting to show us what he could offer us. This was the best tactic he could have used ~ he offered us 4.5-5 hours for 200 euros total. He would take us to see the sights of the old town and drive us out to the caves. We figured "why not" and were headed on our way! Now it certainly helped that one of our group spoke fluent Spanish. While John did speak English, it was much harder and time consuming for him. He would lapse into Spanish and our friend would then translate!

 

We learned that Palma is a common destination for Europeans when travelling. Between the 5 islands that make up Palma, there are 2000 hotels. We started at a pearl factory since it was raining. We learned about the pearl industry and of course had the chance to buy. We then went across the street to the bullring. It is still used for bull fights, but also for concerts.

 

 

Since it was raining, John decided to drive out to the caves first and then come back to the rest of the old town later, when the weather was to be better. Along the drive, we saw many windmills. They are used to draw water from the ground for irrigation for the crops. John also confirmed that a hurricane did in fact hit Sardinia 3 days ago & that there was a lot of destruction. We got to Porto Cristo without a problem. The tickets for the caves were 21 euros per person. They were very interesting, with all kinds of colored lights and music. When we got to the bottom of the cave, there was a large lake. We learned that we were now at sea level. While we were with a small group, we could move along somewhat at our own pace, taking pictures as we wished. We made our way back to the surface where we were given a small glass of wine produced in Majora & a type of cracker with some reddish stuff on top. The wine was very strong but the snack was good. John told us afterward that it was some type of pig pate - good thing I didn't know that before I ate it!

 

 

 

 

Now, we made our way back to the old city. It was still raining a little, but we could see bits of blue sky ahead as we drove. Once back in the old city the rain stopped! The narrow, twisting streets were a bit nerve-wracking! Especially considering if I opened the car window, I could have stuck my hand out and touched the buildings! That's not even sticking my arm out ~ just my hand! We first stopped at the cathedral and spent some time walking around the grounds & admiring the architecture.

 

 

[gbntmom]

We moved on to the castle where we had plenty of time to walk around. From up here, we also had magnificent views of the city!

 

 

 

 

After this, we headed on back to port. We had a very nice, surprising day with John. We were back on board around 2pm so we headed to the Blue Lagoon to get something to eat. Dad is enjoying this Spanish siesta thing, and I once again headed up to the deck to read. As the sun started to go down, the temperature started to drop so I headed back to the cabin for my own little siesta. Since we were meeting friends at 7pm for dinner in the Alizar dining room, I had plenty of time. Here, we celebrated a 65th birthday and a 35th wedding anniversary! Plenty of cake to go around! Some of us then headed to the 930pm show which was the Maestranza Spanish Ballet. It was very good, but not ballet as we might think of. This was more traditional Spanish type dancing. Ended up heading back to the cabin after the show. Thank goodness tomorrow is a sea day! It is most certainly needed!

[gbntmom]

Sea Day - Day 8

 

[ATTACH]297708[/ATTACH]

 

[ATTACH]297709[/ATTACH]

 

It was a treat to sleep in this morning! Got up around 830am and headed to the buffet to grab something light to eat. Our Meet & Greet was scheduled for 11am -12 noon in the conference rooms right outside of the theater. Many of the staff were able to join us and we had a great turn out. Since it was later in the cruise, we mostly all knew each other, so we had a chance to hear all about each other's excursions and make plans for the final few days of our journey together. We had a great time and lots of laughs! NCL did provide a nice assortment of drinks and snacks for us as well ~ thank you, Luis. We closed the party down (surprise!) at noon, as they had to set up for another event. We made plans to meet some friends for the 3pm magic show with Cripton. I headed to the gym which surprisingly was not crowded. I knew I needed to have something to eat after, so I headed to the buffet for a small salad. Another member of our Roll Call came by, so we were chatting a bit. Time sure flew, as it was 240pm so I needed to get Dad & head to the show. Another great performance by Cripton ~ totally different from the first one. This one included many more mental illusions rather than physical ones. We then headed to the Blue Lagoon for a late lunch, since we were heading to Teppanyaki for dinner tonight at 9pm. Our plans are to go to the early show, "Come Fly with Me", and then head to dinner. Headed back to the cabin, showered & cleaned up and then relaxed until the show. Again, the performances have been spectacular! We headed to Teppanyaki and had an enjoyable meal. The food portions were huge and the food was delicious. We headed back to the cabin & turned in early, as we have a tour scheduled for tomorrow in Tunisia.

 

 

 

[$hip$hape]

Janet,

Thank You for your time, skill and effort in writing such a great review !

[wnycruisefam66]

I'm glad you & your dad are also able to get some rest while on this cruise. Was your dad surprised with the Lladro tour? Sounds like you had a good day on your unexpected port stop.

[Cretia]

Let me add my thanks to the ones in the thread. This is a spectacular review!

 

My husband and I will be on this itinerary next November so it's wonderful to see everything. As it's my favorite of all the tours I have lined up, though, I think I would be heartbroken to have our Cagliari stop cancelled, but you make a wonderful argument for Palma, Majorca!

 

We were considering an itinerary that included that stop and one of the things I was looking at there was the caves, so I'm delighted to see your photos.

[descal13]

So thrilled that you are posting your experiences! My husband and I are on the April 12 Jade sailing with the same itinerary. We have a lively roll call, and as one of our regulars posted this link, I am sure you will have a lot of new followers. I love the Freestyle Daily posts, too. The last ones you posted may not have valid links. Thanks for the awesome photos, too. So kind of you to share your memories of what sounds like a wonderful trip. April can't come soon enough.

[buckirj1]

Thanks for doing such a thorough review. I like the looks of the Jade, but I fear her current itineraries would be way too hot for me. I apologize if I missed your saying, but could you please let us know the average daytime temperature in port?

[AussiesJ&W]

LIVORNO (Day 2) 7am-7pm

 

The plans for the day were going to keep us busy! I had made arrangements with Rome In Limo (through Jany) and can't begin to say enough good things about them! Jany, I swear, must sit at her computer, just waiting to respond to any emails sent - honestly, she's that fast! Since we were wanting to see as much as we could, we chose the Pisa & Florence tour. From Rome in Limo's website, the description:

 

"This day excursion is designed for those who wish to enjoy the highlights of PISA and FLORENCE.

 

You will be greeted at the Port of Livorno, and will make your way to the small city of Pisa. Here you will spend a portion of your morning at the Leaning Tower and the main square. Continuing on along the scenic route in the Tuscan countryside, before arriving at the Renaissance city of Florence.

 

Here you will explore the Church of Santa Croce, the Duomo and Baptistery, the Ponte Vecchio, the Pitti Palace, and the Piazza of Michelangelo prior to lunch. Moving on, you will stop at the Accademia*, which houses Michelangelo’s famous sculpture of David. You can also instead of the Accademia conclude the day with the Uffizi Gallery*, after which you will be returned to the Port of Livorno.

 

Please book your tickets for Uffizi or Accademia yourself, best option is to call them and book the tickets directly over the phone: 011 39 055 294883

 

* Please Book the tickets starting from 2 pm, note that the Accademia would take 40 min to visit and Uffizi about 1,5 hours.

** For the clients that form a group, please make sure everyone has the same time for each museum.

*** Because of lack of time you can only visit one of the museums.

 

Please note that the Accademia and the Uffizi museum are closed on Mondays!"

 

This was a 9 hour tour and for a group of 8 was 600 euros. We actually had 15 people (2 vans) and 2 drivers. We were to meet the drivers at 8am, right outside of the ship. They were waiting for us right as we got off the ship, holding a sign with our name on it!

 

I had requested that our group meet before disembarking, and we chose to meet at the Internet Cafe on Deck 7 at 745am. That seemed to be perfect in terms of timing, as well as it was not near as crowded as the Atrium was.

 

My van's driver was Vinny - just an awesome gentleman who was very professional and loves his job!

 

 

Me, my Dad & Vinny when he dropped us off at the end of the day!

 

We began the day driving to Pisa first, so that we could get the best pictures without crowds. Honestly, I figured, "yeah, right - no crowds, ha!". I couldn't have been more wrong.

 

Our first stop along the way was to this courtyard which housed the Enrico Fermi school - From what Vinny told us, it is very difficult to get into, but once accepted, the education is free. It is very prestigious and concentrates on Physics & Math.

 

 

 

 

We then continued a short way to Pisa and the "Field of Miracles" - the Leaning Tower, the Duomo & the Baptistery. Vinny gave us about 40 minutes here, with very clear directions of where to meet him, along with explanations of what there was to see and the ever important information of where the bathroom was!

 

 

Really - where are the crowds?!~

 

Love your review, in Rome for 3 days prior to our time on the Jade on a B2B, how did you get to the Pisa, is there a trolley train that takes you up the hill.