Author Archives: dipidydoo
Shipboard Life
Our final Sea day is a chance to rest up and take it easy before our last four ports of call. Last night we spent Sailaway up in our favourite outdoor position; a high midships deck, which lets you see the views from both sides. We watched fascinated as the captain reversed out of Salerno, […]
Ravioli, Tortellini and Marinara
Overnight we sailed along the Italian coast, pulling in early to Salerno. It was yet another sparkling blue day on the Med. We planned to head to Amalfi by ferry, then walk to the smaller villages of Ravello, Tortello and Minori. Having already been to Carbonara, we quickly dubbed them Ravioli, Tortellini, and Marinara! The […]
R&R in Civitavecchia
Port days are tiring. We’ve done four in a row. We’ve been to Rome before, so we declared today a rest day. Civitavecchia, or Civ as the locals call it, is Rome’s port. As such it is pretty big, and the terminal is not unlike an airport departure lounge. The town has nothing in particular […]
Livorno
Livorno is the port for Tuscan towns like Pisa, Lucca and Florence. However we decided to avoid the tourist hordes and explore the port itself. It made for a more relaxed pace. We stepped straight onto a waiting shuttle bus (much more efficient than Marseille) and were soon at the tourist office. Strangely our ship […]
An Up and Down Day in Genoa
Time to throw preconceptions out the window. I expected to like Genoa more than Marseille. Such was not the case. It was something of a frustrating day. It should have been easy, as the cruise dock is very close to the city, and the main railway station is only a few minutes’ walk away. I […]
Marseille
Sigh … another gloriously sunny, warm day on the Med. We woke up in the commercial port of Marseille, about 7 kms from the city, requiring some sort of transport. Walking was not an option – the port is massive and very industrial. Refusing to pay $25 each for the ship-provided bus, we hunted down […]
Ends of the Rock
We checked out of our apartment, took the metro and the cruise port shuttle bus, and stepped onto the Emerald Princess, and into another world. This new universe is one where every whim is catered for. Hungry? Thirsty? Sleepy? Bored? Hot? Cold? There’s an answer for pretty much any problem, no matter how first world […]
A Ride In the Dark
Last night we took the Barcelona Night Tour. No words. Just pictures. Enjoy!
A Walk In The Sun
Today we went for a walk. Here is what we did: Went to the local market Ate lunch at Creps Barcelona – a chain restaurant that does gluten free galettes, savoury and sweet. Mmm Bought me a pink sun hat Strolled through the Gothic Quarter, and decided it would be an excellent place for a […]
It’s All About The Light
Yesterday I officially fell in love with Antoni Gaudi. He was a genius. Up until now I’ve enjoyed his quirky, playful colourful style, but after seeing the interior of the Sagrada, my admiration reached new heights. He understood light. Simple as that. He stripped out all the extraneous decoration from the inside, and put it […]