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Eydie's Excerpts
News of the Cruise (Part 3)
We’re doing Rome totally on our own
The ship docks in the port city of Civitavecchia. It is an hour and a half by public train to Rome. The walk to the station is not bad. Trying to figure out which train actually goes to Rome and where to get off is the problem. Fortunately some Canadians are in this with us so we make the right choices. We exit at the last stop at the main train depot in Rome. I pony up a euro ($1.36) to go to the restroom. I do remember when I was in Rome 30 years ago and used a public restroom. A man chased after me yelling in Italian until we paid him.
People walk the streets of Rome with heads buried in maps. Look out!! That is not a good idea since Italian drivers do not stop at crosswalks for pedestrians or even at lights. We are doing the same and can’t locate the Coliseum. A group of young people from Finland seem to know what they’re doing. They have a GPS on a phone and invite us to join them. The Coliseum looms up in front of us. So do the crowds of tourists. We cannot get near the entrance and don’t try.
We move on to find the Trevi Fountain. On our last trip, I threw coins in the fountain meaning we would return and here we are, that is, if we can find it. On that trip, I asked a man “Dove La Fountana de Trevi, per favore!” He said, “Sorry, lady, I don’t speak Italian.” I ask this go round and the man I ask only speaks Italian. He looks at the map and does help us out by pointing. We’re getting close. Swarms of tourists are heading one way and we follow. The Trevi Fountain must be nearby. It’s much larger than I remember and of course, busier. I inch my way up to get a photo. Despite the heat, no feet are permitted in the water. Arrivederci Roma. We came, we saw, we conquered!
It’s back to the train station with some very tired feet. Did I mention that there is a ton of graffiti along the train routes and even in the cities? It’s not washed off. I will be happy to be treated like a Princess again on the ship.
Pisa, Florence
Eyes open in Livorno, Italy. A bus takes us to the train station. A half hour later, we disembark in Pisa. 
Pisa is famous for the Leaning Tower but it is not visible so again we are lost. A man is walking his dog. I ask in my broken Italian, if he can tell us where the Leaning Tower of Pisa is. In a combination of Italian and English, he tells us he walks his dog for 2 hours every Sunday and will walk us to the Tower. He points out sites along the way. When the tower is in sight, he is about to leave us. We kiss on both cheeks and I take his picture. When we get home I e-mail him the picture. He writes back in English. “THANKS FOR THE PHOTO, I WAS PLEASED TO HAVE YOU ARAUND ACCOMPANIED PISA REGORDS. ALVARO.”
Back on the train, we head to Florence.
Florence, Italy
This is a easy walk and no directions are needed. We see the Duomo from the train. Florence means, “The Flowering” and was the jewel of the Renaissance. It is this cathedral, the Duomo, that symbolizes the wealth and power of Florence during its Golden Age. It took 14 years to build and was the largest cathedral in the world. The façade is decorated in multicolored marble in beautiful geometric shapes. How did they do that?
The outside is being power washed to show off its beauty more clearly. Again, due to crowds and time restraints, we have to head to the train station and make our connection to Livorno where the ship is. Panic sets in. The worst thing you can do on a cruise is miss the ship’s sailing time. Livorno is not listed on the departure board. A young couple from the ship is with us. Together we plot the route to take and fortunately make the right decision but not before David buys another hat. Are you keeping count?
We make it back on time. Both Pisa and Florence are very clean cities though graffiti is still evident in areas.
Monte Carlo
This morning, we are up before we enter the port of Monte Carlo. It’s an early breakfast and we take a tender in to the city. It’s a gorgeous port, one that is featured in David’s boating and Yacht magazines. Some yachts might cost a billion, that’s with a B. Monaco is the country. A billionaire who wanted his own municipality founded it. Housing here is the most expensive in the world. But there are no taxes. The streets are immaculate. They are hosed down every day. We hike up to see the pink palace where Princess Grace Kelly lived, and tour the palace to learn of its history. King Louie lived there at one time. No, we don’t go to the famous casino. It is way on the other side of Monte Carlo and the ship leaves at 2 p.m.
Back on the ship, we eat our final dinner. It’s a relatively quiet evening without a show or even dancing. We pack, waking up in Barcelona, Spain. The cruise is so smooth that we hardly know we are on a moving vessel. Good-bye home of 14 days.
The taxi winds our way to the hotel in Barcelona. It is centrally located and then we walk. We take the tour of the city. From 11 a.m. on, the streets are filled with residents. The fresh food market shows off produce, meats, chicken, and everything imaginable.
McDonalds is on the main drag. KFC is across the street. Dunkin Donuts is next door. Where are we? They have a Dunkin Doughnuts in Barcelona, Spain but not in Reno, Nevada.
Entertainers line the thoroughfare. There is no vehicle traffic. It’s like a long, busy Pier 39. David buys his last hat. I lose track.
The evening ends with dinner at one of the many outdoor cafes. We order traditional dishes like tapas and paella. I have sangria. The food is delicious as is the ambiance. Barcelona tugs at us to return. It’s that kind of city.
The streets are still mobbed with friendly people. Bicycle racks line the city streets. The bikes have white sides and are red. It’s free to take one and ride it to a new destination and leave it there. I think some cities in the States are copying that.
The hotel room is actually a suite. The TV has closed captioning though it’s in Spanish. In two weeks we have learned basic phrases in Greek, Turkish, Italian, French, and Spanish. Next is our short flight to Geneva, Switzerland where the language is mostly French.
The 8 and a half hour flight to Dulles airport in Washington D.C. is long and boring, but we do get fed and the food isn’t all that bad. The flight attendant greets with a decidedly American Hi. After that we board the flight to San Francisco. On this 6-hour flight, there is no food, not even pretzels or peanuts. Imagine being on airplanes for 16 hours and a 10-hour jet lag. It takes my body quite a while to catch up. David’s adapts better.
I hope you enjoyed the trip and can add your own stories to ours.
(Questions or comments are always appreciated: eydies@aol.com)