Day 2 in Rome

Up early and catch the metro into the main part of Rome where most of the sites are.  Just three stops on the metro.

First stop is Trevi Fountain 

Beautiful walkways.

Piazza Colonna 



Piazza Di San Marcello 



Vittoriano 



Beautiful statue at Piazza Della Minerva 



Cathedral at Piazza della Minerva 



Nativity Scene in the Cathedral



Pantheon



Roman Forum



Roman Forum



Colosseum



Gelato being made



Spanish Steps



Spanish Steps



It’s been a long day as we cross over the Tevere River and head back to the hotel.

Last night on Celebrity and Off to Rome!

September 17/24

This morning we are leaving Celebrity and staying three nights in Rome before we head home.  Yesterday there were celebrations as our cruise was coming to an end.

There was always a great show in the Martini Bar.

The staff parading around the deck as we all clap.

Lounging by the pool…

Staff parading through the dining room as we all show our appreciation for all the good service.

Dress up night and picture with the captain.  There is a slight resemblance to George Clooney don’t you think?

The next morning we take the shuttle which we think will drop us off at the entrance to the Cruise Terminal where we have arranged to catch a shuttle to Vatican City which is supposed to be near our accommodation, Sophie’s Choice.  Problem is we are on the wrong shuttle and end up at the train station.  Good thing we are early and have lots of time but it costs us 20€ to take a taxi to the spot we are supposed to be in.  The shuttle finally comes and it’s about an hour to get in to Rome.  It’s starting to rain.  It’s only a 10 minute walk to our hotel which is great and the owner meets us.  The building is over 100 years old but it seems lovely. Lots of restaurants and shops around.

This is our elevator.  We are on the 5th floor so very happy to have it.  We both fit in with our luggage but no room for anything else.  There is quite a procedure to running the elevator but I think we can manage it.

This is the view from our window.  With parking at a premium note the cute little Fiat and Citroen on the bottom left. So cute!

We get settled in to our new home and then check out the neighborhood.  This restaurant was recommended to us and it was great.

The ravioli was delicious and of course the mandatory glass of red wine.

After lunch we decide to go to St. Peter’s Square to see the Vatican as Diane has a tour here in a couple of days.

We walk around and then buy some cheese, olives, salami and chips and go back “home”.  We plan on an early start tomorrow seeing the hi lites of Rome.

Kotor, Montenegro

September 10/24

Today we arrive in Montenegro at 8:00 am.  It’s beautiful. High mountains meet the sea.  Small villages dot the shoreline.  We arrive in Kotor where we have to tender to the port.  There is one other cruise ship in the port.

We are met by our guide who takes us to our bus.  We pass the old city walls 

and see a church far up the mountain.  

We start up this mountain road that turns in to a single lane winding up the mountain.  28 switchbacks.  The view is amazing.  

You can see the road below with these tight switchbacks.

We stop at a small restaurant in the village of Njegusi to have a snack.  This consists of fresh bread with sliced meat and cheese.  We also have a beverage and I have a glass of white wine even though it’s not even noon but I’m not driving!

Here you can barely make out the old trail that was the only way down to get groceries and supplies.  It took two hours down and two hours back and you had to pack what you needed.  Not for the faint of heart!

We then continue to Budva, one of Montenegro’s oldest settlements.  They get a lot of snow up here whereas in Kotor they never get snow, frost or ice.  Budva is at 3000 feet above sea level.

We head to the old town which is charming.  Diane and I decide to walk the old city wall before meeting the group for lunch at a local restaurant.

We have pork steak filled with smoked ham and cheese.  A cold beer goes with it. 

We head back to Kotor but there’s bad traffic and it takes much longer.  Unfortunately this cuts into the time we hoped to tour Kotor.  We do manage a half hour and see the town square with a very old church built in 1166.  They had a severe quake here back in 1979 which did quite a bit of damage.

It’s now raining lightly as we head back to catch our tender back to the ship.  Lovely day.

Messina, Sicily

September 12/24

Today we dock in Messina, Sicily at 8:00 am.  We have an excursion to Taormina. It’s a small town approximately one hour drive from Messina. 

After we arrive we make our way to a terrace where we can see Mt. Etna.  Mt. Etna is a live volcano and we are able to see it before the clouds cover it.

We pass through the walls to the old town.  A wonderful selection of shops, restaurants and accommodations..

Beautiful lanes going off in all directions.

One is barely wide enough to walk through. 

We visit the public gardens. So cooling.  Lots of beautiful plants and several types of cactus.

Beautiful view.

On our way back to the bus we stop for pistachio gelato and also pop in to a chocolate shop and sample lemon coconut chocolate. Fantastic!

We then board the bus for the hours drive back to Messina. We decide to go see the cathedral of St. Mary of the Assumption and the clock tower. We also see the monumental Orion Fountain.

We then stop at a restaurant and have bruschetta with capers and anchovies.  A nice local beer to wash it down then it’s all aboard the ship. We leave port at 5:30.