After spending a couple of days on different islands, we had three stops in ports on the Italian mainland: Rome, Naples, and Florence. Since we have been to these cities a couple of times and because we would not be allowed to explore the city on our own to visit some old favorites, we decided to take excursions that took us to some smaller cities instead.
On Wednesday, we visited ancient Etruscan ruins in the area of Tarquinia. I studied Latin for years, and I've always loved history, so this was an interesting place to visit. There are literally thousands of graves here, and they have uncovered many catacombs too. It was fun to walk through and visit these.
We could also look across the valley to see where the people actually lived. We were in the area where the dead were buried, so they did not want those too close to the city.
After this we drove into town and visited the history museum.
It was filled with all sorts of beautiful and fascinating artifacts.
After some time in the museum, our bus took us to a nearby farm that's run by a small family. They served us some bread with olive oil, olive tapenade, omelette with fresh zucchini, and locally grown wine. It was very tasty, and a wonderful little treat. We walked around the beautiful grounds for a bit afterwards which was fun.
We then headed back to port to set sail. We couldn't help but giggle at the other nearby boats which were painted with all sorts of loony toon characters.
On Thursday, we landed in Naples. We took a charter bus around the bay to go visit Sorrento and Amalfi. On the drive over, you have a great view of Mount Vesuvius.
We visited a limoncello factory which was interesting to see. It was fun to watch the machinery at work.
There were some beautiful views just outside the factory.
We soon arrived in the city of Sorrento. Our group walked around for a bit, and see some lovely sites. Then we had time on our own to explore and shop which was fun.
Soon we all met back up for lunch at this restaurant. They served a delicious stuffed pasta with marinara sauce, chicken schnitzel with potatoes and vegetables, and a lemon dessert that was so light and yummy. This was a great dining experience.
After lunch we continued our drive to Amalfi. It was breathtaking. Not surprising, pictures through a bus window simply do not do it justice. Every turn gave a beautiful new site to enjoy.
We arrived in Amalfi and enjoyed some time walking around the town.
We were so excited to finally get some real Italian gelato! We decided to enjoy it on the boardwalk by the beach.
Soon it was time to had back around to Naples and board the boat. This was a beautiful sunset as we sailed away.
Friday was yet another gorgeous day. Instead of going into Florence, we got on a charter bus to head to Tuscany. What an amazingly beautiful part of this country! There were greens and golds everywhere. The bus ride itself was filled with beauty.
We arrived at San Donato Farms for a late lunch. This was a great farm run by a local family.
Everything served for lunch was raised and farmed here. It was a gorgeous spread! The menu included three different meats (prosciutto and salamis), three different cheeses, spelt with veggies, aubergine with mushrooms, onions marinated in white wine (my favorite of all the dishes!), onions marinated in red wine, olives, peppers, marinated veggies, and Tuscan toast which is topped simply with olive oil and salt. They served their own red and white wines with lunch. For dessert, they served vin santo and cantuccini. Every single bite was delicious!
They did not skimp on portions!
We would love to come back and stay at this little B&B on the grounds.
After a gift shop visit, the bus took us into the city of San Gimignano. We had a great time walking around and learning more about this gorgeous medieval city.
All of these ports were wonderful, and we are so thankful for the opportunity to visit each one of them. Saturday was a day spent at sea as we crossed the Mediterranean to head back to Barcelona. It was the only not perfect weather day we experienced. It was fairly rainy most of the day, so we simply enjoyed time together on the boat. This cruise was fantastic!
