Italy

THE SHIP DOCKS A WAYS AWAY FROM ROME.

THEN WE WILL VISIT A CHURCH THAT IS BUILT ON AT LEAST TWO PRECEDING CHURCHES.

A VISIT INSIDE THE COLOSSEUM

LUNCH

INSIDE THE VATICAN & BACK TO THE SHIP.

A LONG, INTENSE DAY. THIS IS WHEN A SHIPS TOUR COMES INTO IT'S OWN.

THE BUS MEETS US RIGHT AT THE SHIP & THE GUIDE INTRODUCES HERSELF. VERY NICELY SPOKEN - PERFECTLY UNDERSTANDABLE. A BONUS.

WE HEAD TOWARDS ROME, HAVE A PEE BREAK ON THE WAY, YOU CAN SEE IT IS FAR.

WE COULD HAVE STOPPED AT THE McDONALD'S ACROSS THE STREET..

WE ENTER ROME.

OR DO WE? AREN'T THESE SOMEWHERE ELSE? EGYPT?

NO - I RECOGNISE THIS....

FOR ANY OF YOU WHAT CANNOT READ ROMAN - THIS IS FROM YEAR FIFTEEN. MAKE THAT 14. JESUS WAS 14 YEARS OLD.

GUYS SHOULD HAVE HAD THIS FINISHED YEARS AGO.

LETSA SEE - TWO THOUSANA YEARS ATA DOBLE TIMA.

ACROSS THE RIVER AND NOW WE AR IN ST. PETERS SQUARE

OUTSIDE THE VATICAN AND

THERE'S OUR GUIDE - NUMBER 10.

ACTUALLY, WE HAD TWO GUIDES. NUMBER 10 WHO IS ITALIAN INTRODUCED US TO AN ENGLISH LADY WHO WILL SHOW US AROUND ROME.
SHE IS A PROFESSOR OR SOME SUCH & CARRIES A SUNFLOWER ON A STICK FOR US TO SEE WHERE SHE IS.

THE BEAUTY OF THIS ARRANGEMENT IS THAT SUNFLOWER LEADS AND NUMBER 10 FOLLOWS. BOTH WITH THEIR FLAGS IN THE AIR. WE ARE IN BETWEEN, BEING SHEPHERDED LIKE THE SHEEP WE ARE.

WHEN YOU ARE CLICKING AWAY LIKE CRAZY AT EVERYTHING IN SIGHT, IT'S VERY EASY TO LOSE YOUR GUIDE, BUT NOT WITH THESE TWO.

VERY GOOD - I LIKE IT.

AND THERE'S ANOTHER OF THOSE OBELISKS. REMEMBER - THERE WAS ONE IN CENTRAL PARK.

MICHAELANGELO DID THIS ONE.

INCREDIBLE...

THERE ARE A COUPLE OF POPES THAT YOU CAN ACTUALLY SEE IN HERE. THAT'S A BIT SPOOKY..

THERE'S SUNFLOWER....

AND SOMEONE FAMOUS IS REPUTED TO BE BURIED AROUND ABOUT HERE.

SAINT SOMEONE OR OTHER.

FAMOUS ANYWAY....

AND THE SWISS GUARD HURRYING OFF SOMEWHERE.

THAT WAS A GRUELLING TIME. EXHAUSTING.
SOME OF THE OLDER FOLK WERE WILTING.

HOW ANYONE CAN DO THIS TRIP FROM THE SHIP WITHOUT A SHIPS TOUR IS BEYOND ME. DOING IT ON YOUR OWN - FINDING THE RAILWAY OR A BUS OR TAXI EVEN. WAITING IN LINES WHEREAS WE SKIPPED THE LINES.

AND WE HAD THE LOVELY NUMBER 10 ... BONUS

OVERNIGHT WE SAILED NORTH FROM ROME TO LIVORNO.

FROM THERE WE GO BY BUS FURTHER NORTH, PASSING CARRARA OF MARBLE FAME & PISA OF LEANING TOWER FAME.

BOTH ARE WAY OFF IN THE DISTANCE.

ARRIVING IN LA SPEZIA

WE SWITCH TO A BOAT & THERE IS SUNFLOWER, GIVING SOMEONE ELSE A TOUR.

I HAVE A NEW CAMERA FOR THIS TRIP. I SHOWED A LADY ON THE BOAT THIS WEIRD TRICK IT DOES.
PRESS THE SHUTTER BUTTON & IT TAKES 16 PHOTOS & PUTS THEM INTO ONE PICTURE. ALL WITHIN THE CAMERA.

BIZARRE

WE AGREE THIS IS A USELESS FEATURE & I NEVER USED IT AGAIN.

IT DOES OTHER STUFF TOO. LIKE TAKING ABOUT 14 PICTURES WITH ONE CLICK OF THE CAMERA. NOT SEQUENTIAL PICTURES. ALL THE SAME, BUT THERE ARE 3 DIFFERENT EXPOSURES. 3 OF THIS. 3 OF THAT. ONE COLOUR, ONE BLACK & WHITE.
I GAVE THE CAMERA AWAY.

BACK ON THE BOAT FOR THE REAL START OF THE EXCURSION.

THIS IS GOING TO BE FROM LA SPEZIA & ALONG THE COAST, TOUCHING ALL OF THE CINQUE TERRE - THE FIVE VILLAGES OF - MONTEROSSO AL MARE, VERNAZZA, CORNIGLIA, MANAROLA AND RIOMAGGIORE.

MAYBE NOT ALL FIVE. I LOST COUNT.

NCL BILL IT AS ‘EASY’. EASY IT AINT.

IT INCLUDES A BOAT RIDE, A WALK, ANOTHER BOAT RIDE & A TRAIN. MORE WALKING - UP AND DOWN STAIRS. IN AND OUT OF PASSAGEWAYS.

ALL THIS ON AN ITALIAN BANK HOLIDAY & THEY ARE OUT IN THEIR DROVES ENJOYING THIS STUNNING PART OF THEIR COUNTRY.

HOW THE GUIDES DID NOT LOSE ANYONE IS BEYOND ME. I THINK WE DID AT ONE POINT. SOME FOLKS FOUND IT NOT SO EASY.

WE START WITH THE BOAT RIDE.

PASSING LITTLE TOWNS ON SHORE

THE HILLSIDES ARE ALMOST STRAIGHT UP. HOW DO THEY FARM THAT?

WE GET OFF THE BOAT & WALK UP TO TH ENTRANCE OF THE TRAIL

THERE'S THE TRAIL....

THE LOVERS BENCH. YOU COULD DIE OF STARVATION WAITING TO GET YOU TURN ON THE SEAT. I PASS & MOVE ON

WE MAY HAVE BEEN ON ANOTHER BOAT SINCE THE BOAT FROM LA SPEZIA.

IT'S HARD TO KEEP TRACK WITHOUT MY GPS BUT I DON'T GET THAT FOR A FEW YEARS YET.

BUT THAT WAS DEFINITELY US BOARDING A BOAT & A LITTLE TRICKY IT WAS TOO..

BUT I DO KNOW IT'S TIME FOR LUNCH. BREAD & CHEESE WITH HONEY & MUSTARD FOR ME...

A LITTLE BEACH TIME AND A WALK TO TAKE IN THE BEAUTY ALONG THE COAST

NICE LITTLE DOG.

“HEY, LUIGI. YOU THINK I’M GETTING TOO FAT.

NO, DARLING. SCUSSI - SIT DOWN, YOU ARE BLOCKING MY SUN.”

THAT WAS A WONDERFUL TRIP. I WOULD GO BACK.