Round the Med

Arrive early in Ajaccio (pronounced a-jack-show), Corsica which was nothing much more than a stock standard Mediterranean town with lots of beachside hotels and resorts. Being Corsica there is a lot of Napoleonic history.

I got off the ship and got onto a bus which took a one hour tour of the city after which I spent about two hours walking around and headed back to the ship. That night I dined in the speciality Asian Reataurant, Silk Harvest – advice if you come on the Celebrity Eclipse, you really must…… NOT eat at this claim to being Asian Dining Experience. Well that’s not fair it certainly was an experience just not a good one. The more I travel the more I realise how spoiled we are for Asian food with the multicultural society we have in Australia. Anyway one bad meal does not a cruise spoil.

Apparently there was an announcement that it would be a rocky night – didn’t hear the announcement and didn’t notice anything during the night.

Next morning Villefranche, the port of Nice. I was meant to meet my friend Laurent for breakfast here but he slept through his alarm so I trained the three stops into Nice where I meet him at the station. He drives us to the old city where we have a lovely breakfast in the sun. He is a qualified town planner who works in Canne for a property development company. He told me a lot about the property market in the area including one four level penthouse of 3,000 square metres (not a typo) with a selling price of $A120,000 a square metre or $A360 million. He also told me the supply of Russian millionaires has dried up and that there are no Asian buyers in Europe “yet”. The market is OK and average prices are around $A10,000 a square metre which is just below Sydney prices. Anyway very interesting for me.

We part and I walk around the old city for a while, head to the Promenade des Anglais but it is way too hot for me in the sun so I head one street off there and look at the shops winding up for coffee at the Hotel Negresco, a hotel with a rich 100 year history and coffee prices to match the history. Having “done” Nice so many times I hop on the train to Monte Carlo which I have also “done” many times having spent two weeks here for a bridge tournament. I’m not sure how long the station has been there as I have never been to it before but it is huge and quite magnificent – yes I know it is Monte Carlo – but I am guessing the residents don’t train too often. Just wandered around and when I tried to have a coffee at the Hotel de Paris was politely told “Non Monsieur, guests only allowed in this hotel”.

Had a sandwich at Lina’s, a place I have been to many times but there sandwiches are sooooo good.

Head back to Villefranche, missing the station although I swear it didn’t stop there and having to get off the stop after and go back one stop. A tender to the ship and off we go for Ibiza as I sit in the spa watching the sunset.

The next day we are at sea till we arrive in Ibiza at 16:00. I do a tour of the kitchen which is massive on any scale. They gave us all the statistics which included 33,000 kilos of fruit and vegetables and 8,000 kilos of meat, fish and poultry.

In the afternoon I attend the charity auction of the glass pieces made by the glass artists during the shows on board and buy the central piece which is a vase with auction proceeds to the Breast Cancer Society. Unfortunately I buy it before the reality of how I am going to get it home sinks in – oh well I’ll manage it hoping it survives.

I get off the ship at 16:00 and have a brainstorm to rent a car so that I can see some of the Island. I drive to the old part of town and wander around and was quite unimpressed. I head back to the ship to have dinner and change and head back to the same old town and am extremely impressed as it has transformed itself into a vibrant night town with a lot of restaurants, people, clubs, shops and activities. Like most of Spain it comes alive at night.

Back to the ship around 23:00 and I will head off exploring the mountains and beaches in the morning.

Catch you soon

XD

In the Beginning

As with most trips these days this one started with an invite to "work" at the World Youth Championships in Opatija, Croatia. They said that Opatija is the Monte Carlo of Coratia - let you know later.

Got to the airport and checked in smoothly and lounge for the thirty minute delay for the first flight to Hong Kong. Only slept for two hours but a lot more flying ahead of me to catch up. Nine hours in Hong Kong so I went to the Citigate Shopping Centre five minutes from the airport and mooched around buying nothing, nada, niente despite the centre having every possible major brand there at 30%-70% off, Back to the airport for a shower before the onward flight to Rome where I did manage to get 7 hours sleep.

Arrived in Rome 7:00am and the hotel got me a room by 10:15. While waiting i looked for some breakfast and Roman breakfast is very unlike Sydney. Basically coffee, pastries and sandwiches. No such thing as eggs, cereals etc. Anyway had a lovely Foccacia and small salad. Back to the room for shower and hit the streets in my shorts and polo - very overdressed for the - wait for it - 41 degrees. What to do in this weather, I decided a hop on hop off bus with much staying on would be good. Did the circuit with just two stops for drinks and lots of refreshments.

Not sure what it is, but what seemed awesomely magnificent (Trevi Fountain, Spanish Steps etc.) today seem nice, beautiful and interesting but not as awesome as they did the first time around (1983). I guess that is a combination of the world being a smaller place and the internet and TV bringing it all, and so much more to compare it with, into our homes. 

Overall though Rome is small and for me anyway, lacks some charm. It is not particularly well maintained or looked after and it looks somewhat tired. Anyway I will enjoy my teo days here as I calculated that I hadn't spent any time here in 32 years.

Back to the hotel for what I thought would be a short nap but which turned into a 15 hour sleep.

Down to the lobby to wait for the guide. Casually check phone to see message "on way to your hotel had an accident with two cars am OK waiting for police. Not messing with you so here is a pic". So I will be my own guide today.

It's coolish but forecast to touch late 30's today so I decide on visiting the Colisseum first thing spending more than hour learning about this awesome structure. It's still hard to comprehend how they managed to build a structure like this with no real tools.

A quick cab drive to the Vatican where I tke a tour of St Peter's Square, the Vatican Museum and the Sistine Chapel and then a self-tour of St Peter's Basilica. I was at the Vatican 32 years ago but never did a tour of the inside and this was extremely interesting. The size and grandeur of the Vatican is on a scale difficult to imagine.

I look around for a good meal and settle on the Michelin one star Pipero near the Opera House. Not disappointed with an amazing meal comprising a six course surprise degustation accompanied with numerous amuse bouches which I simply cannot describe. The 22 seat restaurant with the owner flitting from table to table ensuring that everybody was enjoying the amazing dishes that were coming out of the kitchen. If in Rome give it a go.

Got back to the hotel around 10:30 and slept amazingly well.

Next morning packed and taxi to the station to catch the train from Rome Termini to Cittavechia, the port city of Rome some 90 minutes by train. I arrive very early for boarding (11:30) which was very very lucky as the electricity failed not long thereafter totally disrupting the boarding procedure of the 3200 guests.

I spend the next few hours exploring the ship which is quite unbelievable. A lot of aspects are the same from ship to ship but this one (Celebrity Equinox) has an extensive grass deck for concerts and other activities, a Corning Glass Museum where they have daily glass blowing displays complete with kilns, burners etc (more later) and more lounges and bars than I can possibly remember.

Before boarding I booked a three meal specialty dining package of which one has to be used the first night. I watch the beginning of the Italian Tenor show (ordinary) and head to the Murano Restaurant for what would turn out to be an amazingly great meal. Lobster Bisque, Mushroom Cappuccino, Goat Cheese Souffle, Lobster cooked tableside topped off with a dessert sampler. The waiter was interesting, Serbian who aspires to owning his own restaurant, he earns four times more on-board than he would earn in Serbia.

The ethnicity of the crew is very diverse but for the most part are Eastern European. Unlike my previous cruise (MSC Italian) the crew here are exceptionally friendly and welcoming something that I am sure will make the cruise more enjoyable. One downside however, is that a bonus for this cruise was an unlimited drinks package – certainly no loss for them.

Next morning and AGAIN up early to catch the 90 minute train ride from Livorno, the port city serving Florence into the centre of Florence where I meet Monica, a tour guide (who did turn up) I had arranged for the visit. I have visited Florence twice before but never learned as much as I should have, so I decided to rectify that this trip.

She took me to the first church (of course) then to the Duomo explaining the history with every step we took – exceptionally interesting. Toured the Baptistry which was very interesting but, being Sunday we could not enter the Church proper (Duomo). Around to the Vecchio Palace, Ponte Vecchio and surrounds. Lunch at a lovely Italian Eatery followed by a highlight tour of the Uffizi Gallery. I recall Florence as being much more quaint and beautiful thirty years ago rather than the commercialised place that it seems to be now.

Anyway, after almost six hours we part company leaving me an hour to explore the shops before the train back to the ship. Dinner in the main dining room where I try and engage with the adjoining English people who didn’t seem the least bit interested in doing that – oh well their loss.

We have been advised that, due to a weather system in Nice we will be going to Ajaccio Corsica first and then Nice rather than the scheduled Nice first. Was meeting a friend for breakfast so have changed that 

I head off to the top deck to watch the glass blowing show which was fascinating seeing nothing turned into a beautiful bowl and vase and how it is done have always been fascinated by beautiful glass pieces.

A small donation to the Casino and back to the cabin.

Next morning Ajaccio on Corsica. I get off the ship and take a one hour bus tour of the city where I learn about some of the history of the city – think Napoleon – but fundamentally a pleasant but not outstanding Mediterranean town.