FUN-travel: Monte Carlo, France to La Spezia, Italy – Day 6 – Seabourn Cruise

August 6, 2012 by · Comments Off on FUN-travel: Monte Carlo, France to La Spezia, Italy – Day 6 – Seabourn Cruise 

 

Trip Day 23 – Cruise Day 6 – Wednesday, August 1 – La Spezia, Italy

Manarola

What I LIKE

Riomaggiore

  • booked tour for Cinque Terra
  • full day with lots of walking
  • 8:10 am depart by bus
  • 1st stop – Manarola – very small with homes that hug the rock face & overhang the sea below
  • 2nd stop – Riomaggiore – arrive after a 15-minute walk along the Via dell’ Amore – carved into steep cliff that plummets into the sea
  • 3rd stop – take 20 min boat to Vernazza
  • very cute with bustling marina crammed with boats, cafes  & trattorias
  • nice cold beer break
  • 4th stop – Monterosso al Mare – cutest of all with arched, twisty alleys – nice big beach area – pink houses
  • lunch @ great restaurant – Al Pozzo – eat anchovies in lemon & olive oil with green peppercorns (never tasted anything like it) – Pesto Pasta – mussels in white wine & garlic – really nice local white wine Sassarini “cian irti”
  • train back only takes 25 minutes
  • 9:45 pm Rock the Boat Deck Party – great music & people watching

Vernazza

What I DON’T LIKE

Monterosso al Mare

  • we were supposed to anchor in Portofino
  • early morning again
  • really hot  day – high 90’s

FF (FUN-fact) – Five villages make up Cinque Terra. (Corniglia is the only one we didn’t visit) The homes and buildings cling to the vertical cliffs on the Ligurian sea. Terraced vineyards and olive orchards are steeply etched in the mountains above the villages. Pesto sauce was invented here.

More FF – Via dell’ Amore (the path of love) has locks on metal mesh fence to symbolize one’s love.  You have two keys – you profess your love and throw one into the ocean – the second you keep in case it doesn’t last and you take the lock off.


More FF – On the drive you can see huge white topped mountains in the distance. Carrera Marble has been quarried from here for over 2000 years.

FUN-travel: St. Tropez to Monte Carlo, France – Day 5 – Seabourn Cruise

August 6, 2012 by · Comments Off on FUN-travel: St. Tropez to Monte Carlo, France – Day 5 – Seabourn Cruise 

Trip Day 22 – Cruise Day 5 – Tuesday, July 31 – Monte Carlo, France

What I LIKE

Monaco Palace

  • nice long wake-up with more really hot cappuccino
  • 11 am stroll off ship to see the Palace – high on the top of the hill
  • get there in time to see the changing of the guard @11:55
  • buildings are stacked on steep hills overlooking the city
  • walk through town to see the Casino & Opera house surrounded by lush terraced gardens
  • more really, really masssive boats
  • find internet bar – YEAH! – 2 hrs of “free internet” costs me 20 Euros – (3 beers & 1 glass of wine)
  • wonderful dinner in Restaurant 2 – reservation only – consists of 8 item tasting menu + 3 dessert samplings
  • our waiter from France is hysterically funny – says “French people work an average of 35 hrs. I’m not sure if that’s a week or a month.” He even knows who Brigitte Bardot & Inspector Clouseau are.

What I DON’T LIKE

  • really expensive here
  • a coke costs 5 Euro – OUCH!
  • having to pay for internet on ship – very slow & expensive – 2 hrs for $20

Changing of the Guard

FF (FUN-fact) – The lady running Stars & Bars internet cafe is from Texas. She said she loves Monaco and the only other place she would live is San Diego.

The Casino