Cruise Continued – Naples, Civitavecchia, Livorno, Barcelona, Mallorca, Alicante, Malaga, and Cadiz!

Gentile Pasta Factory near Naples

We are on day two of the crossing from Cadiz, Spain to Ponta Delgada in the Azores.  I am very far behind with the blog!  So many ports…so little time!  The Mediterranean was like “glass” for the first part of the cruise but, we are now experiencing a “rock and roll” crossing to the Azores.  It finally feels like we are on a ship!  It has also been nice to just relax, read, and enjoy on-board activities after the port-intensive first part of the cruise.

Now to catch up!

Naples

This stop was a highlight.  Since we have spent time in the area on a driving trip, we wanted to do something different.  I organized a tour with two other couples from Cruise Critics to see Herculaneum and to visit the city of Gragnano – the pasta making capital of Italy.  Although we saw Herculaneum in a light rain, it did not disappoint.

 Our certified guide was full of information and enthusiasm for the site.  It is much smaller than Pompeii and is better preserved.  The City was not destroyed in the initial eruption like Pompeii but was covered with a pyroclastic flow after the first eruption of Mount Vesuvius.  As a result, there is more intact buildings and streets.  Some of the wall paintings and mosaics are incredibly well preserved.  There are even remnants of wooden beams intact. 

Gragnano is near Naples in the hills south of the City.  It is known as the pasta making capital of Italy.  We visited the family-owned Gentile pasta making factory.  The Barilla factory in northern Italy makes more pasta in one hour than Gentile makes in a year!  Gentile does it the “old-fashioned” way!  They have won many prizes in Italy for their pasta.  Next to the factory is a small shop where they sell their pasta, olive oil, fruit compotes, and tomato products.  In the middle of the shop, they set up a table for the six of us and served us lunch.  Fabulous! 

Civitavecchia

The port for Rome was the end of one cruise and the beginning of another – about half of the passengers stayed on for the second cruise.  Having been to Rome several times and with the long trip to the City, we opted to stay on board and rest.

Livorno

Livorno is the port closest to Florence.  As in the past, we rented a car to explore Tuscany.  The arrangements here are easy – the Europcar agency is in the terminal and we picked up the car and returned it dockside.  The GPS helps a lot!  We looked for something new in the area, having spent time in Tuscany and Umbria in the past.  We opted for Pistoia.  This Tuscan town is near Florence and did not seem to be on the tourist trail.  The Michelin Green Guide gives the town two stars – so since we trust Michelin, we gave it a try and were not disappointed.  It felt like we were some of the few tourists in town on a beautiful day with blue skies and crisp fall temperatures.  The central square was a pedestrian precinct with classic Italian Renaissance and Pre-Renaissance architecture dominating.  The small church of St. Andrea on a side street was fascinating – the pulpit was an incredible display of carving.  We had fun roaming the streets – with a stop for a cappuccino of course!

The next stop was Vinci – the birthplace of Leonardo.  This small village was near Pistoia.  We reached it after taking a winding and picturesque road over the hills separating Pistoia from the valley to the south.  Again, we wandered the streets and ended up at a Museum that reproduced some of the inventions of Leonardo – the models were done by IBM. 

Barcelona

After a day at sea, we arrived in Barcelona.  As usual, we took the Hop-On-Hop-Off bus for a tour around the city.  Always love seeing the Gaudi buildings along the route.  After taking the loop, we stayed on so we could get off near the Gothic Quarter.  The church of Santa Maria del Mar was something we had missed on previous visits to Barcelona.  It is wedged into the narrow warren of streets in the Gothic Quarter not far from the Cathedral.  Very glad we went.  We know that a lot of people do not care for visiting churches and Cathedrals, but we are fascinated with ecclesiastical architecture and the evolution of styles – from Romanesque to Gothic to Renaissance to Modern. 

Next stop was a lunch of tapas – octopus, shrimp, hummus, fried artichoke hearts, etc.  The final stop was the Picasso Museum – excellent audio guide but being a Saturday it was very crowded.  Back on the HOHO and back to the ship!

Palma de Mallorca

We joined another group of four other couples from Cruise Critics for a tour of Mallorca.  It started with a ride up into the hills outside Palma to the picturesque village of Valldemossa.  It was a Sunday and there was a festival in the village so fortunately our guide met us early so we could beat the crowds.  When we left, there was a line of cars several kilometers long trying to get into the small village! 

The streets are narrow and quaint.  It is also the village where Chopin and George Sand retreated when the composer was trying to recuperate from tuberculosis.  The mountain air was refreshing and would have been an improvement from Paris!  One of two saints from Mallorca was born in this village.  We walked by her childhood home.  The other saint who was born on Mallorca was Junipero Sera. 

We returned to Palma to see the magnificent Cathedral.  Because it was a Sunday, the Cathedral was only open for tourist visits from 1 to 2pm.  Having a local guide helps a lot – he timed everything perfectly!  The rose window in the Cathedral is the largest in the world with no stone dividers – only lead to hold the glass in place.  Gaudi also redesigned some of the interior – moving the choir behind the altar and opening the congregation view.  A side chapel had Gaudi’s characteristic fanciful designs.  Not always our “cup of tea” but interesting. 

Alicante 

We had told people this was our first time in Alicante and then we came around a corner into a Plaza in front of city hall and we realized we HAD been to this City before but we cannot remember when? Now – when we get home we have to figure this out!  Again we took the Hop-On-Hop-Off for orientation to the city – the ride up the switchbacks to the fort perched above the city was better than a ride at Disneyland.  The double-decker bus had to back up to make it around some of the hairpin turns!  We got off along the waterfront promenade and made our way to the Valor Shop – one of Spain’s top chocolate makers – for hot chocolate and churros.  Spanish Hot Chocolate is thick and rich – a perfect way to dip the churros! 

Malaga

In Malaga, we roamed the streets, visited the Cathedral (of course) and searched out a café we had read about that had classic hot chocolate and churros – (again – of course).  We just made it – arrived at 1pm and they closed for the day at 1:30pm.  That was close! 

Cadiz

We have been to Cadiz many times and love the old quarter with its narrow streets.  Ships dock next to the old town making it an easy place to wander.  Cadiz seems like a “real city” with residents going about their business despite the tourists.  Love to sit and watch the world go by….with hot chocolate and churros of course!  Cadiz is the first place we had this favorite – thanks to friends Reba and Imre Quastler who introduced us to our addiction when we stopped with them in Cadiz before our first Transatlantic cruise!  J  Our scientific research continues – someone has to do it!

Tomorrow Ponta Delgada – then Horta!