Rome Turnaround Day

We had already decided, before leaving home, that since this is a turn-around day between cruises we will just wander through Civitavecchia. We have boarded or disembarked here before, but Carol has never just ‘wandered’ and that is her specialty. In 2008 I had stayed here while friends who had never been to Rome took the tour. As we noted in the beginning of this trip it is a long drive to and fro, so not worth the time since we just spent a couple of days there and will be back in April. Yes, I know I am lucky to be able to come to these conclusions.

We returned to the cabin after breakfast and gathered our stuff for our walk-about then about 9:15 we got our key and went out into the warm sunshine. It was a swift and smooth process. They had said they would take new photos but since we had uploaded ours at home, and not depended on the usual ship arrival ones, they didn’t bother to do a new one. We knew that things probably would open on shore around ten so there was no rush. The city has grown and changed in the last 16 years since I had been here. A shuttle took us to the city gate and the walking began in a very modern built-up area but soon found our way within the old wall. Of course, all streets from the sea are uphill! As we got deeper into the old city, I could see that the modernization was all port-side!

Snapped a picture of the map posted up front on the shuttle driver's visor!

I have had a couple falls in recent years and watch carefully where I am going. The uneven raised edges of stone are always a challenge for me. However, the shaded cobblestones made for a pleasant atmosphere as we studied small shop windows and nodded to people having morning coffee in the cafes. As I find everywhere in Europe, people take their dogs wherever they go! You know I love seeing them! Just FYI, none are as cute as The Noodle! We investigated a couple of small churches and spent a lot of time at the Saturday Market. It was very crowded. I am sure no shops are open on Sunday, and I bet families still gather for a big meal in Sunday afternoon. They might take a picnic to a park or beach in this beautiful sunny weather, but food will definitely be involved.

Carol stopped to take pictures of zucchini that still had their squash blossoms attached, so, of course, so did I. She also took some of a basket of blossoms for sale. Her friend, Nina, of deep Italian heritage used to make them in New York but in Florida does not find them. I think you deep fry them maybe?

I just took lots of photos of random things and people. Especially small children being fascinated by the many things they could not touch! In the other part of the area are the hard goods stalls. I saw a fleece that my Katie would have liked. It was grey with stars on it, but it looked too big for her. Maybe next time, Katie. Carol bought a handbag of the type she likes. Small, nylon, over the shoulder but big enough for wallet, phone, and two pairs of glasses. It was only 10€ which is just about an even swap for American dollars at the moment.

That purchase reminded me that I needed to replace the Euros which Christine lent me before leaving home. It is always good to arrive with a little local cash for tips or emergency. I usually only get the amount I need when needed as my debit card reimburses ATM fees even internationally. We went across to a bank ATM that a shopkeeper pointed out when we were looking at something or other. A few people were ahead of us, so we sat in the sun and then I accessed the machine and am good to go.

The problem with ATMs is that they give you bills. The smallest Euro is a five. We haven’t encountered any pay toilets on this trip but if you do you need coins. They are also good for tipping drivers, guides, and anyone who does a little extra. Gratuities are almost always on your bill but sometimes a little extra is nice to do. I tried on the ship, but they also only have paper.

The bank was open, and I would have liked to go in and ask for coins. Here, like each bank we have encountered, you can’t really go in. There is a keypad at the entryways. Apparently to go in you need to access with a prearranged code. I doubt it is your account number, but we have yet to figure out a way to do it. And of course, no total stranger is going to take you into a bank with them!

As we went back to the park by the docking area we took a different route, of course. We found ourselves in a very nice place where we could walk along the old city wall overlooking the sea. It is lovely. Restaurants are all along the way but on our right as we actually were walking away from the port, the wall has been cleaned up and the frequent armament breaks gave great views of the ocean and even our ship.

A lovely walk several blocks long. At the end we turned toward the main street which ran parallel and found ourselves in front of the Cathédrale de Civitavecchia.

It is dedicated to one of my favorites, perhaps most favorite saint, Francis of Assisi. The pure white baroque architecture was stunning. It was first built in 1610. After bombing in 1943 it was completely restored and rededicated in 1950.When you visit Civitavecchia it will be worth your time to discover for yourself.

We made our way from the Piazza Vittorio Emanuele down Corso Marconi back to the port. The seriousness of the very high-end shopping was broken up by a man selling toy cars that jumped and hopped and spun around on the pavement. I knew a few little boys that would love to have one of them, but my grandsons are a bit too old for that!

We easily found the shuttle bus and did not have to wait but a few minutes for it to fill up with returning crew carrying bags of snacks and necessities as well as new arriving passengers. We had our transit passes and passports in hand and joined the boarding line. Our timing was not perfect, but the line moved quickly. Since we had transit passes there were parts of the process we could skip, but, of course, not the bag scan! Back on board we had a light, late lunch at the buffet. What fun to see the newcomers trying to figure out the layout and to find seating. We knew where some was hidden away.

I found a group on a knitting cruise! A throw back to meeting our friend Deb on the Iceland trip!

Back in our cabin I discovered a Facebook message from our friend Gil. They had arrived with their friends, Marilyn and Randy. Come meet them poolside for a drink and we did. Pina Coladas are the perfect way to start any cruise, even in Rome and even if it is a second leg of an already good trip!

The entertainment was a comedian, and we were disappointed it wasn’t the one we so liked. Al Ducharme is the new one and although he had a talent for making realistic sounds of things like race cars and squeaky doors, we didn’t much care for him and won’t be going to his next show. Like always the Captain was there so I am not sure who was taking us out to sea but all is well.