Day 5: Porto Santo Stefano

Good morning from somewhere over water! Today is a sea day, so I’m hoping to catch up on the last two days of blogging and adventures. 

Day 5 of the cruise was Porto Santo Stefano. There weren’t any excursions that caught my eye for this time, so I stayed on the ship in the morning, then took the tender boat to wander around the city in the afternoon. It was nice to have a day to sleep in and relax, instead of meeting a tour bus by 8:15am. It also allowed me to do one of my favorite ship activities - people watching! I had breakfast in the cafe area and watched all the people go by. It’s fascinating to see the variety of people….the ones who are very kind and talk with everyone, and then there are the ones who throw an absolute fit because the reception desk won’t give her complimentary hairspray (which she forgot). 

Mid-afternoon I took the tender boat to the Port to explore. Because I didn’t know before I started cruising…..sometimes a cruise ship can’t dock right at the port because the water is too shallow. In that case they drop anchor a short distance away, and use small boats to ferry passengers to and from the dock. They run the whole day, and are a really easy way to get from ship to port. 

When I got to the port, I started following the Promenade along the shoreline. Typical tourist shops and bars, with nothing that really stood out. So…..I turned left and started going uphill. Instantly it was a different island. I was wandering a residential area, with Nonnas hanging laundry from the windows (one looked down at me with a very confused expression) and family sounds coming from inside the apartments. And hills. Lots of hills. It was a great experience to wander around though….so different from the tourist street I had just left. Got some great pictures as well - they’re below. 

The main attraction of the island is a large Spanish fort that sits at the very top. I decided as long as I was walking, I was going to see if I could get there. Eleven flights of stairs later (according to my Apple Watch) and a lot of panting later, I made it! Only to discover they closed for the afternoon and wouldn’t open until 4pm. Well…..never mind. I took my selfie with the outside of the building and headed back down. 

After returning to the Promenade, it was a great opportunity to find a spot for a glass of wine, gelato and more people watching. I ordered what I thought was a small little gelato sundae…..and quickly discovered how wrong I was. You’ll see from the picture below - it was larger than the wine! My only regret was I couldn’t finish it. 

The next blog will be Rome, looking forward to telling you all about it. But for now…..the pictures! 

Pictures of the town, once you get beyond the tourist area. Definitely a different world. 

Got high enough I could see the ship from the view. 

The imposing (and closed!) Spanish fortress….. 

I was fascinated by this sculpture outside the church community center. It looks like the jaws of a shark, and if you look closely you can see the fish turning into birds along the side. 

The curse of outdoor cafes - the birds! Shortly after I took this picture the lady at the table next to me scooped up the piece of bread. I thought she was going to throw it away, but instead she tore it into smaller pieces so the birds could eat it more easily. Made me smile….

The sundae, and the restaurant it came from. Gelato is protein, right?  :) 

The Promenade. Totally different experience than where I was earlier. 

Fishing and charter boats by the water. 

Dinner at The Grill (poolside, casual dining). I got adventurous and tried swordfish! Would definitely eat again, good taste. 

Day 4: Wine!

Good morning! I’m writing this from the cafe on board the ship. I don’t have any excursions booked today, so I’m enjoying relaxing and toddling around. May take the tender boat out later and explore the port (Porto Santo Stefano). Right now I’m enjoying a coffee and peanut butter babka and grinning that this is my life, at least for the next few days. 

Yesterday was our second day in Florence and a winery tour. We visited Argentiera Vineyards, just outside our port in a town called Bolgheri. We got the opportunity to walk around part of the town and then visit the winery for a tour to learn how they make the wine and do a tasting. I read Under the Tuscan Sun years ago, and can understand why the writer fell in love with the region. It’s absolutely beautiful, with a charm you don’t get in other places. Some cities you go to in order to sightsee, some you go to in order to breathe. This is definitely a breathing area…..perfect for a long moment on the patio of some restaurant or home just watching the world go by.

The winery we visited was an unexpected treat. The winery I visited while in France was a small, family-run operation in the Alsace region. This was much larger and fancy. Fascinating to see the differences between the two. I also liked the wines better, but that’s just personal preference. We got a good tour of the operation and a sampling of the wines available. 

Finally, tonight was formal night on the ship! I’ve said in a previous post….I really get a kick out of spending the least amount on clothing, but being the most dressed up. Tonight’s dress is available for about $300 at a department store, I found it for $5.99 at Goodwill. I was one of the more dressed up people, but don’t care. When else are you going to be able to get that fancy? A dinner of lobster bisque, filet mignon topped with foie gras, and gelato also certainly didn’t hurt. :) 

And now, the pictures! 

The dress! 

You’ll notice the ladies in the picture are perfectly well-behaved. The gentleman, however…….  Yes, that is Michael in the background pretending to wring my neck. 

You know I had to take more pictures than prom….. 

Scottish couple - dressed for the occasion. So cool!

The view from the winery (and me!). The proximity to the sea - the blue in the above picture - helps the grapes get a specific taste

Stainless steel storage and prep area

Wine storage……

The tasting after the tour. This winery specialized in red wines. We had one Rose, one White, and three Reds to sample. Yes, I took home a bottle…..

Houses in the region had a way to show their wealth…..the longer the driveway and the more trees planted by the driveway, the more rich the household. It makes for a beautiful (and impressive) drive up. 

Bolgheri. Can you imagine living on this street? 

The poet Carducii had family in the area, and is a local hero. His Nonna (grandmother) was born in the area, and they were especially close. The statue is of her and the poem on the sign beside is in honor of her. 

More of the Bolgheri atmosphere. Gorgeous! 

Some of the views in Bolgheri. See what I mean about pretty? 

Tuscany is a winery area, so of course the flower pots are going to reflect that. Wonder how I can do this at home….. 

OOTD: Quickly finding that 65 degrees here is not the same as 65 degrees in Charlotte. Happy walking around in a short sleeved dress (Banana Republic Outlet, clearance) and thrift store scarf. The tote bag was a gift from the cruise line, and it’s been a really helpful addition. 

Day 3: Florence

 Hello! It’s 7pm and we’re 14,629 steps later than we were this morning. I currently have my feet propped up and am sitting on the couch waiting for room service to be delivered. So much fun, but I’m tired! Today was an all-day trip to Florence. The morning was a walking tour of the city, then a few hours to explore on your own. Everything was new to me, so it was a great opportunity to get my bearings then see some of the sights on my own. 

This excursion reminded me of what I always say on trips - they’re great for getting a new perspective on the definition of “normal”. What’s daily life in Charlotte is definitely not daily life here. Walking from place to place, a good, functioning transportation system, and buildings that are older than 20 or so years (and aren’t torn down after they are past their prime) are all part of the differences. 

You’ll see from the pictures, but Florence was an absolutely beautiful city. Originally built along the waterway, the city quickly expanded outwards. You’ll see the history in some of the pictures below. You’ll also see statues and art. Lots of statues and art. I’m consistently amazed by how seriously Europe treats the idea of art and culture. There’s beautiful pieces everywhere, and they’re treated seriously. We walked past the Duomo (the line to get inside was several hours long, so we didn’t try) and it was just as beautiful. 

After the walking tour, we got free time to explore on our own. I had read that Florence specialized in leather production, so I went looking for a small business that made its own product. There is a leather market, but to use the words of my tour guide - “It’s crap”. Lots of product not made in the region, using cheap materials. The tour guide recommended a small shop called Katina, and it did not disappoint. Professionally trained designer who designed and made all his own products, custom. I walked out with a woven bag and an order for a jacket fitted to my measurements. Both are absolutely beautiful. The store owner also gifted me a bottle of wine from his family vineyard. Don’t know if that means he appreciated my business or I paid way too much, but it was a great experience. 

And now, the pictures! 

Had breakfast in the room this morning, since the call time for the excursion was 8:15am. No joke, that waffle was GOOD. I’ll be ordering that again. 

OOTD: Ann Taylor top (Goodwill) with Old Navy pants. I get a perverse kick out of wearing thrift store clothing during cruises like this. I know others have spent more on their outfits, and I like showing it can be done for a lot less. 

Approaching the old city section of Florence. 

Can you see the hooks between the windows? The building was occupied by fabric merchants many years ago. They would hang rods outside the windows, then hang the fabric on it. If you were interested, you could come inside and buy. 

The Ponte Vecchio bridge. Now home to lots and lots of gold and jewelry merchants.

 

One of the leaders of the Medici family (rulers of Florence for a long while). Per the tour guide, he’s pointing his finger to say “Be good” and “Be intimidated” 

The Medici family didn’t like mixing with the regular folk, and they really didn’t like walking through the meat and fish markets everyday. So they built walkways above the street so they could walk around freely from building to building. 

The “fake David” located outside the museum where the real David is housed. Several details are different, such as what’s in his hand and the direction his head is turned. 

King Neptune 

The Duomo. Absolutely massive. And gorgeous. It’s almost 500 stairs to the top of the dome. Would’ve been a beautiful view, but no. 

……and, because I can have all the maturity of an 8yr old, Neptune’s backside. The high school girls making a big show of covering their eyes and running away made me laugh even harder. 

An unexpected surprise was the Ferragamo museum. I didn’t know much about the brand, so it was a fascinating chance to see how it’s evolved. 

Ferragamo was determined to make the shoes as well-fitting as possible, and created models of feet so that the shoes would fit exactly. You can see the models for Mary Pickford, Marlene Dietrich, and Lauren Bacall, among others. 

Zoom in on the beading on this shoe base. Absolutely gorgeous. 

My bag adventure. Daniel (the shop owner), myself and Flavia (the tour guide that recommended him)

Random nerd moment. My ship is on the right, a ferry that takes cars is on the left. Many people live on the surrounding islands and use the ferry as transport to work each day. They just drive their car on in. The sheer size (it’s as big as the cruise ship) amazed me. 

My bag (the coat is created and shipped in about 7 days) and the wine. Many bags are printed with the weave already complete. This shop hand completes everything. Can’t imagine the work it took to do this….so pretty!