Cruising Solo in Europe-- Day 5, Livorno

Continuation of a series of blogs by DreamFinder Travel agent Kim Merrill, on her first cruise going “solo” without the family along.

Cruising Solo, Day 5 – Livorno

While I have been to this area previously, actually docking in Livorno was new to me.  Both previous Mediterranean cruises I was on docked (well, we tendered) in the port of LaSpezia.  With those previous visits, I have seen Cinque Terre, Pisa, and some of the Tuscan countryside, and really would prefer to do Florence in more than just a port stop, there is so much there to explore and enjoy.  After doing a bit of research prior to this cruise, I realized there was quite a bit to see in Livorno proper so I decided, once again, to just WALK.

Drop off stop

Did you know that the Port of Livorno is apparently the 3^rd largest port in Italy?  Pretty cool!  If I thought that the port in Civitavecchia was large, this totally eclipsed that.  There is a shuttle that takes you to the city center, but unlike yesterday, here there was a fee.  For €5, I got a ticket for round-trip all-day access.  The odd thing (I thought) was that the ship was advertising the fare as €15 (unless I was reading it wrong).  Anywho, while I was not planning to get off the ship quickly (I have been trying to take things on a slower pace since I am by myself), it appears that I caught the first shuttle to town, as they were not really set up when I disembarked.  There were a few signs around that the shuttle was “that way” but no distinct terminus for which way to go to catch it.  Once I asked a few questions I was pointed to the person issuing tickets.  At the bus, and directly after getting off of it in town, there were people hawking the bus to Pisa.  The square we were deposited when leaving the bus, had more vendors and there was a Tourist Info kiosk there as well (like at the other ports) where I got my free map of Livorno.

I have mentioned this previously, but I feel the need to say it again.  I am directionally incompetent.  That said, I CAN read a map, but it has to make sense in my mind before I can instinctively make my way from point A to point B.  The joy of doing this solo (for me) was being able to figure this out, all on my own.  Had my husband been there, he would have taken off and just known where to go.  By the end of my walkabout, I had that ah-hah moment where things began to make sense.   This was really good for me, as I was able to see that I *can* get where I want to go on my own, without help from someone with me. 

The map was easy-ish to follow.  What I don’t get about Europe is how they do their street signs.  They are on sides of buildings and are not on every block (either that, or I’m blind because I did not see them).  It almost seems to me like they do this on purpose to tourists.  I’m WALKING for crying out loud!  How do drivers do this?  That being said, once I wandered too far the wrong direction and saw the water, I regained a bit of directional sense (ah hah---I do have some!) At this point, even if I took the wrong street, I still ended up where I was intending to go. This was my “route”.

What struck me the most as I walked around was the number of open-air market places.  While there were some tourist traps there, the majority was locals doing their daily shopping.  I don’t know if this is a daily occurrence or weekly like in some locations, but it added a lot of character to the walk.  I really enjoyed it.   That being said, I did also run into the Mother of all Markets, Mercado Centrale.  This market rivals La Boqueria in Barcelona.  There is no way for me to do this market justice with only one picture.  Rest assured that when I say this was HUGE, I am NOT exaggerating. 

 

Another pretty interesting area was the “canal” they have there. One of the neighborhoods is called “Little Venice” (although I saw no gondolas, darn.)   What was fascinating, however, is that there is a square with a “cap” over the canal for pedestrian access.   

I found out about the “cap” by a local woman who came up to me and started talking to me in Italian.  I’m not sure if I looked pathetically lost or what, but I definitely looked like a tourist with my backpack and big camera.  I was NOT lost at this point, but I was reading the info on the map (they had descriptions of all the sites on the back of the map).  When she realized I spoke English, she promptly switched languages and pointed out some interesting places for me to go and to see.  She was spot on, and I was able to hit pretty much all of them.  What a great tip she provided (talking to locals can be very helpful!)

I could keep on about all the things I saw, but the last detail I wanted to highlight was the Fortress(es).  They were cute and small, but nearby.

At this point I headed back to the shuttle stop, as I had pretty well made the rounds on all of the sights listed on the map.  I’ll have those pictures posted later on my Facebook page if you’re interested.   Be sure to head over there to see them. 

I headed back on a shuttle bus which was empty other than the driver and myself.  The one thing that I did fail to do today was to walk over to the train station.  It’s right by the port according to the map, and I spoke to several people who successfully did excursions to Pisa and Florence on their own.  Be aware that if you port somewhere in Tuscany, that the museum that houses David (the Accademia Gallery) is closed on Mondays.  That can cause a monkey wrench in planning, or, well, lack of planning, I suppose (do your research, consult a travel planner!).  If you want to see David, hope that you are not in port on a Monday!

I spent the rest of the day on the ship enjoying the scenery.  I must say, that while I do not mind eating alone, I swear it seems that dinner goes at a record pace.  In, out, and done in less than 45 minutes. After dinner I headed out on deck to get some work done while enjoying the evening atmosphere and I ended up having to leave because the crowd was a bit rowdy and they were heckling a performer who was having mic issues.  It was a little sad and a lot disrespectful.  A bit of a damper to the day.

Up tomorrow is Cannes.  This is a tendered port, and notices have been in each of the daily info sheets to make sure to make tender reservations.  I have not done so,  and am not inclined to get off the ship, as tomorrow is Bastille Day in France. I’d rather avoid the crowds, so tomorrow’s installment will be on tendering observations and some thoughts on the ship and the itinerary.  Stay tuned! For now, ciao to Italy.

Cruising Solo in Europe, Day 3

Follow along with DreamFinder Travel’s Kim Merrill as she cruises sans family over in Europe.

Cruising Solo—Day 3  Naples

Jet lag once again continues to get the best of me and at precisely 2:23 a.m. local time I was totally awake, and my 1-hour effort to fall back asleep was unsuccessful, again.  This is the worst time I have ever had transitioning to a time zone.  However, I once again, I made the best of it and I got some work done, had breakfast, and had a workout done by 7:30 a.m., and was off the ship by 9 o’clock.  I actually got to watch our arrival into Naples from the treadmill.  The rising sun made the hills and buildings glow.  There are benefits to being up early!

 

Debarking today was a FABULOUS experience.  Because we had a full day in port, and the majority of excursions were to outlying locations, most tours had already left by the time I disembarked the ship. All aboard today was at 18:30, so a 9am departure still allowed me to get in plenty, and with the lower crowds it was highly efficient.

My goal today was to see what Naples itself was like for the do-it-yourself traveler.  I have been here before and previously did a Pompeii/Sorrento tour.  If you have never been here before, the trek to Pompeii or Sorrento is worth your time.  That being said, there is plenty to see and do in the local area, but I recommend that you have a plan and do research prior to arrival.  Engage with your travel agent to assist with your planning. Here is why:

About 30 minutes after leaving the ship I wandered up on a family of 4, clearly Americans, with a son (I’d estimate to be about 13 or 14) sarcastically commenting that “wow…these sights are great so far, dad”.   Distance-wise?  About half a mile from the ship.  Right in the port area is a Tourist Information office (I got a free map there), a ferry dock that could take you to Sorrento, and (I kid you not), a City Sightseeing HOHO (hop-on-hop-off) bus that has 2 separate routes to take you literally ALL OVER.  So seriously, there are NO excuses for not getting around to see things.  The HOHO bus was $23 €/adult for all 3 routes, all day.  These tickets can be pre-purchased about 3 months prior as well, which helps to defray costs. 

Tourist Information (TI) to the right, ship to the left. Ferries to right of TI.

As I had never walked around Naples proper before, I was winging it, but I had no one relying on me or my (lack of) directional sense. Another benefit of cruising solo!  The only guideline I was giving myself was to be able to successfully be able to hit landmarks.

In Naples there exists a Funicular. Actually there are a few funiculars, to tie in some of the hilly areas for easy access without a car.  Why?  Because these drivers are nuts (just my opinion).  Oh, and gas is pricey.  I would like to link it here for you but I cannot find it in English.  The other thing I found was that the main line was out of service, courtesy of a very nice Italian runner.  She VERY kindly came and assisted me with my map and pointed out some highlights.  Of all the details she pointed out the most valuable was the entrances to the “Underground” Naples.  To cut to the chase, unless you really want to see churches, do the underground. Save the churches for Rome. 

Ok, so what else is Naples famous for?  Yep, pizza.  On the recommendation of a friend, I sought out L’Antica Pizzeria de Michele. I’m not sure where the fan-dom comes from, but I arrived prior to the opening and wandered the neighborhood.  I ended up at a gelateria.  OMG.  Yes, I had dessert first (doesn't everyone?!)  And then I queued up for pizza. 

It was fantastic, but sadly I was only able to eat about 1/3 of it.  I felt bad about leaving the rest, but this was literally the smallest size they had. This and my liter of water was…get this…$6€.  The gelato?  $2€. I chatted with the Gelato owner and I think he said his store was mentioned in Rick Steves (this came up as he asked where I am from (WA State..and Rick Steves is from Edmonds).  I’ve been trying to download my copy of the Mediterranean Cruise Ports all day and have been having issues verifying that (sigh.  wifi issues).

The beauty of traveling solo is the ability to call it quits when you’re hot, or tired!  My watch read 88 degrees, and while that my not be hot for you, for me...I’m HOT.  I wrapped up my walking tour and headed back to the ship and a pool.  Much to my chagrin, that pool deck retracted itself and my source of coolness that I was expecting disappeared.  Ok, FINE.  I’ll NAP. 

I did, however, buy a bottle of Limóncello cream. Last time we were here we got a bottle of regular Limóncello as well as the Limóncello Cream.  The cork on the cream fractured during the flight home and the entire bottle spoiled. While cruise lines prohibit alcohol, they will hold it for you until the night prior to debarkation.  I HAVE Limoncello, I cannot get Limoncello cream at home. So it is worth it to have them hold the alcohol for you.

So what is up next?  Tomorrow is Civitavecchia, the port for Rome.  My goal is to find the train station to see how difficult it is to get there for do-it-yourselfers (e.g. those who do not book an excursion through the cruise line.) Stay tuned.

Ciao!