Coronavirus Virtual Cruise

[Gill W]

Britannia docked in Civitaveccia

[allatc]

After leaving Civitaveccia in the early hours of the morning we have reached our next port of call - Livorno.

We will be here all day so make the most of your excursions.

I look forward to hearing and seeing the reports on your days activities.

[Manoverboard]

There's lots to do here ... Pisa, Florence, Lucca and Bologna etc etc but we went for a 10 mile coastal walk to the South.
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[Kenmo1]

A trip to Florence for us at a more leisurely pace than the first time we went.

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[allatc]

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Florence

Raining here most of the day but very informative guide took us around the city.

[allatc]

There's lots to do here ... Pisa, Florence, Lucca and Bologna etc etc but we went for a 10 mile coastal walk to the South.

Did you walk straight from the ship or catch a bus or taxi first?

[Manoverboard]

There's lots to do here ... Pisa, Florence, Lucca and Bologna etc etc but we went for a 10 mile coastal walk to the South.

Did you walk straight from the ship or catch a bus or taxi first?

We took the P&O Shuttle Bus to Livorno and did a walk-a-bout. Shall we go back to the ship for lunch, yeah why not, but first of all we'll turn right and follow our noses for a while. There was all sorts to see, albeit little shade, with most of it depicting life as the Italians live it along that coast. We walked slowly, happily and aimlessly that day but it was getting far too hot so we got an ' air-conned ride ' back to Livorno.

plus ... One was not allowed to walk from the ship but that may have changed ?
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[Kenmo1]

A view of Florence from a viewpoint high above the city.

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[Mervyn and Trish]

Another view of Florence

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[Manoverboard]

And one more ....
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[Kenmo1]

Haha Very good Merv. A lot of youngsters won't understand that remark.

[Manoverboard]

Did anybody go to Pisa ?
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[Gill W]

We called at Livorno on our first cruise and did a full day tour to Florence and Pisa. It was really hot, but I remember it as a great day out. The photos are from a pre digital era. However, we went to Livorno on a cruise a few years later and did the half day excursion to Lucca, which we enjoyed

[Manoverboard]

The photos are from a pre digital era ...

So are many of mine, including the Pisa Pic above. They were originally on 35mm roll film else slide format from a Canon A1 c1980 but I eventually treated myself to a second hand little used, albeit still expensive, Nikon Coolscal 4000 and digitalised them. Still have a pile to do .....

[allatc]

Overnight we will sail to Elba but here are some items for the evenings entertainment :-

8pm Clap your waiters - all dressed in their NHS PPE. This is best done out on deck.

9pm In the theatre - Headliners :- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hKF2T5WfTCc


Have a good evening

[Kenmo1]

Well that video certainly brightened up my husband's evening.

We visited Elba on one of our early cruises with Thomson, probably late 1990s or early 2000 and we loved the place. It was also one of the first times we saw one of those large white sailing yachts which do cruises with only a couple of hundred guests. It was a beautiful sight.

[Manoverboard]

Overnight we will sail to Elba .....

Hang on ...

When I drove the ship round in circles in Bulgaria I was reprimanded so how come we are going to Elba ‘ after ‘ Livorno when Elba is geographically positioned ‘ before ‘ Livorno ?

One rule for some .....

[Mervyn and Trish]

It's a rudder problem. BTW we didn't visit Pisa. Didn't have the inclination.

[allatc]

Overnight we will sail to Elba .....

Hang on ...

When I drove the ship round in circles in Bulgaria I was reprimanded so how come we are going to Elba ‘ after ‘ Livorno when Elba is geographically positioned ‘ before ‘ Livorno ?

One rule for some .....

That's to avoid two major city stops one after the other he says thinking rapidly on his feet.

[allatc]

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Elba - PortoFerraio harbour and Monte Capanne chair lift

[allatc]

It seems many of you have stayed on board rather than taking the various excursions today, or maybe the excesses of last nights entertainment have taken their toll.
Whatever, overnight we will be heading for Genoa.
Those of you taking the tour to Milan will need to be on the dockside at 7.30am.

[Mervyn and Trish]

It seems many of you have stayed on board rather than taking the various excursions today, or maybe the excesses of last nights entertainment have taken their toll.
Whatever, overnight we will be heading for Genoa.
Those of you taking the tour to Milan will need to be on the dockside at 7.30am.

That's me out then. Don't do 7.30 am. Is there something departing after breakfast? At say 12.00 noon?

[Gill W]

I visited Elba once, on my first cruise, so the photos are in the loft.

We did an excursion to a pretty port - I can't remember the name, but I've done some googling, and this picture looks right. So it may have been Porto di Campo. there was a shop selling jewellery made of minerals and semi previous stones, so I bought a bracelet of blue stones. I still wear it quite often now.

Elba seemed to mostly disappear from the P&O schedules, which is a shame, as I liked it there

[allatc]

It seems many of you have stayed on board rather than taking the various excursions today, or maybe the excesses of last nights entertainment have taken their toll.
Whatever, overnight we will be heading for Genoa.
Those of you taking the tour to Milan will need to be on the dockside at 7.30am.

That's me out then. Don't do 7.30 am. Is there something departing after breakfast? At say 12.00 noon?

There's the "Genoa - the Dark Side" Walking Tour which starts at 4pm :-

Old Town at Night

If you want to visit Porto Antico, plan your itinerary during daylight hours.
As a tourist, you are not especially welcome in the Old Town.
In fact, some of the locals seem to feel that you should simply disappear from view.
Visit this area during the day if you want to ensure your complete safety.
Never walk on any side street where you are more likely to get mugged.

Historic Center
Although the Historic Centre in Genova has become tamer during the past few years,
the area still features unsafe zones that are not even fit to visit during daylight hours.
Never enter an alley.

Stay on guard at the Genova Piazza Principe railway station.

If you must visit this area, bring a couple of friends.

Thieves are always on the lookout to pick the pockets of wealthy travelers. Of course,
the best time to pick your pocket is when you are in a large crowd of people.

Some groups purposely distract your attention in order to pick your pockets.

Secure all your belongings before venturing out into the city to watch street performers.
The large crowd is very tempting to those who look forward to picking your pockets.

[Manoverboard]

Milano is best visited on a Monday cos the shops in ( you’ll not see any prices here ) the ‘ Galleria ‘ are shut.

En route to Genoa I recommend a visit to St Margherita and a coastal drive along the Lingurian Riviera to Sestri Levante.
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