Ravenna to Rome Travel Notes
JUNE 20, 2024 – BACK TO THE SHIP! RAVENNA, ITALY (Day 193)
Today’s the day we finally got back on the ship, and I think we were more than ready. As fun as it’s been to explore new places and do all the exciting things we’ve done, there’s something about living out of suitcases for too long that becomes tiring—especially when it involves packing bags for air travel.
Our day began with breakfast at the B&B, and it was a bit awkward. They gave us a list of items to choose from, but it was a pretty simple selection of either savory or sweet options, and we couldn’t have both. Not a lot of variety, but at least the coffee was good and hit the spot. We were hopeful that today would go smoothly, unlike the chaos of the previous day. We double-checked to make sure everyone had their laptops, passports, and essentials before setting off for Ravenna.
The drive to the port to meet the ship went smoothly, with no issues along the way. We were lucky to be able to drop off our bags and park relatively close to the ship. After checking in and getting our luggage to our room, we found ourselves sitting at lunch in the Windjammer. It was hard to believe that 42 days had flown by so quickly.
Doug and I took on the task of returning the rental car. Hertz was located halfway between the port and town, and we ended up with a 30-minute wait for a taxi or Uber. Fortunately, the Hertz manager came to our rescue and arranged for an employee to drive us back for less than what the Uber would have cost. That worked out perfectly.
Once back on board, it was such a relief to be able to relax, knowing we didn’t have to worry about logistics or packing for a while. Unpacking, however, was quite the job. We had to sort out all the dirty clothes, but thankfully, we were able to send some laundry off right away.
That evening, we went to a comedy show and discovered that Joff was back as our cruise director. Afterward, we made our way to the Pub to catch Daniel’s performance. Everything felt right with the world again, being back in the familiar rhythm of ship life.
The only downside? That scraping noise coming from the workers on the floor above us was back. We’re definitely going to have to figure out a solution to that. But for now, we’re happy to be back in our very comfortable bed, better than most we had slept in during our trip interruption. There’s truly no place like home—especially when that home happens to be a ship at sea!
JUNE 21, 2024 – TRIESTE, ITALY (Day 194)
Today, we took things slow and didn’t get up and about until noon. We really needed the extra rest, and the activities we had planned weren’t starting until the afternoon anyway. After taking our time, we arranged for a taxi right outside the port and lucked out with an excellent driver named Roberto. He spoke pretty good English, which always helps when you’re navigating in a foreign country.
Our destination was the Lipizzaner stud farm in Lipica, Slovenia, just across the border from Trieste. Lipica is where the famous Lipizzaner horses originated, and the farm is home to a museum and offers tours of the historic stud farm. Today happened to be a show day, which was one of the reasons we had chosen this port for the excursion, even though it required a little more effort to cross the border.
After negotiating a price with Roberto, we were on our way. I sat up front and had a great conversation with him along the way. I learned a little about his life in Trieste, and we bonded over some shared interests. It’s always enjoyable to connect with locals and gain insight into their lives and culture, which adds an extra layer to the experience of traveling.
After arriving, we took some time to explore the stables and grounds. The museum was a highlight, offering a fascinating history of the breed and the efforts that have been made over centuries to sustain the lineage. Lipica is the birthplace of the Lipizzaner breed, originally developed by combining horses from various nations, and although there are now a few other locations for breeding and training, Lipica remains the heart of the operation. They take pride in preserving the integrity of the breed, maintaining strict bloodlines to ensure quality.
The show itself was captivating, as we watched the trainers take the horses through their paces. They began with presentations of horses at different stages of training, each display more intricate than the last. The final dressage performance was the most impressive, featuring the highly trained Lipizzaners in an elegant and precise demonstration of their skills.
After the show, we reunited with our cab driver, Roberto. Earlier, on the way to Slovenia, he had told us about some local wines he loved, and he offered to take us to a nearby market where we could pick up a few bottles. It was a kind gesture that showed his hospitality and made us feel more like friends than patrons. By the time we left Trieste, we had gained not only a deep appreciation for the Lipizzaners but also for the warmth and friendliness of Robert and the people of Trieste.
JUNE 22, 2024 – KOPOR, SLOVENIA (Day 195)
Today we had plans to take an easy day out to explore the town. We walked off the ship, having the directions to a mailbox to mail the postcards we had picked up at the Lipizzaner farm. The mailbox turned out to be a small red box, a shop owner had in front of their shop as a convenience for their customers that bought postcards in their store. We put ours in, hoping they would reach home. It was a nice walk through the historic area of the town. Everywhere you look could be a picture as it seemed you were back in time.
We ended up on a long, wide pier down by the sea. We sat on a bench in the shade and watched as others were out enjoying the day. There were a lot of families out and it was fun watching the children riding bikes and scooters trying to keep up with their parents. Behind our bench you could hear the laughter of kids as they played in the splash pad area of the park. It almost made you feel that you were a part of the community. We sat there for almost an hour just taking in the view.
We decided to explore the town a little more before heading back to the ship for a late lunch. This town had many pedestrian only streets that were great for window shopping. The streets were filled with cruisers and we ran into Andrew and Ale. We had not seen them since getting back on board, so we had fun talking with them about their trip around Africa and our journeys.
Back on the ship we ate lunch and worked on our photos or for a while. We sat by the pool, read our books, and did were able to enjoy a dip in the pool. It was so relaxing to not be thinking of what had to get done for awhile.
At dinner, we joined a different table, as our waiter Adrian had two 8 top tables with only 4 cruisers at each. By combining, it would make his job easier and we were eager to have other tablemates. Mark and Cheryl were from Birmingham, Alabama and Matthew and Jane were from Perth, Australia. The conversation was great with no lulls as we all got to know each other. They were eager to hear about the world cruise from our perspective and we enjoyed hearing about their travels. Matt and Jane were on a world travel trip with plane tickets that allowed a year of travel. Mark and Cheryl had plans after the cruise to meet up with family in Europe. All of us had 40 plus years of marriage and had a lot in common. We could see that this would be a fun cruise with new friends.
JUNE 23, 2024 – ZADAR, CROATIA (Day 196)
My body had still not recovered all the driving and touring, so I decided to stay on ship and relax in the hot tub. It was a beautiful bright, sunny day, so Gwen headed out with the Rogers’ to get an Uber.
Gwen: The driver was a very interesting Indian man who had lived all over the world. When we asked his favorite place, he chose here. He thought is was the prettiest and the nicest weather. You can’t argue that!
We were going to see and hear the Sea Organ. It was basically a man made organ that used the waves of the sea to make sounds. It was very interesting to hear the sounds coming from holes as the waves crashed in. The sounds got louder with bigger waves. The Sea Organ uses the motion of the waves and changing tides and currents to create beautiful, random melodies. The steps conceal pipes and resonating chambers beneath their surface. Here are some people sitting on the steps, enjoying the music of the sea.
We walked into town took photos along the way. We saw St. Donatus church which has such a unique shape. There were old Roman columns and ruins. The old mixed in with the new. We strolled through some gardens and found a place for lunch near the water. It was nice to enjoy the cool breeze that came off the water.
Back on board, I was able to sit on our balcony and enjoy being outside while working on photos for our website. It was such a pleasant day, along with a great dinner with our new friends. Sad to say, us girls got slammed by the guys playing Euchre.
JUNE 24, 2024 – SPLIT, CROATIA (Day 197)
Another beautiful, sunny day greeted us as we set out to explore Split, Croatia. Since the port was close to town, we decided to walk and see what this historic city had to offer. Our morning was full of laughs, starting with endless “split” jokes, until we had exhausted every pun imaginable. Split, however, is no joke when it comes to history—it’s the home of Diocletian’s Palace, a massive structure built at the end of the 3rd century as a retirement palace for Roman Emperor Diocletian. The palace is less of a luxurious home and more of a fortress, and we opted for the full tour to explore its sprawling grounds and remnants of ancient grandeur.
Wandering the narrow streets, we stumbled upon an intriguing 24-hour clock, a unique feature in the town that made us eager to see what other treasures we’d find around the next corner.
One of the most impressive sights was the towering 28-foot statue of
Gregory of Nin located just outside the city’s old gates. Gregory was a 10th-century bishop who played a pivotal role in spreading Christianity in Croatia by holding services in the local language, defying Rome’s tradition of Latin-only mass. While admiring the statue, we overheard a guide recount an incredible story. During World War II, Mussolini sought to destroy the statue, recognizing its importance as a symbol of Croatian heritage. The people of Split cleverly dismantled the statue into six pieces and hid them in various basements around town. After the war, the statue was reassembled and restored, and today it proudly stands outside the Golden Gate, a beloved reminder of the city’s resilience and cultural pride.
After all that history, it was time for a break. We grabbed lunch and shared a “club sandwich,” which was quite different from what we know as a club sandwich. Naturally, we try to try as much gelato as we can in this part of the world. Gwen couldn’t resist choosing Coconut and Banana Split—fitting for our day in Split, of course. That was officially our last “split” joke of the day!
In the afternoon, Gwen attended a wonderful performance featuring a pianist and a talented clarinetist from Sardinia, who was studying at the London Academy of Music. The music was fantastic, and afterward, she enjoyed a juggling show. Later in the evening, it was “White Night” on the ship, so we all dressed in white for dinner. We ended the night quietly in the Diamond Lounge, spending time with Doug and Margaret, relaxing after an eventful day.
JUNE 25, 2024 – DUBROVNIK, CROATIA (Day 198)
Today, we had the honor of sharing in Doug and Margaret’s Christmas gift from their kids! We are going on an island hopping boat tour. They also invited Heinrich and Renske Lammerding to come along. This should be a fun relaxing day!
We had to walk down the shoreline quite a bit before we met up with our captain for the day, Marco. Our first stop was a snorkeling area where went headed towards the rocks. There was a place where the rock was about 18 inches above the water. When you went under that, there was a fairly large cavern. The water was so blue from the light shining in through it. We swam and explored for a while and headed to our next stop.
The second snorkeling spot had 3 smaller caves. Doug went all the way through the first and came back out on the other side of the point. You have to swim around the point to get back to the boat. We had a good time in the water and it was much different from a lot of our excursions. We headed out Lopud, a remote island that was not very touristy. Just the boat ride through all the small islands was fun as the wind blew in our face. We all got time to visit and just relax. Heinrich and I talked about our mutual love for sports cars.
Walking along the beach in Lopud, we found a botanical garden and leisurely walked through. It was a beautiful day. We got back to the boat, where Marco was waiting to take us to our lunch spot on Sipan island at the Hotel Bozica. (Both of these islands are part of the Elaphiti Islands).
Although we had to climb up some stairs from the shore, we were rewarded with beautiful views of the surrounding islands. I had a nice steak and Gwen had roasted octopus (which she claims was delicious). After delicious food and great conversations, we were headed back to Dubrovnik. The afternoon wasn’t over yet, however. There was a driver and van waiting on us to take us to the Cave Bar. This bar is underground beneath a very nice hotel located along the shoreline. We had a very unique experience having such a great time with friends.
Back on the ship, we got a chance to Facetime with two of the grandkids (Elijah and Emmalyn). Emmy had just received new glasses and Elijah talked sports. I can’t think of a better way to end a great day.
JUNE 26, 2024 – KOTOR, MONTENEGRO (Day 199)
GWEN:
What a beautiful place! I woke up early and saw that we were entering a fjord type area. I went up to the helipad at the front of the ship to watch the sail in. It was so nice.
Everyone was wanting an extra sea day and we had all been here before on a previous cruise, so they opted to stay on board. Our previous tour, did not include the old town area, so I went ashore and explored it by myself. I found postcards and a post office, so I got some postcards for the grandkids and mailed them.
Kotor has many churches, so I first toured St. Tryphon Cathedral, which also had a museum on the top floor with many interesting artifacts and art pieces. I also went into St. Nicholas’ Church, Church of St Luke, and the Montenegrin Orthodox Church which had a copy of the Shroud of Turin hanging on the wall.
I walked all around the narrow streets of the town, through all the gates, and on top the walls. There’s St John’s Fortress that you can hike to, but I chose not to take the 1350 stairs to get there.
Back on the ship, Brian and I enjoyed the sail away sitting near the Skybar, which was so scenic! We went to dinner and then to the movie theater to see “Saving Mr. Banks.” It’s a very good movie.
JUNE 27, 2024 – DAY AT SEA (Day 200)
Yea! A day at sea and the 200th day of our journey! I had booked a couple of hours of the Golf Simulator so Andrew, Gustav, and I could play a full round of 18 holes on a course. It was a lot of fun, and Andrew got the best of us as our lack of course knowledge caused us to get destroyed by a couple of holes. Gwen attended the Bible Study this morning and said it was very good.
We worked on website and photo’s and did some research on the next couple of ports. We are way behind in that area and we knew we would be. I think everyone on the ship is feeling the fatigue from having so many ports in a row and there is really no let up in sight. For us, doing our own planning and research, it becomes overwhelming at times. You figure out which ports need extensive planning or have something unique and you plan those, while allowing for walking tours of ports that are smaller and easily accessible from the ship.
Choir practice was fun and we are both trying to get up to speed with those who had practiced while touring Africa. There was a 2 p.m. meeting on our upcoming Rome World Wonder tour, so Gwen left practice early to attend it.
Fortunately for us we have a nice room with a large balcony that is also covered from the sun, so we were able to computer work while enjoying beautiful weather in the upper ’70’s, low ’80’s. The water is so blue and it helps to have that type of environment in which to do some of our research and computer work. Top all of that off with Lobster and seafood for dinner and it was a great day!
JUNE 28, 2024 – VALLETTA, MALTA (Day 201)
Gwen was awakened early when she felt the ship doing something different from normal. Looking out the window, she saw the stunning walls of Valletta, Malta. She grabbed her camera and went up on deck as Captain Stig turned the ship around and backed into port. There were 3 other ships in port today, so it was going to be crowded. Fortunately, the Virgin ship ended up leaving early.
We were eager to explore this town where the ship carrying the Apostle Paul ran aground and shipwrecked. (Acts 27:27 – 28:5) We followed a walking tour that Margaret had found online. She was very disappointed to find out that the Shipwreck Church was not open to visitors. Captain Stig says that an anchor from Paul’s ship was found in the sea nearby. Having done some research since our visit, I believe this is the true story of the anchors.
We grabbed a sandwich at a cafe and climbed a hill to a garden with a great view. We took an elevator down and headed back to the ship. We had to get ready for our Chef’s Table that we would be sharing with our new table mate’s. Even though we have experienced it a couple of time before, it’s all about the people you are with. We had a great time and even hung out in the Safari Club afterwards talking until midnight.
JUNE 29, 2024 – SIRACUSA, SICILY ITALY (Day 202)
Today we explored the Ortygia peninsula section of Siracusa (Syracuse), Sicily. First, we went to the Greek ruins of the Temple of Apollo. It was used from the 6th century BC until the 12th century AD. Then, we meandered around town, went through the market till finally reaching our destination at the Cathedral of Syracuse (Cathedral of the Most Holy Nativity of Mary). I like the first name better! It has a very interesting history as it was first a Greek temple to Athena built in 5th century BC. In 535 AD it became a Christian church using the columns from the temple to become walls. When the Muslims took control of the country in 878 AD, it was converted to a mosque. The Normans conquered the Muslims, and the building became a Catholic Church during Norman rule. The church features Greek, Norman, and baroque features and was very interesting to tour.
We continued touring the Ortygia peninsula, passing through various squares and neighborhoods. In the many squares we encountered a lot of fountains. We saw the goddess, Diana’s fountains, and the fountain of Arethusa, which is a natural spring. We came upon a memorial bomb shelter preserved to honor the memories of those killed by the allies during WW2 bombing.
It was time for a snack, so we tried some pistachio gelato and even purchased some pistachios to take back on the ship. For our last stop, we went to a museum that was a tribute to both Archimedes and Leonardo da Vinci. It was a very interesting museum that highlighted many of their inventions and allowed hands on some of the exhibits that demonstrated their discoveries.
We headed back to the ship, to spend some time on our balcony. It always seems to be a good place to relax and wind down with refreshments after a city tour. Gwen headed off to see another folkloric show. Today’s show highlighted a Sicilian folk music group called Cala Bukuto. It was very entertaining as it was high energy accordion music. Gwen was thoroughly entertained. Afterwards, I met here in the dining room for dinner with new dinner mates that included lobster thermidor then we all went to a mask party in the centrum for a bit and then went and played euchre.
JUNE 30, 2024 – NAPLES/POMPEII, ITALY (Day 203)
We got out early and took the train to Pompeii. We had trouble getting the audio guides we had reserved online. It was all kind of a scam, and you don’t realize that there are numerous companies that look like they are official sites online, but are not. You end up wasting time to travel down into away from the gates into town to get the audio headsets. Then they wanted our passports to hold as collateral till we returned them, which we were not willing to do. We ended up getting some from the official audio booth by the main gate, so we essentially we paid twice to have the audio tour.
It was very crowded and hot. There is so much to see, it is overwhelming. It was very interesting and the audio guides help, but next time, if we ever come back, we will definitely get a guide to lead us through the most interesting parts. The most disturbing site was the plaster molds they made of the people who died in just minutes as they were covered in ash. While excavating the site, they realized they could pour plaster in the natural mold that was made by the compressed ash. It really puts you in the situation these people faced, some within seconds. It is amazing how well preserved all the buildings and homes were. We walked a lot and only got to see a fraction of the entire site. Doug and Margaret were surprised by how much more had been uncovered since their last visit.
We took the train back to Naples and stopped for some pizza at a pizzeria called Fortuna. The owner was very interesting and came from Napoli. Back on the ship we went straight to hear Wojciech on his last night. We will miss him when he gets off the ship tomorrow. We hung out with our dinner tablemates for the evening. We really hope we get a chance to visit with them again after this cruise is over. We found out that Cheryl and Mark are also Gigi and Pop to their grandkids, like we are. We will also miss our waiters Adrian and Nadi as they had been so interesting. This has been the best dinner table we have been a part of since we started the World Cruise. The conversations have been very interesting, with even the waiters adding to the storytelling.
JULY 1, 2024 – ROME, ITALY (Day 204)
Our 12th of 17 legs completed. See Leg 13 Notes for comments! Turnaround Day
Got a Question?
Feel free to ask us any travel questions or anything you would like to know about specific pictures.
