Azamara Quest - Mediterranean Cities, October 28-November 4 2021

[Bimmer09]

10 hours ago, singinalot said:

Norris, your pictures come alive. 

 

I cannot wait for the day I can see that beautiful countryside in person.

 

Thank you.

Crystal, I have a former business friend with an Italian name who (pre Covid)each year took his family to Tuscany for a couple of weeks spent in  a rented farmhouse on a hill-with a swimming pool. His pics on Facebook of meals outside on a big table with bottles of wine as the sun went down made me yearn for that experience.

Thanks to Azamara I got to spend 2 days there recently and it was a land where it is hard not to feel good just from the scenery. The light! The rolling hills, the cedar trees. Everything looks like a renaissance painting.

 

Norris

[jimbri]

Thank you for a wonderful review.

[Bimmer09]

21 hours ago, manunia said:

i've read all your reviews as soon as it appeared and loved each one of it but have been a silent reader (not really - you should hear me laughing), i even shared some of your posts with my son.

i was so excited today (saw link on Princess board) that could not resist to thank you.

i've learned a lot from your reviews, went with you and Carol to places i've have not been yet. 

your writing style accompanied with pictures making me feel that i am there with you - i hope you do not mind especially that it does not happen in real time.

also my thanks to Carol who is making sure we know the correct name for the drivers, waiters, ets and looks great at the same time.

have a great time in Tuscany today,

Yes thanks to Carol for the notes otherwise I'd have to keep them! It is time consuming for her and as I like to have detail when I write there is a lot of stuff for her to keep track of. 

This is my 16th review (plus one comparison between Princess and Celebrity) so that's over 20,000 cruise photos to work from and 112 days of cruising to take notes on. Carol does the same for our land vacations which don't have an online presence but are much more numerous.

 

I started writing reviews after our first cruise (Alaska) so that we wouldn't forget it. I didn't want our cruises to become a blur.

 

I'm glad you enjoy reading them and can get a laugh from them and learn about hotels and restaurants from our experiences.

Cheers!

Norris

[Bimmer09]

VOLTERRA

It was an hour's drive away and the road climbed ever higher with a share of hairpin bends and blind corners but driver David was bright eyed and bushy tailed-obviously some squirrel ancestry.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Volterra

 

I had never heard the name until yesterday when Carol got the tickets but it's been a town since 8 B.C. developed by the Etruscans. We were running behind schedule so no time to shop for fridge magnets which is the reason we travel, pretty much.

 

We were wearing great little headsets today so could wander from the group or in my case catch up after stopping to take a photo. The bus stopped and let us off to stroll the squares.

 

 

Not all of these people were on our bus

 

 

 

We would walk 3.5 miles today, little of it in Volterra. We were led to a good viewpoint, overlooking a Roman ruin (they ruined everything it seems) which had held a theater and some baths.....

 

 

[Bimmer09]

 

 

Now you can see the impression of the clever half-bowl shape for the seating

 

 

We continue on at a leisurely pace. We are weary and maybe some of us have had enough wine to need a nap. Oh, wouldn't that be nice?

[Bimmer09]

ETRUSCAN ARTEFACTS

An Etruscan store "Founded 8 B.C" advertising a Going Out of Business Sale. They have hundreds of branches in New York where there is a chain of "Going Out of Business" stores. They boast of "fresh merchandise arriving every day"

 

A family in Covid quarantine looks longingly out of a window

 

Simona says we can go into this workshop. If Carrara is renowned for its marble Volterra is famous for its alabaster which is white, soft and easy to carve 

 

We all troop in but I hang back to take photos 

 

Does nobody ever dust in here?

 

 

I decide to go back into the small square we are in as the others have followed a craftsman and it will be too crowded for me to join them-plus it's time for a smoke break.  Carol said he whipped up an alabaster candlestick lickety-split (odd expression.)

 

 

[Bimmer09]

This ancient church was closed to visitors. Our guide asked the custodian.

 

I took random pictures as we made our way back to the bus

 

 

 

 

As usual on return trips there was quiet and low energy. It had been a long but very enjoyable day.

The next three pictures were all bus window shots. I love dramatic skies and sunsets.

 

 

 

 

We got back to the ship at 6 p.m

[Deck Chair Queen]

On 11/11/2021 at 9:12 PM, Bimmer09 said:

I will have menus for you soon but for the first couple days they went clean out of my head in all the excitement.

I am so technologically advanced that I read my menu ahead of time by scanning the QR code in the daily Insider. When I told the waiter this, he excitedly asked me to fill out a survey because I was the only diner who had used it, apparently. It was well hidden in the Insider and not intuitive as to how to use the free wifi to read it, however. Carol

[Deck Chair Queen]

14 hours ago, Bimmer09 said:

There was to be a wine tasting.

Not exactly what was described. There was to be "lunch at a Tuscan farmhouse featuring local products." Truth in  advertising is not one of the Azamara excursion description strengths.

[Deck Chair Queen]

14 hours ago, LT Hambone said:

So far you've posted two pictures with someone who looks like me included. Both of those photos are horrible, and my wife looks even worse.

LT Hambone: Don't take it personally. Norris strives to exclude people from his photos unless they get in the way and it is inescapable (note the only photo in existence of the Trevi fountain without people). It's just not his bailiwick. With no ship photographers on this cruise, I believe the only photo of the two of us was the one in hard hats taken by the Carrara quarry manager. Carol

[Deck Chair Queen]

4 hours ago, Bimmer09 said:

The "grass" line was a good example of Gabrieli's humor.

My  favorite line was when he was discussing extra virgin olive oil (which has a strict definition): "If you see in your supermarket 'extra extra extra extra virgin olive oil,' all the 'extras' after the first one are b***s**t!"

[Deck Chair Queen]

3 hours ago, Bimmer09 said:

We would walk 3.5 miles today, l

Our first vacation with a Fitbit! I was so grateful finally to be able to walk pain-free through these gorgeous places unfettered by arthritis. This was my first cruise since I had both knees replaced. Boy did they love me at the Dublin airport security check-in! Carol

Edited November 13, 2021 by Deck Chair Queen

[Deck Chair Queen]

3 hours ago, Bimmer09 said:

I had never heard the name until yesterday when Carol got the tickets but it's been a town since 8 B.C. developed by the Etruscans.

At one point I asked the guide whether I had missed the Etruscan Arch, which is the number one sight in Volterra. "Oh we won't be seeing that," she said. "It's out of the way and not much  to look at anyhow." Good attitude for a tour guide. Guidebook Carol

Edited November 13, 2021 by Deck Chair Queen

[donswife]

26 minutes ago, Deck Chair Queen said:

Our first vacation with a Fitbit! I was so grateful finally to be able to walk pain-free through these gorgeous places unfettered by arthritis. This was my first cruise since I had both knees replaced. Boy did they love me at the Dublin airport security check-in! Carol

As I mentioned in a previous post, I am so happy that you are healthy and able to fully enjoy your travels.  I have yet to see Norris mention finding a bench for you to rest on in this review 😊

[LT Hambone]

1 hour ago, Deck Chair Queen said:

Not exactly what was described. There was to be "lunch at a Tuscan farmhouse featuring local products."

 

No - but this was far, FAR better than advertised! Was not expecting 8+ glasses of wine to taste! My liver needed a vacation after that lunch....

 

IMO - and my opinion only - the lunch was the highlight of the tour. We were on the other bus, and our guide was not as good as we were expecting. (NOTE - if there are ANY readers from our bus who disagree, please don't reach for the flame thrower. This is just my opinion). Was also very frustrating to be in these amazing villages (one with an open air market) and not being able to go wander and shop on our own. When we asked our guide if we could walk around the market, he said he didn't know. So we played it safe, stayed with the guide, and made the best of the situation.

 

Pretty sure if we were on the other bus, my opinion would be different.

 

Norris - keep the updates coming! I'm enjoying every post!

[Bimmer09]

1 hour ago, Deck Chair Queen said:

At one point I asked the guide whether I had missed the Etruscan Arch, which is the number one sight in Volterra. "Oh we won't be seeing that," she said. "It's out of the way and not much  to look at anyhow." Good attitude for a tour guide. Guidebook Carol

Word on the street is that the Romans found the Etruscans using the keystone at the top of the rounded arches and adopted it. That's some pretty impressive building for the times.

Norris

[helen haywood]

Love your review!!  However, I’m not totally convinced you were really in Italy…I’ve not seen a single cat…

[LT Hambone]

1 minute ago, helen haywood said:

Love your review!!  However, I’m not totally convinced you were really in Italy…I’ve not seen a single cat…

 

Ha!

 

Here's Micia, she was a neighborhood kitty who visited us at our hotel in Trastevere. Enjoy!

 

 

If you're wondering how she visited us, our hotel was a former convent, all of the rooms faced a courtyard filled with orange trees. Micia would wander the courtyard, greeting all of the guests!

 

[jlf1]

Norris,

 

I just found this trip report.  Hooray.  Been a long time.  I also bit through my tongue reading about all your flight troubles.  So glad that you made it.

 

As usual, your pictures are stunning.

 

I'm on for the ride.

 

Judy

[gardenbunny]

Get quite a chuckle from your posts!  Having been to all these places, great to see recent photos!  We did spend 2 nights in San Gimignano - one of my favorites - but anywhere in Italy is good!  If I have one picture of doors, flower pots, churchs, narrow streets, stairs, shop windows, etc etc - I have 1,000 - and I love them all!

And also great to see pictures of the Quest - know the floor plan by heart after 2 WC on Pacific Princess.  Looking forward to 2023 when we have booked our first and second Azamara cruises to Japan and Israel (Ancient Civilizations).

I can so relate to being out of sync traveling again.  We did an American Queen trip in July from Memphis to NOLA on the Mississippi and a dude ranch in Grand Tetons in October and I was seriously travel “rusty”.  But cannot wait to be on the new Enchanted Princess December 30th!!!  I am thinking it will finally feel like home 🛳.  I had no idea that travel withdrawal would be this bad.

I saved your link and will be reading them!

[peyroutous]

Norris, thank  you for the link to your Cuba blog, now at page 12…  Great photos of the Journey cabin idem to the cabin we booked for NY. Also loved the photos of Art Deco hotels on Miami Beach. Wonderful that these hotels have been saved. I first went there in 70s when they were very run down. We also love Cuban music we saw the Buena Vista Social Club in concert here at the Marcia Jazz festival many moons ago. Historic buildings, vintage cars, great music what is not to like, can’t wait to be able to go to Havana.  

Today watching rugby …great result Ireland beat the great NZ All Blacks 29 to 20  historic there will be great celebrations in Dublin tonight🥂🎷🇮🇪. G.

[Bimmer09]

T'IS THE LEAVIN' OF LIVORNO

 

 

We're sailing to Nice at 8 p.m

 

Looks like my lens has picked up a lot of dust in the alabaster studio

 

We'll watch sailaway from our aft balcony as usual

[Bimmer09]

 

 

 

 

 

Edited November 13, 2021 by Bimmer09
goofy photo software

[Bimmer09]

T'IS THE LEAVIN' OF LIVORNO

 

 

[Bimmer09]

Sir Norris and Lady Carol are at dinner, following our sailaway from Livorno. Captain Carl came on the P.A before we fired up the outboards to say he had been talking to the Pilot at Nice who was warning of possible high winds and rain. The Captain said there was a chance we might not be able to enter the harbor in the morning but the afternoon looked doable. He said as a result of the uncertainty all excursions for Nice on Sunday (tomorrow) were being moved to Monday. That included our visit to St Paul de Vence. Our 2015 visit to S.P de V was canceled by Princess as there was torrential rain. I think it was 4 people drowned ashore in flash floods.

 So we arrived later than usual to dinner. Sultan was again our waiter at a window table.

Tonight's World Cuisine is British but its not all boiled mutton and Toad in the Hole.

The always available shrimp cocktail

 

Carol's out of focus salad featuring Boston lettuce, artichoke and marinated grilled vegetables 

 

 This appears to be  some kind of pate in a nice thick crust that I ate

 

 

Carol's crawfish bisque. She loves her soups!

 

My Fish and Chips

 

Carol's roast pork with roast potatoes

 

Dessert was Chocolate Lava cake (Norris) and Banana Beignets (Carol). She thought them a fail.

I would eat chocolate lava cake from a rat infested dumpster so I was happy.

 

We were the last table to leave the restaurant. Its possible that folks were rushing to get to a show.

That's something we've always done on Princess- eat with the late show in mind but the Princess shows get packed (700 capacity) and are big spectacular song and dance events. Az is more low-key and scaled way down due to the room. But the performers give it their all.

 

No show for us so an early night.

 

The ship was sailing down a long flight of stairs during the night "and the wind began to howl"

Up on the pool deck, the padded loungers were for the first time stacked and lashed together .

I had so been looking forward to a sunny Sunday morning at the fabulous street market...