6. Civitavecchia

We transited the Bonifaco Straits between Sardinia and Corsica last last evening and it was rather picturesque seeing the coast of each island lit up. A few hours later, at 7am we were tied up alongside the pier in Civitavecchia, the gateway to Rome. However, having been to Rome more than once in the past, our plan was just to stay in the port city and have a look around.

The fact that Emerald Princess, Oceania, Norwegian Spirit, Costa Magica and Saga Sapphire were all in town meant that the population of Civitavecchia was swollen by around 5,000 people for the day. Having said that, once we had walked a distance from the drop off point, the streets were not too crowded. We explored some of the quiet back lanes, wandered around one of the churches, stopped for a coffee, browsed a few local shops and a very colourful market before eventually finding a pizzeria for a spot of lunch. Once foddered and watered, our meander took us along the esplanade where many of the locals were enjoying lunch in the very warm October sunshine. 

The heat began to take its toll on us also, so what better way to cool down than with a large Italian gelato (pistachio and lemon for me, strawberry and tiramisu for Claire), before slowly making our way back to the ship.

As I write we have just finished a refreshing swim in the pool at the back of the ship. We will shortly be making our way up to the upper decks in order to watch the sailaway (and the last remaining passengers running desperately down the dockside) as the sun sets.