Blogs from Livorno, Tuscany, Italy, Europe - page 2

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Europe » Italy » Tuscany » Livorno July 14th 2011

Well, here we are on QV119 I think, gems of the med part 2. This voyage we dont call into palermo (sicily) we are in livorno (Italy) instead and have afew days less. In Barca, because I had done La Grasse Famillia last time, I went for tapas with my new cabin mate Pete. Its the first time Id tried it and most of it wasnt bad. I got to try Muscles (I know thats wrong) for the first time, along with some other suspicious looking seafood items that I thought it was best not to ask what they were. Lets just say I think one of them had tentacles at some point in its life. Apart from that Barca was pretty uneventful, the weather was overcast but still baking hot even in the shade. The ... read more

Europe » Italy » Tuscany » Livorno June 10th 2011

Gday all Hello from Toulon, France and now from Livorno, Italy gateway to Pisa and Florence Well it has been a while since our last posting. You will also notice that there are no pictures with this post. At 75 cents a minute for internet connection it would cost a fortune to upload them. We will load them when we get back to England on the 18th. Now to the blog On the morning we picked up the boat I had to drop off our rental car and while doing this I met a couple that had just got off the boat and while chatting they said the first thing we will notice is the food. Well that is an understatement. Everywhere you go is either a bar or restaurant The Celebrity Eclipse is a magnificent ... read more

Europe » Italy » Tuscany » Livorno August 3rd 2010

In my last blog, I made it sound like I just “hopped off” to France... And, “hopping off” to France sounded like a lovely idea when the decision was made, but unfortunately there was really no “hopping off” involved. No quick little bunny-like hops or anything like that. It was more like a tired donkey carrying an old lady 5 times its size with all of her belongings up a steep hill in a heatwave for 2 days. Or, that’s what the trip to Corsica from Florence felt like. First off, on my second morning in Florence, I found out from a travel agent on the other side of town from my hostel that I had to leave Florence in 40 minutes on a train to Rome to get my kite gear in order to make ... read more
A quick snap of Tuscany from the train...
I went through a lot for it, but stunning Corsica was well worth it!
Snapped through the window of my 4-hr bus ride...

Europe » Italy » Tuscany » Livorno May 15th 2010

Overnight we crossed the Gulf de Lyon to Livorno, Italy. We decided to take a tour that would head north along the rugged coastline to a place called Le Cinque Terre (The 5 lands). There are 5 villages along the coast perched high in the hills that are only connected by footpaths and a train. The tour bus could not go from town to town and had to let us off at one end where we began to hike the Love Trail or the “Via della’amore” along with about a zillion other people. As we moved along the trail it began to thunder and lightning and pour buckets of rain. We had umbrellas, which were pretty ineffective with all the wind and rain but there was nothing to do but continue on. As we were going ... read more

Europe » Italy » Tuscany » Livorno April 15th 2009

PP: Tuesday 14th April: Arrived in Livorno yesterday morning, as the sun was rising through haze and mist - beautiful sunrise. The port area is quite tidy and clean, and it is quite busy but not as big as some we've been to. We were a bit slow starting to explore because the new Chief Mate (Michael) was a bit offhand about letting us know when er were cleared by immigration. I chased the Captain and he confirmed everything was okay. So about lunchtime we went to the city centre. Some nice Italian dock people with not much English drove us one at a time to the gate, because no one aboard seemed to know where it was - it seems that this is the first time anyone on this ship has been there. Now we ... read more
Ferry out of Livorno
At the Port
Waiting for a Taxi

Europe » Italy » Tuscany » Livorno April 14th 2009

CS: Saturday 11th April (darktime): We had expected to make the Strait of Gibraltar about 8pm so see it in daylight since it has been light till after 9pm in our area lately. However things changed during the day because we are ahead of schedule and with Easter on there is no advantage in getting to Livorno on 13th so the Captain wants to kill about 12 hours. He stopped the ship about 10am but we wallowed so badly in the swell that we soon got under way again. Not for long, in the early afternoon we stopped again, rolled a bit but not as badly as before. The sea is calm with some small white caps and there is a light wind, the sun is strong and the sky largely cloudless. We wallowed about from ... read more
Rolling towards the Strait
On the Bridge at Night

Europe » Italy » Tuscany » Livorno April 14th 2009

CS: Sunday 12 April: We continued to enjoy good weather throughout the afternoon, and had a wonderful view of the Spanish coastline all the way from Almeria to Cartagena and beyond. We were called over the loudspeaker to attend the party at 5.30. I presented the picture of cranes which I had completed to the Captain; it is dedicated with a label: ‘SHIP SHAPES at SUNSET’ Everything interesting happens after dark To the Captain and crew of Rickmer Seoul in appreciation of a truly enjoyable adventure. He seemed pleased with the gesture and said he would hang it in the ship’s conference room. We all received parcels of Easter eggs. I’m not sure we need more chocolate, but who knows what cravings the long haul to Jakarta will give rise to. The food included two types ... read more
Coastal Spain
More Coastal Spain
The mediterranean in Spring

Europe » Italy » Tuscany » Livorno April 14th 2009

CS: Tues 7 April: Shore leave finished at 10am; expecting to leave this afternoon. We got underway about 2pm; we had a wonderful view of the docks, the river and Hamburg as we sailed into the Elbe and out to sea. It seems Craig’s jinx (which operated to ensure that everything interesting happens in the dark) has indeed been allayed. The weather was still bright so we could see clearly the city skyline and the lovely settlements along the length of the river. There were strips of beach at some points along the shore not far from the city and numerous Hamburg citizens (Hamburgers?) were enjoying their first warm spring evenings, on the sand, along the paths and in the waterside cafes. Wed 8 April: Daf is excited about leaving the ship in Port Said to ... read more
River Muscle
Riverscape Hamburg
Hamburg Easter Eggs??

Europe » Italy » Tuscany » Livorno October 27th 2008

Ciao! Well the last few months have just been cruising along as usual, in saying that there have been alot of changes too, i've made some great plans for Christmas and my Birthday (which you can read about later) and my entire flat is changing (except for me of course). Three of my friends are leaving and only now (after nearly 21 months of having people come and go) I think I've accepted this fact and am just enjoying the short time I have with them. A few of you have asked for photos, i've added some from the last few months at the end of this blog ( I will try and send more soon). I was lucky enough to get away to Tuscany last weekend for a bit of R & R (with Annette), ... read more
Col de Sasso
Our Apartment
Our Car

Europe » Italy » Tuscany » Livorno October 3rd 2008

After a 10-minute transfer from the ship to city center, we will board a local boat for a cruise along the Livorno channels. The route covers several centuries of Livorno history and it will take us through the most colorful district named New Venice which is a labyrinth of canals, waterways and bridges encompassing sights that include New Fortress, Republic Square, Santa Caterina Church, Cavour Square and the Fisherman Harbor. After docking at the original pier of the Old Fortress, our guide will show us the most ancient monument in Livorno that is a remarkable model of a Renaissance defense incorporated from former medieval fortifications. You will see a 35-meter-high circular tower erected in 1241 and a quadrangular small fortress made by the maritime republic of Pisa in 1377. The Medicis decided to strengthen these two ... read more




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