Thoughts on Rome and Amalfi Coast Cruise
- By Bette Johnson
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- 04 Aug, 2014
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We at Special Moments Travel based in the Keller area have a saying about destinations “See it, feel it, taste it, touch it, sell it!”
That’s why it’s so important for us to experience these different destinations, so we can have a better understanding of places to recommend, excursions to do, and hotels to use. Sometimes, we just get a feel of who would appreciate a particular experience such as our recent trip to Rome and the Amalfi Coast.
We flew into Rome the day before we were to sail on the Azamara Quest bound for Corsica, Sicily, and Sorrento. We arrived in Rome at rush hour, wouldn’t you know! But then we realized practically every hour on Roman streets is considered a rush hour and lane stripes are a mere suggestion. The little scooters and motorcycles frequently zipped between cars and busses, causing me to gasp and squeal in fear for everyone’s lives! David suggested I just not look any more. I then chose to direct my attention to the true sites.
Some information we took away from this trip:
The Coliseum is the most visited site in Rome. 1500 years ago David and I could have been lion fodder! Another point about the Coliseum is everyone had to have tickets to attend the games, much like our baseball and football games today. Also like current times, there are numbers above the gates you are to enter. The difference being at the Coliseum, their numbers are Roman numerals, go figure!
The streets in Rome are cobblestone and very uneven. Walk with care, but do get out and walk so you can see everything. Another interesting point, there are few street signs. The names of the streets are on the sides of the buildings at an intersection. That can be a bit tricky. Maps are helpful, but not superb. Trial and error is perfectly acceptable and don’t be surprised if you end up on an alternate street. Backtracking can be your friend.
Trevi Fountain was jam-packed with people! Go ahead and fight the crowds and throw your coins in the fountain so you can, according to legend, return to the Eternal City.
Check out the Spanish Steps and climb them, all 130 of them! We did it almost at dusk. Definitely worth the view from the top.
Vatican City, a country in and of itself. Check it out and maybe catch a peep of the Pope like we did.
Many Italians are passionate and speak with their hands waving to emphasize their point. Others are stoic, watching, studying all that goes around them. It’s fun watching their conversations, though!
Our Azamara Cruise (upper end of the Royal Caribbean chain) was truly amazing! 668 passengers on this intimate vessel with all the amenities of a mass-cruise line. This is a destination-oriented cruise line which can practically port in the center of cities such as Porto Vecchio Corsica (France) and Siracusa Sicily.
Interesting factoid: Napoleon was born on the island of Corsica. This island had been inhabited by not only the French, but the Genoese, the Bourbons, the Spanish, and the Italians. In fact if Napolean had been born 3 months earlier, he would have been Italian. If that had been the case,, then how do you think history would have been affected?
There is no way to see all of Rome in 2 days, we highly recommend you plan to send more days.
What is there to do in Rome other than to see historical buidlings and art? Shop, shop, shop
Sorrento was the crown jewel of our cruise, we loved the city and the area enjoying homemade mozzarella cheese, olive oil, and breads as well as gracious people!
This was our trip of the Volcanos as we saw Stromboli erup as we sailed up to it; Mt Etna had an eruption at the first part of April, so we were able to see different ages of lava rock. Our last one to see was mighty Mt. Vesuvius, dormant, beautiful, and daunting hovering over Naples.
We loved this trip and met some incredibly fun people to share our experiences with, Dawn and Adrian, from England. They were the icing on the cake.
We highly recommend this trip to all who want a very destination-oriented journey. Call us today for even more details!