La Spezia (for Cinque Terre)

La Spezia, Italy, is primarily a commercial - industrial port, with some military presence. This is a shot of the port from our docked ship.
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OUR FIRST port of call was the Italian port of La Spezia. This was a highly anticipated stop for me. Back in 2019 we had taken an "Italian Riviera" cruise on the Celebrity Edge, kind of on a whim. We had been on another cruise in Ireland, England and France earlier that year. For reasons not relevant here, we really felt like we needed to do another cruise soon, and my "cruise director/travel agent" walked into my study one day shortly after we returned home from that cruise and said, I think we "need" to book this cruise. Probably the nearest time to the cruise departure we have ever booked, we decided to take the "Italian Riviera" cruise. As we have done a few times in the past, we would be on our own on this one. But I think we profited from it being so soon after Covid, as the ship was not full, and we got a pretty good price for the cruise. So, we went.

we got a too-brief exposure to one of the most beautiful places on earth: Cinque Terre

Riomaggiore, Italy
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THE POINT of this long, possibly irrelevant, recap of two prior cruises was that, though it was probably one of our best ever cruises, we also got a too-brief exposure to one of the most beautiful places on earth: Cinque Terre. I will add an opinionated thought, here. In the past several months, I have often read (mostly on FB pages) questions and plans for the La Spezia stop. I think Celebrity contributes to a lot of what I consider "bad" plans for this stop (by designating is as "For Piza and Florence"). It's really not. Piza is 50 miles and Florence about 100 miles from the La Spezia cruise terminal. In my opinion, a minimum of 5 hours in traffic to see these sights. In contrast, Riomaggiore, the first of the 5 towns of Cinque Terre, is about 3.5 miles by train. It is a 5-minute ride to the train station from the port entrance (or 20-30-minute walk). An all-day train pass is 18 euros. The time between stops is just minutes, and the trains run all day. As the pictures show, this is an enchanting series of stops.

Manarola, Italy
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"FIVE LANDS." That is what I believe the words: "Cinque Terre" translate to in English. There are 5 villages that make up Cinque Terre. Four of them are all built into the Italian Riviera's rough mountainsides. Of those four, three have small, rustic, and very picturesque seaports. There are restaurants with fresh food, and shops along the narrow single street leading down to the waterfront. We have only been to three of the 5. On the 2019 trip, we weren't as well-prepared, and our group of 6 people only made it to one of them (Manarola). We didn't know about the train setup until after we arrived in Manarola. We probably (perhaps inadvertently) made the correct choice since we would only visit one of the villages. It was the easiest to get to and to walk in (less steep than the others). It is also commonly thought that it is the most photogenic of the 5 (though I might disagree). For this trip, though, I was prepared. I had read that of the five villages, three of them were the most photogenic. My plan was to visit and photograph all 3. I think seeing all 5 in one day-stop is possible, but maybe a bit much if you are trying to get a feel for them.

Manarola, Italy
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I GOT off the ship at the first possible opportunity (alone) and made plans to meet up with the other 5 of our group in one of the villages, once they got going. I wanted to explore, make sure I got to all three of my planned destinations, and take photos. It was a learning experience, and if you are a serious photographer, you may want to read my more detailed account on my LightCentricPhotograpy Blog, here.

Riomaggiore, Italy
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I STARTED in Riomaggiore, the southernmost, and closet village to La Spezia. Manarola was the second, and since I had been there and was anxious to have the early light, Riomaggiore was the logical first stop. I remembered Manarola as being but a short walk from the train platform, and though somewhat steeply downhill, not to taxing. So I was a caught just a bit off guard, when I realized that Riomaggiore was a bit of a walk into the village, and then pretty steeply down to water using a series of stairs. I actually found a back stairway and took it down (later returning up the main pathway).

Riomaggiore, Italy (the back way in)
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PER OUR pre-arranged plan, the other 5 in our group got moving and my wife texted me that they were headed for Manarola, so I met them there. After spending some time there, 2 elected to head back to the ship. 4 of us went on to the third village: Vernazza. I had read that Corniglia was tucked up into the mountains but did not have a seaport. I wanted to get the boats and water into my pictures, so given time constraints, I elected to skip Corniglia. I will probably plan to go there on the next La Spezia stop we make. Likewise, the last village is Monterosso al mare (meaning Monterosso "by the sea"). It looks interesting, but flatter, and perhaps more of a beach destination. Since we have (and will again) seen other similar spots, I once again ruled it out based on the time available. So, Vernazza, it was.

Riomaggiore, Italy

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VERNAZZA, TO me, seemed a little flatter, a little easier to access, and notably more "commercial - touristy." But still, worth the trip and I made some nice photographs there. 

Vernazza, Italy

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Back to The Edge (and the Mediterranean)

Rome's "Spanish Steps" - one of the most popular sites in the city
Rome, Italy
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WHILE 2022 started out "soft," with our short western Caribbean cruise, it turned out to be a loaded travel year. We began in the Caribbean in January. Then in June, we traveled (all by land) to Portugal for over 2 weeks. By September we were once again cruising. This time in the Baltic, on the Celebrity Apex. And then, a month later, we finished out 2022, again on the Celebrity Edge (our second cruise on her). Each trip was more than 2 weeks. Pretty eventful travel year.

One of the world's most famous fountains, the Trevi Fountain was built in 1762, at the base of a clear-water aqueduct bringing clear water into the city. Built at the intersection of three important Rome streets (hence "Trevi"), it is a tradition for visitors to toss a coin into the fountain over their right shoulder. This act supposedly signifies that you will return one day. Sources say that about 3,000 euros are tossed into the fountain each day. It must work. I have done it 3 times now and have returned 3 times. 😁 This photo was made back in 2013 on our first visit. The fountain was so mobbed on this trip that it was near impossible to get a meaningful photograph.
Trevi Fountain - Rome, Italy
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OUR MEDITERRANEAN cruise in 2022 was our 5th cruise in that part of the world. It is probably our favorite cruise destination. It was also our second time on the Celebrity Edge (and our third on an "Edge Class" ship). There would (will) be more. We love the Edge Class ships.

In spite of the Trevi Fountain's popularity amount tourists, our guide for the day in Rome opined that this fountain was more important, and more popular and famous among Romans than any other fountain in the city.
Fontana Dell' Acquia Paola - Rome, Italy
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THIS CRUISE was a bit unusual for us, because it involved some additional travel and time both pre and post cruise. I think this may become more of a trend for us in the future. It seems to us that once you have paid the money and spent the hours flying just about anywhere abroad from our home in the U.S., we might as well spend as much time as we can over there. Relative to the over and back travel cost, the rest is reasonably affordable. And as retirees, we certainly have the time.

Our VRBO was merely steps from this popular local piazza. It is a very nice site, flanked by fountains on either side, as well as fountains surrounding the obelisk in the center. The two churches are "almost" twin structures. It is said that the architect just could not bring himself to exact duplication, so there are some significant differences. Nonetheless, it is a beautiful, symmetrical view from the piazza toward the city of Rome. There are three streets converging (you cannot see the middle street in the picture) here. We ate 3 of our four dinners along these streets and I must say I had some of the finest pasta I have ever tasted.
Piazza del Popolo ("people's plaza) - Rome, Italy
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OUR ITINERARY this time was full. We flew into Fiumicino for Rome, Italy. We stayed in a VRBO in Rome for 3 nights, before heading to Civitavecchia, and our cruise port. Aboard the Celebrity Edge, we made multiple stops along the Italian and French Riviera, and then to Barcelona, Sardinia, Sicily, and back to Naples, before returning to Civitavecchia. From there, we flew (Fiumicino again) to Marco Polo airport, spending another nearly 4 full days in Venice. One of our longest trips. But jam-packed with great things.

Fountain at the base of the Obelisk - Piazza del Popolo - Rome, Italy
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I HAVE often said that one of the great things about cruising is that it is a good way to see the world, while not having to move hotels, pack and repack bags, and worry about travel destinations from one place to another (though we found it to be reasonably convenient and easy on our Portugal trip). It is also nice to have a 5-star restaurant (or a couple) traveling along with you (some may disagree on the "5-star" rating, especially more recently. But we have experienced mostly very good food and restaurants). The downside is that you have very little time in most cases to really get to know a place if you want to.

I spent a couple hours at sunrise at this piazza, just steps away from our VRBO, following our first night Rome. This is one of my favorite images
Piazza del Popolo - Rome, Italy
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ROME IS certainly not exception to that last point. Having an opportunity to spend a few days (and nights) in the city was big. We have tried to do this with departure and arrival ports whenever possible. Because of that planning, we have spent a fair amount of time in Barcelona (a favorite city), Venice, London, Amsterdam/Rotterdam, and now Rome. It was nice to see and experience this historic and amazing city during all times of the day, for several days. We saw (and as a photographer, I was able to shoot) things and places we probably would not have otherwise done. Surely not on a short day-stop on a cruise (at least 2-3 hours of which would be burned up just by transportation to the city). We also experienced food (a few excellent restaurants and little shops) that we only could have had on a multiple day adventure.

Palazzo Venezia - Rome, Italy
(We were here on this trip on a beautiful, sunny day, right at mid-day. As nice as it looks in person, this image illustrates why photographers would rather have flatter, angled light)
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THERE IS just so much to do in Rome, though, that we didn't get it all done. There are things I would like to do and see, and hopefully, we will have another opportunity. But in the meantime, we took full advantage. We had a pickup at the airport, and from there, a driving tour around the city for several hours. On that tour, we saw the Fontana Dell' Acquia, as well as - later - the Trevi Fountain. We also walked the Spanish Steps. The first fountain was at a relatively remote and tranquil spot (actually just above the Piazza del Popolo, and our VRBO). We also made a quick stop at the Palazzo Venezia (Mayor's Palace). The latter three sites are among Rome's most popular (and crowded) tourist attractions.

Our tour this time included a walk right through the Roman Forum (Rome's first real "downtown." On our previous visits we walked around the perimeter and stopped for a view from above during our whirlwind driving tour. This time we spend a couple hours with our guide and learned a lot about the history of the place.
Roman Forum - Rome, Italy
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OUR FIRST experience in Rome was at the end of our aborted Royal Princess Mediterranean Cruise in 2013. It was our first time in the Mediterranean, and my personal first time in Europe. We had keyed and looked forward to this cruise, which included some of the best parts of Europe - and particularly for a photographer. Unfortunately, "stuff" happens, and there was an unavoidable problem with our cruise ship. It all turned out well in the end (if interested, you can see more of that story here). We had a rescheduled flight out of Rome, and the day before, we booked a motel near the airport. We had met some friends onboard, and we shared a ride to Rome. They were staying in the city for a couple days. We dropped our baggage off at our hotel, and rode in with them, where we spent the afternoon walking around. For not having any guide or plan, we saw a lot of the city sights, including the exterior of the Roman Colosseum, The Trevi Fountain, The Spanish Steps, and part of the Roman Forum. We returned for a day-stop a couple years later, with our friends, Paul and Linda. We had a tour that time which included admission to the Coliseum, as well as a tour of the Vatican. So we saw a few more of the sites. But even then, it was all too short. On this trip in 2022, we fared much better, in my view.

Temple of Antonius and Faustina - Roman Forum - Rome, Italy
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ON OUR first day, we had arranged for a guide, with a tour of the Roman Forum and the Colosseum. The temple shown here with the green door was fascinating to me. Among other things, it is used as an illustration of the depth of excavation over the years. The door was added later in the temple's history, and at one time, was at (or very near) ground level!

Inside the Roman Colosseum - Rome, Italy
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AS WE walked out of the Forum, the Colosseum appeared in the near distance. I have a "favorite" photo of the structure, made back in 2013. It is a difficult shot to make, as there is so much going on around the outside - much of it what a photographer might refer to as "clutter." And in 2013, there was scaffolding up around much of the exterior where they were cleaning and restoring the stonework. On this 2022 visit, I didn't really try to get anything "better" as far as the exterior. We had tickets for the inside and our guide stayed with us, giving us the history of the place. One thing I did have with me that I had not had on previous visits was a wider-angle lens for my camera. I made - I think - a much better shot from inside the coliseum, showing the vastness of the place. I also made a couple more "intimate" shots of areas inside, demonstrating the detail that was put into this building that was completed in the year 80 A.D.!

Roman Colosseum - Rome, Italy
The white travertine designated special seating or the Patricians (nobles)
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Roman Colosseum - Rome, Italy
Buttresses holding up the exterior walls
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THE FOLLOWING day, we had a relatively early morning tour of the Vatican scheduled. Our guide picked us up outside the VRBO and we headed for Vatican City. Our second trip in 2015 had also included a Vatican tour. This one was different. "Night and Day" different. In 2015, the entire complex was mobbed. This was particularly true in the Grand Hallway and in the Sistine Chappel, where it was shoulder to shoulder. While it was hard not to feel the grandiosity - it was, after all, The Vatican - it was nearly impossible to see things, and equally difficult to keep our group of 6 people together. We waited for a least 20 - 30 minutes on the steps down into the chappel before gaining entry. On this trip: we felt like we had a private showing. I was really astounded, as I had asked our guide back in 2015 if there was ever a time when it wasn't so crowded, and he told me basically: "no." I don't know how much this had to do with it being still post-Covid, and how much was just our early morning hour (I suspect - good news for other visitors - it was mostly the latter). Whatever the reason, we felt very fortunate, as we were able to see, and photograph areas we had barely gotten a glimpse of 10 years back.

Vatican "Great Hall" - 2015
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Vatican Great Hall - 2022
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THERE WERE a few more people in St. Peter's Basilica, but it still wasn't unmanageable.

St. Peter's Basilica - The Vatican
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AFTER A fun few days in Rome, we headed for Civitavecchia, and our cruise. Next up: La Spezia and Cinque Terre.

Copenhagen

Copenhagen Harbor - Denmark
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THIS WAS one of the stops I was most looking forward to, particularly after my internet research. There were a few things that attracted me. First, it is a relatively small, very walkable city. Second, the main part of the city is bordered by a large canal along its entire length mixed with a series of small canals. In my experience, that is a configuration that provides for a lot of interesting, and often colorful architecture along the waterfronts, as well as the potential for nice reflections. There are also many small food and drink establishments, and spectacular architecture, including palaces, towers, and municipal buildings. We were not disappointed!

Copenhagen Harbor, Denmark
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DENMARK IS geographically made up of a peninsula (extending from the German border into the North Sea), and two adjoining islands to the east, separating the North Sea from the Baltic Sea. Copenhagen is on the eastern coast of the easternmost island, just under 10 miles across the water from Sweden. In fact, Denmark (near Copenhagen) is connected to Malmo, Sweden by a bridge. Further north up the waterway that separates the two countries, the narrowest point is only about 2 3/4 miles. It can easily be seen why these Nordic countries are so water - centric, and why the Vikings and their explorations played such a large role in history.

Copenhagen Port - Denmark
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Always get the name of the cruise port before you leave it. It is likely in many cities that there will be more than one of them

WE HAD scheduled a walking tour of the city, with our new friends Mike and Elaine. Our meeting spot was in the city center, and we were unsure of how "walkable" it was to get there, so we found a taxi stand just outside of the pier where we are docked. In my previous post, I mentioned a "learning" experience on the "overnight" stop in Stockholm. I guess this trip had more than one learning experience. Today, we had another one. As I have mentioned before, these Nordic cities are all pretty much waterborne. As such, most of them have multiple "ports," where ships of all kinds (including, but limited to Cruise Ships) dock. We didn't really give that much thought, and none of the 4 of us - all experienced cruisers - got the name of our particular port. Later in the day, when we grabbed a taxi back to the ship, we had a bit of a scare. Our driver, who did not speak much English, asked us "which port?" Oops. Fortunately, after some fumbling, he figured it out and got us back timely. What did we learn? Always get the name of the port before you leave it. It is likely in many cities that there will be more than one of them.

Copenhagen Public Library
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OUR MEETING point was on the street in front of the Copenhagen library. From there, we could see that there were many old buildings. Our guide walked us, first, just around the corner, to Copenhagen University. Founded in 1479, with a current student body of over 30,000, the university is one of the largest of its kind in the Nordic countries. The Copenhagen campus consists of several classic old buildings and wings. We were fortunate to have a nice sunny day for our tour.

Copenhagen University
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WE WALKED from there to the Christiansborg Slot (palace). The palace today houses the Danish seat of government, including the parliament, Prime Minister's office and Danish Supreme Courts. In addition, the Danish Royal Monarchy has its stables housed there, and makes use of reception rooms. It is an imposing complex of mainly Baroque Revival style architecture. We did not go inside, but did walk around the grounds, seeing the stables, and a nice garden area that is often used by the employees and dignitaries.

Christiansborg Slot (palace) - Copenhagen, Denmark
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FROM THE palace, we walked to an area that I had "keyed" for: Nyhavn. It is probably the most "iconic" (and surely most photographed) site in Copenhagen. People who know me well know I am kind of drawn to these spots, wanting to make my own (if done before) shots of these places. At one time, this was Copenhagen's busiest port, welcoming ships (and sailors) and goods from all over the world. As the opening photos illustrate, though the port has moved well out of the canal and into bigger waters, it is still a serious working port. The Nyhavn Canal was dug by hand in order to accept the larger ships (tiny by comparison to today's cargo and cruise ships). It was also a rough place, where sailors looked for food, drink, and what one reference euphemistically referred to as "ladies of pleasure." But it was also a place where some residents of Copenhagen lived, including the famous author, Hans Christian Andersen, during the period when he penned some of his most famous fairy tales. The canal is lined with colorful buildings, and the canal itself provides nice reflections. It did not disappoint that day.

Nyhavn - Copenhagen, Denmark
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JUST AROUND the corner from Nyhavn is large waterside theatre, and an open outdoor area with vendors and tables. We stopped for a snack and a drink there, and to relax and spend a few minutes getting to know our guide. From there, there is a very good view of the popular Copenhagen Opera House, and some modern architecture structures across the canal.

Copenhagen Opera House
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UNFORTATELY, COPENHAGEN was one of our shorter days, and we did not have time for more, but our guide told us about a nice boat tour along the canal that went back in behind the structures across from us, and into a more residential area with nice homes and views. Next trip.

"High Rise" Apartments - Copenhagen, Denmark
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AFTER OUR short break, we walked just a bit further up the street to Amelianborg, the Danish Queen's Winter Residence. The remarkable complex is a large, hexagon-shaped courtyard, with a massive monument in the center, and 4, matching, but imposing residences (palaces) placed around the perimeter. One is - of course - the Queen's Residence. The others were for various purposes, including as a guest residence, or for children of the Queen.

Entrance to Amelianborg Palace
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THERE IS a very nice fountain marking the entrance to the Amelianborg courtyard, and immediately behind us (and opposite the fountain), across the canal is the Opera House. The green dome at the back of the courtyard is Frederiks Kirche (church).

Amelianborg Palace - Copenhagen, Denmark
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WE FINISHED our tour in a large, commercial square just up the block from the Christiansborg Palace. We planned to return there where we had learned that there was an elevator most of the way up to the tall observation tower of the palace. But before we did, we spent just a few minutes walking around this very "ritzy" shopping area. One thing that made an impression on me, was something from my (distant) past. As a younger man, I wore Royal Copenhagen cologne. I still have a bottle in my closet. It was kind of a sweet fragrance and in later years, at least one person told me it was kind of an "old man's fragrance." I haven't worn it since. 😓 But seeing the "Flagship Store" in downtown Copenhagen intrigued me, so I did some research. The company was founded in 1175 in Copenhagen to produce porcelain china. The signature blue colored china was actually originally imported from China, and the style copied by Europeans, including the Danish. They did not begin making and selling their cologne until the 1970s. Probably more than you wanted to know about Royal Copenhagen. 😶

Royal Copenhagen "Flagship" Store - Copenhagen, Denmark
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BEFORE HEADING back to the ship, we did find and ascend the tower, for some pretty great views of the city of Copenhagen, including a "long view" of our Celebrity Apex Cruise Ship.

Copenhagen, Denmark
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THIS WAS (always sadly) our last stop of the cruise. There was, we felt, more of Copenhagen that we left on the table and all 4 of us agreed that this was a city we could come back to and spend more time in.  We would end our cruise back in Amsterdam the following day and each head our separate ways home. But this would not be the end of cruising with Mike and Elaine. We booked a Caribbean Cruise with them for the following February. Stay tuned for our continuing adventures. But first, we would be heading back for the Mediterranean in just a short month, and then to South Africa in January 2023. Stay tuned!

Celebrity Apex - Docked in Copenhagen, Denmark
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