 |
| Port of Livorno, Italy Copyright Andy Richards 2015 - All Rights Reserved |
ONE OF my pet peeves with cruise lines is the "selling" of port stops that really aren't the ports at all For example, Livorno and LaSpezia as: "for Florence and Pisa." Neither Florence, nor Pisa is on the water and the closest deep water port is Livorno, some 45 miles from Florence and just under 15 miles from Pisa. Some of the cruise lines "sell" it from La Spezia (which is even further away from both cities). Misleading, in my view. A short day in Florence is possible if it is a full day on shore. Getting both Pisa and Florence in is tougher. An overnight mooring might be ideal from Livorno, but a day stop is challenging no matter what. In this case, if I recall correctly, it was one of the days where it was a slightly shorter stop, due to a pretty good run to the next port (Civitavecchia). But from La Spezia, it just doesn't seem feasible to me (though there are those who do it).
 |
| The Cathedral of Santa Maria Assunta (Duomo Pisa) - Pisa, Italy Copyright Andy Richards 2015 - All Rights Reviewed |
FROM LA Spezia, it is 50 miles to Pisa and 90 miles to Florence. Given local driving conditions the trip to Pisa is probably well over 90 minutes and to Florence, between 2 and 2 1/2 hours each way. That cuts into a port day in a big way. Unfortunately, most of the current Celebrity ships seem to be docking in La Spezia these days. On-line and website resources suggest that the reason for this is for better access to Cinque Terre. I suspect there is more to it than that and that we won't see it publicly discussed. In the early years, there was no deepwater pier in La Spezia for cruise ships, despite it being a major commercial and military port. In 2013, a cruise pier was completed, allowing for at least 2 ships to dock. The couple times we have been there, we have docked. I personally believe that the La Spezia port - for whatever reason - is giving cruise ships a better economic deal; enough so that they are moving from Livorno. I also think it is a less congested port as cruise ships go. This is unfortunate in my view, as I do not think it is tenable to visit Florence and/or Pisa from there and do either city justice, unless you are overnight. If your ship is going to dock there, I recommend that you plan your on shore visit around Cinque Terre. It is very easy to get there and you will not be disappointed!
 |
| Leaning Tower of Pisa (that thing really leans!) - Pisa, Italy Copyright Andy Richards 2015 - All Rights Reserved |
THIS TRIP, however, our Emerald Princess docked in Livorno. On this day we had a private guide/driver for just the 4 of us. He met us down on the pier as early as we were able to get off the ship. He wanted to get a fast start and felt that if we did Pisa first, we would be among the first to arrive there. He was right, and for most of our visit there (we were there for maybe about an hour to an hour and a half), we had the place virtually to ourselves. That was very nice for photography and I got a few very nice images of the Tower and of the surrounding church and buildings.
 |
| Marble stonework - Leaning Tower of Pisa - Pisa, Italy Copyright Andy Richards 2015 - All Rights Reserved |
I OFTEN photograph small, closeup segments of a subject I am photographing as a whole. Revealing the precision, shape and color of the underlying stonework is often not only photogenic, but gives us insight into the skill and artistic talents of the creators. In this case the marble work, in terms of geometrics, craftsmanship and color, is really spectacular. The interior of the cathedral, like many of the classical churches in Europe, is also impressive.
 |
| The Cathedral of Santa Maria Assunta (Duomo Pisa) - Pisa, Italy Copyright Andy Richards 2015 - All Rights Reviewed |
BECAUSE WE had one of our shorter days, we were really only able to do Florence in pretty much a whirlwind fashion. We were there on the day the Accedemia Museum is closed, so that wasn't an option anyway. We mostly drove around the city with a couple quick stops at some of the most important parts of the city. We started with a view from high up of the city as a whole. Florence is one of those places you should probably plan to visit over a minimum of a 2 - day period. Once the home of the rich and famous Medici family who were instrumental in bringing Europe out of its "Dark Ages," with its emphasis on art and commerce, Florence is a pretty impressive place.
 |
| Florence, Italy Copyright Andy Richards 2015 - All Rights Reserved |
THE DUOMO in Florence (The Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore) is one of the most famous in Italy (if not in the world). Designed by the famed Renaissance architect, Filippo Brunelleschi, it is a double-domed design (a dome inside a dome), which can be climbed via a spiral staircase between the two domes. Constructed in a mix of Gothic and Renaissance styles, it was one of the primary new buildings of the Renaissance. It is a central feature of the center city.
 |
| The Duomo of Florence, Italy Copyright Andy Richards 2015 - All Rights Reserved |
PONTE VECCHIO is yet another famous feature in Florence. A unique, enclosed bridge, it once housed artisan shops (originally butchers and tanners, but re-purposed for artisans - in particular goldsmiths and jewelers) during the Renaissance period. It was also know for the secret passage Vasari Corridor, used by members of the Medici family to travel between palaces on either side of the bridge. Ponte Vecchio is both the oldest bridge in Florence (originally built by the Romans) and the only bridge in the city to be spare from bombings during WWII. "My" image here, was actually shot by our driver who stopped ever so briefly on the road heading toward the bridge. He was unable to stop for us, or even for me to get out for a quick shot. I really would like to have some time to explore the city on my own in a more leisurely fashion. I have determined that it will require at the very least, an overnight stay in Florence some day.
 |
| Ponte Vecchio - Florence, Italy Copyright Andy Richards 2015 - All Rights Reserved |
WITH OUR time running short, our driver took us past one other notable site in Florence, Palazzo Vechio, where Mussolini made his impassioned speeches asserting the dominance of Fascism from a balcony (pictured) on numerous occasions in Florence. From there, sadly, we had to return to Livorno in order to be back on board for our sail-away.
 |
| Palazzo Vechio (Mussolini's Balcony flanked by 3 flags) - Florence, Italy Copyright Andy Richards 2015 - All Rights Reserved |
.png)
