Today there was a mass exodus of guests leaving the ship - most of them heading home because it is the end of their cruise. Those remaining headed out to explore and go on tours. A day being cooped up on a ship is sometimes not so nice for some people, especially if feeling green around the ears (i.e. sea sick).
The tour I was assigned to was soon heading to Tarquinia Necropolis. This was a burial site so we had the opportunity to look at ancient tombs - with paintings on their walls. To try and preserve the site and tombs, each entry to the tomb has a little building built above it and there are steps down into the tomb from the newer entrance. I found it very interesting.
Next we headed into the town of Tarquinia to the Tarquinia Palazzo Vitelleschi (museum). We were given a guided tour of the main highlights of the museum after which we could stay and see the rest of the museum on or own or explore the streets of the ancient city - bearing in mind that almost everything was closed because it was a Sunday.
Being hungry -it was time to head for lunch. En route to the restaurant had a pit-stop at a viewpoint to see Lake Bolsena, a volcanic lake with beautifully clear water.
We had lunch beside the lake at Ristorante La Pinela. Salad, lasagna & tiramisu with coffee after. Bread, water and wine was included with the meal. Simple but a delicious meal. The restaurant was very busy with other tour bus guests and also local people wanting to have a nice Sunday lunch. In the end our guide gave us extra time to finish off our meal.
Our last stop for the day was at Tuscania Village, a beautiful fortified city. The views from city battlements towards basilicas were lovely. Unfortunately we were rushed to get through the last part of the tour because lunch was longer than expected. The city itself looked really lovely with its cobbled streets and quirky buildings. Certainly it would be worth a visit - but at a more relaxed pace.
Getting back to the Prinsendam, the ship was a hub of activity as the new intake of guests settled in and got their bearings and the ship's staff made final preparations for departure for the new cruise itinerary: The Holy Land And Ancient Kingdoms Explorer.
The new itinerary is as follows:
Date/Time Port
30 Sep Departing from Civitavecchia, Rome, Italy
02 Oct 08:00 - 17:00 Katakolon, Olympia, Greece
03 Oct 08:00 - 17:00 Nafplio, Mycenae, Greece
04 Oct 07:00 - 17:00 Piraeus, Athens, Greece
06 Oct 08:00 - 06 Oct Haifa, Tel Aviv, Israel
09 Oct 08:00 - 18:00 Rhodes Island, Greece
10 Oct 08:00 - 17:00 Heraklion, Crete, Greece
12 Oct 08:00 - 17:00 Messina, Sicily, Italy
13 Oct 07:00 - 18:00 Naples, Italy
14 Oct Arriving in Civitavecchia, Rome, Italy
PHOTOGRAPHS
Tarquinia Necropolis
Tarquinia Necropolis
Tarquinia Palazzo Vitelleschi (museum) & Tarquinia
Lake Bolsena
Tuscania
Leaving Civitavecchia
