We breakfast in the port of Livorno.
However it’s a delightful city in its own right. Previously a tiny fishing village it grew to fame and fortune in early C16 under the patronage of the Dukes of Tuscany. The old fort dates from this period, a newer one came towards the end of C16.
A monument to Ferdinando I, one of the Dukes, is generally know as the Four Moores, in recognition of the slaves enchained around the plynth.
A prominent Venetian architect introduced canals between the two forts, an area known as the Venice Quarter. The rich traders of the day all chose to live here, build churches (a lot) and a theatre, sadly lost apart from the façade.
Afterwards we head across town, past the town hall, dull cathedral, interesting synagogue and through a lovely park with library and outdoor movie-theatre, to join the coast road going south, towards the gentrified beach towns and our destination, a beach club.
Then we return along the coast all the way back to the harbour, passing a magnificent Naval Academy - note the backwards clock!
There’s a mixture of gorgeous houses, impressive hotels and some really unloved buildings too.
Nearing the end of our walk, I plan a shortcut to the ship. We get 100m from the stern, only to be met with a high fence that Google Maps doesn’t show - oh well, another 2 miles to go the long way around the port.
Our fifteen miles has earned us a good lunch of chicken cæsar with added prawns and a slice of pizza and a toasted sandwich at the grill.
Later we enjoy some pool-side time on deck five including writing this missive.
Then we head up to deck eight to play in the pool, chat with new Atlanta friends before moving on to dressing for dinner.
We dine pool-side before going on to the show-lounge.
The turn tonight is Matthew Croke, a delightful leading-lad from Sheffield who’s done good on the West End, having been in shows such as Wicked, Greece and Aladdin.
Comments
Post a Comment