30th March 2016

We didn’t berth in Livorno until 10 am, by which time Sue and I had already finished breakfast and were up on deck, watching the proceedings. It was another beautiful day, with clear blue skies and a perfectly calm sea. The ship smoothly manoeuvred into its moorings amidst the many large and small vessels in this bustling port, without a hitch.

The city itself begins right at the entrance to the port, with its main street leading directly into the centre. The port authorities had provided a shuttle bus to take passengers to the port gates, but as we had disembarked before the service started, we opted to walk the short distance ourselves.

It took us about 20 minutes to reach the Cathedral, a large and rather sombre building with very little natural light. Dingy is perhaps the best word to describe it.

From there, we moved on to the old quarter and discovered the street market leading to the city market. We wandered leisurely among the stalls, where Sue tried on a few jackets. Unfortunately, she couldn’t find a size and colour combination that suited her, so no purchase was made in the end.

We continued our wanderings and came across several large piazzas adorned with impressive statues. Livorno is often referred to as ‘Little Venice’ due to the canals that weave their way through the city. We encountered many of these canals, all packed with moored boats, likely berthed for the winter months.

Our exploration led us to the city’s castle, where we spent some time reading the informative display boards and admiring the views its elevated position offered over the town. The shade provided by the numerous umbrella pines within the castle grounds was a welcome relief from the heat of the midday sun.

We returned to the ship via the market, just in time for the start of lunch.

Later, we embarked on an excursion to Pisa. After collecting our bus sticker from the Grand Bar, we boarded the coach for the 40-minute journey to this iconic city. On the way, we passed a large American military base, with row upon row of military hardware clearly visible from the road, a striking display of firepower.

Upon arrival, Sue and I, along with a small handful of others, decided to break away from the main group. While they followed a guided tour, we opted to explore on our own.

The Cathedral, Leaning Tower, and Baptistry are all located within the ‘Square of Miracles,’ accessed through a rather unremarkable gate. However, once inside, what a sight! We both agreed it was on par with the splendour of the Taj Mahal. The local hawkers, though present, were relatively subdued compared to their more persistent Indian counterparts.

We took plenty of photographs, including the ever-popular ‘I’m holding the tower up’ shot. We attempted to buy tickets to climb the tower, but unfortunately, the next available slot coincided exactly with the departure time of our return bus. Instead, we visited the Cathedral, a huge and stunningly beautiful building, and well worth the free ticket price. The Baptistry, with its fantastic exterior, looked equally impressive; I can only imagine the interior was just as remarkable. Although we didn’t have time to explore it, the €5 entry fee seemed like a bargain.

While waiting for the coach party to reassemble, Sue managed to purchase another Christmas bauble along with a couple of other items. We took the opportunity to refresh ourselves with beer and ice cream in a nearby bar and Skyped Charlotte, Sarah, and the boys, who had been out for the day. Shortly after, we boarded the coach back to Livorno.

We took a break in the cabin before the evening meal. Through our window, I noticed a particularly photogenic sunset and dashed up on deck to capture it, but unfortunately, I missed the best of it.

The evening’s entertainment was rather lively. First, we watched the dance troupe perform their ‘Latin’ numbers again from the previous night, just as brilliant as before. Then, we hurried to the opposite end of the ship to catch a show featuring a silent comedian from New York. His quirky, off-the-wall humour was thoroughly entertaining.

Back in our cabin, we packed our suitcases in preparation for tomorrow’s disembarkation in Savona.