Southern Europe, 43 days of new experiences

[Meggsy]

Day 24

Today was a driving day where we intended to hug the coast heading west, visiting Antibes, Cannes, Saint Tropez, Toulon and finishing up in Marseille. This was a 200 Km drive if we went direct on the inland motorway but there is so much to see in these pretty little towns we chose to make it an all day trip and follow the coast, where possible.

First stop was Antibes. I immediately started to question our choice of car as the narrow streets after the city gate were designed for horses and pedestrians, not large cars. We made it through unscathed though and were very happy we came this way. Antibes is a beautiful old village on the coast, surrounded by a modern marina and resorts and with the Mediterannean on its door step. Could have been a destination in its own right, but we pushed on further along the coast to Cannes.

We found parking underground at the Casino and went for a wander. We stopped for the usual red carpet photos outside the convention centre that hosts the film festival each year before heading into the town. We did a little souvenir and window shopping before finding a lovely little bakery, La Boulangerie du Marche, at the entrance to the produce and flower market, where we indulged in some sweet treats and coffee.

Soon we were on the road again for our next stop at Saint Tropez. I had read the traffic was horrendous here but this was proven wrong. On our arrival in Saint Tropez we again encountered a number of very narrow streets, like fold the mirrors in narrow, but we soon found a parking area at the port and set off on foot once again. We wandered the foreshore of the port, admiring the many wonderful vessels coming and going, amazed that for such a small port there was an enormous volume of traffic. We had plenty of gelatos on this trip but without doubt the best we had bar none was from Barbarac in Saint Tropez. Sitting on the waters edge, besides multi million dollar yachts, eating the best gelato I’ve tasted, was a pretty nice place to be in. Definitely the playground of the rich and famous but we could pretend for a few hours.

All too soon it was time to move on again for our next stop at Toulon. In my mind it is famous for where All Blacks and Wallabies go to retire and play out the last few years of their careers but I’m sure it is famous for more than just that. We found our way to the harbour and coincidentally parked across the road from the rugby stadium and had a stretch of the legs once more. Being Sunday and late in the day very little was open now other than eateries so we grabbed a coffee by the marina and set off for Marseille.

It was a fairly quick drive from Toulon to Marseille and soon we were pulling up at the Intercontinental, which would be home for the next two nights. We quickly checked in and dropped our bags before heading just up the road to Pizza Au Feu De Bois, a nice little alfresco Italian place, where we enjoyed a lovely meal, a few beers and a chance to reflect on what a great day it had been. We finished off the night with a little walk along the Marseille Port before heading back to have a well earned sleep.


Entering the city gates at Antibes


Looking back at the old walled part of Antibes


Same photo as above with less zoom from the resort area


Fountain in the Place du General de Gaulle, Cannes


Red Carpet photo op


La Boulangerie du Marche, Cannes


Saint Tropez harbour front eateries


View across the port at Saint Tropez


Building at the port entrance Saint Tropez


A couple of runabouts arriving in Saint Tropez

 

[Meggsy]

Day 24 Continued


Toulon Harbour


Toulon Harbour, It's also a major naval base


Wallabies and All Blacks retirement village


Wallabies and All Blacks retirement village


Eglise Saint Francois de Paule, Toulon


Views over Marseille from out hotel verandah


Wandering the Marseille Harbour front by night


Eglise des Accoules, Marseille


Town Hall, Marseille


Intercontinental Hotel, Marseille

 

[Meggsy]

Day 25

Today we had booked a 3 hour bicycle tour of Marseille for the morning, which we were all quite looking forward to. After some lunch in Marseille we were then going to hit the road for Pont du Gard followed by a quick look around Avignon on the return trip.

The day started quite nicely but we soon had our first taste of the famed Mistral winds. Bitterly cold, powerful winds that made for some very interesting cycling conditions. We discussed the folly of this adventure over a coffee but decided to push on and very happy that we did. The bicycle tour was a real highlight of the trip and a great way to get around and see things. It wasn’t overly strenuous, electric bikes make it a little easier, however the wind made it virtually impossible in places to move forward it was so strong.

I estimate the wind to have been somewhere in the 50-60 Km/h range with gusts up to 100 km/h. We all survived and had a great time though. We started on the edge of the main harbour in the city and wound our way around the waterfront and back streets stopping every couple of hundred metres to view some feature or landmark and listen to our guide. We ultimately finished up at the highest point of town at the Basilique Notre-Dame de la Gardee. Magnificent views from up here and the best part was it was all downhill back to the end point.

We then had a little lunch before grabbing our car and heading off on the 120Km drive to Pont du Gard. We found the place quite easily, parked the car, paid our entry fee and set off for the short walk to the aqueduct. It is very impressive, well preserved and photogenic but I believe the aqueduct in Segovia, Spain was more impressive. We ticked this one off the list and soon were in the car headed to Avignon about 25 Km’s away.

We entered from the west, crossing the Rhone river and parked in the underground garage at the Mercure hotel, from where we walked up and out the door and virtually into the Place du Palais outside the Papal Palace. This is a very nice old walled city to have a wander around. Many modern businesses in the old buildings mixed in with the older and more traditional businesses. A delight to walk through.

We grabbed some afternoon tea at a cafe in the main street before doing some souvenir and clothes shopping. Partners suitably satisfied we hit the road for the drive back to Marseille. It was about 7pm by the time we returned to the hotel and room service and early night was the order of the day for all of us.


Looking across to Chateau D'lf, of Count of Monte Christo fame.


A little calmer here out of the wind


Basilique Notre-Dame de la Garde


Views from the Basilique Notre-Dame de la Garde


Views from the Basilique Notre-Dame de la Garde


Basilique Notre-Dame de la Garde


Walking the Harbour shoreline


Catholic Church of Saint Ferreol, Marseille Harbour





Port du Vallon des Auffes, Marseille

 

[Meggsy]

Day 25 Continued


Pont du Gard


Pont du Gard


Pont du Gard


Pont du Gard site map


Remains of the 12th century Pont D'Avignon


Papal Palace, Avignon


Old Carousel, Avignon


Random building snaps in Avignon


Random building snaps in Avignon


A little touch of Hollywood on the drive back to Marseille

 

[Meggsy]

Day 26

Leaving France today bound for Venice, Italy, on a mid afternoon flight. We organised a late checkout and set off on foot to explore some parts of Marseille we had not yet seen. We found a Starbucks with a Patisserie next door just up the road from the hotel so breakfast was easy. We then headed up Rue de la Republique, window shopping along the way, as we headed for the port. We made our way back to the hotel via the Cathedrale de la Major, the Local Arts and Modern Museums and the Fort Saint-Jean that sits on one side of the entrance to the main Harbour.

We then wandered the foreshore and made it back to the hotel about midday. We completed the checkout formalities, loaded the car and set off for Marseille Provence airport, about 25 Km NW of the city. Rental car return was easy to find and directly across from the main terminal so within no time we were checked in and having a bite of lunch at one of the terminal eateries.

We were originally booked on Air France’s LCC, HOP, to fly Marseille to Venice via Lyon. In true LCC style these flights were cancelled a few months earlier with no alternative given and money offered to be held in credit. We rang Air France office in Australia and they were quite ok with placing us onto an Air France flight to Venice via Paris CDG but arrived about 2 hours later than originally planned.

No big problem but we were now arriving after dark rather than the planned water taxi arrival at sunset but beggars can’t be choosers as they say. No additional costs either so it all worked out ok. So now we were on Air France flight AF 7667 MRS-CDG departing at 1520 and then AF 1526 CDG-VCE arriving at 1940. A319 aircraft and full service on both flights and both departed and arrived as scheduled.

On arrival at VCE we collected our bags and headed off on the 10 minute walk to the water taxi area down near the airport ferry terminal. We had a pre booked transfer for the four of us at a cost of Euro120 and it's a pretty cool way to arrive into Venice. Our hotel for the next three nights was the Ca dei Dogi, just adjacent to the Doges Palace and the Bridge of Sighs.

The water taxi dropped us at the pier nearest our hotel and we had a short 100m walk with our luggage to reception. Each couple had booked a self contained apartment and we were not disappointed. The rooms were basic but had everything we needed, including washing machines and dryers. Ours was a one bedroom apartment with ensuite and a full kitchen. Breakfast was provided each day. We didn’t use our kitchen at all to prepare a meal but very handy if you wanted an extended stay in this part of the world.

We set out for a brief walk, Piazza San Marco was a 2 minute stroll away, so we headed in that direction to stretch the legs, find a coffee and soak in some of Venice by night when it was a little quieter. Some of the cafes in the square had live music performing for their guests and it was a wonderful atmosphere. The forecast for the next few days was for fine weather, so after an hour or so we headed home to turn in for a good nights sleep to prepare us for a big day of exploring and sightseeing tomorrow.


Walking along Rue de la Republique, Marseille


Cathedrale de la Major, Marseille


Cathedrale de la Major, Marseille


Pharo Palace, Marseille


Modern Museum, Marseille


Fort Saint Jean and the stone tower, Marseille


Fort Saint Nicolas on the opposite side of the harbour entrance, Marseille


Our ride to the hotel in Venice


In the Water Taxi departing the airport, Venice


Approaching our stop adjacent to Piazza San Marco, Venice

 

[VPS]

Love Marseille, Avignon and Pont du Gard. When I first visited you were still allowed to walk across the top of the Pont du Gard (and you didn't have to pay to park)

Looking forward to Venice photos

 

[ellen10]

Sounds like you made the most of each day. We were in Avignon last year and stayed at the Mecure beside the Palace and was upgraded to the top floor suite, a wonderful stay. When you visit such places as the Pont du Gard you realise how clever the Romans were back then.

We will also be back in Venice next year after a cycling barge tour, I will look into your accommodation as I think an apartment with a washing machine will be in order.

Loving the photos and enjoying your trip report.

 

[craven morehead]

Playing catch up ......... looks great !!

 

[Meggsy]

Day 27

We awoke to another gorgeous day and after enjoying a wonderful breakfast at the hotel restaurant we set of on foot for a day of exploring, shopping, eating and drinking our way around Venice. Our first destination was the Rialto Bridge and as we set off from our hotel it was clear that navigation was going to be a challenge. There are many distractions in every direction and an easy 15 minute walk became an hour before we arrived and already the crowds were growing. We had a quick look around, took some photos and decided to grab a seat at a canal side cafe for a coffee and watch the people and canal traffic for a while. Here we learnt the lesson that if you only want coffee you can’t occupy the seats on the waters edge, they are for people ordering meals and alcohol. It was educational to sit and watch how this fascinating city gets it freight delivered as in a very short time a DHL vessel, a TNT vessel and a number of grocery type delivery vessels arrived opposite us and started to offload their freight deliveries to multiple people with trolleys.

Fuelled up we were soon on our way again. Our plan was to continue on foot all the way around the island until we reached Basilica di Santa Maria della Salute, which sits on the point of the island at the grand canal entrance, roughly opposite Piazza San Marco. Everything we stumbled across on the way was a bonus. We did plenty of backtracking after hitting dead end lanes or canals with no bridge but we found our way and arrived after walking for about 2 hours. We passed through many pretty little squares along the way and popped into numerous local stores looking at everything from handbags to shoes and all manner of souvenirs. It was a wonderful way to see Venice, away from the busy main tourist areas, and a very enjoyable morning.

We caught the ferry from the Basilica back across the grand canal to Piazza San Marco where we set off to find somewhere for lunch. We had a guided tour of Doges Palace booked for 1pm so something quick and easy was called for. We found a sandwich bar on the back side of the Piazza, grabbed some toasted sandwiches and drinks and wandered back toward the Grand Canal. As we were walking I saw a seagull twice the size of our Australian versions swoop down and steal a whole sandwich from someone in front of me as they were about to take a bite. I didn’t realise at the time but one of our travelling companions suffered the same fate just behind me at the same time. They are very clever at this game and sit on the edge of the buildings waiting for a sucker before silently swooping. It gave me a laugh for the afternoon.

Onto Doges Palace. Wow, very impressive building, stunning artworks and decor throughout as well as a lot of interesting history, as told by our guide. The tour took us through most parts of the building, as well as across the bridge of sighs and the old jail area. I did get a good reaction from the crowds on the bridge below when I stuck my hand out through the window slots on the bridge of sighs and waved at them. Tour over we decided to wander east along the waterfront checking out the multitudes of market stalls, shops and eateries along the way. We headed back to our hotel about 5pm for a short rest and freshen up for dinner.

We chose a small Italian restaurant called Trattoria Canonica. Food was ok at best, service was slow, however the staff were very friendly and it had a good atmosphere. Wouldn’t recommend it if in the area, there are many better options within a 2 minute walk. We finished dinner and wandered back to Piazza San Marco to find a gelato and listen to some live music. With a number of cafes competing with each other tonight there were a couple of performances underway simultaneously. That was a wrap for our first day in Venice. What a wonderful city this is. Everything we hoped it to be and then some.


Bridge of sighs


canal side Piazza San Marco


Doges Palace exterior


Rialto Bridge


Selfie from Rialto Bridge


Local Fire Station


Ponte dell'Accademia



Grand Canal looking west from Ponte dell'Accademia


Grand Canal looking east from Ponte dell'Accademia


Basilica di San Marco

 

[Meggsy]

Day 27 Continued


The winged lion, symbol of San Marco at Piazza San Marco


Inside courtyard Doges Palace


Doges Palace


Doges Palace


Doges Palace


Doges Palace


Looking out from the bridge of sighs, the last look at the outside world for many


Piazza San Marco


Live music at the cafes in Piazza San Marco


Walking east along the foreshore from Piazza San Marco

 

[Meggsy]

Day 28

We decided to take ourselves on a tour of Murano and Burano today. The hotel organised some complimentary water taxi passes and a glass blowing/factory demonstration and tour on Murano. They are very talented these glass blowers and it is entertaining to watch. After the show we were able to wander through the display room and be amazed at some of the wares for sale, along with the prices. We decided not to purchase anything and to be fair there was no push by the owners or feeling of obligation to do so.

We left after a short while and wandered through the main canal area of this pretty little island, buying some jewellery for kids and friends at home, before heading to the ferry wharf for the trip across to Burano. The ferry was jam packed, standing room only and I was silently questioning the maximum loading number for this vessel. After a 30 minute or so uncomfortable trip we hopped off at Burano with the several hundred others on the ferry and set out for the main square area in the centre of the island.

The island is famous for its coloured houses and lace products. It is a very nice place to walk around and admire the brightly coloured homes. We had lunch in a small restaurant on the edge of the main square before we continued on foot to check out the Catholic Church and the leaning clock tower. There were multiple shops and outdoor stalls selling all manner of lace products but this was not on our wish list so we continued on along the canals and eventually worked our way back to the ferry wharf, where with no real plan, we hopped on the next ferry to come along.

This one was headed to Lido and then onto Piazza San Marco so was a perfect choice. A leisurely cruise of about an hour saw us stop at Punta Sabbioni and Lido before we hopped off close to home. We purchased a 24 hour ferry pass at Murano for Euro 20 each which would cover us throughout today and tomorrow morning to the train station so it seemed good value.

On our return we decided that we would walk back over to Rialto Bridge for a coffee and have a look at some Gondola ride options along the way. A little more souvenir shopping along the way kept kept us busy but we soon found a Gondola operator who gave us a one hour trip for Euro 60. He was a wonderfully engaging man, spoke good english, enjoyed a joke and was a pleasure to meet. I know it’s all very touristy but it was a wonderful experience and one we were glad we did.

We had arranged to meet our travel companions for dinner at the Hard Rock Cafe off Piazza San Marco so we headed off in that direction, with the sun setting, for a good feed and some beers, share some stories about our days adventures before heading home to pack and have an early night before our travels to Rome tomorrow morning.


Arriving in Murano


Burano main street (canal)


Burano main street, Via Baldassarre Galuppi


Rio Terrà del Pizzo, walking toward the water


Random building in Burano


The leaning clock tower of Burano


Brightly coloured houses of Burano


On the ferry heading back to Piazza San Marco

Gondola selfie


Views from the Gondola, peaceful way to get around if you don't take one on the Grand Canal

 

[Meggsy]

Day 29

An early start today. We have a 0730 train booked from Venice to Civitavecchia (the port of Rome) where we are meeting our cruise ship, the Holland America Koningsdam, for a 1800 departure.

Up early and showered we were met by the hotel staff who helped with the bags and assisted with the checkout. at 0615 we were at the ferry wharf awaiting the ferry to take us on the half hour journey along the Grand Canal to the Santa Lucia railway station. The ferry drops you at the main entrance and it is only a short walk up to the platforms from here. We had booked business class tickets on the Frecciarossa service for the 3 hour 45 minute trip to Roma Termini and then first class on the Frecciabianca for the 47 minute trip to Civitavecchia, with a 50 minute connection in Rome. We had the usual suspects trying to forcibly help with our bags at Santa Lucia until I tole them to P%@# off in no uncertain terms. A short time later the conductor and the police had bailed them up on the platform for some reason so who knows what they got up to.

A very relaxing and comfortable way to travel and hitting speeds of around 300 Km/h they are quite efficient also. We had a chance to grab a coffee at Roma Termini during the connection time and then as our platform lit up on the boards we made a dash for our onward train. On arrival in Civitavecchia we grabbed a port transfer from outside the station. This was a private car transfer, door to door and cost Euro 30 for the vehicle if you had 1 or 6 people aboard. We found a mother and daughter that were also looking for a transfer so we shared the ride with them and it cost 5 Euro each. Literally dropped at the check in entrance for the cruise and a very easy way to do it. Some suggest you can walk from the train to the port, others suggest using the public bus. Neither option is anywhere close to as quick or as simple as what we did. This was also not pre booked, just lined up waiting like taxis.

Simple process to check in for the cruise and in no time we were sitting on the pool deck, in the glorious sunshine enjoying a few cold ones. Our wives headed straight for the spa for some haircuts so we had a little look around what would be our home for the next 10 nights. Our itinerary was Rome - at sea day - Dubrovnik - Kotor - Corfu - Katakolon (Olympia) - Piraeus (Athens) - Santorini - at sea day - Naples - Rome.

Very much looking forward to enjoying our balcony cabin and sleeping in the same bed for 10 nights and not repacking the bags for that same time. Departure was as per schedule and in no time we were clearing the port entrance and turning south into the Tyrrhenian Sea. Barely a ripple on the surface and a magical sunset made for a memorable start to the cruise. Conditions were forecast to be perfect for the next few days so time to start familiarising ourselves with the ship and all that it had to offer. Had to participate in the mandatory emergency drills first but then off we went to find a drink and somewhere for dinner. The Lido Market was a nice casual dining option for night one, buffet style with lots of different themes but not self serve thankfully. Makes it a little more hygienic and civilised. After dinner we headed up to the Crows Nest Lounge and bar for a few night caps. This bar would become a favourite hangout in quiet times and during port entry departures over the next 10 days due to its magnificent views, good coffee and great bar staff.


Rialto Bridge in the dawn light heading to the railway station


On the train crossing the Ponte della Libertà leaving Venice


The Trenitalia Freciarossa train


Business carriage on the Freciarossa


Our cabin


Koningsdam, our home for the next 10 nights


Sail away from Civitavecchia


The port of Rome (Civitavecchia) just prior to departure


Sunset shortly after sail away

 

[Meggsy]

Day 30

At sea day today. After a very peaceful nights sleep today is our first opportunity in a while to have a little lay in, get some washing sent out and generally just laze about and relax. I am super impressed with this ship. Koningsdam is the first of HAL’s new pinnacle class ships. My last cruise was on the Fairstar funship out of Sydney in 1987 and it would be fair to say cruise liners have come a verrrry long way since that vessel.

After awakening to a cloudless day I was sitting on the verandah enjoying the ride when we passed close by the active volcano of Stromboli before we then passed through the Strait of Messina before veering east into the Ionian Sea, travelling around the base of Italy. We felt our first bit of motion of the vessel during this transit with some rise and fall but this soon disappeared and we were back to calm water sailing once more.

We had a leisurely breakfast on the Lido, deck around the pool, whilst reading the daily news and activity brochure. We ultimately decided to do nothing all day except lounge around and recharge.

Tonight was a formal evening and meet the Captain event so we made a booking in the dining room and set off to don the fancy threads. Looking sharper than a bunch of rats with gold teeth we made our way to the coughtail party, had a few champagnes, met the Captain, a lovely Irish fellow, got the obligatory photos and set off for the main dining room for dinner. The food was wonderful, plenty of variety and fantastic wait staff. We left the dining room and stopped by BB Kings Blues Club to watch the live show for an hour or so before sleep beckoned once more.


Stromboli


On board navigation display, available on tv in stateroom or various bars and lounges around the ship


Pilot coming to meet the ship to guide through the Strait


Cruising through the Strait of Messina

 

[Meggsy]

Day 31

We awoke to the sounds of nothing. It was eerily silent. I poked my head out on the verandah and we were just coming alongside the wharf in Dubrovnik. It was a beautiful day, not a puff of breeze and our overnight passage up the Adriatic Sea was once again very smooth. We were soon tied up and cleared to disembark.

We decided to let the crowds get away, have a leisurely breakfast and then make our way into town. We were not departing until 2200 so we had a full day ahead of us. We eventually disembarked and jumped in a cab to head into the city and were dropped at the Pile Gates. We had organised three activities for the day.

First was a guided walking tour of the old town, second was a guided walking tour of the city walls and lastly was a cable car trip up the adjacent hills to watch the sunset. The walled city of Dubrovnik is quite compact, relatively flat and quite easy to get around on foot inside the walls. We explored by ourselves for a short while on arrival as we had an hour until our first activity. We found a cafe in the main street, had a coffee and did some people watching for a while. As this is Game Of Thrones central we were under instructions from the kids to find some souvenirs and or T-Shirts of the place. We scouted a few shops with a plan to return later in the day before we headed out to the meeting point for our city tour.

Sadly, your tour guide can make or break you and this one wasn’t overly helpful. She could point out all of the best clothing shops and souvenir shops but was rather lacking on any historical detail about the city. The walk itself was nice but that’s about all you could say of this tour. We finished the tour and went and found a place for a quick bite of lunch.

Next up we had the city walls tour. The guide for this one was very knowledgable, both from a historical perspective and more recent events such as the war that raged around this area. This tour was a lot of fun. A little strenuous at times but easily doable with a moderate level of fitness. Lots of stairs. Fascinating to see the new vs old roof tiles littering the city and understanding the amount of damage done from shelling and mortar fire during the war.

The waterfront stretch of the wall gives great views out over the sea whereas the hillside stretch gives a great overview of the city itself. Well worth the city wall tour if in the area. It was about 5 pm by the time we finished this tour and our timing was perfect to head up the cable car for the sunset. A short wait at the bottom station was not too bad and we reached the top station about 30 minutes before sunset. We found a table at the restaurant, ordered some drinks and waited, with cameras at the ready, for the sunset photos.

We lingered long enough to have a few beers and until it was completely dark before we set off back to the base. We grabbed a taxi at the lower station which took us back to the ship, where we reboarded about 2030, had a bite to eat and turned in for the night.


At port in Dubrovnik


Tvrdava Bokar fortress


Pile Gate, the main entry point to the old town


Sponza Palace


Looking across the old port from the city wall


looking out from the old port toward the new town





Fort Lovrijenak


Views across the old town from the coastal city wall


Looking down on the old town at night

 

[Meggsy]

Day 32

A very short overnight sail down the coast saw us enter the wonderful fjord like Bay of Kotor, where the captain positioned the ship just out from the pier and we would go ashore by tender. We had arranged our own shore tour again today, booked through Viator, a walking tour of the old town of Kotor.

We met our guide, who was a local girl, by the main city gate entrance and set off once the group were all confirmed. The tour included, The original palace, the Cathedral of Saint Tryphon, the Church of the Holy Spirit, Kampana Tower to name most of the highlights. She was also very knowledgeable and a pleasure to listen to.

We had a little free time after the tour so we did some souvenir shopping around the main square where you first enter the city before the gelato shops started calling our names again. A couple of places of interest we walked past but did not enter were the Maritime museum and the Cats museum. There are cats everywhere you look. The guide told us that very few people own cats but they all look after them as they provide vermin eradication very effectively. We were told the same the day previous in Dubrovnik also.

We decided to head back to the ship mid afternoon. We had a 1700 departure and we decided to have an easy afternoon aboard. Lido market for dinner again tonight before we headed off to a musical stage production in the World Stage after dinner.


Entering the Bay of Kotor


Tender day today


The main gate to enter the city of Kotor


Clock tower in the main square after entering


Monastery and walking trail up the mountain


Cathedral of Saint Tryphon


Cats literally everywhere you look


Looking out from the city wall


Looking back out from our berth


Our Lady of the Rocks and Ostrvo on departure

 

[ellen10]

Still enjoying your comprehensive trip report and great photos @Meggsy.

I last visited the Doges Palace about 38 years ago, we will be back in Venice next year, so thinking maybe another visit. Did you book prior to arriving in Venice? or just book on arrival?
I have only done one other cruise and that was on Holland America (in Alaska), very nice ships. We have been contemplating another cruise (maybe a Mediterranean one).
Last year we did a small sailing ship tour of the Croatian islands with 16 friends and loved visiting the small islands.

Love all your photos!

 

[Meggsy]

Still enjoying your comprehensive trip report and great photos @Meggsy.

I last visited the Doges Palace about 38 years ago, we will be back in Venice next year, so thinking maybe another visit. Did you book prior to arriving in Venice? or just book on arrival?
I have only done one other cruise and that was on Holland America (in Alaska), very nice ships. We have been contemplating another cruise (maybe a Mediterranean one).
Last year we did a small sailing ship tour of the Croatian islands with 16 friends and loved visiting the small islands.

Love all your photos!

Thanks @ellen10
We booked the Doges Palace tour that same day from a local ticketing agent just next to Basillica San Marco. Booked on our walk out in the morning for the afternoon tour.
We are currently planning our 2020 holiday and considering an Alaskan cruise. HAL seems to be one of the bettr options there too.
The Mediterranean cruise was a brilliant add on for this holiday and so glad we did it.

 

[ellen10]

Thanks for your reply @Meggsy I will wait until we are in Venice to book the tour.
We sailed on the Noordam in late June. We loved it. And also loved a nightcap each night in the Crows nest piano bar watching beautiful sunsets.

 

[kookaburra75]

Thank you for your trip report so far - it's been great to read and I'm enjoying the photos. Your photos of the drive along the south coast of France and Avignon, reminded me of our trip two years ago when Mrs K and I spent a couple of weeks driving along that part of the world. It looks like we'll have to put Venice on our list as well.

 

[Major]

We like HAL and recently completed our 6th cruise with them. All on different ships