Sunday was an uneventful day for a blog, yet quite an eventful day for us as we boarded the Regent Seven Seas Voyager for our first cruise! The ship is lovely, the staff are warm and welcoming, and the accommodations are beautiful and comfortable. We spent the afternoon and early evening poolside sipping champagne cocktails and Moscow mules (yes, Veta the bartender already knows us by name!). Dinner was equally as lovely. We departed Monte Carlo at around 10:30 pm, and the same gorgeous moon from the previous night guided the boat toward Italy.
This morning, we awoke in Livorno. An industrial port for the Tuscany region, Livorno is merely a gateway to transport you from the ship to the numerous Tuscan villages, towns or cities that await! We chose to spend the afternoon in Lucca. What a charming city! Just beyond the hills near Pisa, Lucca sits on the Serchio River and is surrounded by Renaissance-era walls. These are actually the third walls surrounding the city – the first Roman walls dated back to 200 BC. At one time, the city was the center of the Italian silk production and trade, and many wealthy families lived within its walls. It also had more than 80 churches – also a sign of wealth. We walked among many of the charming palazzos.
We found a local artist with beautiful, unique pottery – we couldn’t resist purchasing one of her olive oil bottles, and several ceramic tiles. Pictures will have to wait, as they are wrapped tight in bubble wrap. We also found our first gelato in Italy – the Crosby tradition from five years ago resurfaces. A gelato a day is the way to live!
A side note – apparently Lucca is also quite the hip town. Tonight, Mary J. Blige was set to perform, followed by Imagine Dragons later this month, and The Rolling Stones in September.
We met up with Karen and Bryan for a Mediterranean dinner back aboard the ship, following their journey to wine tasting in Bulgheri.
A few highlights of our day are below. And now a Laduree French macaron before we retire for the evening – yes, we are rationing them! Buona Sera until tomorrow!
Comments