We left Denver while the East Coat was enduring the “Bomb Cyclone”. Our departure was delayed and we arrive at JFK just as our connecting flight was scheduled to depart, but it too was delayed. After about an hour delay to push off and about an hour and a half waiting to take off, we were on our way.
Upon arriving at the winery it was overcast and a little rainy.Â
The Chateau was built in the 18th century, on a site where vines were first grown by the Romans and then cultivated as a wine estate priory by monks from the 10th to 18th century. It has belonged to the same family of French nobility since 1740 and has nearly always has been passed from mother to daughter, down the female line.Â
After a tour of the vineyards and grounds, we were treated to an elegant three course lunch, each course paired with a different of the Chateau’s wines.
In the afternoon, we drove back to Saint-Tropez taking the scenic and windy route through the Massif des Maures, passing the historic village of La Garde-Freinet, which has a link to winemaking, as this is where the cork industry used to thrive, and through the lovely medieval village of Grimaud.
Arriving back in St. Tropez we did a walkng tour of the town observing the cafes along the magnificent harbor filled with impressive yachts
part of the harbor where the 1950’s film by Roger Vadim, And God Created Woman, was filmed.
After the tour we caught a launch back to the ship which got underway at 6 PM.
We docked the next morning, again just about sunrise, at Livorno on the Italian coast, the port city for Pisa and Florence. We boarded a bus for the 90 minute scenic drive through the Tuscan countryside and on to Florence. On this day we were on our own, but our tour guide took us to our first stop, the historic St. Croce Square where we saw the 13th century Sant Croce Basilica which contains the tombs of both Michelangelo and Galileo. Since it was Sunday and masses were being held the basilica was not open to tourists. From there we visited the famous Cathedral di Santa Maria del Fiore. Again closed, thongs of tourists wondered at the cathedral from the outside.
We headed to the Uffizi Gallery, visiting the local street leather market along the way. The Uffizi Gallery contains impressive masterpieces from Leonardo da Vinci and other famous artists.
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from the museum we had a great view of the famous Ponte Vecchio bridge
Afterwards we decided to sample some real Italian pizza at a local restaurant, Balcovin Bistrot before boarding the bus for our return trip to the ship
Discover the Eternal City from the comfort of your air-conditioned coach, taking in some of the city’s most beautiful and historic monuments. You will see the Pyramid of Caius Cestius and the ruins of the great Circus Maximus, where the Roman chariot races were held. View the Forum, the Arch of Constantine and the Colosseum, the symbol of the power of Imperial Rome. It’s one world famous attraction after another. There is Venice Square, dominated by the huge and impressive monument to King Victor Emmanuel II, the gorgeous Piazza della Popolo, the Aurelian Walls, built to defend Rome against Barbarians, and the lovely Borghese Gardens.
After free time for lunch on your own, you will visit the spectacular Vatican Museums, beginning in the magnificent Pine Cone Courtyard. Then, passing through the Candelabra Gallery, the Tapestry Gallery, and Geographical Maps Gallery, you will come upon the breathtaking Sistine Chapel. Here, you can behold the brilliantly restored Michelangelo frescoes of the Genesis and Last Judgment, as well as the other priceless masterpieces adoring the chapel walls.
Your tour continues into Christendom’s largest church, St. Peter’s Basilica. Here, you may admire the gilded papal canopy suspended over the high altar where the pope celebrates mass, the splendid gilt and bronze throne in the apse, and Michelangelo’s most glorious work, the intensely inspiring Pietà .