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| Civitavecchia - somewhat faded... |
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| The Old Fort |
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| Yacht, Fishing and Cruise Ship Harbour |
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| City Gate |
Civitavecchia, ancient and present day port of Rome, is the
last port of call on this African and Mediterranean Journey – officially so,
that is. I am staying on for another stint, to explore along the shores of the
Atlantic, North Sea and Baltic Sea.
Ergo, Civitavecchia was a ‘move day’ for me – move into
another stateroom. Actually the move itself is handled in absentia, as long as
one packs loose items and leaves clothes on hangers. The ever attentive cabin
staff takes care of the rest.
So there was plenty of time to leave the ship, which was in ‘turnaround
hectic mode’ and wander around Civitavecchia. 418 passengers are leaving and
720 or thereabouts will embark here. After four months of being half empty, the
ship will be almost full.
Normally one heads
for Rome, but layover time was short – and sanctification celebration took
place in Rome itself. That meant that the Eternal City would be an eternal
traffic jam, pedestrian and otherwise, as a couple of million pilgrims would
want to be there for the beatification of two deceased Popes which will be
celebrated by current Pope Francis I. Shuttle buses to Rome normally park at St
Peter’s Square, this time around they may make it into an outlaying suburb with
tourists having to figure out whether they want to wait several hours to get
into central Rome. Once there – one would be trapped in a suffocating mass of
humanity. To add to the ‘pleasure’ many of the attractions of Rome, such as St
Peter’s Cathedral and the Sistine Chapel, as well as the Square itself would be
closed to sightseers.
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| Memorial to WWII Bombing... |
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| No, not San Diego USA Shoreside, But Beach Promenade in Civitavecchia |
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| Main Shopping Street |
Civitavecchia had been destroyed to a large extent during
WWII, however, many of its historic buildings have been restored or replaced
with contemporary architecture, some have survived and been repaired. A large
Fortress abuts the harbour, fortification walls surround the old City, and
various medieval city gates make up the ancient component. A wide avenue –
pedestrians only – forms the main artery for shopping, banking and governmental
buildings.
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| Frutti de Mare |
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| Fat Tomatoes |
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| Citrus Fruit from Sicily |
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| Carrot Head |
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| Electric Eel without Current |
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| Ah, Italia and its Cheeses!!! |
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| Well, not our idea of a butcher stall - Horse Meat |
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| Horse Sausage - very expensive at 35 Euros a Kilo |
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| Butchers and Market Merchants on lunch break... |
On a side street is an open air market, with cheeses, meat and fish
being sold under cover. A small square in the old Ghetto has turned into a
venue for various eateries. An expanse of open space dotted with palms forms
the divide between long rock strewn beaches and long restaurant lined
sidewalks.
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| Residential Street in Civitavecchia |
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| Small City Gate with Fountain |
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| Pizzeria in the Old Ghetto |
Most cruise passengers never make it into Civitavecchia, as
they either connect with Rome’s Airport or Civitavecchia’s railway station
before or after their cruise, or head straight for Rome to visit the must see
sights there. So Civitavecchia feels and looks like a normal small city, where
people and their children and dogs go about their daily business.
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Marriage Bans: Groom' status: celibate; Bride's status: nubile
Interesting! |
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| Santa Fermina, Patron Saint and Martyr of Civitavecchia - note ship in her hand |
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| Walking the dog along beach front promenade |
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| Dogs are definitele an 'in thing' here... |
Nothing to write home about – but I do it anyway. However,
it was an agreeable demarcation mark between cruise segments and a pleasant
location for a cappuccino in an open air café along the beach promenade.
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| Last look at the Fort - under restoration and improvement - before returning to Prinsendam |
