The mega-port of Civitavecchia is the gateway to Rome. It has an ancient history supporting the Roman Empire and is still a major entry point for visitors to Rome. Civitavecchia itself has limited tourist appeal and most cruisers make the hour plus bus ride into Rome for tours. However, since we had little interest in a too-long-to-enjoy 11 hour touring day and had recently visited Rome for a week, we opted to take a nice walk in Civitavecchia during the morning hours and then enjoy a peaceful spa day on the ship later in the afternoon.

To start our day, we rode the shuttle bus from the ship’s dock to the tourist office located next to the Michelangelo Fort that once protected the port. Part of the fort was designed by Michelangelo and gives a hint at the strength once needed to protect such a significant link to Rome. Today, the fort looks tiny compared to the enormous modern ships that utilize the port. We started our walk from there after picking up some maps at the tourist office. We made our way down the main pedestrian walkway, Corso Centocelle, stopping to see the Trajan Theater and the Etruscan excavations on view below the sidewalk. We continued on to the local open air farmer’s market, and then returned back to the shuttle bus stop via some of the small side streets branching off the main pedestrian area. Our self-guided tour was a nice way to kick off another beautiful cruise day.

Port #3 was Brindisi, located on Italy’s boot heel. The port was a good starting point for a tour to nearby Alborobello, Italy. The scenic drive along the coastline from Brindisi to Alborobello was just a short hour ride away. Alborobello is recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage Site for its collection of preserved trulli homes. A trullo home is a small round home with a conical roof, built without mortar. The unique homes were built in the 1400s to avoid taxes due to landowners, but are likely based on much older designs. The homes were simply knocked down to avoid tax assessments and later rebuilt following the departure of the assessors. Today, the village of Alberobello (the capital of trulli in the region) includes more than 1,000 trulli, including a small trullo church and souvenir shops in former trulli homes. On our tour, we were able to go inside one of the trullo and see how one family lives in these historic homes. The charming homes give the area a fairy-tale look and wandering the small streets is an enjoyable way to spend the day. This is a highly recommended tour if you are visiting the Puglia (Apulia) region of Italy.

The first port on our cruise was Messina, Italy in Sicily. We chose to do a self-guided walking tour in the city since a major tourist site is within easy walking distance of the pier.

We headed for Piazza Duomo to see the famous bell tower there. The campanile houses the largest and most complex mechanical and astronomical clock in the world. The clock was built in 1933 in the bell tower of the Cathedral of Messina. At noon each day, the automated clock changes through a system of counterweights, levers, and gears. Quite a large group of tourists, both on foot and on tour buses, gathered there with us a few minutes before noon to hear and see the clock. The clock includes movement of large gold statues and scenes that change for the days of the week, month, year, liturgical seasons, hour and quarter hours of the day, solar system rotation, phases of the moon, as well as, scenes representing the four stages of life, the awakening of man, and several stories of local history and lore.

Although this piazza cannot compete with more beautiful ones in Italy, it is a good starting point for further exploration. In this piazza you can also visit the cathedral, see the fountain (Fontana di Orione, built in 1547), obtain tourist information, get a taxi, eat at a café, or buy a gelato. Walking the nearby streets gives you a good feel for this part of the city, which appears to be heavily focused on students. The University of Messina was established in 1548, but had to be rebuilt following an earthquake in 1908 that killed 84,000 Messina residents. Today, Messina is a busy port city that reflects not only Italian culture, but all of the many ruling powers that have claimed Sicily since its founding in the 8th century BC.

Local attractions near Messina include: the town of Taormina (a favorite resort destination for many famous figures), Mt. Etna (for hiking in summer and skiing in winter), and the town of Savoca (a particularly interesting destination for fans of the movie “The Godfather”, directed by Francis Ford Coppola).

Our next port: Argostoli, Greece on the island of Kefalonia.