Livorno
For our stop in Livorno, we decided to go with a private car service instead of taking a Disney excursion and we were very happy with our decision. Simone from Papillon Service was waiting for us on the dock, fifteen minutes early, and soon we were heading up the motorway in his Mercedes. Our tour was a private car service taking us to Florence and San Gimignano. We stuck Rebecca up front so she could see better while we relaxed in the back seat. Simone was engaging and funny, even telling Rebecca he would take the day off and let her drive when he learned she had her driver's license. (We passed on that tongue-in-cheek offer).
Best Gelato in the World
Our first stop was San Gimignano, a walled medieval town in Tuscany. Fourteen of the original medieval towers still stand in the small town, which is unusual for Italy as most have been destroyed in various wars. Simone parked nearby and walked us up to the gates of the town, where we would be free to explore on our own. Our first stop was one of Simone's recommendations, Gelateria Dondoli, which claims to have the "Best Gelato in the World". Rebecca would agree with that statement as she felt it was the best of all of her gelatos on our trip.
San Gimignano
We strolled through the ancient city with its variety of shops, including a few with a great collection of leather goods. We decided not to buy anything, but were very tempted.
Bell Tower
Next we ventured out in to the bell tower courtyard, where the largest of the remaining towers looms overhead.
Tuscan Countryside
Unfortunaely (or perhaps fortunately for Janie, who really didn't want to), we were there too early to climb to the top of the highest tower to see the really great views, so instead we went to the panoramic overlook, which still had some incredible views of the Tuscan countryside.
I Balzini
Our next stop, after a tour of the Tuscan countryside, was I Balzini winery. This is a family-owned boutique winery with six employees and three dogs. The dogs greeted us with loud barking and that scared Rebecca, but as soon as we were welcomed onto the property, all three dogs came up to us with tails wagging and let us pet them. Then the german shepherd led the other two dogs away into their doghouse so we could enjoy the estate. We were taken down to an area overlooking the vineyard with a beautiful view of Tuscany before getting a tour of the wine storage facilities, including some of the winery's most prized bottles.
Private Tasting
Then it was time for our private tasting. Bread and dark chocolate were brought out as we sampled I Balzini's pink label Merlot, the Black Label Cabernet, Green Label Sangiovese Mammalo and Red Label Merlot as well as some balsamic vinegar. Two out of the three of us enjoyed the tasting, with Rebecca deciding wine is not yet her think. Although she did get a little buzzed on the few sips she had. We ordered some wine to send home as one of the dogs peered his nose in the door looking for bread scraps, but politely staying outside since he knew he wasn't allowed in. We rewarded him with some spare bread as we left.
Florence
From the winery, it was off to Simone's hometown of Firenze (or Florence, as we call it). He took us first to the Piazzale Michelangelo on the outskirts of town so we could get a full view of all of Florence (and see the copper replica of David in the courtyard). Next he drove us through Florence itself, past the Pitti Palace and the Ponte Vecchio bridge so we could get our bearings. Then he dropped us off right in front of The Duomo, the Cathedral of Florence.
Duomo
We were interested in seeing the inside of the Duomo, but the lines stretched around the building and we knew that would be all we would be able to do and we wanted to see more of the city. The same applied to the city's two museums, the Uffizi and the Accademia, so we made this a purely exterior tour.
Gelato
Since we weren't going to brave the lines to see the actual statue, we decided instead to go find the replica of Michelangelo's David in the Piazza della Signoria. But first, Rebecca found another gelateria as well as a shop bearing her name.
Chiesa e Museu di Orsanmichele
We stopped in front of the Chiesa e Museu di Orsanmichele, a former grain warehouse that was converted into a church, to get our bearings.
David
After a quick stop there, we found David in the Piazza della Signora and Janie managed to drip gelato down her shirt trying to take a picture. We located a souvenir shop, where she purchased a Florence Michelangelo t-shirt (which was also held hostage by Aer Lingus for 10 days) and changed into that.
Uffizi
We walked past both the Accademia and the Uffizi museums. We would have loved to spend some time inside, but these were all day affairs so we would have to save them for another trip.
Ponte Vecchio
We strolled next down to and then over the Ponte Vecchio across the River Arno, stopping for the ladies to admire all the jewelry for sale.
Pitti Palace
We ended up at the Pitti Palace and then turned around to head back towards the Duomo.
Pizza
We hadn't eaten anything but bread since we left the Magic, and a pizza place with the World Cup playing caught Rebecca's eye as Portugal was playing their second match. We stopped in and the pizza was very good, as were the sodas. We lingered for awhile and watched the game, and took advantage of the free toilets.
Piazza della Repubblica
We arrived back at the Piazza della Repubblica near the Duomo. The plaza was under construction, but were able to get a few photos of the carousel which the Picci family has been running for five generations.
Paszkowski Sweet Shop
With some time to spare, we found the Paszkowski sweet shop on the edge of the plaza and ordered a tiramisu and sat in the outdoor cafe while the ladies enjoyed their Italian dessert before heading back to the Duomo to take some more photos and wait for Simone.
Back to the Magic
Simone provided wi-fi for the trip back, so Rebecca zoned out on her phone while we sped down the motorway back to Livorno as Simone told us more about life in Florence and Tuscany. We said arrivederci to Simone on the dock and reboarded the Magic for Pirate Night. Rebecca headed off with her friends while Janie and J. R. went to see us sail away from Florence from the upper deck.
Evening on the Magic
We went to go see "Junnk" in the theater. This show was similar to the "Buckets and Boards" show we had seen previously with four guys pounding on various implements and playing music using bottles and other things. Janie found it entertaining but J. R. could have skipped it. We ran into Stitch in the lobby, dressed in Italian gear.
Teen Hangout
J. R. embarassed the teens by snapping some candid photos as they hung out on the deck before dinner.
Dinner
After Junnk, we had a drink in the pub with some more World Cup action before dinner. We were in Lumiere's tonight where lobster was on the menu, which is pretty much what everyone ordered. J. R. skipped the surf and turf and settled for two lobster tails (although the server took awhile delivering the second one).
Deck Party
After dinner, it was time for the Pirates in the Caribbean deck party and fireworks, even though we were not in the Caribbean. We felt it would have taken Disney all of a few minutes to change this to "Pirates NOT in the Caribbean". The show was the same as always, but the fireworks are always cool to watch and you don't get that on other cruise lines.
Menu
Martini Tasting
The one tasting Janie really wanted was martini tasting, and it was sold out online by the time we booked (thanks to an issue with our account that kept us from being able to book with other Gold Castaway Club members 90 days out). There was no waitlist on board, but Fletcher had told us to come by anyway since there had been no-shows every other night. We showed up before the fireworks and he told us they had delayed the tasting until after the show. When we came back after the show, he offered us a pair of seats since there were openings. We started with a classic gin martini, which Fletcher said was the only true martini. Janie did not like this as she prefers vodka, which Fletcher said were 'cocktails'. J. R. did not like the dirty martini made with muddled olives, but Janie did, so for once, she finished one of his drinks. Third was a Chambourd Mojito martini then a "53 Coca Cadillac" and then an Espresso martini.
Daily Navigator
