Civitavecchia, city north-east of Rome and cruise port
The hotel where we stayed in Civitavecchia
When I last wrote we were waiting in the Rooftop Bar of Hotel Diana in Rome to collect our bags and make our way to Rome’s Termini station to catch a booked train to Civitavecchia. We had done a lot of walking that day, and were very tired. We got to the station in good time, but they hadn’t put the platform up, it was very busy, and there was nowhere to sit down. JD tried lounges without success, and then he found a Cafeteria area up an escalator with a free table. I didn’t want anything to eat and there seemed to be no notice board or toilets. But I went exploring, and found both but you needed €1:20 to use the toilet. By the time I’d found the right coins, (someone showed me where to put them), and got out again there was a few minutes to our train on platform 25. Well silly us, the that’s simply miles away: you walk past platform 24 (the Leonardo Express to Rome’s Fiumicino Airport), and much further still to platform 25. I went as fast as I could, dragging my suitcase and overnight bag, but got there just as our train was pulling out.
We walked way back to the main station area and found a Trenitalia office that thankfully was still open (by now it was almost 7 pm). We queued up and eventually a nice young lady served us. She rebooked us on a 7:12 pm train, and so we dashed through the entry gates again and made our way as fast as we could to Platform 25, validating our tickets as we went. But this was a slow Regional train, with an upstairs and a downstairs – sit where you like! And no sign boards to indicate the stations coming up. I did not know what would happen once we got to Civitavecchia – we wanted to go to the town, not the port, and I hoped our hotel wasn’t far away from the railway station. I couldn’t seem to do a printout of the route. In the event, they’d put a hold on my credit card for the one night we’d booked to stay (colazione extra).
JD had the train route on his phone, but I seriously doubted that we were on the right train. Both our phones needed recharging, but you had to use a proper plug: JD ransacked through his baggage to find the converter plug, and eventually his charger with plug. When we were last in Europe, there were USB ports everywhere to charge our phones: not so now. To our relief, he found the charger and correct plug before we got to Civitavecchia!
The route was very strange and quite remote, going through Etruscan-sounding towns like Cerveteri. I seriously wondered if we were on the right train and hoped and prayed that we were.
It was getting dark now but we were nearing our destination. Unfortunately someone had left a bicycle in the stair well, making it very difficult to manoeuvre our luggage out around it. But we did, and the next station, although confusing, was Civitavecchia. After disembarking we had to get a lift down, walk some way, and then go up again to enter the station building. This is a common feature of Italian railway stations in smaller towns.
But thankfully our hotel was nearby. It calls itself a 4* but has a kind of faded elegance. The bedroom is a good size, with a chair and an armchair. The towel rail is not heated, and the towels are few and thin. There is a bidet of course, and a couple of shower caps – giveaways. There are actually scuffs in the bathroom, but no bathrobes. There are no USB ports for charging phones. The handbasin in the bathroom leaks. This is hardly 4* standard.
We walked along to a nearby restaurant, which was very busy. Sadly this is obviously a tourist area. We order veal scallopine al Marsala, but I think Portofino in New Zealand does it far better! The veal was tough and the sauce not very nice. We also ordered a plate of vegetables – zucchini, eggplant and tomato . That was tiny. Afterwards we walked back to our hotel and had gelato at a nearby cafe – beautifully served in wee containers with a spoon and wafer on a saucer with a napkin.
Then we retired and tried to sleep. We had agreed to pay for breakfast at the hotel next morning (€14 each!), but it was a pretty good buffet. I even had some scrambled eggs, it looked so good (and tasted good, too). The orange juice was good and the coffee not too bad. Perhaps I’m getting used to Italian coffee!
By the way, there is a well stocked fridge and tea-making facilities in our room, and even a coffee machine!! So we each make coffee after breakfast.
We’re now waiting for our 11 am checkout, and then we head off to board Oceania ‘s Nautica. I have great trepidation about being thrown into the cruising world!
After checking out by 11 am, we leave our bags to be stored while we go for a walk. We are looking for a pharmacy, but cannot find one that is open. Although we can take some alcohol on our cruise, we cannot buy white wine (or any wine, for that matter), in screw top bottles.
A nice store we go to even has no prosecco in small bottles. We buy a very expensive bottle of limoncello to sip after our meals; on walking around we find a shop that does stock small bottles of prosecco. So JD buys several, and a lemon tea for me. Then we walk back to our hotel to wait for the shuttle to our cruise ship.
We need to use the restroom – it’s down a very beautiful marble staircase with no handrail! So I’m very careful. But there is warm water, liquid soap and paper towels to wash my hands afterwards.
There is another anxious moment when the transport the hotel has booked does not turn up. I can’t remember exactly what time I said we’d board; after missing the train the previous night I’m rather on edge. We could walk to the cruise port, but it’s a bit far, and it’s very hot.
Eventually we arrive at the cruise port. I am surprised that there is nobody to carry our luggage, so we carry it ourselves. After being photographed (again!), we ascend a gangplank with steps to board our ship! We are tired and hot, but we make our way to the seventh deck, where our stateroom is. We’ve been told it’s ready, when we were given our access cards. I have to say the welcome is a bit underwhelming!
The first challenge is to have something to eat. Lunch at the main dining room was over by 1:30 pm. And I don’t want to go to the buffet (although later on it turns out to be very good). Instead, at the entrance to the Grand Dining Room (the GDR, I will call it), there is a bar where they’ll make specialty coffees on request, or drinks, and there are a few comfortable chairs. There is also some food to help yourself to: wee filled rolls, and biscuits and cakes. These are very welcome.
Then after a bit of exploring we go back to our stateroom, inspect it, and unpack. It is very good, with a private balcony, with two comfy outdoor chairs and a table; in addition to the queen-sized bed there is ample wardrobe space with scuffs and robes. There is plenty of shelving and cupboard space. And there’s a sitting room area with a sofa, a desk, a stool, and a low table which is ideal for the breakfast tray. There is also a small bathroom with toilet, handbasin and shower and a surprising amount of storage space. There are shelves for both our sponge bags, and room for toiletries in the cupboard with a mirrored door, and another cupboard below the handbasin. There are two beautiful cakes of soap, for hand-washing and showering, and, of course, plenty of thick towels. So I unpack and, as directed, store my little suitcase under the bed. I try not to think about repacking again!
Tonight we are to dine in Toscana, one of the specialty restaurants. We are seated with a lovely view of the sea, and we start to feel that we are finally on our cruise “holiday”. They bring a bread basket and a variety of olive oils and balsamic vinegars, so JD is really cheered by that. The bread basket also includes a whole clove of roasted garlic, which I smear over everything!
Then we retire to our stateroom, and put out our breakfast order. Tomorrow – Paestum! A city founded in Italy by the Greeks, of which only ruins remain, including three temples. we are to meet in the Nautica Lounge at 8:15 am, I think, so it will be nice not to have to get dressed up to go to breakfast. In our envelope we can only find JD’s ticket. It turns out that his are at the front; mine are all at the back, although I have organised and paid for this! I really want to go to Paestum, it’s long been on my list, and I hope it won’t disappoint.
Ends, nga mihi nui.
Classic Barbarian 