Americani in Italia: Bari to Venice with a Lot of Greece and a Little Croatia
This is the second in my miniseries about our adventures in the Mediterranean Region.
Our choice of Hotel Isa really was ideal for us logistically, right down to our last day. We concluded our visit to Rome by wheeling our luggage down the street to the nearby metro station to make our way to Roma Termini, the primary train hub. We had pre-booked a cross-country train to take us to Bari for the start of our 7-night Mediterranean cruise. We arrived at Termini with ample time for lunch, so we decided to take a quick walk to locate our train. We found the right numbered train, or so we thought.
Lunch was nothing memorable. We shared a sandwich from the small food court. We knew the distance to the train and allowed enough time to board before our departure. When the time was near, we walked leisurely alongside our train and searched for the car number on our tickets. The conductor must have seen the horrified look on our faces when we reached the end of the train without finding our car. He quickly came to our aid. We discovered the train we found was a local train that had a similar number to the high-speed cross-country one. He pointed us in the right direction, and we ran like hell, rolling our luggage at top speed. We made it, but man, that was stressful.
We were able to catch our breath when we finally boarded the right train. Rome had been wonderful, but we found peace in the beautiful countryside once we were out of the city. Quaint cottages, farms, and vineyards were in abundance throughout our trip southeastward toward Bari. We had a minor scare once we arrived when the shuttle bus came much later than expected, but we were among many fellow cruisers at that point, so at least we knew we had not screwed up.
We had cruised on other lines, but this trip was on a new one. Dee decided to splurge and book a cabin with a balcony, a luxury we never had before. Years earlier, we used a discount cruise vendor with no concerns, but our luck ran out. We had a fully obstructed view; if they called it partially obstructed, they were full of crap. A lifeboat hung beside our balcony. Sitting, we saw absolutely nothing but the side of the boat. We could only see water far beyond the ship if we stood on our tiptoes. And we could scarcely feel the ocean breeze. Before the ship departed, we went to the service desk. The attendant advised the ship was full with no opportunity to change cabins. We felt foolish when he said, “The company with whom you booked should have told you the cabin may have an obstructed view.” If that detail was in the fine print, we missed it.
Otherwise, the cruise was great. We enjoyed delicious food; fabulous scenery from the open decks; wonderful service; and the opportunity to visit multiple ports over the course of the week. We felt fully immersed in the European culture as we were surrounded by people speaking different languages. We had cruised the Eastern Caribbean almost 20 years earlier and were surprised to discover that every overhead announcement was repeated in several languages. First, we were impressed, but then it became a little annoying. On the Mediterranean cruise, the variety of languages surrounded us: on the decks, in the hallways, in the dining room, poolside, and in the venues.
I have read that Americans are often perceived as rude and entitled, and maybe many are, but we sensed the most rudeness when we rode the elevators, and the culprits did not appear to be American. As soon as the doors opened, a flood of guests would push their way in, before anyone on the elevator could step out. We thought it was common courtesy to allow people to exit the elevator before boarding. To avoid being smooshed, we opted to use the stairs more often than usual.
The cruise was roundtrip from Bari, Italy, with stops in Athens, Santorini, and Corfu, Greece; Dubrovnik, Croatia; and Venice, Italy. We booked excursions at all but Venice. In Athens, we took a city tour that included the ruins at Acropolis and Parthenon. I must have been exhausted, because I dozed on the bus on the way back. We went to Barbati Beach in Corfu and were disappointed with how rocky it was. I went into the water while Dee pretended not to notice topless sunbathers nearby. Santorini was my favorite port in Greece. Not only was it picturesque, but I had booked a private driver to take us to Akrotiri, an ancient underground city. That tour was such an amazing experience. The driver then took us to a small vineyard, where we were the sole visitors for a brief tour and wine tasting. Afterward, we had a short amount of time to walk around the shops that sat high above the port. I caught my first glimpse of a spa, wide open to the outdoors, where red garra fish nibbled dead skin off the feet of patrons. Nope nope nope! Then we took the hillside tram back to the ship docked far below.
We were mainly on foot for the rest of our ports. At Dubrovnik, Croatia, we did the “old town walking tour.” Before booking the cruise, we had never heard of Dubrovnik, but we enjoyed the sights. Dee looked forward to our last stop: Venice, Italy. We enjoyed the views from the water taxis and people-watching as we walked along the water canals and saw folks riding in gondolas. I would have liked to explore some art galleries, but time was tight. We spent much too long trying to find the perfect souvenirs for our adult daughters. We chose bright-colored leather purses, made in Italy, of course.
Upon our return to Bari, mission number one was to pick up a rental car. And the adventures continued.
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In my next “Americani in Italia” story, I will share the fun we had in our rented Alfa Romeo as we drove across Italy to stay near the Amalfi Coast. Stay tuned.
