Day 2,079 of Traveling the World | Civitavecchia, Italy | October 8, 2023

Jan and Mike

As we noted in our previous blog, where a ship docks is NOT always the city that the cruise line says you are going to. Want to go to Rome on a cruise? Your itinerary will say “Rome/Civitavecchia,” meaning you dock in Civitavecchia, a 30-minute train ride from Rome….BUT only after a 20-minute walk from the ship to the train station. Once you arrive in the Rome Termini station, you likely will need a cab or bus to Rome’s main attractions. So it takes time and a bit of planning to spend your day in Rome.

We had planned to take the train into Rome, as we have done many times, but we had problems with our stateroom last week, and this was the day we needed to pack up again, change rooms, and unpack. By the time we finished, going to Rome for a few hours and then returning on time seemed impractical, so we decided to explore Civitavecchia, which wasn’t a bad idea at all, since we have been to all the tourist sites in Rome several times. Civitavecchia has a nice shopping area as well as a local market. We passed the biggest church, so of course we had to peek in. And the coastal walkway was just beautiful on a warm and sunny day. We found some fun statues and beautiful views of the ocean. And all of it was just a few steps off the ship, so it wasn’t much of an effort. Try it sometime!

A glo-o-o-rious day along the Italian coast!
The Italian version of the famous Times Square photo when WWII ended – a sailor kissing a random woman. We did recreate “the kiss” with a selfie, as everyone else in the city was doing.
What IS it with Italy and kissin’????
As we so often say – every city has a Ferris wheel. This one was along the Promenade Civitavecchia, along with most of the photos here.
There were also rides for children….
…and kiosk after kiosk with souvenirs, jewelry, drinks, snacks, and beach necessities.
There was a boat expo taking place, as well. This one looked very sleek.
This is called the Victorian Walkway. As somebody wisely noted, it is prettier from afar than it is close up.
Just sittin’ on a rock in the bay, watching the ti-ide roll away…
The local Cathedral of St. Francis.
The doors were beautiful.
Inside was a Mass for a couple’s 50th Wedding Anniversary.
The local market.
In addition to fresh fruit and vegetables, the market had clothing, shoes, accessories, and handbags for sale.
A fun sculpture.
The sculpture is outside the local theater.
…so is this one. OUCH!!!!!
A view of the pretty uphill walkway from the beach.
Fortezza Michelangelo, the Fortress of Michelangelo. It was designed by him, and while you can walk around the building, the inside is closed, as the Italian military is STILL using it!

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