TRAVEL THERE: THE JEWEL IN THE CROWN OF EXCURSIONS
Even the name of the shore excursion sounded exciting – Renaissance Vacation in Tuscany. I looked carefully, read all the options, but from the very first glance, I was sold. Here’s what I was sold on.
What I Wanted
Michelangelo’s David – is there really anything else in Florence you have to see? And the Duomo, of course the Duomo and this baptistery and those doors. And the Uffizi Gallery. That’s must. Florence is a lot like Rome – a ninety minute drive from its port with entirely too many things to see.
And then there was Netflix’s The Medici’s. It was way oversexed for me to actually say I enjoyed it, but it was filmed in Florence and seeing the Medici episodes made me want to see every location.
What I Considered
Michelangelo’s David is in one museum. The Uffizi is another museum. Conveniently, the doors and the baptistery were both at one church, but the church is not the Duomo. How was I going to see them all?
The Renaissance Vacation Shore Excursion from Celebrity Cruise Lines didn’t even mention these must-see classics. It was also one of the most expensive tours offered, but just reading it transported me back to the days of da Vinci and Titian.
What I Booked
The Renaissance Vacation excursion focused on Palazzo Pitti. I actually didn’t know what a Pitti Palace was until I did a little research. The name on the palace might be Pitti, but it was all Medici and to boot,it had the Boboli Gardens. I love gardens and the Boboli is like the garden of all gardens. Only the Gardens of Versailles had hold a candle of fame to it.
I assure you, I could spend a whole day right there. The online brochure waxed eloquent about the ride through the Tuscan countryside. The list of city sights to visit sounded like a list of shooting sites for the Medici’s. I grieved over (and still grieve over) not seeing Michelangelo’s David, but the Renaissance Vacation was going to be the best excursion of the trip – I just knew it.
And the booking was so easy. With so many things to see in the area, the usual must-see list with the Leaning Tower of Pisa and the David, was getting all the attention. Once I booked the excursion I started in-depth research into what we’d be seeing. I devoured the section of my travel guide devoted to the Medici’s. I soaked in every episode of the Medici’s and mourned when the second season was over. I found a special about Italian gardens which focused on the Boboli. I opened the pages of my copy of 1000 Place to Go Before You Die and marked all the pages which would described the places I would see in Florence.
I was literally giddy – again. Would this blast from the past be the highlight of my trip as I anticipate it would. Well, you’re just going to have to keep coming back to find out, but next week, we’ll talk about Monaco.
jane sadek 