The View From My Beer
As the sun sets over the Mediterranean, I take the opportunity to enjoy a litre glass of Peroni at Cafe Fida.
Civitavecchia
Civitavecchia is Italy’s largest seaport, serving as a gateway to Rome. It is about an hour by train or bus from Rome or Rome Airport. In Roman times, Emperor Trajan established the port, naming it Centumcellae, likely for the “hundred cells” in the harbor walls or his nearby villa. The name ‘Civitavecchia’ means ‘Old City’ and comes from its history of being destroyed by Saracens in 828 AD. Afterwards the residents fled and later returned to their ‘old city’.
My Walk
My first Mediterranean cruise on MSC departs from the port of Civitavecchia. After a flight from Philadelphia to Rime, I arrived in Civitavecchia by train the night before and stayed overnight. That gave me a chance to look around the city. I wasn’t expecting a lot, just an overnight stay, but it turned out to be quite a nice charming place. The following day I was able to embark early, having lunch on the ship and then having a few hours to get back off the ship and explore some more before it departed. I am glad I did as the on-board experience with MSC was not a great one and I was much better off enjoying the views on land for a few extra hours.
My Digs
Accommodation in Italy can be ‘interesting’. Just like our family trip to Rome ten years earlier I found myself in a residence that had been converted into about 6-10 private rooms. They were tiny but I had my own shower. There were no elevators, so I had tohaul all my luggage up twoflights of stairs.
A Walk Around Town
After I checked in to my room, I was keen to get out to explore Civitavecchia. There was a lot more here than I expected. It was more than just a cruise port, it was a tourist destination in its own right. It was also very old, with lots of examples of Roman architecture. There were three separate areas to explore. The old port area with is ancient castles and outer city walls. There was the town itself with lots of charm, restaurants, and narrow lanes. And then there was the oceanfront area with lots of beaches, cafes, and even a ferris wheel.
There was one spot along my coastal walk I really liked. I was certain it would make a great site for a view from my beer. Unfortunately, it was not open yet so I took a note just in case I ever found my way back here again.
After the sun set the vibe really changed. All the locals gathered outside at the end of the day. As I was to find out on my cruise, the Italians are loud, very loud. They also like to gather in large groups of family and friends. I thinks this is what leads to the noise levels. There are opften several conversations going on at the same time and people start competing to get attention or input from other members in the group.
The owner of the apartment where I was staying offered a shuttle service to the cruise terminal. She picked me up at the scheduled checkout time for the room – 10am. Even though I was not scheduled to check in for my cruise until 11:30, she indicated there would be no issue for me arriving earlier. She was right. I completed boarding formalities and grabbed a quick lunch all before 12:30pm. Our ship departed at 5:30pm, so I had plenty of time to get off the ship and enjoy a few extra hours exploring Civitavecchia. It was a random walk exploring parts of the town I had not been to yesterday. There was one place I did seek out. It was a nice cafe along the waterfront with a stunning view of Pirgo Beach and its beautiful pier.
