Return to Livorno

Second visit to Livorno

Originally this was supposed to be a visit to Genoa. However it was cancelled by the city. They decided that there would be too many ships in at the same time and they could not handle those numbers. Then they had terrible weather complete with flooding and land slides.

Because of that the shipped planned a return to Livorno. We decided to choose a Princess tour. It was advertised as a tour by boat and by walking.

It was actually named Livorno by foot and by boat.

Here is the description:

Discover the charms of Livorno, the second largest port in Tuscany. Keep your camera at the ready as you embark on the walking tour down Via Grande, one of Livorno’s busiest streets­—a vibrant mix of local activity. In Piazza

Micheli you will find the dramatic monument of the four Moors.

 Arrive at the 19^th century central market and stop to peruse its colorful stalls. Refresh with a gelato or a cappuccino and then board a canal boat to see the city from a different point of view.

Explore Livorno’s Venazia Nuova or New Venice district and glide past all of the top sightes. Conclude with enough time to walk around the area, shop for souvenirs or just relax ay a café and people watch before you get your bus and return to the ship.

Our actual day was a little different.

First we boarded a bus and headed for the boat . On the way we were given head sets to use.

When we stopped we had a short walk to the canal boat. Everyone climbed aboard at at one point I wondered where everyone would sit. Then after an introduction the captain started the motor to begin our departure. After several unsuccessful attempts it was determined that the boat was too heavy…. Some would have to get off. You see in the time since to end of the last tour and the beginning of this one the tide had gone down and we were too shallow.

So 15 of us , (last on first off, no profiling was done)… left the ship and waited on the dock as our ship moved to the next slip. This time the prop would be in deeper water. We embarked again and held our breaths. This time we met with success. This tour was much like what we experienced in Amsterdam. Our boat made its way through the canals and under the bridges. There were boats moored on either side of the canal. As we went Alexandra told us of the city and its amazing history and its relationship with Pisa. The old walls and bridges make amazing backdrops for the canal boat ride.

So the boat ride came before the walking part. The walking was quite short. We walked all along the market. We had thought it would not be open because it was Sunday but our guide assured us that we could shop. After the walk about we were given a half hour to have a good look.

Much to our delight we were then taken to a lovely little café where we were served a very healthy glass of the local wine. It is sweet and the custom is to dunk a brochette type cookie into the wine.

After that great surprise we walked back to where our bus was parked. Soon we were back on board.

It was a great tour.