Colin and Cecile Travels

    Day 25 – Villefranche-sur-Mer, France   Thursday, November 27 Tour - Walking Tour of Monaco The Beauty of Monaco Arriving in the bay of  Villefranche-sur-Mer, France, we anchored in the bay and used tender boats to go back and forth to shore. The 17th Century walls of the city From here, we loaded on Motor Coaches to drive to Monaco Leaving the parking structure, we came out next to the Oceanographic Museum, Jacques Cousteau was the director here for many years. In front of the nuseum is the Yellow two man submarine that Cousteau used for much of his explorations Monaco Cathedral . This is also the Burial Site  This is the burial site of the royal family, including American actress-turned-princess Grace Kelly. The Courthouse  In Monaco’s main square, the Place du Palais, see the Prince’s Palace of Monaco, home to the House of Grimaldi since 1297. Above the main entrance are two Monks with Swords.  In 1297 Prince Grimaldi and ...

  Day 24 – Tuscany, Italy    Wednesday, November 26 Tour : A Day in Tuscany As we were leaving the port of Livorno, we could see the original medieval city walls. The drive to our destination took us through the beautiful Tuscan countryside. After a scenic drive through the countryside, we arrived at the walls surrounding San Gimignano, (Pronounced Ge-Min-Yano) a UNESCO World Heritage Site.   We were surprised to find out that the vines growing out of many of the old city walls are Capers. The medieval architecture, including its 14 towers was stunning. Some believe they were part of the fortifications, while others think they were built to demonstrate the wealth of dueling families. The latter is the more accepted as the towers do not look like they would provide much of a vantage point in an attack. Inthe center of the town is one palace with twin towers The church at the center of the town  and the Piazza del Duomo (Duomo meaning Home or House, referri...

Day 23 – Pisa (Livorno), Italy  Tuesday, November 25 Arriving in the Port city of Livorno, we woke to a strange site.  One of the ferries for a company called Moby was across from us and covered withh picturs of the Looney Tune Characters. This a commercial port as well as where the cruise ships and ferries come in. They were off loading bulk materials (sand, volcanic ash, wood chips, etc.) from a ship on the other side of the pier.   We started with a scenic drive through Tuscany to Pisa. The origins of this ancient city are unclear, but the presence of an Etruscan necropolis points to a long history. Our tour was listed as a Tour of Italy’s "Square of Miracles" After entering the gates of the walled city, we expected to see the leaning tower, but insteadthe first thing that we encountered was the  Baptistero di San Giovanni An incredible circular building sitting at the west end of  the Piazza dei Miracoli, or the Square of Miracles, a UNESCO World Herita...