Lindblad Expeditions: Sea Cloud II

Nice is undoubtedly the place for the opening up of art and culture. The Côte d'Azur has inspired, from time immemorial, the greatest painters, writers and musicians. It has compelled recognition of its avant-garde across the Atlantic, its museums are holding prestigious collections in edifices of renowned architecture. Nice is full of an extraordinary artistic and cultural heritage. The gentle way of life sustains the imaginary world of artists and stimulates their creativeness. A cultural and aesthetic atmosphere prevails here; the cultural life is intense. It is punctuated by temporary exhibitions in the museums and the municipal galleries, by the programming of the theatres of which the most important is the Theatre of Nice - National Dramatic Centre - directed by Jacques Weber. The Opera House of Nice's Theatre proposes events of great quality.

Suggested Private Excursions

Nice - Shore Excursion - Discovery of Saint-Paul de Vence, Haut de Cagnes & Gourdon - 8 hours

Nice Shore Excursion - Discovery of Nice, Eze & Monaco - 8 hours

Nice - Full Day Tour - 8 hours

Nice & Cannes - Full Day Tour - 8 hours

Nice, Villefranche & St Jean Cap Ferrat - Half Day Tour - 4 hours

Nice: Picturesque Towns of the Cote d’Azur – 8 hours

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With its dizzying mix of old and new, of sophistication and squalor, Genoa (Genova) is as multilayered as the hills it clings to. It was and is a port city: an important maritime center for the Roman Empire, boyhood home of Christopher Columbus (whose restored house stands near a section of medieval wall), and one of the largest, wealthiest cities of Renaissance Europe. Capture glimpses of Genoa's former glory days in Genoa's portside Old Town, where treasure-filled palaces and fine marble churches stand next to laundry-draped tenements. Life within the old medieval walls doesn't seem to have changed since the days when Genovese ships set sail to launch raids on the Venetians, crusaders embarked for the Holy Land, and Garibaldi shipped out to invade Sicily in the 19th-century struggle to unify Italy. Modern Genoa, which stretches for miles along the coast and climbs hills, is a city of international business, peaceful parks, and breezy belvederes from which visitors can enjoy fine views of this colorful metropolis and the sea which defines its identity.

Suggested Private Excursions

Genoa: Genoa for Families - 8 hours

Genoa: Portofino Walking Tour - 5 hours

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The area along the coast called Versillia is a perfect vacation spot for people who enjoy the beach and seeing nearby attractions. Viereggio is the largest town in this area and is an old seaside resort and boating center. It is located only an hour away from the Italian Riveria and from other little fishing villages. The area is full of antique and cultural history. The wonderful walled city of Lucca is nearby, and the entire area is near Florence. Another favorite spot along the shore is the elegant town of Forte Dei Marmi where the rich come in the summer. There is a beach, and the little town is full of wonderful elegant shopping. The beach area is close to the marble mountains and the town of Pietrasanta where Michaelangelo went to find marble in nearby quarries. Visit Carara and the wonderful mountain quarries where marble is mined and sent to all over the world.

The Leaning Tower is, of course, Pisa's main attraction. Even before three
of its eight stories were constructed (building began in 1173 and continued
until 1350), it had begun to lean. In 1990, the instability of the tower made
it necessary to close it to visitors. Fortunately, an extensive program to rebalance
the tower was successful in slowly righting the structure to its original degree
of "lean." Now, thanks to modern engineering, the tower and its 294 stairs are
once again open for climbing.

The tower is on the Campo dei Miracoli, a large, grassy square that's a pleasant
place to relax. While you're there, visit the Baptistry, which contains a beautiful
baptismal font and pulpit by Nicola Pisano; the Romanesque Cathedral di San
Zeno, with its silver altar and figures by Brunelleschi; and the Camposanto
Cemetery. All in white, the medieval buildings and the wall of the cemetery
form a beautiful thematic whole. Stop at the 16th-century church and Palazzo
dei Cavalieri, the piazza and the National Museum of San Matteo (excellent collection
of 12th- through 15th-century art). And if you have time, visit Pisa's other
leaning tower at the Church of San Michele degli Scalzi: Completed in the 13th
century, this seldom-visited tower is worth a look, too.

It's also fun just to walk around Pisa. The city is very compact, with many
narrow streets and a great ambience. We suggest seeing it on a day trip from
Florence, perhaps in combination with Lucca, just 13 mi/20 km northeast. Another
possible stop is Pistoia, which has a cathedral and baptistery in the Pisan-Romanesque
style and the Ceppo Hospital (L'Ospedale de Ceppo), which has a brightly painted
and enameled terra-cotta frieze by Giovanni della Robbia. If you want to see
Pisa and another town all in one day, get up very early.

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Portoferraio, with its lemon-yellow buildings, is among the most elegant of the old Mediterranean ports. Beyond the town lies an island of great natural beauty. The hills are covered with pine forests and the scent of wildflowers fills the air; discover the island's medieval and Napoleonic history on a countryside tour.

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The small, picturesque seaside resort of Amalfi, famous for its glorious history as a maritime republic, has spectacular scenery and great weather. The white, pink and yellow cottages are surrounded by whitewashed courtyards and winding alleys that make a walking tour a pleasant experience. Amalfi also has several historical monuments worth visiting, such as the Cathedral, the old dockyards and the old Paper Mills where the famous paper of Amalfi was made in the past. Many buildings in the town are surrounded by immaculately kept gardens and terraces, lemon trees, and grape and olive vines.

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From Naples visitors can explore the rugged Amalfi coast, Italy's most romantic stretch of coastline. Near Amalfi is the resort of Positano, where visitors enjoy strolling through streets and shopping in small boutiques. Take an excursion to legendary Pompeii, an ancient Roman city covered and preserved by the debris from the violent eruption of Mount Vesuvius in 79 A.D. The monuments of this city are considered to be among the finest of any ancient city in Europe, and visitors can spend a day here learning about life in a Roman town during the first century A.D. The Cathedral of San Gennaro, a fine medieval building, has one chapel containing the tomb of Charles of Anjou, while another houses the cathedral's gold and silver treasure. Among the Christian underground burial vaults discovered in an area of suburban heights, the Catacombs of San Gennaro can be visited. Capodimonte Park - a well-kept tropical park - has a royal palace built by Charles III in 1738 that now houses Naples' picture gallery, the National Museum of Capodimonte.

Suggested Private Excursions

Naples: Food Tour of Naples - 4 hours

Naples: The City of Naples - 8 hours

Naples: Historic Pompeii & Vesuvius - 9 hours