Story Photos
 Karla feeds the pigeons in St. Mark's Square in Venice. The famous 'Piazza San Marco' is located in front of St. Mark's Basilica, renowned for its Byzantine architecture. Courtesy photo
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'Ciao' time: Longview mother renews bond with daughter during cruise through Italian ports
Sunday, May 11, 2008 5:42 AM PDT
By Karla Dudley
For The Daily News
Printable version
E-mail this articleA recent “working vacation” created a chance to play and bond for me and my daughter, Amber.
We traveled to Europe on a “Ports of Perfection” Cruise, a 17-day trip that began in Venice and ended in Rome. I’m a teacher for Yamaha’s “Passport to Music” Program, so I was working throughout the vacation.
Cruise passengers have lots of educational programs to choose from when the ship is at sea, including computer education, foreign languages and beginning keyboard lessons. Each ship is equipped with a keyboard lab, and passengers may take group piano lessons.
This was my third cruise, but the first time I was able to spend it with Amber, who lives and works in Seattle. Together, we experienced the history and magic of Europe.
Amber’s love of traveling was first kindled while she was a student at R.A. Long High School and visited France with RAL french teacher, Jane Ditewig. Since then, both Amber and I have scouted any opportunity to travel.
Since I was essentially “working,” Amber was in charge of planning all our port visits.
The trip began with two days in Venice.We walked and walked, carrying Rick Steve’s book and occasionally getting lost in the maze of small streets.We always knew we’d find our way back to the Rialto Bridge and the Grand Canal.
Gondoliers and boats crowded the canals. Rather than paying to ride one, we watched the gondoliers perched on the back of the boats, guiding their cargo through the narrow waterways.
We sailed south to Croatia on the Adriatic Sea. I began teaching piano, and Amber spent the day on “self improvement:” with lessons in Italian, golf and salsa.
In the coastal city of Dubrovnik, we walked the wall in the Medieval City, enjoyed the view and purchased lovely glass souvenirs. The Croatian unit of currency is the Kuna, with $1 American equivalent to 5.83 kuna.
It was beautiful, but also sobering, since some of the destruction is still evident from the bombs dropped on the city during the homeland wars in the early ‘90s.
In the third port, Taormina, Sicily, we skipped the visit to the tourist mecca of Mount Etna and escaped on a city bus into the mountains. We spent a very hot afternoon in a basalt canyon called the Cole Alacantra, wading in the river and staying cool.
In Sorrento, Italy, we took the local train to Pompeii and spent the day at the foot of Mount Vesuvius, marveling at the sophistication of this ancient city, which was covered with ashes in only 12 hours in 79 AD. The cost for this day trip was reasonable: 3.60 euros per person for the round-trip train ride and 11 euros each for admission to Pompeii.
After a day at sea, we woke up on the French Riviera in Cannes, France. We rode the train from Cannes to Monaco and back, with stops at Nice, Antibbes, and Jean Les Pines, Amber’s favorite, where we walked from the train to the shore to spend a lovely afternoon swimming in the warm Mediterranean.
With a few refreshments, the cost of the entire day was less than 20 euros apiece.
The largest port travel expense was the bus ride from the port at Livorno inland to Florence, Italy. The 2-hour guided tour, booked on the ship, was $97, but well worth it. Once in Florence, we again walked and walked, ate gelato and bought leather goods and cashmere scarves.
Our last and favorite port was Portofino (Port of the Dolphins), a tiny town perched in the hills of the Italian Riviera, with the incredibly blue waters of the Gulf of Tiguillio below. After a brief exploration of the town, we hopped on a local water taxi and went to the Fuitososo Abbey to swim and eat pesto.
We passed up beach chairs (30 euros apiece) and clambered over a few rocks to the “free beach” for a swim. Several dolphins followed the ferry back to Portofino, another highlight for Amber.
After 13 days on a six-star cruise ship, we reluctantly disembarked at the Port of Civitavecchia to take the bus into Rome. We easily found our hotel, which I had booked from home using Rick Steve’s book.
For the next three days, we tried to see as much of Rome as possible. A pre-booked tour of Vatican City, for 40 euros each, was a good move. We followed the guide to the head of the line and avoided the three-hour wait. Guided tours of the Coliseum and the Roman Forum were reasonably priced and informative.
For me, the trip was set to music. I found myself hearing songs in my head, including “Come Back to Sorrento,” “Three Coins in a Fountain,” “The Carnival of Venice” and “O Sole Mio.” By chance, our hotel in Rome was next to an opera rehearsal hall, so I spent lovely warm evenings on the balcony listening to “Funnicula” and other traditional songs.
The Ports of Perfection delivered perfect sights, history, food, and a great opportunity for Amber and me to strengthen our relationship.
Karla Dudley is the music specialist at St. Rose Parish School and has taught private piano lessons in Longview for 30 years.
The Dudleys’ travel tips
• Internet time on this ship was very expensive but very convenient; Amber could stay current with work responsibilities.
• Most people were quite friendly. We asked for directions in Italian or French whenever we could, and asked for local advice on places to visit.
• In Rome, we rested in the middle of the day, when it was hottest, and stocked up on water and snacks at local groceries.
• Food in Italy is expensive. A can of Coke was about $4.50 with the euro/dollar exchange.
• After you pack for the trip, remove half of the clothes. But don’t forget comfortable shoes!
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