Although I had decided that we should not do any further Cunard shore excursions. We had to issue of meeting my cousin in Rome for lunch.

Normally we would go into Rome by train from Civitavecchia, but it seemed that every train we were on in the UK was delayed, and we were worried that Italy could possibly be experiencing the same issues. Although most of the UK delays were due to trespassers on the rails, people objecting to something or other, we could not be too sure that the Italians were also so discontented. So we booked the Cunard coach tour to and from Rome.

It actually turned out to be a good choice, and we could spend our day not obsessing about making sure that the trains were running on time.

We got off the coach close to one of my favorite places, the church of the Bocca della Verita, after which our favorite, although now closed, Italian restaurant was named.

We had 2 hours to walk around Rome before meeting my cousin at the Trevi Fountain, so we slowly made our way there. I am always amazed at the juxtaposition of the Roman ruins and the more recent buildings. Everywhere you look there are reminders of Rome’s long and interesting history, it is so tempting to wander off and explore the ruins, and the beautiful squares and fountains, not to mention churches. Wow, this place is amazing. We have visited Rome many times, but it is still totally enchanting.

Finally we reached the Trevi Fountain which I love because it seems so totally over the top to me. Unfortunately they were cleaning the fountain so there was no water to throw my coins into. Horrors, does it work if the coins do not splash into the water? We will have to wait and see……

We met up with Wendy, and instead of having lunch near the fountain, she planned to go somewhere away from the hustle and bustle of the city. Good idea.

We hopped into a cab, and had many near-death experiences, before finally arriving at our destination. Her husband, Ugo, was already there to meet us, and he had the wine chilling and appetizers ready for us to sample. He is such a good man!

We had a fantastic meal; I am always amazed at how tiny local restaurants in Italy can provide such incredible cuisine. Lunch took a long time, mostly because we were having fun talking. We were last in Rome in 2019, so there was much catching up to do.

We arrived back at the coach in good time, and headed back to the ship. Definitely less anxiety provoking than taking the train.

Back on board there was a phone message that my suitcase could not be repaired in the workshop, and that a manager would be contacting me about it. Oh well, it would have been nice if it could be mended, let’s see what my options for replacement are.

It was very hot, so we went to the Lido pool for a swim. We had the pool to ourselves which was very surprising as we thought everyone else would be wanting to swim after a hot day ashore. The duo Habit To were playing great relaxing music, the perfect way to end a port day.

There were 2 Celebrity ships and one Costa ship in port with us. They are all huge, and make our Queen Victoria look like a small ship. I am happy to be on board our ship.

There was an Indian Buffet at the Lido for dinner, so we decided to miss the dining room and indulge in Indian cuisine al fresco by the pool. It was a warm evening, with a beautiful sunset, and we were dining in solitary splendour. It was not up to Coriander standard, but still delicious, and the perfect end to a perfect day.

We waved goodbye to Italy, and set sail for Spain once more.