9 Night Italy Intensive Voyage – October 2018

When you need sustenance, today’s Rome will provide delizioso pasta e vino. Or perhaps you draw strength from a little retail therapy—the Italians are also renowned for their sense of style.

The list of illustrious names connected with this city is mind-boggling: Botticelli, Dante, Da Vinci, Michelangelo, Galileo. Other colorful and fascinating characters were of dubious reputation: Machiavelli, and the religious extremist Savonarola, with his bonfire of the vanities. For many years the city was ruled by the powerful Medici family, patrons of the arts and bankers to the papacy, whose line included six kings and two popes.

Now you know why this quaint little fishing village became a playground of the rich and famous, and why you should consider joining them.

But thanks to Napoleon’s little time-out here, the island enjoyed a golden age in the 1800s, when it was recognized as a prime location for the iron mills that brought prosperity to the area. You can learn all about the island’s history at the Archaeological Civic Museum. (And you can even embark on a Cruise Global, Connect LocalSM shore excursion of Elba that stops at Villa San Martino, the very residence where Napoleon spent his 10 miserable months of exile.)

Climb to the top of Medici Fortress, which was built in 1474, and you’ll be rewarded with sweeping views of the sea and the town below. Or take an open cable car to the peak of Mount Capanne for even more breathtaking views of the entire island, the Tuscan Archipelago, and the Mediterranean Sea. You can also enjoy performances in Vigilanti Theatre, an ancient church converted into a theatre by Napoleon’s sister Paolina Bonaparte.

One thing is for sure: When you arrive in Portoferraio, you won’t understand why Napoleon ever wanted to leave.

Love to eat? You’ll find the dining experience here second-to-none, where lemon is the star. It’s in everything: risotto, olive oil, gelato, and, of course, limoncello. (There’s no chance you’ll be getting scurvy on this trip!) But if your mouth gets tired of puckering up, enjoy a dinner of Gnocchi alla Sorrentina—pillowy potato dumplings baked in a cheesy tomato sauce. Italian comfort food at its finest.

Looking out from Sorrento, in the Gulf of Naples, is the isle of Capri. Well known for its sparkling Blue Grotto, it’s the playground of the rich and famous, and easily reached via a short hydrofoil.

The island is divided into two main parts, Capri and Anacapri. Capri is full of Italian luxury, with designer stores and five-star hotels lining the streets, while Anacapri is slightly more down-to-earth. Take a relaxing chair lift ride to the very top of the island, as the views are jaw-droppingly gorgeous.

Amalfi extends down to the water, and its beaches are always popular with locals and visitors alike. (The Azamara pro-tip: Bring a pair of water shoes if you plan on spending any amount of time down at the lidos. While picturesque, the beaches are rocky, not sandy.)

A trip to Amalfi isn’t complete without hitting the road in a car (ideally a convertible, of course!). We recommend taking in the views from the passenger seats—leave the winding, narrow cliff-side driving to the professionals. Whether you head up towards Positano and Sorrento, or down to Salerno, it will without a doubt be one of the most amazing rides of your life.

Worthy of note is the ominously named Chiesa del Purgatorio, home to wooden statues known as Misteri, that are paraded through the streets on Good Friday. Further out are saltpans, and plains punctuated by medieval windmills, home to some 170 species of birds.

Wander the streets to catch glimpses of yellow-tinged buildings juxtaposed with an impossibly blue sky. Or head to Poetto, the main beach. Spanning nearly five miles along the city’s coastline, we suggest splurging on an umbrella and lounge chair which will offers the perfect vantage point to contemplate the alluring turquoise water. But as enjoyable as Cagliari is in the daylight, once the sun starts to set you’ll want to find yourself in the heart of Cagliari’s medieval old town, Il Castello. Gaze over the city below and the ocean beyond and watch Mother Nature put on her own version of a light show as the fading light casts shadows on the landscape below.

A contemporary contribution to the scene is Ricardo Bofill’s post modernist National Theater of Catalonia, an imaginative combination of classical and modern design, with a greenhouse-like lobby.