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Postcard#1

WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON | November 22, 2006
Sailing on board the Insignia en route to Seville, Spain

Antonella and Puccini in Lucca

Hi!

We've really been busy since we sent you our first e-postcard. After we left Rome, we sailed into Livorno, gateway to Italy's fabled Tuscany and the site of our first Signature Journey excursion. Under the care of our charming guide, Antonella, we visited Pisa briefly to see its incredible "Miracle Square", site of the "leaning tower" as well as the exquisite cathedral, baptistery and funerary. Next we spent a delightful morning with Antonella in the walled city of Lucca, an enjoyable medieval city still largely contained within its massive walls.

One of the highlights of our day was lunch at Borgo Bernadini, a luxurious villa nestled in the Tuscan hills outside Lucca. Our chefs, Bruno and Teresa, came from Livorno to cook for us and the villa's entire staff joined them. Even the villa's owner came by to greet us. We began with sparkling prosecco and canapes in the drawing room, then moved into the formal dining room for a traditional Tuscan feast featuring oh-so-delicate pasta, an entire porchetta (suckling pig) and dessert. Three exceptional Tuscan wines complimented lunch. Unforgettable!

Chef Bruno pours freshly pressed olive oil on the bruschetta, John and Gay Perko and Bob Haas look on	Denise sings Italian love songs in the world's smallest theater

Before we returned to our ship, Antonella brought us high (really high) into the Tuscan hills to a tiny village whose claim to fame is the world's smallest theater. Here we were, with 50-60 seats on the main floor surrounded by a dozen or so box seats. As the curtain opened a pretty young woman sang Italian and American ballads, the perfect ending to a memorable day.

Genoa, Italy

That was Friday. On Saturday we were scheduled to stop at the picturesque little fishing village of Portofino; however, high swells in the seas made it impossible to anchor; so our ship diverted to Genoa. When we first arrived, dark gray skies and pouring rain discouraged us from going ashore. Fortunately by late morning the skies cleared to reveal the city's colorful buildings built on steep green hills. (Generally speaking, our weather has been excellent!)

We sailed at sunrise on Sunday morning into the tiny harbor of Monte Carlo. As we looked around at all the yachts and the magnificent hotels and condominiums, this really seemed to be a bit of paradise on earth (or, at least for the wealthy, a tax paradise). Some of us went into nearby Nice, others toured the hills above the Riviera but for several, the highlight of the day was a chance to see Monaco's Prince Albert emerge from the cathedral as part of a local festival.

On Monday we met ashore in Marseilles for our second Signature Journey excursion, this time to the picturesque countryside of the French region of Provence. A northerly wind, a mistral, had driven the clouds and any humidity away so the sky was clear and bright - it was the same magical light that attracted artists such as Cezanne and Van Gogh.

Genoa, Italy

We stopped first at an olive oil mill. After all, this is the time of year to harvest olives from the tens of thousands of olive trees gracing Provence's picturesque limestone hills. A young member of the family came out to greet us and took us into the modern facility to explain how the machinery presses the oil from the olives. He also told us how they blend the oils from five varieties of olives to develop their highly regarded oil (somewhat similar to the process vintners use to produce their wines). We learned that olive oil deteriorates rapidly after exposure to oxygen. To achieve optimum quality, this company crushes their olives within 24 hours after picking and keeps the oil in airtight containers until it's bottled.

We stopped next at the charming mountaintop village of Le Baux de Provence, a medieval town built around a limestone castle. In addition to stunning photos over the Provencal countryside, many ladies were able to satisfy their shopping cravings with the region's uniquely colorful tablecloths and pottery. Before lunch we stopped at one of France's most unusual attractions, a massive old limestone quarry that looked something like a gigantic Egyptian tomb. After adjusting to the darkness inside the quarry, as we walked through the excavated chambers, the paintings of Cezanne were projected on the quarry's flat walls and accompanied by music composed during the artist's time. Unusual but a great experience. Finally we savored superb French cuisine at a highly regarded restaurant known simply as, La Place.

Yesterday we stopped to visit Barcelona, one of Europe's most interesting cities and tomorrow we call at Cadiz, our gateway to the capital of Spanish tradition, Seville, then return to our ship for a traditional Thanksgiving turkey.

We send our best wishes for a delightful Thanksgiving but wish you were here to celebrate it with us.

Paul and Christine Niskanen