Sunday September 25
We are back in the harbor of Pesaro and after breakfast we get on a bus again which brings us to Urbino. This is a walled city with very narrow streets and the bus unloaded us on a large parking place outside. Urbino of course is also an UNESCO World Heritage Site (like all the other places we visited).
We met the local guide there who lead us all around through those narrow streets, of course telling us all about the history. As always there was so much to see (and photograph).
The narrow streets were quiet and had definitely the Sunday feeling. Sometimes we walked through a "nice cloud of Sunday family meal smell". Our guide (in the next photo on the left) was just talking about an elderly lady who every Sunday cooks for her family and lives here when the door opens and the lady calls out to her.
Often we saw religious stations on the houses.
In this photo you can also see James with his "whisper". In the beginning of the trip each of us got one of these to put around our necks. They came with earplugs but James and I used our own. They were wonderful because you could hear the guides even from a distance, didn't have to worry about staying close to him/her, could look around and take photos. It makes the trip so much nicer.
Yes, steep. Up or down?
In our free time we meant to visit this church but ran out of time. We were told that the Oratorio San Giovanni had some wonderful frescoes. Too bad, sigh.
The Urbino Cathedral was just having a service at the moment we were there but a little later we could enter.
Ha-ha, I can't remember what was so special about this house...
... except the madonna with child at the very top was lovely.
After walking across the square we came to the Casa Natale Di Raffaello. This 15th-century house is where renaissance artist Raphael was born in 1483 and spent his first 16 years. James and I decided not to visit the museum but instead walk up the steep street.
We didn't know we would find this here. The sign on it says
"Chiesa Della Santissima Annunziata
Raphael's Tomb".
This view though was why we went up the hill. So gorgeous.
Then the bus took us to lunch. Our host was waiting. I think people from as far as the USA come and spend a week or so in his house.
Again we had a very generous offering of different food.
At the end the cook was introduced. And Vanessa read two of our host's poems she had translated.
VIDEO: (2:29 minutes)
The bus took us back to the ship and the harbor. This time I didn't feel like going to the beach (across the street) again. The weather was not quite as nice. And it is always nice to socialize in the lounge and even play our card game. Our new friends seem to enjoy it too.
Oh, and then there was the farewell dinner. We are really sorry that it is coming to an end. This ship "Artemis" and the crew are really special.
And yes, there is a VIDEO: (55 seconds) You should not miss the baked Alaska show.
We are sailing in the night and will reach Venice tomorrow.
* * * * * * *
These are "our harbors":
Please, excuse the not so professional work. It was difficult.
Our trip has not ended because we have 2 more days in Venice, but I want to say how great it was to travel on the "Armetis". The captain and the crew could not have made our experience any better, especially since we had a "positive covid case" on board in the beginning and two "scares" later.
Our trip also deviated from the original itinerary because of the weather and new experience opportunities. Overseas Adventure Travel prides itself to take advantage of new opportunities. Our trip is called:
Undiscovered Adriatic: Venice, Puglia & Malta (except that ours was reversed). OAT told us that this is our 10th trip with them.
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