ROME LAKE BRACCIANO & WINERY

FRIDAY 29^th JUNE 2012.

We overnighted from Naples to the Sea Port of Civitavecchia and Gateway to Rome. We were again blessed with calm seas and a warm sunny day and blue skies.

As we had previously been there and done that in Rome, we relaxed on board ship in the morning,and only  took in a half day afternoon tour of Lake Bracciano &Winery. Lake Bracciano is 30km north west of Rome & one of Italy’s major lakes. The tour also included a photostop at the feudal castle of Castello Orsini-Odeleschi which overlooks the lake and a visit to the old village of Anguillara on the banks of the lake and the winery of Azienda Vinicola.

The castle, built by the Orsini family in the late 1400’s was magnificent and still privately owned. A bit of trivia is that Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes exchanged their marriage vows in the dungeons of the castle. The lake itself is enormous and clean with crystal clear waters. The village was on the side of a hill and the banks of the lake and typical of the idylic Italian town built nearly a century ago. It was a good look and a fantastic little village.

The winery was something else, and we were provided with unlimited tastings of their white and red wines including anti pesto food, sour dough bread and olive oil. The wine was good quality and we were well worse for wear by the time we got back on the bus to return to the ship. This was an afternoon well spent.

We overnight to Livorno and Florence.