Mediterranean Iconic Shores Ocean Cruise

Day 28: Wednesday, November 26, 2025 - Lucca, Italy

The day's statistics:
-  Weather: upper 50s
-  Steps: Linda: 10,923; Steve: 14,888

The sun peaked through the clouds a little while we were having breakfast in the World Café.

Today's schedule was a little different than the usual.
Normally: wake, prep, breakfast, excursion.
Today? Wake, prep, breakfast, cards and relax, slightly early lunch, excursion.
We tried to make our excursions in the morning, but this was one that didn't make it.
So we had a little bit of an early lunch at the World Café, then got ready to go.

Today's excursion was Lucca on your own.
Even though it was "on our own", we still had to get there. Our guide was Janette, and our driver Andreas.
During our drive, Janette handed out maps of Lucca, where we were starting and ending, and some landmarks.

Near the port was a huge parking lot full of new cars in storage waiting to be delivered.

Onward, for the next ninety minutes or so.















The bus dropped us off on a pull-out on the outside of the city, and the group followed the sidewalk inside.
It wasn't too far, and we paused in a plaza-like area next to the museum.

We started our stroll and headed toward the center of town, stopping at Piazza San Michelle.



While standing in Piazza San Michelle, Janette told us about the afternoon, reminding us of some of the highlights of the town, and then set us free until 4:00 when we had to meet all the way back at in the plaza by the museum.


The two of us started the portion of "on our own" by entering San Michelle in Foro.


























Outside the church, in the plaza, it was starting to be decorated for Christmas.




Our trek continued east toward the town center.








There was one street that Janette told us about that had the shops on it - and was where we needed to turn. The distinction was that the street changed from block stones to cobblestone.
Basilica di San Frediano was our target destination. Janette had informed us that the bodily relic of Saint Zita was in a glass coffin at the church. She is especially known to Linda because Linda portrayed her one time during an exercise while she was a Religious Education teacher at St. Paul. But what was most interesting is that her body has remained uncorrupt even though she has been dead for nearly seven-hundred and fifty years.
We had walked about as far as I could tell we needed to on the map. As I looked around, I said "It should be right over there." pointing to a left street. And... there it was, at the end of the cul-de-sac.



We went inside, and paid a small donation to visit.
Our tour began to the right - as it usually does. There was a chapel to the far right that had some relics and artifacts in it.













In the chapel next to the chapel above, we found Saint Zita's body in a glass coffin.


And more of the basilica.























We asked the administrator how to get to the "circle square" - Piazza dell'Anfiteatro. Piazza means square - but the shape of the square was... a circle. She told us to go to the end of the street, turn right, and then immediately turn left. The square was through the archway on the side. And it was. Next to a giant Santa hat (the bearly-visible bench can be used for perspective).


Without anything else specifically to do, we had a casual walk back to the museum plaza. We did some window shopping and sightseeing along the way, and also witnessed a to-do with a woman that was trying to drive out of the city but her progress was hampered by a delivery truck. We - or I - could have gone up the bell tower...









After arriving at the museum, we went inside and found that there was a plexiglass section over a natural stream and some ruins that I thought I took a picture of, but alas I didn't.
We sat on the bench outside the museum with other travelers as we waited for 4:00.
This was across the street.

At 4:00, Janette lead the group to the bus.
After boarding, we began our ninety minute drive back to the ship. The sun was beginning to set as well.

After returning to the cabin, we shed the excursion items, freshened up a little, and headed to The Restaurant for dinner - table 53.

Linda had the Destination Menu of Shrimp Ravioli & Tomato Tartar, Baccalà alla Livernese, and Fritelle di Mele.



I had Langoustine Bisque, Miso Glazed King Prawn, and Chocolate Flabbergast.



As we have frequently done, we took our wine to the atrium for a couple songs.

Music trivia in the Explorer's lounge was at 8:00.
Tonight's team was Ida and Todd (SD), and Mindy and Lloyd (SD).
We only got 10 out of 15 - but first place was only 12.

After triva, we headed to the Star Theater for a musical performance call "Legends".
Once again we were in the back section and the device did the best it could to capture whatever images - and videos - I tried to take. It was another great forty-five minute performance.






Of course I recorded a few songs...

After the performance, we returned to the cabin for the evening.

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