Tag Archives: Royal Caribbean

November 14, 2022 · 1:35 am

Mediterranean Cruise 2022 — Vision of the Seas Approaches Ajaccio, Corsica, France


Over the next three weeks I’ll be showing you Ajaccio in the Corse-du-Sud (Southern Corsica) department of Corsica. Ajaccio is also the capital of the island. This was an exciting stop for us, as during our many Mediterranean voyages we had never before visited Corsica. Indeed, many of the destinations on this eight-day cruise were new to us.

Vision of the Seas approaches Golfe d’Ajaccio (Gulf of Ajaccio)

We sailed into Ajaccio at about 9:00 a.m. on 16 May 2022. As such, the lighting was excellent when I hit the deck to photograph our arrival into port.

Looking north into Ajaccio, Corsica, France

As you approach the port you’ll notice two large marinas. The marina tucked in the northwest corner of the bay is Port de Plaisance Charles Ornano (Charles Orano Pleasure Port):

Port de Plaisance Charles Ornano

The marina at the west entrance of the bay is Port Tino Rossi, and it’s just past this marina that houses the cruise terminal.

Port Tino Rossi

If you look closely at the image above you’ll see a divided tree-lined avenue with what appears to be a large crown. Beyond that crown is a large structure at the very end. That is the Grotte Napoléon, a monument to Napoléon Bonaparte. Looking west along Av. Antoine Serafini, which becomes Av. du Premier Consul, which in turn becomes Av. de Paris before transforming yet again (confused yet?) into Cr. Grandval, Cr. Général Leclerc, and finally All. de la Légion d’Honneur, you’ll get this fun view from the ship as it arrives:

Grotte Napoléon at the end of the boulevard

Three more images from our sailing into Ajaccio until Wednesday, where I’ll take you on a quick bus ride through town and to points west:

Ajaccio, island of Corsica, France
Ajaccio, island of Corsica, France
Port de Plaisance Charles Ornano, Ajaccio, Corsica

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November 11, 2022 · 5:35 am

Fun Food Friday — Manofica — Best Pizza in Toulon, or Best Anywhere?


Munching at Manofica

Ursula and I had earlier passed an establishment back on Quai Cronstadt that had what looked to be some very delectable pizza. Today I’m going to introduce you to what could be the best pizza we’ve ever had at a place called Manofica. The charming restaurant also gives you options to dine either inside or out, and offers up some exquisite views of Toulon Harbor and the marina just outside.

Looks good!

Some fellow Vision of the Seas passengers were dining there, and they told us we were in for a treat. We were.

Ursula at Manofica

While looking at pizzas already served gave us our first clue that we were in a real pizzeria, the fire oven gave us a second:

Manofica’s fire pizza oven

If you’re in for a little imbibing, it appears Manofica has you covered there as well:

Manofica’s well-stocked bar

Time to peruse the menu:

Manofica’s menu as of 15 May 2022

Since it was just after 2:00 p.m. and dinner aboard Vision of the Seas was a mere four hours away, we opted to share a Pizze Anna. This choice gave us for di latte (a soft, very fresh mozzerella-style cheese made from cow’s milk rather than buffalo), creme de parmesan (a cream sauce made with the rinds of a parmesan), tomate cerise (cherry tomatoes), jambon cru (raw, cured ham similar to prosciutto), copeaux de parmesan (shaved parmesan), roquette (rocket, also known as arugula), basilic (basil, of course), and huile d’olive extra vierge (extra virgin olive oil). Since we asked to split one pizza, the staff at Manofica were nice enough to divide our pizza between two plates:

Manofica’s Pizze Anna

As you can see, the crust is light, airy, and perfectly blistered. The combination of toppings gave a great compliment to the crust rather than overpowering it, and avoided making the crust soggy. Here’s a view of the other half:

Incredible Manofica crust perfectly prepared with an excellent combination of toppings

Ursula proclaimed Manofica’s Pizze Anna the best pizza she has ever tasted, and I wouldn’t disagree with that assessment. It was a remarkable treat at a not unreasonable price presented in a wonderful setting with a great view of Toulon Harbor. And now it’s time to say goodbye to Toulon, take the ferry back to La Seyne-sur-Mer, and rejoin Vision of the Seas. But before we go:

The marina adjacent to Manofica

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November 9, 2022 · 5:35 am

Mediterranean Cruise 2022 — The Ferry to Toulon and a Walk Around


Our ferry approaches: Rade de Toulon (Toulon Harbor)

Ursula and I had a comfortable amount of time remaining before we were due back to Vision of the Seas for our next destination. So, we got in line at the ferry pier in La Seyne-sur-Mer and waited to take the ferry across the harbor into Toulon. By about 1:00 p.m. we were there.

Harborside in Toulon on Quai Cronstadt (Cronstadt Quay)

The walk along Cronstadt Quay is rather enjoyable, with many bars, cafés, and restaurants to entice you along the way. There’s also this statue, Le Génie de la navigation (The Genius of Navigation) erected in 1847:

Le Génie de la navigation (The Genius of Navigation)

Before heading into town, let me show you some scenes along the quay:

Quai Cronstadt, Toulon, France
Quai Cronstadt, Toulon, France
Quai Cronstadt, Toulon, France

Time now to head north into Toulon, starting at Pl. Louis Blanc (not to be confused with Monday’s Cours Louis Blanc in La Seyne-sur-Mer):

Pl. Louis Blanc, Toulon, France

We continued up to Place de la Cathédrale and hooked a left to find… surprise… Toulon Cathedral!

Toulon Cathedral (Cathédrale Notre-Dame-de-la-Seds de Toulon)

Construction of Toulon Cathedral began in 1096, but the church belltower was not completed until 1740.

Toulon Cathedral Belltower (1737-1740)

Unfortunately, the street here is narrow so it’s hard to capture this structure in all its glory. But if you continue west and turn around, you’ll find this view:

Toulon Cathedral

In short order Place de la Cathédrale becomes Rue Emile Zola, which we continued on until we decided to head back to the quay for late lunch at a promising looking pizza establishment (more on that in this week’s Fun Food Friday). So, we turned back to the south on Rue d’Alger. This is a view of a café on the side street Place Gustave Lambert:

Now let’s head back to the quay for some lunch, with these views along the way:

Toulon, France
Toulon, France

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