The first day of our cruise we docked at Portoferraio, Tuscany, Italy, is the north coast of Elba Island. Being the principal port of Elba, it handles most of the iron shipped from the island. It is also a seaside resort. Napoleon I resided there (1814–15) as sovereign
of the island during his exile from France. His house, the Villa dei Mulini, is preserved as a museum.
We arrived early and our first view was Falcon Fort and Stella Fort among the traditional buildings near the town center.
The ship excursion to Mt Capanne looked great so off we went. Our scenic drive took us to Elba’s highlands on the West Side pass the resort town of Marciana Marina.
Beautiful scenery of the coastline and the surrounding hilltops was amazing. We had a quick photo stop near the island where Napoleon's sister used to swim on her own.
When we arrived at the cable car station the operators explained the appropriate way to get in and out the cable car baskets. These come
every 20 seconds and hold 2 people. They are just like birdcages! The cable car ride to Mount Capanne is unbelievable.
The mountain is approximately 3,350 feet high and takes 20 minutes to reach the top. The views on the way to the top are
unforgettable and we could see for miles. Once at the top we enjoyed the view of Elba and of the Tuscan Archipelago.
We spent some time at Mt Capanne but eventually had to leave and stopped in Marciana Marina where we walked the waterfront
and looked in the picturesque shops. We had a wine tasting here and enjoyed the different flavours of the wine.
The harbour was full of fishing boats and we walked over to the beach nearby and were surprised to find it covered in
stones not sand. However there were people sunbaking here and it doesn't seem to bother them at all. We boarded our coach and headed
towards the dock area.
It was such a lovely day and the town looked fascinating so we decided to explore the town a little more before
returning to the ship and afternoon tea. We walked to the top and enjoyed the views and the quaint buildings scattered around
before winding our way back down to the harbourside. There were lots of restaurants here and would be very busy in the evenings.
A great day to start our Marco Polo cruise holiday!
