Getting to the Sardegna ferry on time

Sunday, April 22

We met Eberhard and Dorothea last year at our church in Lucca, and although we spent only a couple of days with them, they seem like old friends. They are back to stay in their little house on the coast for two weeks, and we share lunch after church.

Once again we feel right at home with these gentilissimi tedeschi, who offer to take us to our ship in Livorno. Since we still don’t know how we would have arranged the second leg of the trip by bus, we accept gladly. Our only disappointment is that their time here is just beginning and ours is ending, so this is the only time we will see them.

Lucy in Livorno, waiting on deck for the ferry to leave.

We board a large ship, operated by Moby, which is really a combination of a cruise ship and a ferry. It has restaurants, entertainment, rooms and free wi-fi, but the meals are not included in the fare. We board at 8 p.m. and the ship leaves two hours later. The trip will take about nine hours.

We are fortunate to have a room provided free of charge. We had paid for a shorter daytime trip from Civitavecchia to Sardegna on Monday, but it was canceled. When a Moby representative offered us an exchange of an overnight cruise from Livorno, cabin included, we were delighted with our good fortune. It saves us from paying for a night in a hotel, and Livorno is much closer to Lucca than Civitavecchia, so we also save on train fare.

We enjoy a nice dinner on board and go to sleep in our cozy cabin, lulled by the gentle rocking of the boat. When we wake up, we will be in Sardegna.