May 10, 2025
Our last stop on this amazing cruise was Elba, a small island just off the coast of the Tuscany region of Italy, its shape similar to a Goldfish cracker. Elba is best known for its most famous resident, Napoleon Bonaparte. In 1814, one of the greatest military leaders in history and the emperor of France, abdicated his throne and was banished to Elba, a location he chose and one very close to Corsica, his birthplace.
During his 10-month residency, he brought Elba into the 19th century, so to speak, as he helped create a sewer system, representative government and roads. He even designed the flag of Elba: a white flag with a diagonal red stripe where 3 bees are perched, some say representing the “worker bees” of Elba, creating a modern day nation.
Our bus left Portoferrio in the early morning hours and arrived at Villa San Martino, alleged to be the summer residence of Napoleon, however he never lived in the villa. He did chose the site as he wanted to escape from Portoferrio’s summer heat as most residents chose to leave for the mountains in the summer. Villa San Martino is not far from Portoferrio.
Some time after Napoleon left Elba in February 1815, the project was completed and another begun. Over the following decades, the estate fell into disrepair until the arrival of Anatolio Demidoff, a Russian, art collector and admirer of Napolean. He restored the Villa and built the Gallery, the impressive building that is seen at the end of the very long driveway.
The interior of the villa has some interesting features: painted walls using tromp d’oeil and an inset in the “Egyptian Room” floor where papyrus had grown. This was confirmed by our guide, Lucille, who moved to Elba in 1983 and toured the villa at that time. Now, the inset has a plexiglass covering. There were paintings and sketches but overall, a disappointment. We expected to see over-the-top extravagance fit for a former Emperor. Instead, we toured a shell of empty promises.
Our sprits were lifted after being dropped off in the beautiful beach town of Porto Azzurro. The translation of “azzurro” is “blue” and entirely correct for this harbor side location. There must have been 50 shades of blue all around us even before we stopped to explore on foot
Historically, Elba was an important source of iron ore and enjoyed trade with all Mediterranean populations up until 1983 when the industry ceased.
We were given free time; Mary Margaret used it wisely. She purchased a colorful scarf with a poppy design then, just a few stores away, found a pair of earrings to match. The scent of the sea was captured and bottled in “Aqua dell Elba”. So much energy was expended that it was time to indulge in gelato. The “piccolo” portion was American-size!
Our last stop before heading back to the ship for our last evening aboard was at the La Chiusa winery. An absolutely gorgeous location with views of the sea and vineyard. Unfortunately, the wine itself was not terribly exciting. The white was good but the rosé was tasteless and had a tannic feel. The red seemed to have no body at all; definitely flabby. That said, it was so beautiful and relaxing, listening to the singer and munching on Tuscan treats.
We walked back to the bus and on to the ship for our farewell celebration and repacking our belongings. We viewed a video taken during this excursion, narrated by the ship’s photographers creating a souvenir with which we can torment our visitors!
Although the cruise ended, the Tauck Tour continues with debarkation in Nice then a bus ride to Aix-en-Provence for a walking tour and lunch. Our day will end in Marseille, where we will spend the next 3 days of our trip. What a journey!
