American World Traveler Fall 2018 Issue

style, sliced thinly with a sprinkle of olive
oil that enhanced its delicate, plucked
fresh-from-the sea- flavour.
The next morning, we awaken to the
chiming of church bells from Chiesa di
San Sebastiano, a 16th-century Venetian
church. We peer out our French balcony,
frothy cappuccino in hand, and watch as
a vaporetto (water taxi) glides past on the
crystal blue waters of the Venetian
Lagoon.
Another advantage of being boutiquesized
is that the River Countess is moored
at the San Basilio pier, a special cruise terminal
for small ships located beside a
pedestrian promenade along the
Giudecca Canal. This means it’s an easy
morning stroll with our Uniworld guide
across postcard-perfect footbridges to
Venice’s historic center.
At the Piazza San Marco we weave past
hundreds of people, bypassing the queues
with our guide, to marvel at the opulent
14th century Doge’s Palace, a symbol of
Venice itself, with its ceremonial staircases
in Istrian stone and red marble, before
exploring the building’s secret passageways.
Dinner that night takes place in the ship’s
elegant Savoy Restaurant. Set on the main
Marco Polo Deck with panoramic views of
the lagoon, its luxurious Baroque décor
feels formal yet airy and inviting. Unlike
mega-ships where food provisioning for
thousands of people can mean stockpiling
goods, the River Countess’s compact size
means menus can be seasonally inspired
and locally sourced.
“Dishes made with local ingredients are
marked ‘L’ on the menu,” explains our
server who carefully takes note of diners’
food preferences and allergies. The menu
features Italian classics such as scaloppine
di vitello, rich osso buco Milanese and an
inventive Bellini sorbet inspired by the
famous Venetian cocktail.
After dinner, we step back off the River
Countess for an exclusive after-hours tour
of St. Mark’s Basilica. We enter the
hushed, empty church, an 11th-century
masterpiece of Italian-Byzantine architecture,
and learn of St. Mark the Evangelist
as lights illuminate the jewel-studded
altarpiece.
Over the course of the next several days,
it’s a slideshow of sights and experiences
as we immerse ourselves in northern Italy
via the port of Polesella, on the Po River. In
Padua, once home to scholars Galileo
and Copernicus, we use our generous free
time to relax over steaming cups of crema
di menta cioccolate (mint hot chocolate)
in the historic Café Pedrocchi.
Other culinary highlights include a handson
pasta-making workshop at historic
Cantina Bentivoglio in Bologna where we
learn how to create fresh tagliatelle for
ragu alla bolognese. Lunch is a showcase
of local flavours that begins with antipasti
of local cheeses, mixed cold cuts including
mortadella and traditional Prosciutto di
Parma cured ham. For mains there’s even
a savoury eggplant parmigiana, a plantbased
entrée we’re all keen to replicate at
home.
In Verona, the famed city of Romeo and
Juliet, Uniworld guests enjoy a look at the
Casa di Giulietta where the ill-fated lover
Romeo is said to have climbed Juliet’s balcony.
The fact that it’s actually a 13th century
inn doesn’t diminish the thrill of the
atmospheric setting and we all step forward
to place our hands on the bronze
statue of Juliet, a ritual said to bring good
luck in love. Later we enjoy spritz cocktails
of sparkling Prosecco and red Campari
overlooking the impressive Arena di
Verona, a Roman amphitheater built in the
1st century.
The pleasures of ship life wrap up each
day. Our welcoming Category 1 stateroom,
with its tranquil blue and white
Baroque décor, is much like a floating luxury
hotel and comes equipped with a
queen bed, marble bath, French balcony,
flat screen satellite TV and spacious builtin
closet.
Onboard diversions include the Serenity
Spa, a fitness centre, a well-stocked library
and its own boutique. Evening entertainment
onboard includes dancing to a live
band, DJ music and even an opera performance
of La Bohème. Often, we simply
opt to spend the evening on the Upper
Deck sipping bright yellow limoncello
liqueur watching the stars rise above the
inky sky.
We conclude our journey to “La
Serrenissima” with memories of spectacular
palaces, UNESCO World Heritage
Sites and monuments, our culinary curiosity
satisfied with regional specialties such
as seppia (cuttlefish ink) risotto and Cynar,
an artichoke-based Italian bitter liqueur.
Exhilarated by an immersion into Italy’s
landscapes, culture and cuisine, we bid
our fellow travellers arrivederci just as the
chef welcomes the next group of culinary
enthusiasts aboard the River Countess.
Travel Planner
Uniworld Boutique River Cruise Collection:
Uniworld operates a fleet of luxury cruise
ships along the rivers of Europe, Russia,
Egypt, India, China, Vietnam and
Cambodia.
www.uniworld.com
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Heather Koroluk is a Toronto-based travel
journalist who specializes in luxury travel.
Her work has appeared in Taste & Travel
International and on several websites.
American World Traveler Fall 2018