"Car coming," our excursion guide called from the front of the line we had formed along the narrow street. We all pulled closer to the colorful wall of buildings single-file as a vehicle passed.
I was on a Celebrity shore excursion visiting the tiny Tuscan town of Lari, which our guide had informed us in advance would not have sidewalks. There weren't many cars, but making way for them was part of the charm of visiting a quiet destination with ancient roots.
We had arrived in the port of La Spezia that morning on a seven-night Mediterranean sailing aboard the Celebrity Ascent. The port is about a two-hour drive or train ride from Florence and a one-hour drive from Pisa.
Walking through Lari toward the town square. Photo Credit: Teri West
This particular excursion presented an alternative experience in the region; a visit to a tiny town that, while gorgeous, does not feature the same bucket-list experiences that draw visitors to Florence and Pisa. The visit to Lari would be followed by a home-cooked Italian lunch at a farm.
One reason I opted for this excursion was to experience something different in Italy, enjoying some pasta outside of a restaurant setting and cutting down on the time I'd have to ride a bus. As I'd hoped, I found Lari charming and the farmhouse experience peaceful and tasty.
After a short walk through Lari as a group, we arrived at the town square, the size of which I used as confirmation for just how small Lari truly is. It featured one of Lari's two bars, which also moonlighted as a café and pastry shop.
Riding a bus through the Tuscan countryside. Photo Credit: Teri West
We were given about 45 minutes to explore the town, the perfect amount of time to feel like you'd seen pretty much all of it. I walked the perimeter of the medieval fortress at the center, marveling at the view of rolling green hills and the structure I was standing on that had existed for hundreds of years.
The excursion typically involves a visit to a pasta factory, but it is closed in August.
We then drove half an hour to the Vialto farm, which also hosts a bed and breakfast in a structure dating back to 1368. A horse-drawn carriage was our mode of transportation from the bus to the farmhouse, passing poplar trees that would later become paper, furniture and matches.
The fifth generation of the family currently operates the farm, and one of those operators guided the horses and is the reason I know all of that information, which our tour guide translated during the ride.
A view of a road in Lari from the top of Castello dei Vicari, the fortress at the center of town with 11th century origins. Photo Credit: Teri West
Like most of the week, the heat was sweltering as we dined outside at communal tables. We were served cheese with honey and salami as an aperitivo and two types of pasta as the entrée. Coffee-flavored gelato rounded out the meal.
After visits to the gift shop, where the Vialtos sell everything from liquor to sweatshirts, we returned to the bus for our commute back.
And it was during that commute I wondered, more than anything, if the excursion had been the best use of my time on my port day.
Penne bolognese at the Vialto farm. Photo Credit: Teri West
The drive to Lari was 90 minutes, the drive to the farm was another half hour, and we hit some traffic on our return to the ship. Our guide spoke to us for almost all of the drive to Lari, teaching us about the region and her culture. We learned about marble cliffs visible to our left, the method through which Italians harvest pine nuts and some history about Lari, with our guide infusing humor throughout.
Off the bus, it was a lovely, peaceful day full of experiences I couldn't quite replicate anywhere else, but if I had been willing to take a longer bus ride, I could have been in Florence and spent much of the day there, instead of returning to port early and exploring La Spezia, which can't compete with the beauty and cultural experiences Florence presents.
A view of the Tuscan hills from Lari. Photo Credit: Teri West
My excursion was the perfect one for visitors with no interest in seeing Florence, perhaps because they've been there already. If one of your main goals is to cut down on ground transportation, look elsewhere.
But if you haven't been to Florence in over a decade, like me, and the leather wallet you bought on that trip is in desperate need of replacing, take advantage of Celebrity's early arrival time in port, and take the bus ride -- and a nap to pass the time.