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32 V I K I N G C R U I S E S THE ROMANCE OF ROME On the 'Rome on Your Own' tour I visited the Trevi Fountain, the Mouth of Truth, and marvelled at the Colosseum. It wasn't hard to please my tastebuds, either, with cafes on almost every corner and a gorgeous laneway restaurant where I stopped for a Caprese salad and pizza, of course with a glass of red, and gelato for dessert. By the time I made it back to the ship, I was ready to curl up in my bed with room service once again – a relaxing way to end an adventurous day. NEXT STOP, NAPLES Being a fan of Eat, Pray, Love, I teamed up with a lovely Canadian couple and we headed straight to L'Antica Pizzeria da Michele, made famous by the 2010 Julia Roberts flick. is sparse restaurant is no-frills, all taste. ere are only two types of pizza – margarita and marinara – in a very rich tomato sauce, but no meat or other vegetables. is is true Napoli pizza, made in a wood- fired oven, and it was my every pizza fantasy come true. When we made it back to the boat, after a spot of shopping and sightseeing we rediscovered our hunger and dined at Manfredi's Italian Restaurant. CARDIO IN CORFU After a day sailing the Ionian sea and enjoying the ship's dining options, I decided it was time to work off some holiday weight and joined the on-shore excursion 'Corfu by Mountain Bike'. On the 15km tour, we pedalled through beautiful villages and past natural landscapes, a highlight being the foothills of Pantokrator, Corfu's tallest peak, which has the best views of the island. From here, we navigated a narrow alley and found ourselves in the quaint village of Saint Marcos. Here, we stopped at a local tavern for a snack and a cleansing ale and then coasted downhill to make it back to the ship in time for dinner. A DAY IN DUBROVNIK e flexibility of Viking's itinerary means you can choose from their onshore excursion or do your own thing. In Dubrovnik, my Canadian mates and I opted for the latter and paid a taxi driver a mere 140 euros to take us to places few tourists get to see. After driving us to the most scenic spots in town, viewing its iconic walls and azure seas, our driver escorted us to his favourite seaside dining spot, Restaurant Leut, where I enjoyed white and black truffle pasta. Situated in the old centre of Cavtat it prides itself on only serving fresh fish and seafood, using organic, seasonal ingredients and preserving traditional recipes. SENSATIONAL SPLIT e Croatian town of Split is steeped in antiquity, but it's also renowned for its olive oil. e 'Flavours of the Dalmatian Coast' excursion took me to the Stella Croatica Ethno Village, an open-air museum with an olive grove and Local tavern ale in Corfu Gelato for dessert