25 Ancona - did you know that means elbow in Greek!

We had never heard of Ancona until Princess changed our itinerary and made
this one of our ports of call. Founded by the Greeks, Ancona juts out from
the mainland which makes it look like an elbow, hence its Greek name.

Andrea from www.guideturisticheancona.com, was our guide for the day. Our
tour started with a tour of the Ancona and visiting their highlights. The
significance of the first church we entered Santa Maria Della Piazza was
that it was built over the original Greek church and on entering you can see
the excavations that have revealed the old mosaic floors and pillars.

Standing high on a hill, which luckily is accessed by elevator, is the
lovely Cathedral of San Ciriaco. A mixture of Byzantine, Romanesque and
Gothic Features, with spectacular views over Ancona.

Ancona is also home to one of the largest Fincantieri Shipyards. At the
moment the Viking Jupiter is under construction. Ancona was once a walled
city and the remains of the walls and gates were evident from our view
point.

Walking the Streets of Ancona

In true Italian form all old villages have narrow lanes ways. Never be
scared to follow one as you don't know what lies at the end. 

Heading back
into the main square we stopped for a delicious antipasto lunch of delicious
local produce.

After lunch we were picked up by our taxi that whisked us out to the bay of
Porto- Novo. A beautiful area of beaches with resorts that have been
created from old fortifications. Also known as the Riviera Del Conero, a
play area for the rich and famous, maybe..

Then it was off to Sirolo, a hill top town with more spectacular views.
After a short stroll around the village we took time to contemplate our
surroundings with a drink or two.