While the crewmen sat in the galley eating meatstew with fistfuls of ugali, a maize porridge, the passengers congregated along a handrail overlooking the action.
Risotto lovers should head for Trattoria Abele la Temperanza, a tavern offering more than 100 variations, plus local dishes such as brasato (braised meatstew).
Iranians are deeply proud of their national cuisine, which includes such dishes as fesenjan - a meatstew with a tangy sauce made of pomegranate juice and ground walnuts, as well as the ubiquitous kebab.