Shore excursions in Mditerranean ports?

Still worried about April 25. What does happen on that day in Italy?

It's Liberation Day commemorating the liberation of Italy by the
Allies in WWII. It is a HUGE celebration day in Italy with lots of
services not operating, other things crowded to the max. Plan
accordingly. It is also the beginning of really lovely weather in
Italy, so many take advantage of the holiday/long weekend to go to the
coast. You could do some advance investigation of where/when the
ceremonial observance will take place in the towns within reasonable
travel distance from Livorno. We participated as observers who became
new best friends of townspeople one time in one of the Cinque Terre
villages. It was very exciting and moving. But that was pre-share the
wealth of information via Internet days, so we were unprepared for the
impact of the holiday on travelers and couldn't find a hotel vacancy
for miles, drove into the wee hours to get a bed...consistent with
what you are discovering.

Diana Ball
Austin, TX