Marching from Monterosso

Monterosso - by the sea - a holiday makers place first in our Cinque Terre walk
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Aug 22^{nd  The extra photos are of parts of our Cinque Terre "walk".  We have more, of course.}

We arrived in Florence then left to go to Pisa (for the leaning thingy) and Lucca which is an ancient walled city, on the train. No worries with a Eurail Pass. Just get on and go.

Florence and parts north before Rome on Monday

Short story: Pisa was just like the postcards (and the Andy photo). We did the touristy thing and have the obligatory “pushing back up or holding up” the tower photo. I had fun in a local shop buying food using the phrases that I’d heard others use and I’d practiced.

terraces of vines have been tended for centuries
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Lucca was more fascinating for the architecture and what it represents in history of walls within walls and moats and holes in the walls and spikes and “you stay out of my town” discouragements.

The hotel in Florence is a small place but very friendly staff that let me try out my local dialect. They are the first place to have free internet as well. They gave me a CD to put in the laptop and then left me to it.

Aug 23^rd

Happy Birthday Trish!

Are we there yet? No! Sorry!
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We had a “weekend” morning today. Relaxed breakfast – the first cereal in a week – and a relaxed start. Marg painted and I did the laundry. My Italian got me into 3 shops for information and assistance. I really enjoy saying to the person behind the counter that I am trying to speak their language and please help me with what I want.

So far I have had nothing but help, smiles and understanding as I go as far as I can then ask in English.

Highlights:

It bucketed down just after I left the hotel to make my way to the Laundromat. Thank you Goretex for keeping me dry.

Can I stay here? Please??? Sorry!! Uphill some more
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I managed my way through a supermarket to buy ingredients for tea and a snack for lunch. Last night we ate well enough for 2 days in Lucca.

After our snack Marg and I made our way to the Duomo (cathedral) and the “oldest bridge in the world” (the Ponte Vecchio). I have some wonderful photos taken as the sun went down and the reflections were at their best.

Tomorrow we go by train and stay the night at La Spezia and walk into the Cinque Terre (5 lands). Then it’s back to Florence for 2 more days. A bit of culture and the arts.

Is that where we have come from? Monterosso looks a long way away.
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Arrivaderci until then.

26^th:

The staff at Hotel Golf allowed us to store our two big bags there until our return. That was a wonderful thing. We would have been so hampered by them on our short time away from Florence.

We have been busy little Bs.

Varnazza is a lovely place but the hills are murder!
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We trained to Monterosso, the last of the 5 towns and walked back to the fourth. It was the equivalent of Sandy Bay to New Town via Mt Nelson and Dynnyrne on a rough stone path 400mm wide. We were stuffed by the time we got in. Thanks to my camera and the zoom of 18X, we had an idea of how hard and far it would be to the next ………..so we caught the train. 2 Villages in detail in one day was all we could manage. They are SPECTACULAR, perched in and around cliff tops, bays, rocks and gorges. We spent time with one bloke whose family had farmed the hills for 1200 years.

Through the camera it can look closer than it is. Never mind it's all downhill once you're 60.
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Our hotel in La Spezia was WAY up in the hills. 15eur by taxi. The welcome, again, was great, the room adequate and the food wonderful. But Italian breakfasts of cake, pastries, dried bread, jams croissants will take a lot of adjustment. Just a bowl or two of cereal will be nice. We think we make be supplementing from a supermarket every now and again.

Yesterday we caught a train, just to see where it would go north along the Mediterranean coast and ended up in Santa Margharita on a bus we caught in Rapallo. It is a lovely coastal village where, once again, the beach is rented out to the hotels who charge for space and swimming. These un-rented spaces have the worst rocks and outlooks but people still go there. We spent time in quiet sitting, Marg painting or sketching. She has never known boredom but has an appreciation of stillness. That is something of which the locals have no idea. Small cars, scooters and bicycles EVERYWHERE. The Italians have a love affair with Vespas and equivalents, smoking and making noise. All 3 start young. We saw many kids (13+) in all 3 of these. It scared me that in the heat and fierce sun, NO-ONE wore hats except tourists, people all over the place smoke like there’s no tomorrow and those on wheels aim at pedestrians. They will not stop on crossings unless you make direct eye contact with the driver and walk out. That’s a bit hard when the buggers move over to the passenger seat just before you can see them. It is very awkward when the “driver” is either missing or looks all the world like a passenger. They come at you from the left on your side of the road too, so crossing is precarious to say the least. “Look right - No-one coming. Step out onto the road” - get pulled back just before a Porche gets me in the bum from behind.

Santa Margharita in the corner at the top of Italy
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Back to Florence at 10.30pm to re-collect bags and move to new hotel. The Golf was pre-booked out.

Another room facing a major piazza and road system. Thanks to double glazing we can screen it out at the expense of “fresh” air.

Another cuisine highlight – a chocolate-filled croissant for brekky. Marg’s was custard filled.

We have not seen beef on the menu anywhere yet. Ham, chicken yes.

A scene that Marg has started to paint. Wait for it!
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We found an “English Church” this morning. That was welcome – familiar and friendly. VERY High Church – bells, incense and almost Catholic. They sold one of their properties to help fund their restoration work. 3 million to restore, 1.3 million from the sale, rest from donations, corporations and government grants.

Rome tomorrow.