Day 8 - Cinque Terra

Before Cory got up I decided to look for boxes to mail some of my clothes and weighty items back home.  A comic would have a hay day with this true story.  So I rummaged through the alleys ( very clean and safe) for a box, came back to pack it, but it wasn't big enough so I went and go another.  Packed both and brought them to the Post Office.  They don't have tape and she sends me to the tobacco shop to get tape.  The is tape hanging on a counter, so I use the tape thinking that is what it is there for.  No, the lady in the shop told me they didn't mail packages, of course in Italian.  I just raise my hand like I don't understand and luckily there was a lady who spoke english.  I tell her what I am doing and offer to pay for the tape.  The lady it is ok so I take the 2 boxes weight 8 Kilo ( i have no idea how many pounds, but it feels like 25) to the post office 2 blocks away.  The postal lady says there is not enough tape and all ends have to be taped.  I am about to cry, she senses my frustration and offer for me to leave the packages with her.  I go back to the tobacco shop, buy packing tape, return to post office, tape up the boxes, fill out the forms to ship (literally on a ship) packages home, she weighs them and tells me it will be about $120.  WHAT!!! I took the boxes back to the hotlel, unpacked them and repacked them into our luggage.  New goal, find some cheap luggage with wheels.

The immediate goal for today was to move hotels.  We tried the one Katie stayed in when she visited, but it was booked.  So we went to the tourist office and they found us the wonderful hotel.  In fact as i type, we are watching the Cards Brewers game on satalite TV.  It is probably the nicest place we have stayed,  I feel certain an american owns this because it caters to all our spoiled needs, internet, satalite tv, A/C, private bath and breakfast included in the price, with a reasonable price.  So we moved, checked in with Heidi about our rendevous in Rome and off we went to our first city of the Cinque (5) terra (city), Monterosso al Mare.

We walked out of the train station and felt like we had entered a Hollywood set.  It looked like what we have seen in the movies only 100 times better.  Narrow streets, shops along every street with somewhere to eat at every other building.  These cities are on the Liguori Sea and built into the mountains.  The beach was rocky but had the clearest water ever.  The rock formations were amazing and HUGE.  We had our first gelati (ice cream).  I had melon and I can't tell you how much more yummy gelati is than ice cream.  I don't know what they do, but i know that will not be my last.

We had lunch here, I had spinach/cheese ravioli and Cory had Gnocchi with Pesto sauce for his first course and a variety of fried white fish for his second course.  Again, amazing food.

We left there after wandering the village for a while and headed to Vernazza.  This town was similiar to Monterosso, but smaller.  Scenery was amazing and we say Howie's Italian brother.  He looked just like him only he had fur all over him.  I gave him a quick pet, since Cory didn't think I should be petting stray cats.  OOOH I wanted to pick him up!

Then off to Corniglia.  The train was 1.25 hrs late, but we made it.  Katie, why didn't you warn me.  The train dropped us off at the bottom of the city.  We climbed 382 steps straight up the mountain.  Cory estimated it to be 1500 - 2000 feet high.  Boy am I out of shape, but hey, I made it to the top.  THis was a great way to view all the crops that the Italians plant on the mountain sides.  We saw and tasted the grapes, YUM, saw tomatoes, olives and things we didn't know.  What a totally different way of living.  Small homes tucked into the mountain side.  Just a site unable to be described.

After this we were done for the day.  We came back to our wonderful cool hotel and watched the cards game.

love ya