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Ciao Bella!

How's this for a day:

9:00 am- Wake up in Cinque Terra. Have coffee and chocolate croissant on the Mediterranean.
10:30 am- Pack and go to train station.
1:45 pm- Arrive Pisa. Check Bag. Walk through town to tower. Take Picture. Walk back to station.
3:15 pm- Board train for Florence.
5:30 pm- Arrive Florence. Walk to Museum to see Michaelangelo's David statue. Assess line, cost, time. Skip museum. Get piece of pizza walk back to station.
6:49 pm- Board train for Venice.
10:00 pm- Arrive Venice. Look for hostel.

It's strange to think that just 24 hours ago I was in the Cinque Terra, where time stopped for 3 full days. Now I have once again donned "Agro-Tourist" hat and have kicked it into high gear. Not consistent I know, but that's the life of a Travelin D. You find a little piece of heaven, stop, soak, and then keep moving. I will be here in Venice for a day and plan to catch a night train to Geneva, Switzerland. And now that I've gotten you all worked up, let me slow it down again and tell you about Cinque Terra.

Cinque Terra, as the name implies (in Italian), are five towns. Perched on cliffs, over looking the Mediterranean Sea on the northern coast of Italy, it is easily one of the nicest places I have been in my travels. Recommended to me by a few friends that had been themselves, I had the hardest time imagining these five little towns that you hike between. It maybe pointless for me to attempt it myself, I'll try. One thing I will definitely do, however, is like my friend recommend that you, one day in your travels, find the time to visit this slice of paradise for yourself. Or if it's easier poor yourself a cold fruity drink and look at the pictures I've posted.

I stayed in the southern most town of Riomagiorre (I think-don't have the spelling). There is a train that runs between the five towns and as I've mentioned trails. Most people, including myself, hike the 5-hour trail one way, and take the train one way. I started at the northern most town of Montorosso (sp?) and worked my way down beginning with the hardest. Montorosso is the largest of the towns and the one I spent the least amount of time in. The trails between the towns are well paved and marked (thinking back to Bottle Beach in Thailand). For a long time they were the only means of getting from one town to another by land, which means they were important for trading.

Hiking the trails you proceed up and down the steep hills of Italy walking through the vineyards and olive groves, picking an occasional black berry for nourishment. You can plow through the trails, or you can stop at each little town for lunch, a gelato, or an extremely refreshing dip in the Med. I chose the latter.

Every town has it's own personality, and somehow despite the large number of tourists, seems to maintain a real local feel. Old Italians wander the streets, sit on THEIR benches, and spread the town gossip (I am assuming because though I don't speak Italian, I can understand that responsive head nod and "ahhhh" or "tsk, tsk" in any language. The kids also wander the streets, but are more often found jumping off cliffs or playing in the sea.

The first day I hiked the entire trail. The second day I went the opposite direction and took more time to explore each little town... and more time to swim. And now two days later I am sitting in Venice paying 6 Euro an hour for internet and still dreaming of the Cinque. Loved it. And if I still didn't want to go to Switzerland, Germany, Holland, and Paris and London again I'd go right back there today. Oh well, guess I'll have to save that for my next round the world trip.

posted by Travelin' D @ 3:27 AM