Pisa To Go

Of course everyone comes here for the Leaning Tower but once you get that out of the way and escape the throngs of tourists, shopping for fashion appears to be at the forefront. But there is more to the Piazza Del Duomo than just the Leaning Tower. The Cathedral, Baptistery and Campoanto all are magnificent examples of architecture. I have to say though that even if the Tower was not leaning the sheer elegance of it's cylindrical design is wonderful. The art, sculptures and frescoes abound but with the price of admissions to some of the sites, it's is a wonder why the national debt hasn't been paid off by the masses of tourists who can't get out their wallets fast enough.

 Travel to Pisa as well as the rest of the country has been a breeze. Train travel is the best. Such a shame, we at home won't improve our infrastructure to facilitate travel by rail. I haven't talked about food much but it goes without saying, the Italians take their food seriously. Service is almost always impeccable and the restaurant menus and ambiance are second to none. Wine is very reasonably priced and the quality keeps me happy. It's been great, but it's time to come home.

 As I always say "if you want to come back, first of all you have to go home". Thanks for following along. See you on our next travel adventure. Saluti and arrivederci!!

Cinque Terre Undiscovered

Sure you come to these places along with everyone else because  they have something special to offer. But more often than not it is the places off the beaten track which are much more fun and interesting to discover. No boutique shopping for high priced souvenirs or over priced restaurant menus for this traveler. We did a little of both today, first backtracking to Riomaggiore by train to take in a little more of the ambiance of this quaint and colourful town and it's unique small porto.

In the afternoon it was time to get back to our base of Bonassolla. We wanted to take a cycle around the environs and as luck would have it our hotel had one working bicycle and one in need of some repairs. Voila and with a little luck and knowledge I managed to get the second bike on the road.

Off we went, continuing along the converted train tunnel to the region of Framura a couple of kilometers along the coast. No tourists here but a real jewel to walk around and get a real feel as to what made this region so tempting to visit before it became trendy. Lots of old homes with frescoes, narrow alleyways and of course the ever present church. I think we saw one elderly man tending to his olive grove and another staring out a window to the sea from her third floor apartment. A couple of workmen on scooters and that was the extent of human interaction on this particular afternoon and yes a friendly dog overseeing his master's property. Get off the beaten path, that's where you can really get a feel for what's going on. Saluti!!

Starting the road home tomorrow with an overnight stop in Pisa. I promise no photos of me holding up the tower with my finger. Arrivederci

Cinque Terre...No Shoppin, Just Walkin

We arrived by train into Monterosso which would be our base for the next two nights. As I suggested in the title, walking and hiking is to be our focus. The following morning we took a short train ride to Riomaggore, one of the five Cinque Terre towns, to start our 13 km hike to Portovenere. Our aim was to catch the 4:30 ferry back and as it turned out we only had about 10 minutes to spare. This hike was to take us about 6 hours and it required the agility of a hermit crab and the sure footed and confident demeanor of a mountain goat.

The hike was extremely challenging but the  views were outstanding despite the overcast day and the reward of getting off the beaten path, with relatively few tourists was well worth the effort. See my video below.

Though we would have loved to have spent more time in Portovenere, the 1 1/2 hour boat ride back, stopping along the way, at the other towns of Cinque Terre was something to experience.

Another great night of dining on fresh mussels and fish and a good bottle of the local rosso and it was off to our three star. Very clean and compact but I haven't slept in a bed this small since I left my crib as a one year old. No shopping for Gucci handbags, Armani clothing or shoes and it was back on the road to Bonassola. Our luggage would be transported and all we had to do was hike another 10 Km. Easier said than done as the first km uphill took the better part of an hour and we still had further to climb. But again the rewards were spectacular views that most tourists don't get to experience.

After a brief lunch stop in Levanto, we opted to take the cycle route to our final destination. Hiking through abandoned train tunnels gave us great views from the coastal level.See video below. I think we may well rent bikes today and follow the cycle path onto our next destination of Framura. The sun is shining and the tourist season is winding down so we will be able to appreciate this area without the swelling crowds. Our hotel will actually in fact close down when we leave tomorrow. Saluti!!