Santa Margherita Liguria and
Portofino
Santa Margherita(ville) is another beautiful town and the gateway for Portofino, a picturesque fishing village. We had a pleasant walk down to the harbor. Santa Margherita was 80 minutes away via two trains.
We walked alomg the harbor enjoying the beautiful buildings, churches and resort hotels. We caught a bus in front of the Best Western Hotel. It was crowded. It wound it's way along the often narrow road, offering great views of the deep blue Mediterranean. On the hairpin turns, the driver would lay on the horn to warn small, approaching cars to "WATCH OUT,,,I AM BIGGER!!"
PORTOFINO, Italy is a gorgeous fishing village and resort where famous Hollywood stars like Richard Burton, Elizabeth Taylor, Goldie Hawn, and others, have been coming for years. It was told that Gretna Garbo liked to stay here. She would often sneak down at night to the harbor and go swimming in the nude. Little did she realize, half the town was watching. 😂
We all had great food at a sidewalk cafe next to the harbor. I ordered a pepper fillet steak. It was awesome! Five thumbs up! 😆
The word must have gotten out that we were in town, because when we got on the bus for the train station, a horde of people crowded on with us. There were so many we were standing in there like cordwood! I met the short lady on my right arm. She was from Albany, Oregon. I told her, "We have to stop meeting like this!" She agreed.
It was dark when we got home. Just about right!
Thursday, October 13, 2016
Saturday, October 8, 2016
PISA, ITALY
After leaving Collodi and getting ourselves to the train station in Lucca, we boarded a Regional Train to Pisa. Unfortunately for us, a lot of high schoolers were also getting on the same train after studying for the day in Lucca. Some of the boys were extremely obnoxious, very rowdy and an embarrassment to their parents. It occurred to me that the future leaders of Italy might have trouble getting along with other nations. Just an observation.
We grabbed a Taxi and were dropped off in front of the main entrance. A great crowd of tourists were making their way inside the castle walls to see the Duomo, the Baptistry and the Tower. Many nationalities roamed the compound. Many photos were being taken. We weren't much different taking regulars, selfies, us-ies and phonies (where you appear to be a giant, pushing on the leaning tower). Yes, we did that.
We didn't go into the Duomo as the crowds were unmanageable and we were limiting out. As we headed for the main entrance, I noticed two Italian Army types in cammos and carrying Uzzies. Not to be messed with!
After a few minutes of souvineer shopping, we grabbed a taxi and were soon on a train to Manarola, where we stopped for dinner before heading up to our apartment. It was a great day!
After leaving Collodi and getting ourselves to the train station in Lucca, we boarded a Regional Train to Pisa. Unfortunately for us, a lot of high schoolers were also getting on the same train after studying for the day in Lucca. Some of the boys were extremely obnoxious, very rowdy and an embarrassment to their parents. It occurred to me that the future leaders of Italy might have trouble getting along with other nations. Just an observation.
We grabbed a Taxi and were dropped off in front of the main entrance. A great crowd of tourists were making their way inside the castle walls to see the Duomo, the Baptistry and the Tower. Many nationalities roamed the compound. Many photos were being taken. We weren't much different taking regulars, selfies, us-ies and phonies (where you appear to be a giant, pushing on the leaning tower). Yes, we did that.
We didn't go into the Duomo as the crowds were unmanageable and we were limiting out. As we headed for the main entrance, I noticed two Italian Army types in cammos and carrying Uzzies. Not to be messed with!
After a few minutes of souvineer shopping, we grabbed a taxi and were soon on a train to Manarola, where we stopped for dinner before heading up to our apartment. It was a great day!
COLLODI, ITALY
We were up and fixing coffee getting ready for another day of traveling. At 0720 we were boarding the Regional Train for a 10 minute ride to La Spezia to catch another, a 45 minute ride to Viareggio. When we stepped out onto the Platform, our next Regional to Lucca was there, as if waiting on us to arrive (although it wasn't).
From Lucca, we caught a bus to Pescia, a small town about 30 minutes away from Lucca. We caught a taxi in Pescia for a 7 minute ride to Collodi.
We chose to visit this town for a couple of reasons. Second, it was the birthplace of Pinocchio. His creator was Carlo Collodi, although his last name was actually Lorinzini. He changed his last name to match the city. He was born in the Grand Duchy of Tuscany in 1826. Debby's life has always centered around children and the story of Pinocchio was a character that delighted children.
First, because of her "Uncle Gino". Uncle Gino was born Gino Baiocchi in 1900. He emigrated from Collodi, Italy to America as a young man. He met and married a nice opinionated Italian woman in San Francisco. Among their California neighbors was Debby's family. Their Italian charm created a bonding. Enough so that Lil and Gino soon became "Aunt Lil and Uncle Gino" to Debby and her siblings. She has many fond memories and funny stories of their lives together.
So traveling to visit Uncle Gino's home town of Collodi, Italy was a dream of hers. Ron and Nancy and I came along for the ride, because visiting new places is what we do. As it turned out, visiting Collodi was a serendipity. It was a highlight of all our places.
The Taxi driver let us out near the main entrance to the Garzoni Gardens, near the bus stop sign. The first thing we did was walk into one of two sidewalk curio shops across the street. We were perusing the many souvineer, Pinocchios and curios hanging around while Debby struck up a conversation with the shop keeper, who was about my age. When Debby asked her if she knew the name "Baiocchi", she lit up and begin talking. She said her grandmother had married a Baiocchi. Debby explained about her Uncle Gino and the shopkeeper (DeAnna) seemed to enjoy the conversation as much as Debby.
We went into the Garzoni Gardens and looked around. A couple of water fountains were shooting up about 25' in the air. One pool had water plants and the other had hungry fish coming at you when you walked up....piranhas, I bet! 😆
Tony Baiocchi told us that his Uncle Gino was born in Collodi and worked in these gardens as a kid. He said he also recognized DeAnna, the shopkeeper in the photo, as the one he met on his trip to Collodi in 2007. She is related to his Uncle Bruno's wife.
Some of the statues within the garden were of a fantasy nature. The main fountain that cascaded down the hillside was shut down and would have been fun to see running.
The Butterfly exhibit was very cool. Those lethargic creatures were very colorful and unafraid. A couple of them appeared to be suicidal. They were parked on the stairsteps and in the middle of the walkway.
I wouldn't lay on the sidewalk in front of ME! 😎
We were up and fixing coffee getting ready for another day of traveling. At 0720 we were boarding the Regional Train for a 10 minute ride to La Spezia to catch another, a 45 minute ride to Viareggio. When we stepped out onto the Platform, our next Regional to Lucca was there, as if waiting on us to arrive (although it wasn't).
From Lucca, we caught a bus to Pescia, a small town about 30 minutes away from Lucca. We caught a taxi in Pescia for a 7 minute ride to Collodi.
We chose to visit this town for a couple of reasons. Second, it was the birthplace of Pinocchio. His creator was Carlo Collodi, although his last name was actually Lorinzini. He changed his last name to match the city. He was born in the Grand Duchy of Tuscany in 1826. Debby's life has always centered around children and the story of Pinocchio was a character that delighted children.
First, because of her "Uncle Gino". Uncle Gino was born Gino Baiocchi in 1900. He emigrated from Collodi, Italy to America as a young man. He met and married a nice opinionated Italian woman in San Francisco. Among their California neighbors was Debby's family. Their Italian charm created a bonding. Enough so that Lil and Gino soon became "Aunt Lil and Uncle Gino" to Debby and her siblings. She has many fond memories and funny stories of their lives together.
So traveling to visit Uncle Gino's home town of Collodi, Italy was a dream of hers. Ron and Nancy and I came along for the ride, because visiting new places is what we do. As it turned out, visiting Collodi was a serendipity. It was a highlight of all our places.
The Taxi driver let us out near the main entrance to the Garzoni Gardens, near the bus stop sign. The first thing we did was walk into one of two sidewalk curio shops across the street. We were perusing the many souvineer, Pinocchios and curios hanging around while Debby struck up a conversation with the shop keeper, who was about my age. When Debby asked her if she knew the name "Baiocchi", she lit up and begin talking. She said her grandmother had married a Baiocchi. Debby explained about her Uncle Gino and the shopkeeper (DeAnna) seemed to enjoy the conversation as much as Debby.
We went into the Garzoni Gardens and looked around. A couple of water fountains were shooting up about 25' in the air. One pool had water plants and the other had hungry fish coming at you when you walked up....piranhas, I bet! 😆
Tony Baiocchi told us that his Uncle Gino was born in Collodi and worked in these gardens as a kid. He said he also recognized DeAnna, the shopkeeper in the photo, as the one he met on his trip to Collodi in 2007. She is related to his Uncle Bruno's wife.
Some of the statues within the garden were of a fantasy nature. The main fountain that cascaded down the hillside was shut down and would have been fun to see running.
The Butterfly exhibit was very cool. Those lethargic creatures were very colorful and unafraid. A couple of them appeared to be suicidal. They were parked on the stairsteps and in the middle of the walkway.
I wouldn't lay on the sidewalk in front of ME! 😎
MANAROLA, Cinque Terre
We fell in love with Manarola when we visited here four years ago. This picturesque village is built on steep hillsides and sheer cliffs on the rugged shoreline of the Mediterranean Sea. Counting from east to west, Manarola is town #2 of the 5 that comprise the Cinque Terre, which actually means "Five Towns" .
Because of its uniqueness and rugged beauty, the President declared this area a National Park to prevent its exploitation to commercialism. For the most part, because of the regulations, there is little construction taking place. There are no big hotels in the Cinque Terre. Because of the tourism boom, residents are turning their own units into rental apartments.
There are miles of terraced hillside grape vineyards along these mountains. Owning and caring for Vineyard farms is arduous, full time, hard work. If not busy tending the grapes, the farmers are making changes to access their crops or repairing damaged dry fit rock walls that shape the terraces due to erosion. It's a lot of hard work and kids today are looking to other interests than following in the footsteps of their fathers or grandfathers. It may, someday, pose a dilemma for these families.
You may note that the buildings in all 5 villages seem to be painted with very similar pastel colors. This is because the governing authority has declared it so. Owners have been told the color to paint. Even the same pastel color next door must be different than those adjoining it.
Years ago, when pirates roamed the seas and plundered the villages, the people built fortifications to protect their families. Thick, high walls atop cliffs, with lookout towers and cannon emplacements were typical for these towns. Pirates would plunder all too frequently, taking supplies, crops, food and women.
Before the street was added, a ravine separated the two parts of town. A year-round creek ran down the ravine and foot bridges connected the two sides. Now, the street brings more commerce as small vehicles can negotiate the narrow street and the myriad of small fishing boats that line both sides of the already narrow street.
Tiny trucks make early morning deliveries and garbage pickup before tourists are up and around. About ten the tourists and tour groups begin to arrive by train and boat. They are heading in all directions, snapping photos and trying to take the perfect selfie. They all head for the waterfront to walk the cliffside trail. From that point they turn around to drink in the gorgeous spirit of the pastel town on the cliffs. From this point are also views of other towns down the coast.
Hiking trails conneect the five towns, as well as do trains and boats (no planes). The five towns from East to West are Riomaggiore, Manarola, Corniglia, Vernazza and Monterosso. The lower Coastal hiking trail between Corniglia and Manarola was closed because of its destruction from a rock slide. In fact, it was closed when we were here in 2012. It remains that way, still today.
The Coastal Trail between Riomaggiore and Manarola, called The Via dell'Amore, is more of a walking path than a trail. It is nearly level, smooth and paved. It is called the romantic trail. Four years ago it was open, but another slide sent part of it plummeting into the sea, and has been closed ever since.
The upper, more rugged trails connecting these 3 towns is difficult. I did those this year. I feel satisfied in knowing I have hiked the more rugged and difficult trails connecting the Cinque Terre. Now we can go home. 😎
We fell in love with Manarola when we visited here four years ago. This picturesque village is built on steep hillsides and sheer cliffs on the rugged shoreline of the Mediterranean Sea. Counting from east to west, Manarola is town #2 of the 5 that comprise the Cinque Terre, which actually means "Five Towns" .
Because of its uniqueness and rugged beauty, the President declared this area a National Park to prevent its exploitation to commercialism. For the most part, because of the regulations, there is little construction taking place. There are no big hotels in the Cinque Terre. Because of the tourism boom, residents are turning their own units into rental apartments.
There are miles of terraced hillside grape vineyards along these mountains. Owning and caring for Vineyard farms is arduous, full time, hard work. If not busy tending the grapes, the farmers are making changes to access their crops or repairing damaged dry fit rock walls that shape the terraces due to erosion. It's a lot of hard work and kids today are looking to other interests than following in the footsteps of their fathers or grandfathers. It may, someday, pose a dilemma for these families.
You may note that the buildings in all 5 villages seem to be painted with very similar pastel colors. This is because the governing authority has declared it so. Owners have been told the color to paint. Even the same pastel color next door must be different than those adjoining it.
Years ago, when pirates roamed the seas and plundered the villages, the people built fortifications to protect their families. Thick, high walls atop cliffs, with lookout towers and cannon emplacements were typical for these towns. Pirates would plunder all too frequently, taking supplies, crops, food and women.
Before the street was added, a ravine separated the two parts of town. A year-round creek ran down the ravine and foot bridges connected the two sides. Now, the street brings more commerce as small vehicles can negotiate the narrow street and the myriad of small fishing boats that line both sides of the already narrow street.
Tiny trucks make early morning deliveries and garbage pickup before tourists are up and around. About ten the tourists and tour groups begin to arrive by train and boat. They are heading in all directions, snapping photos and trying to take the perfect selfie. They all head for the waterfront to walk the cliffside trail. From that point they turn around to drink in the gorgeous spirit of the pastel town on the cliffs. From this point are also views of other towns down the coast.
Hiking trails conneect the five towns, as well as do trains and boats (no planes). The five towns from East to West are Riomaggiore, Manarola, Corniglia, Vernazza and Monterosso. The lower Coastal hiking trail between Corniglia and Manarola was closed because of its destruction from a rock slide. In fact, it was closed when we were here in 2012. It remains that way, still today.
The Coastal Trail between Riomaggiore and Manarola, called The Via dell'Amore, is more of a walking path than a trail. It is nearly level, smooth and paved. It is called the romantic trail. Four years ago it was open, but another slide sent part of it plummeting into the sea, and has been closed ever since.
The upper, more rugged trails connecting these 3 towns is difficult. I did those this year. I feel satisfied in knowing I have hiked the more rugged and difficult trails connecting the Cinque Terre. Now we can go home. 😎
Wednesday, October 5, 2016
Monte Carlo, Monaco
We had a wild notion to take a train ride to Monaco, a Province just across the border into France, better known as, Monte Carlo. Our five hour train ride, changing trains three times, finally brought us into a beautiful station, totally enclosed, sporting a huge ventilation system, escalators and beautiful architecture. Monaco is a wealthy Province, worth over €4,100 Billion. I can't imagine how big a stack that kind of money would make!
Monaco has about 38,000 citizens. We saw a lot of policemen posted throughout the city. It is said there is one policeman per 68 citizens.
We took a taxi to our hotel, later finding out we were only 7 minutes away walking time! We stayed the night in the Ambassador Hotel, near the Castle.
After we checked into our rooms, we walked to the castle and bought a ticket for a self-guided walking tour. I really liked this one. Even though it was huge, ornate, and dripping with riches and history, it still seemed to have a charm about it that made it feel like you could live in it.
The flag was flying atop the castle, which signaled the Prince was in residence. I had forgotten to bring along the Prince's private cell number so I couldn't text him to let him know we were in town. I hope he isn't too disappointed when he reads my blog.
Evening came and we cleaned up to go out to a nice dinner before visiting the popular hot spot, the Monte Carlo Casino. The restaurant was nice and seemed to have more waiters than customers. People in much of this area seem to eat later in the evenings than we are accustomed to doing. The restaurant was a little busier about the time we finished. The food was okay....nothing to write home about, except Debby said hers was excellent. The head waiter seemed to be pleased.
We walked next door to the casino. A few expensive automobiles were parked out front. I suspect these belonged to people with more money than they could count. The entrance fee, just to walk in and see the pretty lights, was €10 each. I had brought my low vision walking stick with me because of the uneven, unfamiliar steps and curbs...not to mention it was after dark. The cashier lady saw me and told Debby I did not have to pay the €10. That was nice.
There were not that many people inside...at least I couldn't see them! Apparently, the high rollers, whose cars were parked out front, had a private room somewhere because they did not appear to be on our floor.
I know you are probably wondering if I played. I will confess that I allocated €20 for my entertainment in this particular place. It lasted about 5 minutes in the one-armed bandit. I then punched the "cash in" button and collected my €20.54 winnings. I walked out a satisfied man.
As we were heading back looking for a taxi, a familiar short man was heading towards the casino. Debby said he was the angry Elf in the movie "ELF". He was Miles, the writer of children's books. I should have asked for his autograph!
For our second day we walked to Princess Grace's Rose Garden. It was gorgeous! We also loved seeing all the tropical plants and palm trees in this area. They testify to the warm weather and long growing season.
We visited the waterfront and saw an abundance of very expensive yachts. We saw one that had a helicopter parked on top. I suppose if I had unlimited funds to have a yacht half as big as a small cruise ship, I would need a 'chopper, too!
No trip to Monte Carlo is complete without a visit to McDonald's. This one is on two levels in the high rent area next to all those expensive yachts. It was very crowded at noon. They must do a whopping business to have this kind of exposure. Lunch was good too!
Next, Debby and Nancy went shopping while Ron and I visited the Prince's personal museum of his vintage car collection. We could hardly believe the extent of his collection! Priceless!!
We walked the short distance back to the Ambassador Hotel , picked up our luggage and headed home. It was a fun trip!
We had a wild notion to take a train ride to Monaco, a Province just across the border into France, better known as, Monte Carlo. Our five hour train ride, changing trains three times, finally brought us into a beautiful station, totally enclosed, sporting a huge ventilation system, escalators and beautiful architecture. Monaco is a wealthy Province, worth over €4,100 Billion. I can't imagine how big a stack that kind of money would make!
Monaco has about 38,000 citizens. We saw a lot of policemen posted throughout the city. It is said there is one policeman per 68 citizens.
We took a taxi to our hotel, later finding out we were only 7 minutes away walking time! We stayed the night in the Ambassador Hotel, near the Castle.
After we checked into our rooms, we walked to the castle and bought a ticket for a self-guided walking tour. I really liked this one. Even though it was huge, ornate, and dripping with riches and history, it still seemed to have a charm about it that made it feel like you could live in it.
The flag was flying atop the castle, which signaled the Prince was in residence. I had forgotten to bring along the Prince's private cell number so I couldn't text him to let him know we were in town. I hope he isn't too disappointed when he reads my blog.
Evening came and we cleaned up to go out to a nice dinner before visiting the popular hot spot, the Monte Carlo Casino. The restaurant was nice and seemed to have more waiters than customers. People in much of this area seem to eat later in the evenings than we are accustomed to doing. The restaurant was a little busier about the time we finished. The food was okay....nothing to write home about, except Debby said hers was excellent. The head waiter seemed to be pleased.
We walked next door to the casino. A few expensive automobiles were parked out front. I suspect these belonged to people with more money than they could count. The entrance fee, just to walk in and see the pretty lights, was €10 each. I had brought my low vision walking stick with me because of the uneven, unfamiliar steps and curbs...not to mention it was after dark. The cashier lady saw me and told Debby I did not have to pay the €10. That was nice.
There were not that many people inside...at least I couldn't see them! Apparently, the high rollers, whose cars were parked out front, had a private room somewhere because they did not appear to be on our floor.
I know you are probably wondering if I played. I will confess that I allocated €20 for my entertainment in this particular place. It lasted about 5 minutes in the one-armed bandit. I then punched the "cash in" button and collected my €20.54 winnings. I walked out a satisfied man.
As we were heading back looking for a taxi, a familiar short man was heading towards the casino. Debby said he was the angry Elf in the movie "ELF". He was Miles, the writer of children's books. I should have asked for his autograph!
For our second day we walked to Princess Grace's Rose Garden. It was gorgeous! We also loved seeing all the tropical plants and palm trees in this area. They testify to the warm weather and long growing season.
We visited the waterfront and saw an abundance of very expensive yachts. We saw one that had a helicopter parked on top. I suppose if I had unlimited funds to have a yacht half as big as a small cruise ship, I would need a 'chopper, too!
No trip to Monte Carlo is complete without a visit to McDonald's. This one is on two levels in the high rent area next to all those expensive yachts. It was very crowded at noon. They must do a whopping business to have this kind of exposure. Lunch was good too!
Next, Debby and Nancy went shopping while Ron and I visited the Prince's personal museum of his vintage car collection. We could hardly believe the extent of his collection! Priceless!!
We walked the short distance back to the Ambassador Hotel , picked up our luggage and headed home. It was a fun trip!
Monday, October 3, 2016
Tuscany
The Italian Riviera coastline is awesome but so are other parts of Italy.
Yesterday was Saturday and we decided it was time to have another great adventure! We hired a private tour guide from Florence to take us into the heart of the rolling hills of Tuscany. He was recommended by a store owner (cousins) near our apartment. The guide met us in Pisa, about an hour's train ride away. He met us at the station. After a quick cup of coffee and a sweet roll we climbed into his Mercedes Minivan and off we went for about an hour's drive.
Siena is an ancient city from about the 800's, probably more. The DUOMO (the Cathedral) is actually 801 years old. This walled city is more like a 5th or 6th century era.
Our guide, Artan Ramaj is from Lushnje Albania, the same city we recently visited to go see our friends Tom Bonner. Artan dropped us off right in front of the church. Driving inside this ancient walled city is very restricted but Artan has a special permit to allow him access. An electronic sensor, much like our toll road sensors in the States, is attached to his windshield to let the police know his car is allowed to be in the restricted zone. Sensor readers and cameras are installed throughout the city to help enable traffic enforcement.
The DUOMO de Siena is another huge Catholic church, ornately arrayed with gold, glitter and marble. The floor is a huge, incredible Mosaic. Most of it was roped off or covered. A lot of artwork was either hanging on the walls or painted on the walls and ceilings! The Library has a large priceless book on display. It was all very amazing!
After a photo op in front of the Duomo, we made our way to the main Plaza where the 14 ancient family units had anual horse races. We checked out the shops and were soon picked up by Artan.
He took us to another castle for about a half hout. I believe it had a hotel inside, also a restaurant...not sure what it's name is. There are around 10 castles in Tuscany. I notice one just outside Siena is for sale. It can be yours for €20 million.
We drove for a while through farmlands on rolling hills. Next stop was our original, or first choice destination city today, San Gimignano. This is another ancient city. Artan dropped us off at one end of the walled city. We entered the gates and found many tourists, shops and places to eat. We were a little hungry so we ducked into a little pizza shop and had a big wedge!
We strolled through the city taking photos and looking around, in the Plaza of the Duomo, a bang up wedding was taking place...lots of colorful costumes, drums and fun. We watched for a while before heading out the other side, where Artan was waiting for us.
Our next stop was to visit a winery. They fixed us a lunch of soup and Lasagne. Other tour groups were there. We felt the pressure of them working hard to sell us their wine. It was available for tasting for those who were into that kind of thing. None of us like the taste of it.
We did sample their Olive Oils with our meal. It was very good. We bought a bottle to bring home, as did the Pinkerton's.
Our next stop was after dark, at the leaning tower. Its a famous landmark in Pisa. Not much else in Pisa, but this tower is worth a peek! It was all lit up and easy to see, even for me!
Artan dropped us off at the train station in time and helped us catch the next train to Manarola.
The Italian Riviera coastline is awesome but so are other parts of Italy.
Yesterday was Saturday and we decided it was time to have another great adventure! We hired a private tour guide from Florence to take us into the heart of the rolling hills of Tuscany. He was recommended by a store owner (cousins) near our apartment. The guide met us in Pisa, about an hour's train ride away. He met us at the station. After a quick cup of coffee and a sweet roll we climbed into his Mercedes Minivan and off we went for about an hour's drive.
Siena is an ancient city from about the 800's, probably more. The DUOMO (the Cathedral) is actually 801 years old. This walled city is more like a 5th or 6th century era.
Our guide, Artan Ramaj is from Lushnje Albania, the same city we recently visited to go see our friends Tom Bonner. Artan dropped us off right in front of the church. Driving inside this ancient walled city is very restricted but Artan has a special permit to allow him access. An electronic sensor, much like our toll road sensors in the States, is attached to his windshield to let the police know his car is allowed to be in the restricted zone. Sensor readers and cameras are installed throughout the city to help enable traffic enforcement.
The DUOMO de Siena is another huge Catholic church, ornately arrayed with gold, glitter and marble. The floor is a huge, incredible Mosaic. Most of it was roped off or covered. A lot of artwork was either hanging on the walls or painted on the walls and ceilings! The Library has a large priceless book on display. It was all very amazing!
After a photo op in front of the Duomo, we made our way to the main Plaza where the 14 ancient family units had anual horse races. We checked out the shops and were soon picked up by Artan.
He took us to another castle for about a half hout. I believe it had a hotel inside, also a restaurant...not sure what it's name is. There are around 10 castles in Tuscany. I notice one just outside Siena is for sale. It can be yours for €20 million.
We drove for a while through farmlands on rolling hills. Next stop was our original, or first choice destination city today, San Gimignano. This is another ancient city. Artan dropped us off at one end of the walled city. We entered the gates and found many tourists, shops and places to eat. We were a little hungry so we ducked into a little pizza shop and had a big wedge!
We strolled through the city taking photos and looking around, in the Plaza of the Duomo, a bang up wedding was taking place...lots of colorful costumes, drums and fun. We watched for a while before heading out the other side, where Artan was waiting for us.
Our next stop was to visit a winery. They fixed us a lunch of soup and Lasagne. Other tour groups were there. We felt the pressure of them working hard to sell us their wine. It was available for tasting for those who were into that kind of thing. None of us like the taste of it.
We did sample their Olive Oils with our meal. It was very good. We bought a bottle to bring home, as did the Pinkerton's.
Our next stop was after dark, at the leaning tower. Its a famous landmark in Pisa. Not much else in Pisa, but this tower is worth a peek! It was all lit up and easy to see, even for me!
Artan dropped us off at the train station in time and helped us catch the next train to Manarola.
Sunday, October 2, 2016
Cornelia, Cinque Terre
September 30, 2016
Corniglia, town #3 of 5, is the town on the hill, although it's train stop is not.
Ron and I hiked to Corniglia from Manarola, a distance of over 11 Km across the mountain. I will make a post of that hike later. But Corniglia has much of the same look as the others. Each town has its own charm. All have been worth discovering. There are many steps to take to get down to sea level. As we were returning to Manarola, we needed either the train or the boat. Both are way down there!
Ron and I went into a small market and bought a sandwich and Coke. We sat down outside and watched tourists scurrying about, like trying to figure out where they were going, or something!
Sightseeing is pretty typical of the other towns. There's a main church, souvineer shops, cafes and residential apartments. It is unfortunate that the train station and train tracks occupy a valuable beach front. That would have made a great area for beach activity, sidewalk cafes, shops and a boardwalk.
Beginning at 9:00 PM last night and continuing until 9:00 tonight, there is a nationwide train strike in effect. But from high on the mountain on our hike, looking down on Corniglia, we could see trains occasionally stopping.
We thought it's worth a try to see if we could catch one. The ticket agent said that one out of three trains was running, so we bought a ticket. We had to wait half an hour. As we sat outside the station on a bench, we could look east along the coastline to the next point and see Manarola perched on the steep mountain. We could have easily walked the interconnecting Coastal Trail if the landslides had not taken it out a few years ago.
Oh, good! The train is stopping! We'll be home in two shakes of a Lamb's tail!
September 30, 2016
Corniglia, town #3 of 5, is the town on the hill, although it's train stop is not.
Ron and I hiked to Corniglia from Manarola, a distance of over 11 Km across the mountain. I will make a post of that hike later. But Corniglia has much of the same look as the others. Each town has its own charm. All have been worth discovering. There are many steps to take to get down to sea level. As we were returning to Manarola, we needed either the train or the boat. Both are way down there!
Ron and I went into a small market and bought a sandwich and Coke. We sat down outside and watched tourists scurrying about, like trying to figure out where they were going, or something!
Sightseeing is pretty typical of the other towns. There's a main church, souvineer shops, cafes and residential apartments. It is unfortunate that the train station and train tracks occupy a valuable beach front. That would have made a great area for beach activity, sidewalk cafes, shops and a boardwalk.
Beginning at 9:00 PM last night and continuing until 9:00 tonight, there is a nationwide train strike in effect. But from high on the mountain on our hike, looking down on Corniglia, we could see trains occasionally stopping.
We thought it's worth a try to see if we could catch one. The ticket agent said that one out of three trains was running, so we bought a ticket. We had to wait half an hour. As we sat outside the station on a bench, we could look east along the coastline to the next point and see Manarola perched on the steep mountain. We could have easily walked the interconnecting Coastal Trail if the landslides had not taken it out a few years ago.
Oh, good! The train is stopping! We'll be home in two shakes of a Lamb's tail!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)