Roma!

This is the final destination of my wonderful Italy trip. What an incredible journey it has been. We leave Florence for Rome on the bullet train. Forget trying to take photos out the window...everything is a blur. We arrive in Rome within a few short hours. But not before I have a tussle with an Italian traveler. I was helping to carry my Mom's suitcase and it was too large to fit in the overhead. I discovered that there are additional compartments between the rows of seats to stuff your luggage. As I was starting to stuff my Mom's bag in one I realize that I am holding up other travelers from passing by so I move myself and the suitcase aside to let a few by. The last traveler I move aside for tries to slide her suitcase in the same compartment I want to use. I speak up letting her know that is where I am placing mine and she rattled off in Italian something that didn't sound very nice as she hunted for another spot for her suitcase. I soon forget this as we settle into our ride. My Dad has headphones on listening to an mp3 player and when our eyes met he said in a rather loud voice "Puccini!". Telling us what he is listening to. This got my sister and I to laugh. A few minutes later Dad gets up and while still listening to his tunes says even louder "Bagno!!" To let us know he is on his way to the bathroom. Geez Dad!! My sister and I pretend we don't know him, though that isn't working very well as we are doubled over with laughter. The stereotype of the American traveler!

Once in Rome we roll are bags for what seems like an hour looking for our hotel. We finally find it, on the 4th floor of a building in the city near the Trevi fountain. The lift (elevator) is only big enough for two people and a suitcase. Thank goodness the room is quite comfortable by European standards with a balcony that faces the street. We drop off our luggage and head on out to see the city.

What an amazing city it is. Fountains everywhere and piazzas every few blocks where tourists take photos and locals gather for conversation. We walk a short distance from our hotel and come across our first relics. At first you think that the buildings are old and you admire the architecture then you come around a corner and there is a scene that immediately takes you back to the days of Caesar. Instead of being over a hundred years old you are talking over a thousand years old. Among the many we saw were the Colesseum, the Arch of Constantine, Palatine Hill, The Forums of Augustus, Roman and Trajan, the Pantheon, the Trevi Fountain and Vatican City. To walk where the chariots once raced at Circus Maximus. To view the wondrous paintings and sculptures of Michelangelo and Bernini in St Peter's Basilica. My Dad and I climbed the 323 steps to the top of the cupola and looked out at the metropolis of Rome that spread for miles in all directions.

My final eve with my family was spent indulging once again in the tastes of Italy, vino, pasta and gelato! Then a walk by the Trevi Fountain for night photos and to follow the Italian tradition of dipping our fingers in the fountain which is told will bring us back to Rome once again in the future. Ciao Roma, arrivederci!!

Italy - Cinque Terre

In the third segment of my trip while we were staying in Florence we took an overnight excursion to Cinque Terre. This was of our own making, my Dad planned it out. He excels at trip itineraries. We take a train from Florence to La Speza stopping briefly in Pisa on the way and then onto Cinque Terre. The name translates as 'Five Lands'. Starting from the northern town they are, Monterosso al Mare, Vernazza, Corniglia, Manarola and Riomaggiore.

These towns are literally perched on the edge of the hills near the water and one, Corniglia, is a thousand feet up on a cliff above the Mediterranean. At one time there was no way to navigate the hills, unless you are a goat, from one town to the other. There wasn't even a road to get there until the 1960's. Nowadays there are four ways to visit, by train, by car, by trail and by ferry - weather permitting. The trails are well maintained and a hikers paradise. You pay a small fee to access the trails as this area has been designated a national park.

We disembark in Monterosso and find it is sectioned off into a new and old town, divided by a tunnel in the hillside. We find lodging in the old town side and after a quick bite of foccacia, a local bread and man is it yummy, we begin to explore. We start to hike our way from Monterosso to Vernazza and 20 minutes into it my Mom calls it quits and rests on a bench formed in the rock on the side of the trail, we are about 60 feet above the sea here. Dad and I continue on while Mom waits for us. We are under the impression that the next town is just around the corner. After huffing and puffing our way up a steep set of stairs carved into the hill we walk a switchback in the trail to see another set of steep narrower steps and then another set and another one beyond that. My Dad turns to me and says...."time for a 'birra'". I smile my response and we return to where my Mom is sitting. Later we overhear a group of hikers discuss how the 90 min hike from Monterosso to Vernazza was a helacious trail, quite strenuous to hike. Dad and I are relieved with our decision and we toast ourselves!

The towns of Cinque Terre are very colorful with brightly painted old structures stacked up the hills with narrow avenues that slope down to the beautiful green-blue waters of the Mediterranean. This is a popular destination for travelers and even in the off-season lodging was a bit hard to find. Reservations a must for the best restaurants. We ate dinner at an outdoor restaurant on a bluff overlooking the water. We feasted on homemade pasta with fresh caught prawns. I tried the local flavor that the region is known for, pesto. It was my favorite meal the whole trip. We sampled the local white wine and it was nice and light. The temps were in the 80's that day so it was a perfect evening to stroll around town.

The next day we hopped a ferry boat and cruised to Vernazza, a much easier way to travel then the trail! After many photos later, we grabbed another ferry ride to Riomaggiore and walked the popular 'Via dell' Amore' trail. This is the shortest of all the trails, connecting Riomaggiore with Manarola. The trail is aptly named for couples have strolled this to admire the view and probably because it is the only trail with level enough terrain for one to actually enjoy a conversation along the way! The temps were in the low 90s this day and when we completed the trail we headed for some gelato to reward ourselves and to cool off! I was envious of those swimming along the shores, but alas no suit with me. My Dad made the mistake of wearing long pants, but he used that as an excuse to have more gelato.....why didn't I think of that???

Final photos to come of Roma!