We’ve had some minor troubles in Rome. We took a sticky train ride into the city, avoided pick-pockets at the train station, got taken for too much money for a cab ride, were stood up by the person who rented us his apartment, were treated rudely by people from whom we asked for help, and are dealing with heat and crowds. We are scared to use the shower (dirty), but we figured out if we get an massage at the Traditional Thai Massage place down our street, we can use the clean showers and towels (which we don’t have at the place we rented). Not only that but we now know that Traditional Thai Massage involves wearing cotton gause outfits and getting assisted with stretching (like Yoga for dummies). It’s been a relaxing solution to an uncomfortable predicament

Montalcino is the town in Tuscany where my dear friends Steve and Debbie have been living. We’ve spent 3 days with them here. 

This is Montalicino:

-A medieval town with  1,500 residents
-A hill town with views of the green Tuscan fields in every direction you look
-A “strolling hour” every evening during which the people all go out for a walk around town and visit with their friends
-A clock tower in the town center the “Piazza del Popolo” featuring a clock with 1 working hand and bells that ring at four and nine minutes after the hour
-The home of Brunello wines – Sangiovese grapes, not allowed to be irrogated, aged for at least 5 years, and delicious to drink
-Little shops all within a 3 minute walk to buy baked goods, fresh meat, cheese, other groceries, and, of course, gelato
-A community divided into four quadrants which have friendly competitions with one another and their own version of “block parties”
-A place where you see the same familiar faces at the streetside cafe after just a day of being here

Cinque Terre is a series of 5 towns on the Ligurian Sea. Each has a single main street off of which lie the little shops and apartments. They are built into the sides of the sheer cliffs.

There is a narrow trail that connect the towns and can be hiked in about 6 hours (plus another hour to hike down to the beach and back at town 3).

The room we rented belonged to the owner of a pizzeria, which served as the “front desk” for the “hotel”.

I enjoyed spending the day hiking between the towns while the whole time enjoying the stunning views of the sea and the colorful clusters that made up each town. The trails were nestled among a variety of green plants, trees and undergrowth, as well as wildflowers and plenty of farfalle (butterflies).

We finished the day with a meal on top of the cliffs overlooking town 4, Vernazza. At the family-run restaurant, they seated a sweet couple from Quebec at our same table, and we enjoyed sharing Mama’s seafood dishes with them. We saved room for dessert at Il Pirata where the brothers who own it recommended their specialty-cannoli with sweet ricotta and strawberries.

Yesterday, on a gondola ride through the canals of Venice, I learned that gondoliere school takes two years, and women are now allowed to attend. But thus far none have passed the course.

Venice is colorful and crowded. It’s beautiful after dark.

My exceptional travel buddy, Andy, has written a much better, and more in-depth, travel journal on his blog (which he calls Snide Remarks).