August 31

August 31st (sunny and warm)
Another beautiful day in paradise! Started off kind of funny in that I thought there was a scorpion, rattler, (or any other beastie that makes a rattling kind of sound) in my toiletry bag. After Georg gingerly picked it up with a stick, we checked inside to find that my battery-operated trimmer had started by itself. I am petrified of bugs, spiders or anything like that so it was quite amusing.
We were excited by our Cinque Terre excursion. The five cliff-hanging villages are connected by either small, tight, single-lane roads, walking paths, train or motorboat launch and only pedestrians are allowed. The residents have managed to resist corporate pressures to build hotels. Travelers, content to rent a room in a private home or simple pension, enjoy a land where the villages have almost no choice by to go about their business as if the surrounding vineyards are the very edge of the earth. Cinque Terre means “five lands” and is five villages clinging to the most inaccessible bit of the beautiful Riviera coastline. Our train took us from Levanto, where we are camping, to the five villages called, Monterosso, Vernazza, Corniglia, Manarola and Riomaggiore. We were able to walk for an hour in each place with a train ride of about four minutes between stops. If you chose to walk Cinque Terre, it will take you at least ten hours of walking and looking. Most people take in the five villages over a five-day period either by staying at each place overnight or returning to a home base and starting again the next day.
Lots of walking, we were tired and ready to come back for a cold beer and dinner after a wonderful day. After dinner, we walked to the beach, watched the surfers, wake boarders, people enjoying the beach and the huge waves. The water is a beautiful turquoise and very warm.
Oh – have I mentioned how much I am enjoying the bread, fresh pasta, pizza, beer and everything else Italian? Loving it! Ciao for now!