Hits and Misses and afterthoughts

Now that the jet lag is abating, I'm missing some things Italian terribly, and yet, I'm happy to be on US soil for a myriad of other reasons.

Things I'm missing:

*strolling around and exploring all day every day, and walking to cafes for lunch and dinner
*FOOD - not sure we had a bad meal in 2 weeks?
*beautiful scenery and surroundings
*WINE - wonderful! Again, not sure we had a bad glass/bottle the entire trip?
*Ambiance and the attitude of the Italians and the pace of life there
*My immediate family all being together
*The weather - warm, breezy and NO HUMIDITY!!!!!!!

Things I missed while away:

*My dogs
*My family and friends
*All things bathroom related: kleenex, t.p., commodes, showers, big fat American bars of soap!, towels - you name it! And I won't even go into a description of a particular bathroom in a train station in Vernazza - gross!
*My bed
*Jogging
*Breakfast (not Italy's strong suit) - unless runny eggs and very fatty bacon are your thing!
*My cell phone : (
*An American mug of good coffee

Things I would do differently:

Tricky. It was a blissful 13 day getaway for sure with my family of 4.

 The goal was to see as much of Italy as we could realistically do in that period of time without taxing the familial relationship with our adult "kids." I've called our experience "Italy 101." That means that this trip was our first foray into all things Italia. Would I do things differently on a subsequent trip? Absolutely. Loved Rome. Loved the food in Rome and Florence. Hated the crowds/tour groups in Florence and Venice. Yearned for open space at times. Cinque Terre = fabulous. Tuscany = fabulous. So, next trip - - - a villa in Tuscany followed by an excursion to southern Italy (Naples, Sardinia, Sicily, Isle of Capri), and possibly 3 nights (instead of 2) in Cinque Terre. And as interesting as Venice was - I've checked it off my list. But - - - for a first trip, it was fabulous, fun and delectable. And, I'd do it again in a heartbeat. And all four of us returned at a Level 1. Not a bad vacation to say to least...

Oh, and I'd scale down my suitcase even more. Changing trains was let's say, challenging. My bag was too heavy for me to hoist it up over my head into an overhead compartment. Not good on a crowded train. Live and learn...

Now on to the next trip planning...Hmmmmm I'm thinking U.S...West of our home...Where will we end up and when is the question....

Maybe here??

Or here??

Or maybe even here???

VENICE THE MENACE

Before I start, let me just say that Venice is a magical place for certain. Getting to Venice for US however, was let's say, less than magical.

We left Monterosso by train, and we switched at Viareggio. We then headed to Florence, and upon arrival found that our train to Venice had been cancelled. This situation is not at all unusual for Europe, but for 3 people with luggage and little patience, it's not an ideal situation.

We ended up running to catch another train, and we had to switch one more time (just for fun) before finally arriving in Venice. We had a driver that was supposed to meet us in Venice, but we found out she left once she saw that our original train had been cancelled. To top things off it was about 55 degrees F outside and misting rain (my favorite).

We caught a water taxi (along with another couple who were sneezing and coughing the entire way) to our hotel. And somewhere along the way from the train station to our hotel my cell phone got snagged. Kind of aggravating, but what can you do?

The good news is that our hotel is beautiful and right on the canal. We have a balcony that overlooks everything, and we are in close proximity to St Mark's Basillica.

Venice is quite the spectacle - crowds, gondolas, cruise ships, crowds,artists, canals, water everywhere, and did I mention CROWDS?! We are enamored one minute and possibly repulsed the next. But all the while it's a sight to see.

So many books have been written about this place, and so many movies have been filmed here, that it's almost familiar. And it's definitely best enjoyed first thing in the morning or in the evening/nighttime, because the day trippers are just a nightmare. Gigantic cruise ships arrive in the morning, and throngs of tourists head in with guides. Not sure I've ever experienced the crowds or more like hordes of people that congregate to this island everyday only to just shuffle along slowly and stand in line for everything.

Venice is best experienced by getting away from the main squares and exploring or getting lost (which you really can't do because all roads eventually lead back to the center of Venice). It's quite beautiful and charming (once you can get away and breathe). One note however, it was the most expensive city in Italy by far. Be prepared.

Venetian lampposts - everywhere!

The (uh hum) "Merchants" of Venice (had to get that one in there) are also (unfortunately) everywhere:

Here I am sporting a newly purchased (NEEDED) sweatshirt due to the weather that says (IRONICALLY), "I LOVE VENEZIA." Wasn't exactly "loving" Venezia at that moment...

Ready to GO GO GO Day 2 in Venice!

A common sight throughout:

From the Rialto Bridge:

RIALTO MARKET
This place is what I was looking forward to seeing the most in Venice. It's the market where all the locals get their food - from individuals buying for themselves and their families to all the restaurants. Nothing at all is grown on the island, so everyday the Rialto Market has fresh fruit, vegetables, cheese, meats, fish etc. shipped in by boats. There are too many vendors selling things to count, but the food is fresh and beautiful.

Best of all - NO CRUISE PEOPLE OR OTHER TOURISTS! I could've stayed all day.

Then on to lunch at a little cafe after walking for 3 hours all over Venice:

A glimpse of the masses of people as we near Piazza San Marco and St Mark's Basilica:

Then a gelato finale:

Da Rafaela was our final Italian dinner, and it did not disappoint!

The dishes were fantastic - lasagne bolognese:

Gnocchi with gorgonzola sauce - YUM! Bad pic though...

And Caroline's delish spinach ravioli with fresh parmesan

Here's how House Wine is served:

And lastly, a final image of Venice taken from our hotel room overlooking the Grand Canal at night:

Saturday=SCALING (I mean hiking) CINQUE TERRE

OK, it wasn't quite as challenging as the opening scene for Tom, but it wasn't exactly a stroll in the park either. The ups were way way way up, and the downs were, well, the knees and calves took a hit at the end of the day. Worth it? Absolutely. Here's why:

Since we were staying in Monterosso al Mare, which is on one end of Cinque Terre, we took a train to the farthest village to begin our hike at 9AM.

We then arrived at the destination and got our bearings:

The beauty was just incredible!

A stop for lunch in one of the 5 picturesque villages (Vernazza):

Then it was back to the hike and images too beautiful to describe:

ALMOST AT THE END:

Ross and Caroline celebrating running most of the trails:

Our view as we are walking back up to our village (Monterosso):

Then, as we walked up to our hotel, who do we see??? TY VOLKMAN, who has JUST disembarked his train from Vicenza!

WE DID IT!!!!

We then dipped into the Mediterranean Sea, had a refreshing beverage and a delicious dinner in old Monterosso. Just wish I had snapped a pic of our Dr Scholls guy with his grey shorts ensemble...

SOME of the food we enjoyed:

Ah, the Ligurian pesto = DEVINE!

Ty's turbot with roasted cherry tomatoes and capers:

The next morning it was time to say "Goodbye" sadly to our blissful time in Cinque Terre and to Ross and Ty. : (

But, Doug, Caroline and I headed to Venice early in the morning for more adventure, while Ross and Ty headed to Vincenza and then Ibiza, Spain!