Italy
Tuscany

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    • Day 14

      Cinque Terra

      March 13 in Italy ⋅ ☁️ 9 °C

      Joined the masses for the short train ride to Vernazza on the coast. We decided not to go to every town so this was the farthest spot for us on the packed double decker train. Yikes what must high season be like?
      Vernazza was so pretty with a beautiful waterfront. Spotted an ocean swimmer with full wetsuit enjoying a workout. You realise just how set into the cliffs the properties are; shop ceilings are rock!
      As you would expect, lots of steps and gradients but the views are so worthwhile. Back to the station and hop on to head south to Manarola. Lots of shopping opps again - everything from seafood to go, to hats, belts and limoncello. There's even a Michelin starred restaurant. Interesting info displayed about an annual nativity which lights up the hill top each year.
      Still winter season so lots of fishing boats are literally stored in the main street. Must be quite the job to take them down and into the water.
      Found a great spot for lunch. I enjoyed triangular shaped pasta stuffed with ricotta and spinach, smothered in a rich walnut sauce. Delish! Richard went for spaghetti with king prawn.
      Took the upward path from the harbour to the most beautiful view point filled with osteosporum in full bloom (did I get the plant name right?). Amazing how they farm on such steep terrain - and have gone for 100s of years.
      Decided against the trek to Riomaggiore; altho it was the shortest hike in Cinque Terra it was also quite challenging.
      Sun was with us today - getting up to 18c. Most people paring down to tee shirts.
      Next stop by train was Riomaggiore. Sadly the most disappointing location - lots of construction/reno going on and some areas not easily accessible. We walked to the waterfront where many were taking a dip and then back to the station.
      It had been a full day again - we were glad to to pick up a fresh made pizza from a place near our studio. Akin to waiting in the fish & chip shop queue! Fascinating to watch the chef manipulate the pizzas in the big wood fired oven. Literally wood fired with branches and all sorts of logs being fed in.
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    • Day 6

      Move to Sorrento

      March 5 in Italy ⋅ ☁️ 15 °C

      Two buses and 4 hours later we arrive in Sorrento, with sunshine. Amazing coastal scenery as we drove through Furore, Positana and more. Our lodgings are just 3 mins walk from train and bus and central for most things.
      Unpacked then set off to explore. Hard to believe I last visited here 50 years ago. It has grown and changed somewhat!
      Found the elevator to take us down to the port and got all the info on ferry's to Capri. An afternoon for sauntering and stopping to have a beer, which turned into late lunch. Lovely!
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    • Day 5

      Cetara

      March 4 in Italy ⋅ ☁️ 12 °C

      Our 35th wedding anniversary. Pouring rain which cleared so set off via bus for Cetara. A small fishing village , along the coast from Salerno.
      More hair raising twisty roads; Richard was behind the driver so had full view of every sheer drop as we turned! A female cyclist was holding us up for a while as she blithely pedaled along, one hand on phone, holding a conversation. Even the driver was floored!
      Rain stopped exploration so we ducked into the tiniest of restaurants. Only ones there, plus one chef and 3 assistants!
      Lovely pasta with walnuts, anchovies, olives, pine nuts and ricotta. Richard had pasta with mussels. Excellent. Time for beach combing and a few sea glass finds before heading homeward.
      Dinner out at La Botte altho not able to do it justice after lunch.
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    • Day 9

      A New Direction

      June 28, 2022 in Italy ⋅ ☁️ 82 °F

      We knew when we started this journey it would be one that would take us to places way beyond each day’s destination.

      We finished up our stay in Camadoli (and Tuscany) with a hike that took us into the Foreste Casentinesi. The path serpentined up for a few miles into a long road that we decided to take. We saw someone working outside and approached him asking if it was okay that we keep walking on the property. He didn’t seem to understand our question, so we asked it again (NOT more loudly, by the way - we were assuming it was our Italian that was the cause for his lack of response). When he didn’t answer for a third time, we just smiled and kept walking. When we were out of earshot of this person, we wondered (actually we assessed and diagnosed - as a teacher and counselor are prone to do) if maybe he was having trouble hearing us, or perhaps there was some other issue that he was dealing with, “poor guy,” we thought. Anyway, we continued on.

      As we made our way down the long road to a few old buildings, we noticed the words, “il silenzio e lode al signore” (“silence and praise to the lord”).

      A bit later, we turned to each other with a simultaneous epiphany as we finally realized that we were on the grounds of a silent monastery and those words were telling us why the man did not answer, despite our most awkward and pushy attempts to get him to do so. We were on the grounds of the Monastero di Camaldoli. Yes, we had tried (repeatedly, we might add) to get a SILENT monk to talk. Who needs to be assessed and diagnosed now?!

      (As you can see from the picture, waving is allowed!)

      From there, we decided to take the train to Arezzo. In order to make the train on time, we arranged for a taxi to get us to the station. Our taxi driver, Francesco, drove us to the train station and was more than helpful in getting us situated. (FYI - the person taking this picture of the very kind and very strong Francesco carrying one of our backpacks was just jealous, hence the photo op).

      We were surprised and so excited to see our new friend, Maria Grazia (from the Parish Church of San Pietro), standing across the train platform. We chatted for a bit until her train arrived (you may be able to see her behind the orange train doors blowing kisses and waving goodbye over and over and over again).

      We took the train to Arezzo (then had to change trains in Foligno and then had another change in Fossato). Despite being exhausted, we decided to continue on to Gubbio by bus. We arrived late into this beautiful Umbrian city; even darkness can’t hide its beauty.

      As you can see from our use of transportation, we have decided to change the direction, and length, of our trip. Because of the lodging issues, and a few other impactful variables, we have shortened our hiking time. Instead we will arrive in Roma this weekend - by train, by bus, and, finally, on foot.

      We have had the most amazing experiences at every, right or left, turn. When things felt wrong or hopeless or scary, something right and good and safe happened every single time. We will wrap up this little travel blog, and our incredible journey, this weekend since we have decided to head home then.

      La vita è bella!
      💚🤍❤️
      (Life is beautiful!)
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    • Day 8

      Speaking of Fault…

      June 27, 2022 in Italy ⋅ ☀️ 90 °F

      We aren’t here to blame anyone, but it might feel better if we could.

      Today we arrived in Camadoli. As we walked into the front desk of our hotel, Borgo I Tre Baroni (The Hotel of the 3 Barons, or in this case, brothers who run this with their wives), something didn’t feel right. There was a full bar to our left, and a lovely dining room with a full library to our right. This place felt a bit fancier than anywhere we’d stayed yet (including the villa). When we asked Martha, the hotel’s co-owner and person checking us in, if there were other hikers from the same route staying here, she gently replied, “On no, madames, that is the OTHER Baroni, only 10 kilometers (that would be “only” another 6.2 miles UPHILL) away. I believe that you thought that this was on the trail you’re following?”

      Wait? There’s a trail? (Just kidding. We knew that.)

      “Do we have a reservation?” We asked hopefully, verging on desperately.

      “Well, madames, no, no you do not. There is a room available, it has no air conditioning, but there are twin beds. Interessanta?”

      The look on her face captured what she probably saw on ours. Horror. Worry. Exhaustion.

      She stopped, held up her hands, and said, “Basta! This is no problem, madames. We will find you something that will make a wonderful night for you. In my language we have a saying that goes something like this, ‘the soul has energy and motivation for what the body does not.’”

      “Don’t cry. Don’t cry. Don’t cry...” were the only words in our heads at that particular moment. Until we closed the door to our room.

      Once we got ourselves together (because there’s no crying on the trail!) we wondered about the next stages of the hike’s lodging, since these were booked for us by a travel agent/company.

      “Should we check?” We asked each other.
      “Nah, let’s wait until tomorrow!”

      Later that night…

      Who can sleep with thoughts about lodging dancing in their heads? Not us. So, we got online and began double-checking the dates against our itinerary. Unbelievably, the lodging was off in ways that made no sense. How did we miss this? The booking agent was not available that late, so we started looking online at substitute lodging options. Even with our limited Italian skills, we knew what “tutto completo”” (“no vacancy”) means at Every. Single. One.

      Then, we had an epiphany. Let’s get into some of those hiker chat room/Facebook groups and find out what other hikers do for last-minute lodging: “knock on a door, most citizens are so generous and will let you stay with them!” (true, but not willing to find out, thank you very much) , or “sleep in a park or whenever you become exhausted!” (ummmmm, also no thank you. Plus camping is illegal in Italy unless in very designated spaces), and, finally, “keep walking until you find someone willing to help!” (also a hard no).

      So, what do we do? “What could go wrong?” we have often asked ourselves these past few weeks. Short of getting lost in the forest for weeks, losing our identifications or access to funds, or becoming very sick - actually, having no lodging for the next 3+ weeks could very well be the answer to that question.

      However, we decided not to overreact and, instead, paused for a moment and said out loud, “we are ‘accidentale’ booked into a fabulous resort in Tuscany - what could go RIGHT?!!!”

      So, here is what DID go right today… Martha ended up putting us into a big room WITH air conditioning. And, then, as we were getting ourselves together the next morning, she came to tell us that there had been a cancellation and the bigger, air-conditioned room we were in would be available for another night. “Interessante?” “SI!”we nearly screamed.

      So, for today, we are safe, VERY comfortable and loving every view we take in. Tomorrow, we plan….

      Ciao for now!
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    • Rule #17 (Tuscany)

      June 19, 2022 in Italy ⋅ ⛅ 82 °F

      Stick to your guns…If you want to go visit a certain landmark then do it… Don’t let other people talk you into doing something different especially if it involves wine tasting and you don’t drink wine lol (however I will sayTuscany was very a beautiful area)Read more

    • Day 36

      Scenes of Florence

      June 13, 2022 in Italy ⋅ ☀️ 26 °C

      Home of the Renaissance, Florence did not disappoint. So far it has to be Emily and David's favorite major city we've visited. A Piazza around every corner, and a matching Church along with it.

      If you ever get to go, the Piazzale Michelangelo is a must see. It did show up on our research, but we only went because we stumbled upon it by accident while doing a river walk. It's across the Arno River and offers a stunning skyline view of Florence for free. You can drive or get there by foot from the main Cathedral in maybe 40 minutes (only because its up hill).

      It's a gorgeous city.
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    • Day 34

      The Baptistery of St. John in Florence

      June 11, 2022 in Italy ⋅ ☀️ 32 °C

      The Baptistery of St. John... You know St. John the Baptist. Italians actually call him San Giovanni, not sure I ever knew they were the same person.

      The octagonal Baptistery constructed between 1059 and 1128 l, which actually predates the nearby Cathedral of Florence.Read more

    • Day 23

      Last of Florence

      June 1, 2022 in Italy ⋅ ☀️ 21 °C

      We stayed with very sweet hostel friends. One was from Argentina and one from Toulouse in France where I am going in July! We stayed up late talking and then had to go to sleep because Sara and I had an early train to Venice.
      Next is a view of our hostel roof where we had a coffee, then a FaceTime with Scout where I am clearly getting some good gossip from home (kidding ) and then a gelato and then we had butter chicken for dinner which was so so good. Don’t judge this cuisine choice I know we are in Italy xx
      I have also captured a replica of David at his fountain and Sara and I have definitely learnt that he got his glute muscles purely from the amount of stairs in Italy. There was also a water fountain that had sparkling water but it was quite acidic.
      There is more photos from the Uffizi too. I like the disco move.
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    • Day 21

      Il Duomo

      May 30, 2022 in Italy ⋅ ⛅ 26 °C

      Welcome to Florence ⛲️🖤
      So we caught the train in the morning and got to our hostel, dropped our bags in their room because it wasn’t check in time yet and then went to get some lunch. We got focaccia’s and baby carrots from the Pam and ate them at a piazza.
      We checked into our hostel which we may or may not have accidentally booked for the 29th and 30th nights instead of our actual dates; the 30th and 31st. Oops. But it ended up being okay because the lady was really nice. We did book it while we were very jet-lagged so will try to not do that again.
      Then we walked really fast to the Duomo because that made us a bit late and we walked up the 400 and something stairs pretty fast and I mustered up the courage to ask the security guard to take a photo of us, who then told us he would take few so we could change poses 💅
      We then saw him later the next day when we went to get dinner. I hope he gets paid good.
      Sara took a few of me too but some came out a bit blurry. Maybe it was the stairs. The view was very pretty though. And the art inside the dome was very cool. The longer you stared at it the more weird some of the demons looked.
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    You might also know this place by the following names:

    Toscana, Toskana, Tuscany, Toskane, Tuscania, توسكانا, Таскана, Тоскана, Toskánsko, Τοσκάνη, Toskanio, توسکانی, Toscane, Toskaana, An Tuscáin, Thok-sṳ̂-khà-na̍p, טוסקנה, Toszkána, Տոսկանա, Toskania, トスカーナ州, ტოსკანა, 토스카나 주, Tuscia, Toscann-a, Toskāna, ടസ്കനി, तोस्काना, Тосканæ, ਤੋਸਕਾਨਾ, Toscan-a, صوبہ ٹسکنی, Tuschèna, Tuscana, แคว้นทัสกานี, Tuskanya, تسکانہ, 陀斯卡拿, 托斯卡纳

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