a long road to venice

we got up early this morning...we had a train to catch...

we catch our first train at 10 am ...the rain falls...we arrive in genoa...we get on our second train for the day...we are headed for milan...on this train we meet a woman from vienna...she is on her way home to austria after spending 2 months in a small coastal village in italy...she tell us she has been going to this town for vacation every year since 1971...she worked there that summer with her finance...he died that summer...she never maried...she returned to the place of their "love" year after year...she was really wonderful...i was taken with her...

we reached milan...this is my favorite train station so far...beautiful...in an urban train station kind of way...

we boarded the train to venice at 1:30...due to arrive in venice at 4:10 pm....we came to an abrupt stop at about 3:30...there is an announcement...our train has hit a person...someone has put themselves in the path of the train...in the path of our high speed train...we are told that we will be stopped for 3 hours...police come...the coroner...it ends up only taking 2 hours...but what a sadness...even tonight i find myself thinking about a family trying to understand...trying to cope with the loss of someone in this way...

we arrive in venice...as we make our way to the front of the train there is a group of "official" looking men...police and transit staff assessing the damage...

the rain is still falling...we emerge from the train station and i am already amazed at what i see...even in the dark...

we find our way to our hotel...a residence renovated into a 7 room hotel...very quaint...our room is split over two floors...it is most room we have had in the 11 days we have been on this adventure...i can not wait for the morning...a new day and venice in daylight...my camera is ready for action...

our port tofino day

we woke up to the sound of heavy rain on our second morning in santa margherita...it is sunday morning...we had an incredible day yesterday in the cinque terre...we are a little slow to get moving...the weather has much to do with our laziness i think...we get ourselves out the door at about 11:00 am and realize that the the shops are all open for the morning...a strange revelation...they are only open until 2:00...the restauants will also close at 2:00 but re-open in the evening for dinner...these folks eat dinner quite late...this has been a challenge throughout the trip for me...

we stop in to catch the end of mass at the church around the corner...a basic looking building...really...then we get inside and i can't believe my eyes...holy over the top batman...i thought the gothic french churches were ornate...i was so wrong...i have never seen anything quite like it...ginny promises that i will see more of this kind of thing in venice, florence and rome...wow...

this picture does not do this space justice...not an inch untouched...i risk offending someone perhaps, but it is far from my experience...on the way out i realize that the candles lit at the various alters for prayers on the sides of the church are not real...they are pay boxes with faux candles...this suprises me...i am used to lighting little votives...no votives here...you drop your coin and the candle's bulb lights up for the purchased time...

after church we head to the square to catch a bus...we are going to port tofino...ginny has talked about her last trip to port tofino many times...so i am eager to go with her today..the rain has stopped but the wind has picked up...

we get on our bus with a group of tourists from somewhere unknown...that is unusual...the unknown part...ginny is so quick to pick up on language and accents...this group stumps her...we arrive in port tofino...

we make our way to the water and mark our spot...

we stopped for a latte...

we walked along the port...we came across a sculpture garden...could not get in but what we could see from the docks was wonderfully bizzarre...these six hot pink meerkats were definatly ginny's favorites...

we decided to climb a little...there was a castle (sort of) and a church up on the hilltop...so we figured we would take a look...up we go....

and up some more...

the view from the top...amazing....

the castle is closed for part of the afternoon..so we mark our steps outside the castle and head off to the church...we have walked on thousands of stones today...carefully placed in wonderful shapes and patterns...

our second church today...oh the difference from the morning experience...

one last look from the top...the color of the water is vibrant...i really enjoy the sea...i have enjoyed staying close to the water these past few nights... 

we return to santa margherita cold and ready for rest...i nap in the afternoon...we watch a movie in the evening...we pack and reorganize for the next leg of the journey...venice!

the cinque terre

today we made our way to the cinque terre...thank you lois for the tip!  we got on the train at santa margherita and made our way to levanto...we got off a little early and so we had a bit of a wait for the next train...we went to the southern town first...rigomaggiore

the towns are connected by walking paths...the beginning of the path between rigomaggiore and manarola started here...this leg of the path also called the "via del amore"...

my eyes can not possibly be my own...i could not believe the views in the first 50 yards...

via del amore begins...couples have left behind locks...no keys of course...for the next 2 km there are locks...hundreds of locks...

thousands upon thousands leave there mark...we leave our own

a quick look back and forward we walk...

this tunnel is full of murals and the declarations of thousands of people...

i can not help it...i need to leave my mark again...

a quick stop...

off we go again...

we stop at the via del amore bar for lattes...

via del amore comes to an end....

we arrive in manarola...

we walk through manarola...make a few quick stops in the shops an then we are off to corniglia...a look back at manarola as we leave the village...

we walk...

rick steves describes this leg of the path as "easy walking"...i beg to differ mr. steves...

our destination corniglia...

almost there...

we arrive in corniglia...mr. steve's describes the next part of the trip by foot as "hard"...so we ride...not that we are not willing to sweat...but it is vacation afterall...

we wait for our train...i really like this woman...

one more look back before boarding the train to vernazza...    

vernazza....

we stopped for something to eat...

fabulous....the best meal since muscles in nice...

once again we say goodnight to the sun...

we miss the train to monterosso...spend extra time in vernazza and decide to skip monterosso for today...we decide to take the train to santa margherita...we will come back this way tomorrow....we will see...

i loved today...even more than the other days...my eyes are exhausted...truly, i have not seen sights (in my life) that spoke to me like the sights of today...thank you cinque terre...

au revoir la france, buon giorno l'italia

we left france today...a crazy morning...we over slept and so it felt a little rushed...we stopped for our last french baguette and we headed to the gare (station).  there was a problem with the train so the first leg of our trip was on a coach bus...we crossed into italy this way and then caught a train taking us to our next destination...we rode in a compatrment with two canadians...a couple on a month long tour of europe...interesting people...it is clear we are taking two very different trips...they spoke of five star hotels and a trip to Dubai that included dinner with a $1000 bottle of wine...they are retired...he was a cooperate exec of some sort...i enjoyed the conversation very much...after a few hours of travel we arrived in italy...

we walked to our hotel...a great location and a wonderful room...a definite upgrade from our penny saving Nice hotel...we dropped our things and headed out...our first stop...gelato...yummy...and then to the water...a 3 minute walk from the hotel...beautiful...

the buildings look like those in france but they are brighter...it looks similar but feels oh so different...it takes a little bit to adjust to hearing new sounds...i felt like i was gaining headway with my french and feeling comfortable...and here we are starting over...ginny has done a great job...her time invested in her italian book in preparation got us to the hotel an has served us well along the way today...what a woman...

we walked along the water front until dark...

we snapped fewer photos today...tomorrow will be a picture day again...the weather is suppose to be wonderful and we are going to be walking the Cinque Terre tomorrow....it is a string of five towns along the sea...we are planning to walk from one town to the next and then take the train back...this will take most of the day...

tonight we went to dinner at a restaurant recommended by our hotel...a little sticker shock once again...and a few lessons learned...we are at the half way pont in our trip...it has really been incredible...i have learned so very much...it has challenged me in many ways...at times i have been anxious...uncertain...this is the first time i have travelled in non-english speaking countries...i have felt at a disadvantage at times...on the first day in Paris i panicked a little...but with a few deep breaths and a little reassuring i have taken off...thank you ginny...