Sunday, July 27, 2008

Cinque Terra Sunset ~ Manarola

Where on earth can you experience such amazing beauty? Cinque Terra National Park - 5 coastal villages perched along the rocky coastline in the province of La Spezia in the region of Liguria, Italy. The villages are linked and accessible by train cutting through the mountainside. For the more adventurous ones, 15 miles of cliffside footpaths provide a birdseye view of the terrain. Manarola ended up being our destination for dinner and sunset on our first stop in Italy. Chris and TJ enjoyed a leisurely Italian meal at an outdoor cafe (lower left corner below pink/yellow houses overlooking harbor). Venturing along the cliffwalk, just round the bend, I discovered a quiet little bench tucked into the wall. What a treat...a delicious dinner with a view of the coast...opera music wafted down through the air above me as I discovered a live cliffside performance going on above me. The setting sun soothed my spirit. The capstone of the evening was our walk from Manarola to Riomaggiore as the sun blazing burnt orange/pink in the sky set behind us and the luminous moon rose before us. Amazing!




Saturday, July 26, 2008

Road Trippin' to Italy, July 13-23, 2008


Kimberly ~ first-time European traveler


(Left to right) TJ and Chris ~ Seasoned travelers

Partial Vacation Checklist:

  • Jeeves (our faithful British GPS guide)
  • 2 Svergies (Expats from California)
  • 1 Bostonian
  • Sense of humor (required)
  • Patience (extra helpings)
  • Diet Coke & Godis (tasty treats for the guys)
  • Cameras and good memories (Priceless)
  • 1 non-down pillow (now a permanent resident of Etap Hotel in Mannehiem, Germany)
  • 50 cent euro for the WC (a whole blog could be dedicated solely to my experiences with European toilets)
Truly the adventure of a lifetime...a whirlwind tour of Germany, Italy, Switzerland and Austria...more photos to be posted with the adventurous tales of My European Vacation :-)

Here's the Itinerary:

Sunday July 13 - Hamburg, Germany
Monday July 14 - German castle country
Tuesday July 15 - Swiss Alps - Wengen, Switzerland
Wednesday July 16 - Cinque Terra
Thursday July 17 - Pisa, Tuscan countryside, Sienna, San Gimignano, Florence
Friday July 18 - Explore Florence (museums, churches)
Saturday July 19 - Venice, Italian Alps
Sunday July 20 - Salzburg, Austria
Monday July 21 - Germany
Tuesday July 22 - Sweden




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