Up and out to the train station at 7:30 this morning, we began our beautiful day along the Ligurian Sea visiting the five villages known as Cinque Terre. Dolly and Cindy stayed in Florence to visit the Uffizi gallery so you won't see their smiling faces today. Riomaggiore was our first stop and from there we walked to Manarola along the Via Amore. It was an easy thirty minute stroll with breathtaking scenery and warm sunshine. The rest of the villages were reached by catching the local train for five minute hops between towns. At Corneglia we took the little green bus up to the top of the city for a short look around before going on to Vernazza. Last October 25 Vernazza was flooded by heavy rainfall and mudslides and suffered a lot of damage. It was so sad to see the ruined homes and businesses, but they are bravely working to restore and repair the damage. Our last brief stop was in the beach resort village of Monterossa then we made our way back to Florence arrving at 10 o'clock. A long, but interesting day in a unique part of Italy!
More later . . .
I HAVE SET UP A NEW PHOTOBLOG SITE FOR THE 2014 TOURS. YOU CAN STILL SEE PHOTOS FROM 2008 TO 2013 HERE. TO VIEW THE LATEST TOURS GO TO: WWW.INTUSCANYWITHPATRIZIA.BLOGSPOT.COM
The Chianti Countryside - May 2
This afternoon we had our own mini-bus and driver to take us into the Chianti area just a few miles from Florence. Our first stop was the beautiful and serene World War II American Cememtery. Then it was on to the Castello Verrazzano for a visit to the estate grounds and winery. Giovanni Verrazzano was the first European explorer to come into the Cape Fear River back home in 1524. The special treat was tasting five of the wines made there. Our guide was Simone who gave us a lot of information on the history of the Verrazzano family and the production of Chianti Classico wine. A short visit to the charming town of Greve ended a beautifully sunny day here in Tuscany! More later . . .