day 4 and 5 – travel journal – cinque terre,italy

On day 4 we took the train from Florence to Genoa to get close enough to Cinque Terre so that on day 5 we could spend the entire day trekking (maybe) through the five fishing villages.

We woke up early on day 5 to catch a seven a.m. train to Monterosso, which was the suggested first stop by the agent at the train station. The train ride from Genoa to Monterosso costs 6.10Euros per person one way on the regional train, (which meant way too many stops until we reached our destination. So, after two hours on the train experiencing delays and stops, we finally reached Monterosso and got off the train without realizing we had no idea what to do next.

Although I read many tour books and online suggestions on how to get around the five villages, nothing prepared me for adventure we were about to experience.  Thankfully the agent at the train station spoke enough English to explain our choices. Either purchase a day pass for unlimited train/bus rides from one village to the next, or trek from village to village or go down to the pier and purchase a ferry ticket. We opted for the visitor card at 10.00Euro’s each, when we discovered it also covered the entrance to the lover’s lane and came with a map and a train schedule.

From Monterosso, we took the train to Varnazza and within five minutes arrived to village number two (closest to Genoa side). Apparently while we opted for the train, other’s trekked from Monterosso to Varnazza, which according to the train station agent, was the most difficult terrain.

After spending 45 minutes in Varnazza taking pictures, we took the train to Comiglia, the next village over.  From the train station, we discovered there are two ways of getting to the actual village. First option was to climb 362 or so steps to get to the top, and second, which was my preferred option, was to take the bus to the top (the fare is covered with the Cinque Terre day pass). Although the village was colorful, I didn’t particularly care for it much and almost immediately wanted to leave. I guess I didn’t want to miss the bus going down, which ran every 30 or so minutes.

From Comiglia we took the train to Manarola and here is where I spend the majority of my day. It was the most beautiful and picturesque village compared to all the others, I almost didn’t want to leave. We had lunch in a quant restaurant and of course their specialty (well for most of the villages), is any dish made with pesto sauce, any type of seafood pasta, foccassa bread and tiramisu.

After lunch we climbed to a lookout point and sat at a picnic table overlooking the village.  Since Manarola and Riomaggiore (the next or last village closest to La Spezia)  are connected by the much hyped lover’s lane, we decided to forgo the train ride just so we could experience walking down the path. This is where they actually ask to see your ticket or day pass and without it, they do not allow you to pass through the lover’s lane to get to Riomaggiore. Well, here is a hint: take the train if you don’t have a day pass, no one checks them on the train and as for the lover’s lane, it feels more like a fort than anything else. Nothing to write home about.

After spending 30minutes in Riomaggiore, we took the regional train back to Genoa for 6.10Euro per person. The ride took 2.5hours and it was excruciating to say the least.

Here’s a list of my observation
1. Avoid traveling the area when the weather is muggy and hot
2.The area is not recommended for those with health problems
3.Please don’t wear high heels or flip flops – consider a good pair of walking shoes due to the terrain.
4.Be patient as the trains are never on time
5.Carry cash, train depots do not take credit cards nor do buses or boats
6.There are public restrooms located in every train station
7.All five villages have an area you can swim however, there is no place to change so be prepared if you are only spending a day in Cinque Terre or you don’t have a hotel room.
8.The regional train is crowded and occasionally unsafe, so stay awake as much as possible, or be protective of your personal belongings.
9.Muggy and hazy weather is not good for photography so consider the season when traveling to the region, if you are an avid photographer.
10.Be prepared, stairs are steep and difficult to climb or descend.
11.Train hopping is the best way to see the five villages all in one day.

I will say one thing, I am glad I finally got to see Cinque Terre, but I will also say that this is one destination, I will consider checked off of my bucket list.

{photo property of http://www.rawsilkandsaffron.wordpress.com, please do not use without permission}

boutique hotel pick – hotel brunelleschi – florence, italy

Every city around the world has it’s own unique charm appeal and although most travellers may agree Paris is probably the most charming and romantic,  parts of Italy are right up there on the list. 

Florence, is of course, one of the cities in Italy I frequent and find to be a great romantic getaway.  So, in case you are contemplating an escape to Florence (a.k.a. Firenze), I recommend Hotel Brunelleschi for your stay.

como italy by local bus

I can never pass up a stop in Como Italy when I travel through Italy. Normally I spend two nights in Como, but  I figured this time since it is Autumn, I would stay in Milan and take a day trip to Como on RailEurope or in this case, the shuttle train from Milan  to Como S.M instead.

It was about an hours ride, a bit uncomfortable and long since it made alot of stops along the way, but it was a reasonable cost. 4.50Euros each way, so I couldn’t complain much.  When I got to Como rail station, I noticed, like I did before, a bus labeled Bellagio, which was the area around the lake I wanted to visit. Since it was freezing outside, I decided this time to give the bus ride a try, I knew it was going to circle the lake and that it would take an hour, but I figured I had done the ferry thing about a dozen times before, why not try something different.

Well, I must admit and suggest to anyone who has tried the ferry ride direct to Bellagio, to try the bus ride, at least once in their lifetime maybe in the colder months. It is well worth it. Because for about 4.00Euros each way, you get the most breath taking views of the lake and the small towns built along the edges of the lake. And to be honest you don’t feel the hour ride.

Bus from Como to Bellagio

View from bus enroute to Bellagio

Almost like a roller coaster ride

Zipping through small villages along the way

Finally pulling into Bellagio

Enjoying a brisk walk along Bellagio

{photos are the property of http://www.rawsilkandsaffron.wordpress.com}

playing tourist for ten days

Hello everyone!  Can you guess where I am?

Please stay tuned as I  share with you some of my favorite travel moments and photographs.

romantic vacation recommend: isle of capri, italy

Main square - Piazza Umberto

Most of my previous travels are to the main cities or towns within a country in Europe. But a few years back, when I ventured towards the Southern tip of Italy (the booth) I decided to take a ferry to the island of Capri.

I must admit I wasn’t disappointed with the choice, even though the ferry schedule a bit unreliable and the frequency less than desirable, the trip was well worth it.

main point - marina grande

The way it works is, after disembarking the ferry from Napoli, you have to take a taxi or a bus up to the top ( Alta Capri). This is where the main town square is and most of the civilization on the island. I did get a bit sick because of the altitude or maybe because of my fear of heights, but every where I looked there was the most beautiful view anyone can imagine.

view from the top

We stayed 3 nights 4 days and because the best way to see a place is by walking. We walked one entire day around the island, actually trekked through the back roads and saw the best of the best the island has to offer.

On the second day we took the funicular up to the highest point and this is where I hiperventilated and screamed all the way to the top, because the funicular was a single open seat, a small belt across your lap, feet dangling for 20 minuets .  I actually hated going up there and the way down, but if you can stomach the ride, it is again well worth the adventure.

yes I was on that

The best and most memorable of my time on the Island  of Capri was visiting Villa San Michelle and riding a small boat into The Blue Grotto – pictured below.

Blue Grotto

villa san michelle

a villa in tuscany – vacation paradise

Between the condo renovation, work hiccups and other matters of family and home, I actually needed a break from the norm today by focusing on my vacation plans for the Fall.

Although I love Paris and will consider spending every vacation day there, every single year, I have opted for  a trip to Italy this year because I needed material for my second novel.

This time, I am considering  a villa stay in Tuscany just to “veg out”  and get inspired to at least draft the outline for the novel, if not more.  Since that is my plan, I  turned to my favorite site here which I used to use during my travel planning days, to get information about villa rentals abroad.

The problem is, most villas house 3 or more vacationers and only a handful are available for just 2 guests. But through my persistance,  I found one villa just perfect for my needs. The problem now is I have to do alot of convincing to hopefully book the villa for our Tuscany portion of the trip.

The villa is called  Casa Coreglia. Check out the photos below and tell me what you think?

as my mind travels to all good things paris

I have to tell you, I just can’t help myself no matter how hard I try. The worst is that the closer it gets to summer, the more I get restless about taking a trip to Paris. The worst part of it is that most any travel website I visit or go shopping anywhere, there is always a reminder of my favorite city via a photographer of the famous Eiffel Tower. I never realized how impressionable the darn thing is in most everyone’s lives? The only other icon most of us are touched by, one way or another, is a  silouette of Mickey Mouse’s head. (I know you know what I mean)

Anyway, back to Paris and some of my favorite reminders. Enjoy and happy weekend to you all.

travel recommend: cinque terre, italy

This weekend marks the beginning of my official travel recommends.  As I stated before I get the travel itch sometime in March, but it doesn’t really flare up until about mid May when I discover my circle of acquaintances are planning their trips.

In light of the fact, my first recommend is what is known as Cinque Terre in Italy.

Located along the western coats of Italy, this area consists of five small villages which literally cling to the Ligurian cliffs. The villages are small  and close enough that you can actually walk from own village to the next within a matter of hours.

The first time I discovered the area was actually when I coordinated travel plans for college students. I heard a group of them talking about buying a railpass and finding their way to the area.  That same year, I decided to take a trip to Italy and after locating Cinque Terre on the map, I chartered my course on how to incorporate Cinque Terre into my trip.

To make it easier on myself, since I didn’t know what I was up against, I reserved a hotel room near the train station in Genoa. While feeling adventurous upon my arrival, I discovered there were shuttle-like trains which took you to stops associated with each village and from there you could  either take a bus down to the area where the villages were or simply walked several miles to get to them.

The funny thing I discovered on my trip there, is  that most of the tourists who go there, are students and budget travellers, while others shy away from the challenges of making their way through the area.

One thing I do recommend is reading up on it and learning how to get there and how to get out, meaning double checking on bus and train schedules. If you plan to make a day trip to perhaps one village, make sure you don’t get stuck because of misinformation. Outside of that, it is a must see, especially for the photographers at heart.

outdoor sitting french style

This is going to be my first summer without a backyard. After selling our house in the country, we traded in a grand backyard with a pool and garden for a view of the Pacific Ocean. Not a bad trade off.

But I vowed I would not write about outdoor spaces, patio furniture or backyard get togethers until I worked the entire experience out of my system. But knowing me and the need to talk outdoors, I had to include some of my favorite photos of French country backyards and furniture.

when the going gets tough – escape to greece

Right about this time of year, I get the vacation planning itch. Although I pretty much know where I want to go every year, at the beginning of the year, sometimes what life decades throughout the year, almost forces me to imagination of a place I can actually escape to, where I could just sit by the ocean or sea and think through my problems.

Well, today was one of those days, as I wrote the train to work this morning, I put on my i-pod and closed my eyes and quickly escaped to Greece. So I decided to post this entry and share some of my favorite photos of Greece.