We caught a train from Vernazza to La Spezia where we changed trains to Pisa (no, we didn't see the Leaning Tower) and then changed trains again at Pisa to get to Florence where we changed trains yet again to Camucia near Cortona. Let me say now, none of this would have been possible without Hayley's careful planning of this leg of the journey (train and platform numbers as well as departure times) and the knowledge she has gained in using the rail system since she began her trip two and a half months ago. Team that with her youthful exuberance and 'can do' attitude and we couldn't go wrong.

We arrived in Camucia around 1:00pm, unsure of how to get to the monastery in Cortona as the information I'd printed off didn't go into those 'small' details. We decided to catch a bus to Cortona and work it out from there. We overheard two Americans talking who seemed to know the area pretty well so Hayley went over to speak with them. One of them (with his wife) owns a villa they rent out in Cortona, and the other, who was leaving the area, had stayed at the monastery and knew exactly where it was. He gave Hayley exact directions on how to get there before he ran to catch his train, his friend in tow to see him off.

As we sat waiting for the bus (the stop is at the train station too) the guy who owns the villa was returning to his car after seeing his friend off and said he could drop us in Cortona as it was on his way back home. We jumped at the opportunity and piled our packs into the back of his little car and headed off. We had no idea that the town we'd seen perched high on the side of the mountain ahead was Cortona. It was just beautiful and I couldn't believe I was actually in Tuscany and in the village where "Under The Tuscan Sun", one of my favourite movies, was set. We slowly wound our way up the steep slope, his little car straining under the added weight of us and our luggage.

He dropped us right outside the monastery and after we thanked him profusely he continued on his way home, no doubt to tell his wife about the two Australians he had just given a lift to. Hayley pressed the buzzer and tried to convey that we had accommodation booked, without much success, next thing the door automatically unlocks. One of the nuns ushered us into an office and proceeded to laugh and use hand gestures which we interpreted as meaning we had been booked in to a room with a double bed but she would change it to a twin room. Through a series of more hand gestures and bits of English and Italian we completed the necessary paperwork and she showed us on a map places to visit in the town. It was then on to our room.

Now I thought (as possibly you did too) that our accommodation in a monastery would be very basic, that we would be using rooms that the nuns had once used, you know a rickety bed and perhaps a small chest of drawers...wrong. After ascending to the fourth floor in a very flash lift we were shown to our room. It had been recently renovated and is one of the nicest rooms I've stayed in. It had matching furniture, cream with green stencilling and a very modern bathroom with a large vanity unit, dual flush toilet (which I haven't seen many of where we've been so far), bidet, shower and a hairdryer.

We set off to explore the town and admire the incredible views from Garibaldi Place down to Camucia and lots of other little villages in one direction and little farm houses in the other direction. It is a walled town with the height of the wall varying as it runs right around the town's perimeter. In one part of the town, homes built in medieval times are still lived in - it's amazing and hard for me to imagine with Australia being such a young country. The town centre caters for tourists with souvenir shops and restaurants but there are cathedrals and museums to visit as well. We wandered around, up and down the streets, and I bought a green tea perfume from a lovely lady in one of the back streets. As is usual practice in a lot of European towns, the shops close anywhere between 2:00pm and 4:15pm, which is fine except if you're hungry and looking for somewhere to eat during that time.

We ended up back in the town centre at one of the restaurants that must make a killing when the others are closed during the afternoon. We ordered a salad of red chicory (a bit like a cabbage), walnuts, pecorino cheese and mayonnaise, with of course olive oil and balsamic vinegar on the side; and ravioli with tomato pesto - delicious.

We decided we'd go to the highest point in Cortona, Santuario Saint Margherita, a beautiful cathedral at the top of the hill for dinner that night so bought some fruit, chips and biscotti for our little picnic. An hour or so before dark we set off to the cathedral, which entailed more walking uphill, with lots of stops for "photo opportunities" but again it was worth the effort…the view was amazing (I know I keep repeating myself but it was). We quietly entered the cathedral and sat at the back admiring the beautiful murals on the ceiling and the huge arches. It was quite eerie as there was a body (obviously quite old) in a glass casket at the back of the alter presumably Saint Margherita. Hayley said she'd seen this type of display in another church she'd been in.

We found ourselves a vantage point overlooking the valley and sat and enjoyed the pretty lights below, the food and each other's company, then it was back down the hill to our swanky accommodation and some blogging…the end of our first day in Cortona.