Leisurely - my @#$%, five hours - #%&!! I thought the stairs to our room were bad...they were nothing compared to the walk we did today. I have never undertaken such an arduous task before and hope never to again. Now, after my little whinge, let me say it was worth the agony of my muscles screaming "No more, I can't take another step!" for the incredible views from the top of the mountains that separate Monterosso and Vernazza, and Vernazza and Corniglia. I...

Emile was to have called me a taxi at 4:30am to take me to catch the shuttle bus to Beauvais airport, one and a quarter hours from Paris, but when he couldn't get a response I decided I'd better walk up to the taxi rank a block away...I was a little nervous at this prospect but was pleasantly surprised at how many partying people were around at that early hour of the morning. There were about one hundred and forty of us waiting for the shuttle bus and the funnie...