This blog is quite short because I am tired of being behind on blogging. But the three cities between Rome and Cinque Terre were briefly visited anyhow.

After Rome we headed north toward Florence but had to take a detour because our fridge stopped working. We believe it has something to do with the extra battery that is used when the van is off. This is the only time the fridge works. When the car is running it doesn't. Sometimes, it decides not to work even when we are parked. Depends on its mood I guess. So, we detoured east to a town called Arezzo. Other than some medieval buildings and churches it has nothing to offer. But, that is the only place we could find an RV repair shop. We drove into the lot and struggled to explain the problem a bit until the guys brought out a woman who spoke a little English. She didn't help much. They tested the voltage on all the wires and the fuse box. They couldn't find the problem and basically threw up their hands. I think it's because it had started to rain pretty hard and they didn't want to deal with us. But we weren't charged for the brief visit, so that's good. After the failed attempt at fixing our poor little fridge we trudged on through the thunderstorm toward Florence.

Florence, although only given a day, was really nice. It was big with a small town vibe. The little streets and market squares were quaint and quiet for how busy it was. We had some lunch near the gigantic leather market and I grabbed a slushy on our way to see the river. The river itself is not impressive but the famous bridge that is home to a hoard of luxurious jewelry shops is. The shops are built into the structure of the bridge and have little windows looking toward the river. From what I could tell, it is a footbridge only.

My favorite shop in Florence was called Mio and was an odd collection of gadgets, unique jewelry and modern home décor. We bought a city map of Paris that is machine washable. It is near impossible to tear and crumples into a ball. There was also some jewelry made of hay that I loved and will try to replicate when I get home.

After Florence we went to Pisa. Sadly, Pisa is mainly known for it's leaning tower despite the glorious churches and good food. Of course, the tower was our main reason for visiting also. After fighting the urge to take the typical photos we gave in. For lunch we followed the suggestion in our guidebook and went to a tiny pizza restaurant that was hard to find. We were awarded with the best pizza we'd experienced yet. It was only appropriate to get pizza in Pisa.

After Pisa we went to Lucca and stayed a couple nights at a nice campground with a glorious pool. Lucca was a strange and intriguing old city. Having escaped being bombed during WWII, it still had its medieval charm. A huge wall that is more like a hill surrounds it. Walkers, bikers and loitering youth alike walk the paved path atop the wall day and night. It is a feature that really sets the city apart from anything I've ever seen. Inside the wall the city moves like any other, but with a more secure feel. Of all the Italian cities I've seen so far, this seemed the most kid and dog friendly, plenty of parks and grassy spaces. Steve and I enjoyed it during the day and night on our rented bikes but also took plenty of time to relax in the pool.

We had to save up our energy for the spectacular views that the Cinque Terre hiking was sure to bring,