OK there guys and gals, finding an an available time and reliable internet connection is getting harder to find. As of this writing Im in Roma, Italy or otherwords Rome. But I want to let you know about my experience in Cinque Terre that I was just at the last few days.

Cinque Terra is about 2 hours from Florence on the coast line of Italy on the Mediterranean. It is a magical place were 5 smal little towns have over the centuries built a life on the rugged coast. Its colorful buildings overlook the grapes vineyard terraces that they make many of thier living. Between the towns they have constructed small pathways that led between them. Some of these pathways are no more than a foot across made of rock, dirt and gravel. Although relatively safe from a fatale fall there are some paths that are more nerving than others. some of the paths are 1.5 -2 hours between towns the shortest is about 25 minutes. The photo above is of Vernazza the most pictursque of the towns. I remember being greeted to town by a guitar player strumming the chords to the themesong of GodFather. It is beautiful here.

Before I went to Cinque Terre, I was in Zurich because the train to Barcelona was full. Many Germans are on a holiday celebrating the fall of the Berlin wall. So as before what do I do and where do I go. I decided to go instead to CInque Terre one the stops I wanted to see in this trip. It was well worth it.

I met up with an Autralian couple who is traveling for a year around the world. They both are radiation therapies who wanted to see the world and that they are. We traveled together whilst in Cinque Terre and I found their company rather refreshing. We hike throughout the path. It took us about 6 hours to do so. At the towns we savored the ambience each village offered and even some gelato and pizza. When we arrived at the last village of Riomaggore we took the train back to Monterosso for a swim in the Meditterean Ocean. We talked about the swim almost the entire way for the walk was up and down in the heat of the day. Once again I did the equivalent of about 3 hours of Stairmasters. Boy will my legs look good when I return....hmmm.

So the most difficult of the hike led us up and up thru rock and stone, dirt and gravel. Sweat poured from our brow. But the possible taste of gelatto eased the burden... not. There was quite a few tourists on the path. Sometimes even a bottleneck as young and old traversed it. I found many Americans and Germans on the path especially between Vernazza and Monterosso where the path is more difficult but beautiful. It is the here where you get to walk amongst the grape terraces.

After the walk we took the train back to Monterosso for a swim in the med. It was refreshing... and very salty. The water was clear and clean. The beach was more of very small grains of gravel than sand.

I have photos that I will upload shortly this computer is old and doesnt have a way to connect my camera to it. Today i hike thru Rome a bit more than head to Barcelona. This time Im flying there.

Ciao!