First stop, Pisa

When heading north west from Florence, Pisa is a must stop, even if just for a few hours. Having been to Pisa before we already knew it is very touristy. Inside the 'Piazza dei Miracoli' (Square of Miracles), you will find, Pisa Cathedral, the Pisa Baptistry, the Leaning Tower of Pisa, and the Camposanto Monumentale (Monumental Cemetery). Markets surround the perimeter of the area (selling all the usual touristy trinkets and t-shirts). Janet had 'climb the Leaning Tower of Pisa' on her 'bucket list' so she bought a ticket to climb to the top while we happily pottered around taking the usual 'tourist photos' of the tower and enjoying a brief rest and a cappuccino. It was in Pisa I remembered that in most places in Italy you have to pay to use the public toilets. This was after I had walked for several minutes in the baking hot sun with not a single euro on me! Cafes and restaurants are also a good place to 'use the conveniences' as for only about one euro more than a simple toilet stop you can get to enjoy a cappuccino also.

During the planning phase of our great adventure I happened to stumble across a picture on Facebook's National Geographic page of the most picturesque seaside town I think I'd ever seen. After a little Google research I discovered it was Riomaggiore in the Cinque Terre (Italian Riviera) and as we had already planned on travelling in Italy, Riomaggiore was quickly added to the itinerary.

The Cinque Terre is five villages along the coastline, all with either no road access or very poor road access, so after leaving the car in a secure parking area in La Spezia we boarded the train for a very quick seven minute trip to our destination. Riomaggiore is as picture perfect as a postcard. The colourful buildings are all built on steep hillsides dropping almost into the clear waters of the Mediterranean Sea below. There are no public cars in the towns, just the odd delivery vehicle, and the streets closer to the water are lined with wooden boats.

Doug, Janet, Tony and I took a boat trip to Monterosso, the boat stopping to drop off and pick up passengers along the way gave us the perfect opportunity to take photos of the other picturesque villages from the sea. Monterosso is a little more touristy than the other villages with the beach lined with beach chairs and sun umbrellas, so after a walk around the narrow streets and a few photo stops we boarded the train and headed back to Riomaggiore for dinner. A shared seafood platter, for Tony and I, seemed an appropriate choice in a seaside village and we certainly weren't disappointed with its appearance or taste and it could only be described as sumptuous. Following dinner Tony and I once again boarded the train and headed to Manarola, the next village on the Cinque Terre. There is a walkway along the coast and we had intended to walk the 25 minute path between Riomaggiore and Manarola, called the 'Via del'amour' or 'the lovers walk', however the track is currently closed for maintenance. Manarola is another tiny village and views looking back to the village, from a coastal path, as the sun set could only be described as breathtaking. On returning to Riomaggiore there were more breathtaking photo opportunities before ending another amazing day enjoying cappuccino and gelato on a very balmy evening on the shores of the Mediterranean Sea.