All the literature indicates that you can walk the trail between the five towns of Cinque Terre, Italy in five hours but as far as I am concerned, that would be a sin. Instead, I chose to split the hike over two days, beginning with the western portion from Monterosso al Mar to Corneglia, which … Read more

Having had my fill of art and culture, I headed for the district of Liguria, located in Italy’s northwestern corner where it borders France. Liguria forms an arc, with one side facing the Ligurian Sea and the other backing up against the Apennine Mountains. Better known as the Italian Riviera, it is a continuous line … Read more

Yes, there’s a tower. It leans. And that’s the only thing of interest in the city of Pisa. That’s what I WAS going to say. Until it started raining. But I’m getting ahead of myself…. I left Florence on the train early this morning, bound for Cinque Terre, and stopped in Pisa for a few … Read more

For years I’ve been hearing about all the lovely little medieval towns perched on hilltops throughout Tuscany. Some years back I read the book Under The Tuscan Sun and that probably added to my already significant interest. So I made it a point to visit San Gimignano, perhaps the most popular village on the Tuscan … Read more

Usually, when I arrive in a new city I am very excited by it. I see all the good things about it and think, this would be a great place to live. Then I spend a few days walking around and start to see its blemishes. By the time I have seen all the major … Read more