Cinque Terre, Day 10 + 11

We decided to leave Tuscany for a couple of days. A mere three hours of driving brought us here...

...or here, depending on if you are looking right or left...

What is your favourite view, majestic mountains or endless blue sea?

Welcome to the Cinque Terre part of our little online tour. The atmosphere in all five of these fisherman villages is sloooooooow. There are no cars or scooters and it seems like the church bells are the only sign of time passing by, like the days of the week aren't of any importance. Is it Monday today? I think so... It seems like no one has anywhere to go today, tomorrow, this week, this month.

There is nothing to do in Cinque Terre. No touring, no museums, no line ups, no busy schedule, no rushing to "see it all". All you have to do is sit down and enjoy the view and atmosphere. I knew this was my kind of town immediately.

This is how we wait for the next train in Cinque Terre. Is there an hour's wait? No big deal, we'll catch the next one. Or the one after that, we'll see.

It took us a while, 11 days to be exact, but we figured it out: how to enjoy the 3 hour lunch. Step one: find a shady patio and sit down. Step two: order a drink and sip. When the waiter comes over and asks if you are ready to order food, politely decline and mention that you would like to enjoy your drink before you look at a menu. Step 3: Browse the menu and order one thing at a time. Step 4: drink, eat, enjoy, relax. I think this might be the dolce vita.

The funny thing is that the servers don't care if you take your time. Anywhere in North America, I would feel pressure to order right away, knowing that our table is most likely booked again and if not, that the kitchen is probably antsy for us to order so they can go home to their families or go out for a much needed post-work drink. Having worked in that industry for longer than I would like to mention here, I know that most servers are annoyed if you take forever to eat your first course or camp for hours after you have finished your dessert and the restaurant is empty. In cinque terre, there is no guilt at all. Taking your time is normal, if not encouraged. This is what it is all about here.

We finally peeled ourselves from our table and we made it about 300 yards before we sat down again, closer to the beach. Our view, aside from the picturesque mountains and gorgeous blue sea, was an interesting mix of locals sunbathing and kids playing ball or jumping into the water over and over. Then, we ate a basket of cherries with the arm movement of a sloth.... for two hours. Sounds boring? Nope. It was fabulous. With the combination of the afternoon heat and the small town vibe, it's like you physically can't move another step forward. You... must... stop... and... relax. Why would you want to hurry anyway?

Tourbooks will warn you, don't be surprised if your plans suddenly change and you end up staying longer than you anticipated in Cinque Terre. I wish.

Another bonus of visiting a fisherman's village is the abundance of inexpensive and fresh seafood. We ate such a huge chunk of the ocean that my man felt like he had the content of an entire aquarium floating around in his stomach. A happy aquarium I'm sure. After a day of taking in the best of Cinque Terre views, we found a place for dinner. See note above on how to enjoy a 3 hour lunch and apply same method for dinner.

This was definitely a hard place to leave. Cinque Terre, how I miss you...

Italy countdown, day 11

pizza: 5

pasta: 8

gelato: 8

Montepulciano & Montalcino, Day 9

Having great plans for Sunday and Monday (stay tuned), we decided to take it easy on Saturday and visit the nearby towns of Montepulciano and Montalcino, with a short tour at a winery on the way.

Both Montepulciano and Montalcino are picturesque, perched at the very top of a hill with incredible views. They also offer a relaxing atmosphere for tourists that may just be a touch too perfect. Perhaps we simply showed up at the wrong time, when every resident is safely tucked away behind closed shutters for a siesta, but it felt to me like both towns were missing a little of that local vibe that I have been going on about. Nonetheless, the views alone are well worth the ride up the hill, not to mention the countless wine bars and the most amazing lunch we have had anywhere in Italy as of yet.

Every single narrow street in these medieval towns are steep enough to remind my twenty-something legs that I am close to thirty and more out of shape than I would like to admit. We stopped by this cherry tree as we were walking into town so that I could take a photo of the cherries when they hit the ground and immediately started rolling and rolling down the hill. If you find yourself in Tuscany one day, my advice to you is to take your time, slow down and enjoy the views. Your legs will thank you.

Italy Countdown, Day 9

Pasta: 4

Pizza: 6

Gelato: 7

Siena, Day 8

On any map, Rome and Siena look like they could be 10 minutes away from each other. Not quite so. I was warned that getting around in Italy is not an easy task and I should have listened more carefully. First, there was a crowded train ride to Chiusi, then a nauseating bus trip to the station located outside of Siena. This meant that we had to drag all of our heavy suitcases down a hill (I know, I know, I should have packed lighter) and walk 20 minutes in over 30 degree weather to reach the car rental place, remembering the no-complaining-about-the-sun pact that I had made with my man days earlier. Only we had to wait there, on the busy highway street, in front of a huge, loud, ugly construction site for two hours until it reopened after their "lunch break". Everything in Italy shuts down in the afternoon, even car rental places. Keys in hand, we finally make it to the maze that is Siena to hunt for a bank and a grocery store in a town that has banned cars from its center. When you are tired, hungry and just a little bit lost, walking seems like a ridiculously inefficient mode of transportation. All in all, I wanted to go back to Rome immediately. We finally got everything we needed and made it here...

...and I changed my mind entirely. The hunger, heat and frustration of a rough day of travel were far behind me.

Our agriturismo is just the opposite of Rome. It is remote, spacious, has unlimited hot water and, if vineyards, gardens and quiet, shady patios were not enough, it also has a...

...goat! I love her. Obviously, I'm not much of a country girl but I did not know that goats were so cute and friendly. Tina wags her little tail when we arrive, leans in for a neck rub and makes the sweetest happy sounds when you scratch her behind the ears. Then she thanks you by giving you kisses on the hand, just like a puppy. I want a goat. Friends, take note, I'm adding goat to my Christmas list.

As it turns out, once the blood sugar level gets back to normal and the suitcases are no longer an issue, Siena is actually a really nice town to explore.

I'm fascinated by the way people live in medieval cities that date back more than 400 BC. It is one thing to visit a city and its monuments or read about its history. It is quite another to witness how those buildings are being used today. Siena, for example, is now a University town, which isn't particularly obvious during the day but if you happen to be strolling around at night, especially on a Friday, you will encounter hundreds of 18 year olds drinking and gossiping on the piazza that was used for sporting events well over a thousand years ago.

While Siena at night is lively in certain places, it is so calm and deserted in other areas that it borders on eerie. You really do feel like a horseman and chariot could speed by on their way to battle an enemy.

It is said that "travel is glamorous only in retrospect" (Paul Theroux). While I absolutely agree with this quote and felt anything but glamorous when putting up with 20 hour flights, crowded trains and smelly buses, walking around Siena at night, gelato in hand, I was perfectly aware of how amazing that experience was.

Italy countdown, day 8

pizza:4

pasta:5

gelato:6