We got back home tonight about 11:45 p.m. It was a long drive back but we made it. A special thanks to GLP for cleaning and gassing up the van -- you went above and beyond the call of duty bro. All in all, this was a great trip and we hope to do italy again in the near future. The last picture to be posted will be one of us throwing a coin in the Trevi Fountain to ensure our return to Roma. Arrividerchi.

Well today was our last full day in Italy. We absolutely loved the Cinque Terre, loved Roma, and Florence was o.k. We will miss the walks hand in hand, the gelato, and everything else about this wonderful place. Americans could learn a lot about how to really live their lives if they spent a few weeks in Italy. The last thing we did tonight was throw two euros each into the Trevi Fountain to ensure our return to Rome someday. We can't wait. Fortunately, we will be able to savor the memories of this trip for a very long time, and relive all of the great experiences we've had. Until our next trip, this is Wayne and Sue signing off.

Friday, June 18, 2010

Well, today was our first day in the Cinque Terre. Getting there involved three different trains and getting the luggage on and off each one. We now appreciate the concept of traveling light. The room here is beautiful. We have our own room with a private rooftop terrace. Now if only the weather will cooperate. Today was partly cloudy but all in all quite nice. We got lots of pictures and were able to see four of the five towns. The only unfortunate thing is that the trails are closed due to landslides, so no hiking for us. We had a great dinner tonight that started with stuffed anchovies and ended with a taste of the desert wine available in this region. Delicious. No internet tonight, so we will have to post this tomorrow or Sunday. Until then, Caio.

Saturday, June 19, 2010


Today was our second day in the Cinque Terre. It is a tribute to this wonderful place that it was raining off and on for most of the day and will still had a great time. We toured Monterosso today and walked as many of the trails we could. We even got in the water at the beach in Monterosso, and it was not as cold as expected. Its amazing how much time we spent just wandering around the towns and taking pictures of beautiful sights. If the trail had of been open, we wouldn’t have spent nearly as much time in the towns. We decided that we have to come back to hike the trails. We could definitely spend three or four days here if the trails were open and it was beach weather. I promised Sue we would come back soon. It would definitely be worth a second trip. Well, tomorrow we head back to Rome for our last night in Italy. Until then, that’s all for now.

Well, yesterday was a day for art historians. We probably saw at least 3 different art galleries in Florence. By the end it became clear that we were not art history buffs as we spent much of our time looking for dogs in the paintings we saw. We also saw Galileo's Museum, which had all of his old instruments as well as his finger. Florence is so different than Rome. At this time of year it is filled with high school students taking organized tours. That detracts a little from its allure. The last thing we did was place a lock on the railing by the Ponte Vecchio Bridge and threw the keys in the Arno (our apologies to the conservationists). This is a tradition started by Italian youth as a way to show a love that will last forever. Today we're off to the Cinque Terre. Hope the weather is good. Wayne and Sue out.