Italian Riviera

ourlodging
Hotel Villa Steno

distancewalked
6.4 Miles

Our stay in Cinque Terre, known as the Italian Riviera, was easily the vacation from the vacation! The charming fishing villages are bursting with color and activity even on a cloudy day. The journey getting there had its own highlights, and the group camaraderie increased with a pesto-making demo and afternoon swim.

day9

Our drive from Florence included a stop not too far down the road at the Florence American Cemetery and Memorial. Most of those buried there are from the Fifth Army following the capture of Rome and subsequent battles in WWII. The monuments and manicured grounds invoked feelings of melancholy, but also deep appreciation to those who made the ultimate sacrifice.

We arrived in Pisa late morning along with many other tourists, including those who were posing for their "holding up the leaning tower" trick pics.

I have to admit that based on the images and postcards I've seen of Pisa's Leaning Tower, I expected there to be a stand alone structure with nothing else close by. In fact, there are five other impressive buildings! Kevin and I checked out the Duomo, Baptistery, and the Duomo Museum, plus we climbed the Leaning Tower. Whoa! That sure messes with your equilibrium but worth the effort. The Baptistery also provides some panoramic views.

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PISA

The
best
leaning
tower
we
saw
on
this
trip.

Galileo was baptized in the Baptistery. The Galileo Lamp hangs in the Cathedral and was used in his research and experiments.

Monterosso al Mare

It was drizzling when we took the train from Lavanta to Monterosso and continued during the night. The group was broken up into two hotels and ours, the Hotel Villa Steno, required a steep stair climb. The staff and views were both outstanding, as was the laundry service.

Our group had a fun, private dinner that included a pesto-making lesson.

today'shighlight
RSE Prosecco October Swim Club

distancewalked
9.5 Miles

day10

I took sunrise pictures while Kevin rested a bit longer at the hotel. We enjoyed a really nice breakfast buffet and decided to spend our morning checking out some of the other villages that make up Cinque Terre.

The Vacation from the Vacation

Our hotel terrace.

We took the train to Vernazza and relaxed a bit under the sunny, blue sky, then caught the train to Riomaggiore and explored the steep roads, up and down.

We did not make it to Corniglia and Manarola, settling for three villages and an afternoon back in Monterosso with its relaxing ambiance.

Then it was time for the swimmers!

An invite went out to meet at 3:00 pm for a swim and the response came back strong! While some of us only dipped our toes in the water, here's footage of the RSE Prosecco October Swim Club rocking the challenge.

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The sun burst through after the swim!

Time for a Happy Hour with friends!

The group gathered for pre-dinner camaraderie at the Bar Midi. Afterward, we enjoyed a lovely dinner at Il Casello with two of our friends. We really felt pampered as the only diners in an upper room with a remarkable view. I highly recommend the stuffed anchovies appetizer.