The next chapter

October 7, 2024
An early morning check out to catch the train to Venice. We left Monterosso at 9 am for Pisca Central, 11:48 am train to Venice, then a short 3 sailing waiting to Rialto ferry terminal, and a 5 minute walk to our hotel, Ca Del Nobile!

My new credit card arrived 30 minutes before I arrived! Activated it and I am ready! Headed out to explore.

Met up with my nephew, Tony, who happens to be travelling in the area! He treated us to a gondola ride and dinner.

Had a great evening catching up with him.

October 8, 2024
Plan today was to head to my last hotel of my trip to drop off a hand luggage roll away I purchased in Florence. It has all my trinkets I’ve purchased and I didn’t want to take it with me to Croatia.

Left before anyone was up to catch the boat and train. No one in sight

Rialto bridge at 5:15 am

Julia was still sleeping when I got back so I headed out for breakfast and a walk.

Walked to Piazza San Marco also known as St Mark's Square, is the principal public square. At the other end of the Venice, is Saint Mark's Basilica

I jumped the line at the Basilica and told them I wanted to go pray and light a candle (the front desk person told us to do that….he used to work there). I entered through the side door. Lit my candle and had a quiet moment.
Part of the roof in the Basilica made with gold tiles.

and the Campanile or Bell Tower, which we will climb tomorrow.

You may even see a tip of the Doge's Palace, which is to the right of the basilica. A doge was a head of state at a time when Venice was still a republic and not a city. The Palazzo Ducale was the home of the Doge, but the same building also housed political institutions.

from there continues towards the Grand Canal.
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The Bridge of Sighs is an enclosed bridge made of white limestone. It has windows with stone bars and passes over the Rio di Palazzo, and connects the New Prison to the interrogation rooms in the Doge's Palace. The view from the Bridge of Sighs was the last view of Venice that convicts saw before their imprisonment.

Some of the sights

Met Julia back at the hotel after she had breakfast. Walked St. Mark’s Basilica area again with Julia but in the pouring rain. Stopped for lunch and headed back t9 the hotel room to dry off.

Had a craving for Chinese food tonight and then did some shopping.

Candy shopping….

October 4, 2024
Had an early breakfast and headed out to the train station to Monterosso, Cinque Terra.

We passed Carrara. Carrara is known for its marble quarries.

Sites along the way.

Cinque Terre (meaning 'Five Lands') are a coastal in the northwest of Italy. It lies in the west of La Spezia Province, and is comprised of five villages - Monterosso al Mare, Vernazza, Corniglia, Manarola, and Riomaggiore. The coastline, the five villages, and the surrounding hillsides are all part of the Cinque Terre National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Vernazza is one of the most beautiful villages of Italy.

Headed out for lunch and met this couple from Australia. They joined us for lunch and we chatted for over an hour. Actually, she chatted!

We headed out for a hike to Vernazza. Great views, difficult hike…..didn’t make it all the way as the sun was setting?

October 5, 2024
Had a slow wake up morning today. Had breakfast and headed on to purchase a Cinque Terre Park pass. This pass allows you to hike in the park and also take the trains from town to town.

Decided to train to Riomaggiore and hike to Manarola. Riomaggiore is the most southern village of the Cinque Terre, situated just a two minutes by train from Manarola. The town climbs up along the ridges overlooking the sea, with it typical stone houses with coloured façades and slate-roofs.

We found out that the hike we wanted to do was going to cost us another 17,50 euros on top of the 48,50 euros we paid. We decided to do the longer hike but once we saw where we were hiking to we decided to just explore the town and then train to Manalora!

Riomaggiore and other Cinque Terre towns were the inspiration for the fictional Portorosso in the 2021 animated film Luca.

Manalora is built on a high rock 70 metres above sea level and is said to be one of the most charming and romantic of the Cinque Terre villages. The tiny harbour features a boat ramp, a tiny piazza and picturesque multicoloured houses facing the sea. We grabbed a lunch. Julia decided to train back to Monterosso and I stayed to explore Manalora.

Trained back to Monterosso, gabbed a calamari.
(photo credit: Julia)

Got changed and spent the rest of the day at the beach!

Dinner in Vernaza.

October 6, 2024
Had breakfast and headed off to Levanto for a visit. Levanto is near one the five towns of the Cinque Terre, Monterosso al Mare.

Next we boarded the train to Corniglia. Corniglia is located in the heart of the Cinque Terre National Park on a small cape, 100 meters above the sea. It is the smallest of the five villages and also the least accessible. You can take the shuttle bus up from the train station or you have to climb the Lardarina staircase, 382 stairs, to reach the village. We took the shuttle bus!

Corniglia is connected to the other villages of the Cinque Terre by footpaths. The path from Corniglia to Vernazza boasts amazing sea views and takes 1 hour 30 minutes to walk. Took me about 1 hour 15 minutes.

208 meters above sea level….the highest peak on the blue path!

This gentleman was entertaining us as we walked along the trail.

Lemonade stand…. It was so refreshing!

This guys sits there and checks to see you have a park pass.

Bar along the way.

Vernaza!

Stopped at Castillo Doria in Vernaza. A medieval fortress known as Doria Castle stands on top of a rocky ridge near the village of Vernazza. The tower was used as a lookout fortress to protect the village from pirates. Climbed to the top of the tower.

Trained back to Monterosso. Showered and off I went to explore the old town of Monterosso.

Dessert before dinner…. Mango and lemon gelatos!

Today’s step count

October 1, 2024
Last night we had heavy rains! Woke me up and couldn’t sleep, so I headed out for a walk. Came back about 45 minutes later, grabbed a quick breakfast. Checked out and we headed out to explore Lucca. It’s known for the well-preserved Renaissance walls encircling its historic city center and its cobblestone streets. Broad, tree line the pathways along the tops of these massive 16th/17th century ramparts are popular for strolling and cycling. We had planned to rent cycles and ride the wall but changed our minds since it was raining.

We walked part of the walkway, then explored the town.

The Torre Guinigi towers over the city. At the top of the 44.5 meter high tower (233 steps), you will find a garden containing oak trees. High above the city this small wood has provided a haven of peace for centuries. There are seven oak trees there, were first planted in the 14th or 15th century but over time they have been replanted. However, the ones at the top at the moment are still thought to be several hundred years old.

View from the top.

Narrow steps.

Back to our hotel to pick up our bags. We walked to the train station to catch the train to Florence. Once in Florence, we walked to the hotel.
Settled in and headed out to explore and have lunch.

Burrata cheese with fresh truffle on rocket salad

Tagliatelle di pasta with fresh truffle

Hot chocolate…..this was the bexpat I have ever had!

Got our tickets for the Accamedia Gallery for 7:45 pm. Back at the hotel we did a load of laundry. While I waited I went exploring!

Headed for our gallery time. The Galleria dell'Accademia di Firenze, is an art museum in Florence, Italy. It is best known as the home of Michelangelo's sculpture David. It also has other sculptures by Michelangelo and a large collection of paintings by Florentine artists.

Walked back to the hotel past the Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore to take some pictures….less people.

They have cute cars here!

I walked a half marathon today….. climbed 35 floors, 31,157 steps, and 21 km!

October 2. 2024
After breakfast, we went in search for the Hop on and off bus that goes around Florence. We sat on the bus for an hour looking at all the sights.

Finally got off at Piazzale Michelangelo. Piazzale Michelangelo (Michelangelo Square) is a square with a panoramic view of Florence.

The square, dedicated to Michelangelo, has bronze copies of some of his marble works found elsewhere in Florence.

The Rose Garden (Giardino delle rose)

Next stop…. Ponte Vecchio is a famous bridge near Palazzo Pitti with a fascinating history and beautiful views of the Arno River. The bridge was built during medieval times (1345) and features some beautiful stonework from this era. There have been shops on Ponte Vecchio since the 13th century. Initially, there were all types of shops, including butchers and fishmongers and, later, tanners, the present tenants are jewellers, art dealers, and souvenir sellers.

We had a quick sandwich

While waiting for the bus…. A small humming bird

A public pay phone …. Lots of them here.

Sights from our walk back.

I picked up another piece of luggage….. bought too much!

We hurried back for our 4 pm spa appointment at SoulSpace. We had use of the sauna, heated pool, and a place to just relax.

Ended our evening with dinner and a walk.

wish I could see how this car was going to get out of this spot!

October 3, 2024
Woke up to the sound of heavy rain! Breakfast done and off to the Leonardo da Vinci Interactive Museum for our 9:30 am slot in the pouring rain!

Leonardo Interactive Museum is an interactive museum dedicated to Leonardo da Vinci. It exhibits machines and mechanisms that actually work, designed by Leonardo himself from his famous coded message book. Visitors can operate the prototypes to understand their workings and into Da Vinci's mechanical mind. There is a section where visitors can build some of Leonardo's most important designs. This exceptional man had an extraordinary mind. Life-sized inventions, his war machines, civil engineering machines, and the flying machines showed Leonardo's dream of flight.

Back to the hotel to dry off! Grabbed lunch and a hot chocolate. Headed off to our cooking class!

Look at the size of the orchard plants

Found a carousel and Julia treated me to a ride.

Pastamania pasta class was so much fun! We learnt how to make homemade pasta, ravioli, tortellini, and fettuccine and the sauces. “Pommarola” (tomato sauce) and white sauce.

Time to eat!

September 30, 2024
Up early some went for a walk to explore the garden at the Hotel.

Front and back of the hotel.

Saw a hot air balloon in the distance coming towards me.

Hotel offered breakfast. We checked out and walked to the bus station to catch our bus to Pisa.

Pisa!

Cattedrale di Pisa

The Leaning Tower of Pisa or simply the Tower of Pisa freestanding bell tower, of Pisa Cathedral. It is known for its nearly four-degree lean, the result of an unstable foundation. The tower is one of three structures in the Pisa's Cathedral Square (Piazza del Duomo), the Cathedral and the Baptistry.

The height of the tower is 55.86 metres (183 feet 3 inches) from the ground on the low side and 56.67 m (185 ft 11 in) on the high side. The width of the walls at the base is 2.44 m (8 ft 0 in). Its weight is estimated at 14,500 tonnes (16,000 short tons). The tower has 296 or 294 steps; the seventh floor has two fewer steps on the north-facing staircase.

The tower began to lean during construction in the 12th century, due to soft ground which could not properly support the structure's weight. It worsened through the completion of construction in the 14th century. By 1990, the tilt had reached 5.5 degrees. The structure was stabilized by remedial work between 1993 and 2001, which reduced the tilt to 3.97 degrees.

There are 296/294 steps to the top of the Tower of Pisa, with the winding spiral staircase. It takes around 30 minutes to climb the entire tower.

An AED on the 4th level

Worn steps

Up at the top

Took the train to Lucca.
Walked from the train station to our hotel, Villa Lucreiza. Beautiful 2 bedroom suite at the top.

Check in and headed out for an amazing dinner.

September 29, 2024
Walked around the grounds of the hotel.

Had a wonderful breakfast at the hotel before we left for our bus to Siena.

Taxi dropped us off and we walked to the bus depot only to find out it was the wrong one. After a few queries, we found where we needed to be. The town was having a bike race so some of the roads were blocked off.

Some pics on the bus.

Walked to our hotel, Hotel Garden.

Spent some much needed pool and sun time since our room wasn’t ready.

After ww settled into our room, we headed to out to o explore Siena.

The old medieval centre has been declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Siena is know the famous horse race between the ten participating neighbourhoods to win the Palio, a banner painted by a different artist each time chosen by the City of Siena. The race is held on two dates, 2 July and 16 August, in the famous Piazza del Campo square where the symbol of the city stands: the Torre del Mangia tower.

Today was a special day at the Piazza del Campo square. Siena was celebrating the winners of the Palio winners. There were flags from all 10 neighbourhoods, marching bands, and thousands of attendees. We sat and enjoyed a gelato and watched the festivities.

Before the celebration, we had a delicious lunch, pizza and ceasar salad (which tastes nothing like what we have at home).

Explored the area and found the Siena Cathedral and the Piazza del Duomo.

Truffle store….smelt amazing!

Beautiful bride and groom

An artist sketching a street

An a busker, Julia gave him her last euro!

Sunset