Cinque Terra

I am not by nature an early riser. In fact I have to force myself to get up but we were going to the Cinque Terra (five towns) and I couldn't wait to get there so I was up at the crack of dawn. We decided the best way for us was the train. We started at the furthest point and ended with the closest to La Spezia where the ship was docked. It was just as wonderful as I remembered it from ten years ago. It is still beautiful but a little more built up and now has a Disneyland quality about it due to the hoarders of tourists swarming like insects all over the place. Last time we did the walks between towns but didn't feel up to it this time since it was very hot and some of the trails were still under repair. We walked around in the towns but took either a boat or train between towns. The colorful houses are still hanging from the mountainsides and the men still fish but there is a thriving commercial aspect to the place now. I am so glad I saw it the first time with no other tourists around. It will always be beautiful and I will always have such fond memories of it as it was. The ladies are still going to daily food markets and enjoying gossip time together. The old men still sit around watching the daily parade of tourists while enjoying their afternoon helpings of gelato.

We are becoming gelato connoisseurs. Each area has its own special flavors and quirks. The consensus is that Italy is the only place you can get good gelato.

Today while most of the passengers took off for Rome we walked into Civitavecchia  and caught the local bus to Tarquinia which is a small down about ninety kilometers from Rome. It is a small, sleepy Town in Lazio which is known for its Etruscan ruins. Not too much is known about the Etruscans or their beliefs. They were precursors of the Romans and their art was beautiful with a mystical quality to it. We explored the town which immediately closed up for siesta at noon till four thirty. These Italians really do know how to live the right way. We might have been the only tourists in town and that is the way I like it.

We had a lovely outdoor lunch on a sidewalk cafe in a piazza at the top of a hill. The view from the hill was spectacular. We saw the entire surrounding countryside.   It was a three course meal which was made from fresh local ingredients and was delicious. Back on the ship we could hardly eat dinner. I am not thrilled with this ship and have a laundry list of complaints. I don't know who is worse...some of the staff or some of the passengers. Eileen and Steve had their room changed and today our toilet thought it was the Trevi Fountain and flooded the entire bathroom.