IntrepidFromDC

Vernazza is more beautiful viewed from land.

Corniglia, I think.

Manarola.

I booked the ferry one way but will take the faster train when I leave. Some of the villages are more spectacular to view from the sea than from land. Riomaggiore and Riomaggiore Beach in these pics are good examples. This is the village I'm staying at for 2 nights.

Natural landscape approaching Cinque Terre, plus Lord Byron's Cave.

These are some towns on the hillsides between La Spezia and Cinque Terre.

This morning I caught an early train to La Spezia, $10 taxi to the La Spezia port, and boarded the ferry that stops in all five villages of the Cinque Terre. One pic is of the ferry leaving port. 2 hours to the furthest village Monterosso, lunch there at Della Tortuga, then train to Riomaggiore to check in to airbnb.

I didn't bring any liquor onto the ship, I have one of those free drink offers. I'm sorry to say I didn't notice anyone carrying liquor on. But I have read multiple people saying they did.

The pasta was not as amazing as the pasta dish I exclaimed about in Rome, but it was al dente and wonderful.

Dinner was perfetto. When I get home I will give it 5 stars on TripAdvisor. I don't understand why even if I grow heirloom tomatoes I can't get the sweet, zero-acidic taste. They really taste fruity.

Walking to the ristorante

Last chance to guess...

You know what's coming next, right?

Bucket list item checked off!

I stopped in this ristorante, checked out the menu, and noticing the fresh morels and chestnuts on display knew I had to make a reservation for tonight.

Pisa: typical neighborhood Piazza, outdoor fresh food market, grocery store and deli.

Second time I'm posting pics of the Arno River. It also runs through Rome.

Pisa surprised me, it's larger but more walkable than I expected from pre-vacay research. The first pics are my walk from the NH Pisa, which understands prime real estate should go to le toilette, to the famous leaning tower.

I didn't buy the limoncello as a souvenir, I bought it for my belly. I just shared that pic because I found it a funny coincidence that as soon as I buy it someone shared a story about limoncello.

I disembarked this morning at 630am, after my favorite cruise ever. Taxis refused to take me to the train station, holding out for bigger fares. So I walked about a mile or two (40 minutes). It's all flat and a straight shot from the pier to the stazione, I would do it again, one of many advantages to packing light. The view the entire 2-hour ride to Pisa was fantastic. I was off the train and at my hotel in Pisa at 11am, directly across the street from the stazione so I know I'll be on time for my train to Cinque Terre early tomorrow. Pics of Pisa later. I love italy!

The main forum and victims. Zoom in close on the horse's mouth, you can see the teeth. You can see Vesuvius, 8 miles away. The statues are replicas, everything else is original.

Ceilings preserved are rare. The 2 pics with large rectangular stonework are public baths. Citizen homes typically had foyer, bedrooms, kitchen and dining area, and gardens.