Read more about the article Italy’s Cinque-Terre – Part 1: Riomaggiore & Manarola

Italy’s Cinque-Terre – Part 1: Riomaggiore & Manarola

If you’ve ever read Rick Steves’ travel books, you’ll know he is a big fan of Italy’s Cinque-Terre. Translated as “Five Lands”, the Cinque-Terre region consists of five fishing villages along the Ligurian coast in northwest Italy. Located about halfway between Genoa and Florence, it’s an easy day trip by car or train. Trains also depart from Milan, located 130 miles north of the region.

The problem may be in deciding which of the five villages to visit: Riomaggiore, Manarola, Corniglia, Vernazza and Monterossa al Mare. Connected by 11 kilometers of hiking trails, each of these has its own distinctive personality and vibe. Fortunately we were able to visit all five villages in a 24-hour period. (more…)

Read more about the article An Unexpected Day in Tuscany – Lucca, Italy
Church of San Michele in Foro, Lucca

An Unexpected Day in Tuscany – Lucca, Italy

After our 7-day cruise ended in Venice, we headed to Genoa, Italy. Not really known for tourism, Genoa is a big port city. However, it’s a great base to explore the nearby Cinque Terre and the French Riviera.

On the way to Genoa, we drove through the Tuscany region. We skipped Florence, Tuscany’s capital city, for two reasons. We couldn’t do it justice in the time we had. Also, DH and I had been there before at separate times and had different opinions – I liked it; he did not. When discussing Rome, we had the opposite opinions – DH liked Rome, I did not. So we agreed to skip both Florence and Rome on this trip. (more…)

Read more about the article 24 Hours (or less) in Venice, Italy
Venice in peak travel season

24 Hours (or less) in Venice, Italy

Water, water everywhere is what most people think about Venice. However, our experience was more like people, people everywhere.

It’s true. Roughly 30 million tourists flock annually to the area which is no more than 160 square miles. If it’s summertime (peak tourist season) and you don’t like crowds, you may want to only spend a day or two in the famous city of canals.

Another thing to think about is this: Venice is not ADA compliant. If your hotel isn’t on a canal, a water taxi will do you no good. Instead, you will have to carry your luggage through the tiny street and over bridges which consist of steps, not ramps. (more…)

Read more about the article Touring a Castle – Gorizia, Italy
Gorizia Castle

Touring a Castle – Gorizia, Italy

For those who’ve never heard of Gorizia, this small Italian town lies near the border of Slovenia. At various times, it has been ruled by the Venetians, French and Austrians. At the beginning of WWI, it was under Austrian rule until being conquered by the Italians in 1916 and again in 1918. To make matters more confusing, the boundary was also disputed after WWII when outlying areas of the town went to Yugoslavia in 1947.

It’s no wonder that a WWI museum is located here. But you wouldn’t know today that so many battles were fought here. Instead, the red-tiled town (which was mainly rebuilt in the 1920s due to significant damage in WWI) seems peaceful and definitely not touristy.

My other daughter quickly vetoed the plan to see a war museum. Thankfully, Gorizia Castle is located next door and we went to visit it while my husband and other daughter went to the trenches. (more…)