Hello all and Seasons Greetings! I hope this blog finds you in perfect holiday spirits.

I'm not sure exactly what this blog will talk about but I've been told I haven't written lately so I guess I had better get something down.

My cruise was great and I will eventually post something on the cruise itself and the ports of call: Barcelona (yes, I know you're still waiting for the original one from there!), Casablanca, Tenerife, Madeira and Malaga. Once Casablanca is hobbled together in my notes I'll sit down and type it for you and get it on its way.

Since I got off the cruise a couple days ago I have been busy planning what's coming up on the agenda and then enjoying myself. So first, let me tell you what's coming up. I don't have the details in front of me at the moment so I'll be guessing at some of this. I am doing two more cruises in the Mediterranean. The first is an 8-day cruise to Libya and Tunisia mainly (18th - 26th). The second is a 10-day cruise to Greece, Cyprus and Alexandria, Egypt (28th- 6th). Then from the 11th to 25th I am in Egypt on a trip with my brother and his wife. I don't yet know what I'm doing from the 6th to the 11th but I've got a while to worry about that. I'm also not sure about the 26th-28th but Savona sounds like a good spot to hang out, especially since that's where the first cruise ends and the next one starts. However, I may make the train trip to La Spezia and try to finish what I didn't get done in the rain today.

So I guess that leads to where I am now and what I've been doing. I am currently in La Spezia and using it as a base for exploring around Cinque Terre, Italy. Cinque Terre is the name of an area that includes five small villages on the coast of Italy: Monterossa, Vernazza, Corniglia, Manarola and Riomaggiore. The area is all within a protected national park area and there are walking trails all through the park. Yesterday I took the train to Monterossa, toured around there for about an hour, did the walk to Vernazza, toured around there for an hour and had some lunch, did the walk to Corniglia, toured around there for a while and then took the train back to La Spezia. The footpath from Corniglia to Manarola is closed at the moment because of a mudslide so I couldn't do that portion. I have yet to do the last section between Manarola and Riomaggiore. It was too dark yesterday and too wet today. If it rains tomorrow I may never get it done. I'd also like to do the walk from Campiglia to Porto Venere, which is part of a much longer trail, but that is also questionable if it's still rainy tomorrow.

Today I took the bus to Lerici, toured around there, walked to San Terenzo, toured around there and then took the bus back. The rest of the afternoon and evening I spent wandering around La Spezia and touring the Amedeo Lia Museum. There was a lot of walking on both days and aside from a quick sit just to grab a drink of water or down a piece of pizza, I was on my feet and moving for over 8 hours each day. That may not seem like a lot to some of you but it's a lot to me, especially since most of it was non-stop stairs up and down and up and down and .........

Cinque Terre really is quite remarkable. There are over 7,000 km. of stone walls holding up steep terraces all along the coast. As you walk the footpaths you generally have one side to a stone wall and the other either to an incredible view of the ocean below or to vineyards or orchards or just wild vegetation. I have to keep reminding myself that it's December but the place was so quiet it was unbelievable. You just walk and walk and walk and the only sounds from time to time are the birds or the waves or a bee buzzing by. I'm sure it's different at harvest time or other times when the workers are in the fields or in the summer when there are thousands of tourists around!

The landscape with the terraces is so unique that it has been designated a UNESCO Mankinds World Heritage Site. When you are at the bottom looking up at the terraces they really are quite amazing. I just kept thinking about the poor workers who had to carry baskets of grapes up and down the pathways. I would never survive. I could barely get myself over them! Many of the terraces are in vineyards. Some are in orchards of what appeared to be oranges, lemons, limes and olives, although I confess that I wouldn't know an olive tree if I tripped over it.

The paths are all over the place but the basic routes are very well marked so quite easy to follow. Well, maybe that isn't the right phrasing there. The paths are easy to find but they are not necessarily easy to follow. About half of the time you are on steps which could be 3" or 3' in height, narrow or wide, and generally with very uneven and stony surfaces. Just when you think going up is tough, you get to try going down and for me that was even worse. The feet held up fine but I really had to watch which foot went first and where it was placed. Needless to say, I took a bit longer than they said was required for each section of the walk. However, I had to enjoy the scenery and take pictures and smell the flowers and, most of all, watch the path!!!

From Monterosee to Vernazza there were endless stone walls and lots of vineyards and lots of great views of the cliffs and the sea. In some locations the path was less than a foot wide and with a solid rock wall on one side and a drop on the other I would have appreciated a bit more room. Of course it didn't help to know that part of the closed path was closed because the path had given way!!! The path was definitely not busy. Three people passed me, only two of which commented on how slow I was going! And I only met 5 people coming from the other direction so it wasn't too bad trying to get around others on the pathway. I can't imagine what it would be like in the summer with a continuous flow of people in both directions on the path. In most places it would be no problem but in other places, it would be interesting. I started this path with my jacket on but the sun was so hot and I was working so hard climbing all the stairs that the coat came off right away. It remained sunny for about half the trip but it was hot even when cloudy.

Between Vernazza and Corniglia the path was basically the same but the immediate scenery was different. There were fewer vineyards and orchards, except at the beginning and end of the path. Most of it was simply wild with small trees and shrubs and cactus. Every once in a while you crossed a tiny stream and I could imagine that they aren't always that tiny. I had individual people pass me at each end of the trail and I met 4 people on the trail. I did however have lots of cats for company. Supposedly they are stray cats but they sure looked healthy and well fed to me. For a while I had 4 of them with me and I was literally tripping over them and almost kicking them out of the way so I could keep moving. When I thought I was almost there I panicked to see a town behind me to the left as I thought I'd missed a turn off and was going to have to go back. But around the corner someone assured me that I was still on the right path and all was okay. I guess I was seeing San Bernadino up on the hill. It was cloudy all the way along this path but I was still hot.

The sea was very, very blue and I had a sunset that seemed to last for hours.It would be nice to do this trip again in spring or summer or fall and see what it looks like then. There were a few small flowers out but not many. The cliffs are remarkable and when you get a view of the sea it is awesome. There are also many hidden beaches along the shore and it would be interesting to see it as a summer resort instead of a winter one.

Monterossa was very quiet and peaceful and even in the town the only sound was the sea. It was bright and warm and everyone and everything seemed to move at a very slow pace. The beach was a mix of sand and stone. There was a nice promenade all along the sea shore and there were squares and parks where people were relaxing and there were small cafes every where. The town is divided into two parts and separated by an outcropping of rock and an old fort - Torre Aurora. San Giovanni Battiste Church has a black and white facade on the outside and balck and white floor tiles, pillars and arches on the inside. The walls are very light and plain and the church is very nice overall. They even have gas heaters in the nave - the kind you might find at an outdoor cafe to keep it warm in winter. I guess these old stone buildings aren't the warmest at this time of year! The other buildings in town were all light earth tones and pale pastels and they seem to just climb up the side of thes cliffs. Some of them even have stilts on one side to help them.

Vernazza has a lovely little harbour - the only one of the five villages that actually has a protected harbour. The church is right at the seashore by the harbour and there is a castle right out on the point. Both were closed so I couldn't visit. However, I did go as high as I could on either side so I could get some pictures. There are benches all around the harbour and an open square so it was very relaxing. It was lunch time so many of the shops were closed. There was one main street from the harbour up the hill out of town. All the rest were small winding alleys off to the left or right, most of them pedestrian only and all of them going up so often involving stairs. The houses were very colourful in pink, beige earth tones, and they seemed to be stacked on top of each other.

Corniglia was very different from the other two villages as it is up on the top of the cliffs and does not get down to sea level at all. It provided some great views from its perch. It appeared to also have one main road and then a lot of narrow alleys off of it in every direction - this time both up and down but still often involving stairs. There were many covered alleyways and I really had to wonder whether the buildings were over the alleys or whether the alleys were through the buildings. Many of the alleys were unlit and as it was getting dark it was hard to get around in these areas. I also found it difficult to find my way to the train station but eventually I found the signs. Well, I'm glad the train was about an hour late because I never would have made it in time. I knew I had to go down but I had no idea how far down. The stairs just zig-zagged back and forth down the side of the hill. I think I was well over half way down before I started counting and I got to 297 so there must be over 600 steps. And at the end of that there is at least a kilometer of sloped walkway before you actually get to the train station. It was of course after I got to the train station that I discovered there was a bus that went back and forth between the town centre and the station. Somehow taking it would have been like cheating anyway! The only other thing I'll say about this train station, which is a small station with just three tracks, is that when they announce that there will be a train in transit on track one and you are standing or sitting by track one, hang on to everything you've got and keep your eyes closed! Those trains don't slow down one bit and they are moving. You could easily lose small pets and children as those trains fly by.

It's interesting as you do the walks to watch the village you have just left disappear and then disappear again after the many twists and turns in the path. At the same time you see the next village appear and reappear many times as you move forward. You think it is just down the hill but there is always one more corner or another hill or valley. The paths wind in and out and up and down and you change directions a million times. I don't know who made these original routes but apparently they were the only routes for a long time. And even yesterday I passed one couple heading from one village to the other and they were carrying their bags of purchases. I could barely get myself down the path but they were handling their Chirstmas shopping or bags of groceries as well. And at one stage a man with a load of sticks on his shoulder passed me. He was literally running in comparison to my speed. These folks are in great shape. They think it is so silly that we actually have big paved areas just to park cars in and that we drive cars everywhere! I of course could take that even farther and told them that I've been known to drive to one of those parking lots and go into a store and then get back into my car and drive to the other side of the parking lot to go to another store. Perhaps that helps to explain why I was so slow on the trails!

Speaking of slow .... The first trail was supposed to take two hours and I took three hours. The second trail was to take an hour and a half and I think I took about two, although in all honesty I forgot to check the time when I started. Despite not making the specified times I think I did really well and I had a great trip.I really hope it's nice tomorrow because I want to see the other two towns and do the last walk. It's a much easier one with an elevator at the beginning and the end so you don't have to do the big up and down portion. The last two villages are also supposed to be the prettiest and most authentic of the five.

Today I went the other way around the Gulf of La Spenzia. Lerici is about 15 km from La Spenzi and about half way down the east side of the Gulf. Lerici is a port town that has a history going back to well before the 12th century. It is in a beautiful location and has a harbour full of boats. The Castle Of San Giorgio, which is up on the hill, was closed but I went up to the terrace to take some pictures. You can see across the gulf to Port Venere and the islands, and you can see all along the coast in both directions. Of course, since it was cloudy and rainy today, the view was rather limited.The beauty of Lerici was favoured by poets and writers alike. Hotels, restaurants and streets all seem to have names like Shelley and Byron, and the bay is referred to as Poets Bay. There is a beautiful sandy beach along most of the shore, although at times it seemed more pebbly. There is also a promenade most of the way along the shore and it goes for several kilometers. I followed it to San Terenzo and then too a bus back as it was raining rather hard.

There are many streets open to traffic in the city and it seems much larger than any of the Cinque Terre villages. The hills are farther from the shore and there is more room for houses and roads than in the other locations. However, you still have a fair number of narrow, winding pedestrian streets and stairs.The Parish Church is very plain on the outside and Baroque in style. The inside is very beautiful and has some great art pieces in it. However, they didn't have many lights on and it was a dark day so it was hard to see anything in detail. I was impressed by the huge frescoes on the ceiling but it turns out they are 20th century paintings and not from the original church, which was a 14th century construction and later redone in the 17th century. The Church of San Rocco is much smaller and down by the harbour. It was built in the 13th century and its walls are very plain. However, it's also very pretty in its simplicity and it also has some beautiful artwork. It was interesting to note that gas heaters were placed in these churches too. I guess that's standard practice for old stone churches in cooler weather.

I guess I should say something about La Spezia itself. Unfortunately for the town, I think its claim to fame is that it has a lot of accommodation and is close to Cinque Terre. However, it is a beautiful city and I really wish I had more time to spend in it. My hotel is right at the train station and yet it's close to everything and I have wandered all through the town, which is well decorated for Christmas and very busy. There is a beautiful promenade and garden area down by the sea and a big harbour. And like all of these towns, the hills and mountains frame the other side. La Spezia is more spread out than the others but still has lots of pedestrian streets, which is where all the shopping takes place. I could actually get to like shopping if it was all like this. Well, kind of at least.

I toured the Museo del Sigillo the other afternoon but really didn't mean to. I just got the wrong museum. I'm not much into offical seals but it was interesting. Obviously seals have been around for a long time since they have examples going from the 5th century BC to current day. Some of the actual imprints are simple designs and some are very intricate. And the same can be said for the seals themselves. From simple rings that made impressions to large ornate objects carved or made from everything imaginable. There were full human figures, busts of known and unknown people, animals, and ornate designs that defy description. And they were made from wood, ivory, silver, bronze, shells, procelain, glass, gold or whatever. And many of them had more than one purpose such as a ring or perfume bottles or corkscrews or hammers. It's amazing what you learn when you enter the wrong door.

I made it to the right museum this afternoon, the Museo Amedeo Lia. All of the art in the museum came from a donation from Amedeo Lia and his family so I think it's fair that it's named after him, whoever he was. There are paintings from the 13th to 18th centruy as well as acient, medieval and modern sculptures and art objects. The whole first section is religious art and artifacts and its quite a collection. The applications of Mathematics reared its head again as the audio guide explained why paintings changed from the 13th to 15th century when the principles of perspective started to be applied. The mueum layout and the audio guide did a good job of comparing pieces and explaining what was different and why. This was true on perspective and on shading or outlining. It was quite interesting. In one of the rooms they had a small decorated glass perfume bottle from the 1st century BC and it appeared to be in perfect condition. It amazes me that anything could be in perfect condition after that many years but glass particularly. The last room was on still life paintings so I wasn't much looking forward to that. However, Giocomo Recco had some great flowers with vibrant colours and Andreas Belvedere was not bad either. I may even get to like that stuff before this trip is finished.

Well, I think that's all for this time and I really should get on to something else. Take care and I'll write again as soon as I can, although with more cruises coming up that could be tricky.

Merry Christmas, and do take time for some relaxation over this holiday season!

Jayne

PS - It is now the following evening - December 17th I think. I spent many hours and about 20 euros trying to post this last night and it wouldn't go through. However, I did eventually get it e-mailed to myself so at least it wasn't all lost. Today was pouring rain so there was nothing to do but sleep in and then travel to Genova for the night. I'm now here and hopefully have an internet connection that works. I copied and pasted the blog from my e-mail into here and lost all formatting so hopefully I have the paragraphs in the right place now. If not, you'll just have to guess at what description goes with what place. The spell check didn't work last night or today so please forgive any spelling mistakes too. The good news is that I did have time today to get my notes from the cruise all together so maybe you'll actually get a second posting tonight. Cheers!