This morning I was hungover, never really been hungover the whole trip before, but today I was. Jules seemed a bit worse for wear too, but today was going to be tough. We had a fairly late start and lugged our heavy oacks down the stairs and got prepared for the trek up the hill to the train station. Breakfast this morning was the usual, croissants, cheese and 4 week old meat cutlets...no thanks, not today... We trudged up the hill to the train station, where we had to wait over an hour for our train. Today we were going to [View Full Entry]

---

---

We got up after a good sleep and made our way lazily down the 4 flights of stairs. Today we had to catch the ferry to Menaggio, have a look round there for an hour, then catch a bus up to Lake Legano in Switzerland! This wasn't part of the tour, but an option that we couldn't pass up! The ferry ride was short but FREEZING, the ferries are like those car ferries so they dont really accomodate for people that much, i.e. no heaters or anything! We got to Managgio and it's pretty much like Verenna, except it's a bit [View Full Entry]

---

---

Today we went to Verenna by train (again). We got in pretty late, and the station was so tiny, we had to get off the train, straight onto the tracks and walk along them for about 500m in the dark! The weather is cooler now, the jackets and jumpers are coming out. The weather is not that grand either. Looks like our luck has run out! Verenna is a tiny little town on the edge of Lake Como. It's a pretty wee place, but it's only real function is to deliver people by train to the lakes district. We checked into [View Full Entry]

---

---

We woke to the smell of freshly baked warm croissants and floated downstairs on the aroma. Let me clarify, our accom this time was what they call an Agrotourista which basically means a farmhouse for tourists. Usually its a husband and wife deal, they have extra rooms and rent them out to travellers, serve them meals, let them help out on the farm etc. This one was a bit more upmarket than that, but VERY cool and still VERY authentic. Today was going to be a real struggle....not. Absolutely beautiful day, not a whisper of a cloud in the sky and [View Full Entry]

---

---

(note to readers...this is a little delayed due to impossible net access further north in Italy) Yay! Today we head to Priocca, a divine little vineyard town about 1 hour east of Milan. We got up in Levanto, and headed up the massive hill loaded up with our packs (wishing I had a suitcase with wheels) to the train station. While waiting for the train I figured out how to play one of these crazy Italian pokies and managed to win enough money for lunch, great start to the day! We boarded yet another train, I thought I'd let the Trenitalia [View Full Entry]

---

---

We got up to a nice brekky in the hotel and then it was off to the station for the Cinque Terre. WE got the train to one of the 5 towns and started the walk along the CT. I have to tell you, this walk is amazing. It's fully set up really well and quite easy to do. On one side you have all the old beautiful terraced gardens and hosues, the other is the ocean! It's so beautiful Unfortunately, Italy's great weather had broken...we had our first touch of rain, gutted. We soldiered on though, and had great fun. [View Full Entry]

---

---

Forgot to tell you, On the way home last night, we got on a train which we thought was the express, turns out it wasn't. So, while being bored to death waiting for the train to start up again, I wandered off down to the front to ask the driver how long it would take...(I'd had a couple of Peroni's by this stage) Long story short, the driver asked me if I wanted to have a drive of the train!! ARE YOU SERIOUS!!!!! So here I am, between San Margherita and Levanto, driving a Trenitalia Train!!!! I can tell you now, [View Full Entry]

---

---

We woke this morning to another cracker Lucca day. We had been here long enough and I was keen to get on the train. Lucca is a great place to visit, but TBH, it could be done in a day. There is nothing really too special here (apart from the mummified lady in one of the churches...creepy). It is steeped in history, but this far down, we are kind of numb to the history of everything now. The terraced houses and cobbled streets used to buzz us out, but now we are craving the comforts of a city again. We soon [View Full Entry]

---

---

Today was our Free Day in Lucca, and being All Saints Day (public holiday), there was NOTHING to do.....really, there was NOTHING to do. We packed a picnic, went up on the wall together and had some pomodoro and mozorella sandwiches. After this, we mosied back home, after checking out every street in the town (and all the shops that WERENT open) and had an afternoon siesta. I woke early and went out exploring, trying to find a Supermarket that might actually be open, and I lucked up. Found me an Essenlunger (sounds really appetising doesnt it?) and loaded up with [View Full Entry]

---

---

After a great sleep, we showered up and went down (all those stairs), got our obligitory Pizza for breakfast and met the group at the bike shed. Today was BIKE RIDING DAY! How long has it been since you rode a bike? For me it must have been about 15 years, and my butt bones have been reminding me ever since. We started the day off (and let me say the weather here has been absolutely incredible, October is definitely the best time to come to Italy) with a leisurely ride around the walls of Lucca. The walls are really wide [View Full Entry]

---

---