Blogs from Riomaggiore, Liguria, Italy, Europe - page 2

We got up early again this morning and checked out of our hotel. We were a little stressed because the delay in our hiking trip due to yesterday’s train strike caused a problem for us today, we had to hike with our luggage. Mom and Dad had backpacks so that wasn’t awful, but I had my Vera Bradley duffle bag with me. I was not a happy camper when I realized I would be hiking with it all day. It wasn’t heavy, but it is painful to have the weight unevenly distributed to one side of my body for long periods of time. We took the train from Moneglia to Riomaggiore—the last of the 5 towns that make up Cinque Terre. We ate breakfast at a small café and it was delicious. Dad and I ate ... read more

Last week I started my seminars where I teach Italian law students American Real Estate and Property Law. It is very difficult to not only explain in simple terms legal concepts but on top of that english is a second language to all of the students so I must speak very slowly and clearly since they are not used to American english. Our first class was in Parma and went very well, one man in particular asked tons of questions about escrow and title companys which showed his understanding of our lesson. The second class took place in Milan and took place on the same day that Lena flew into Milan so the timing was perfect. I was able to take an early train up to Milan and meet Lena and take her over to the ... read more

Geo: 44.0998, 9.73869Definitely loved Cinque Terre! Its a series of five small fishing villages that, ordinarily, is connected by a coastal trail. So you can hike from village to village, and it takes all of a day. Except a series of landslides took out 3 of the 4 trails, we discovered when we arrived. So there went THAT fantasy. lol. The towns are still connected by a series of other trails that are high up in the hill-mountains above the towns. The ascents and descents are somewhat brutal in the blistering sun. So.... we didnt get as far as we wanted. Anyway, Im ahead of myself.Getting to Cinque Terre worked out really well. We arrived in Milan after another overnight train ride, and caught the next train to Levante, which is just north of the villages. ... read more

Woke to the bells of the local church - right next door. Was expecting seven rings (for 7 o'clock) but it just kept on going and slowly faded. Oh well - that will ensure we don't waste the day. We are staying in two separate rooms - only ones on the same floor, so me and one if the kids in one room, and Eileen and the other two in the other. Breakfast was in another building close by - very basic but did the job. Met a lovely couple during breakfast from Puerto Rico - Henry and Mari. They are in Italy for a conference (I think) and added a few days to sight-see. Henry is an accomplished violinist, plays in an orchestra and teaches, and Mari does promotional work in the same area (there's ... read more

After five days in Rome, it was time to head north along the coast to the Cinque Terre (saturday 6th June), but first I had decided to stop off in Pisa to check out the Campo del Miracoli (Field of Miracles) where the Cathedral, Battistero and Campanile - better known as the Leaning Tower - were located. Despite nearly missing my train from Rome to Pisa beause the authorities at Trenitalia had once again decided to switch the platform for my train at the last minute; I managed to make it to Pisa and find my way to the Campo del Miracoli with no further problems - at which point I was just as shocked by the sight of the entire square being covered in grass (surely the first town I have seen in Europe where ... read more