Riomaggiore

Riomaggiore is a great little village. The views along the Via del Amore are amazing. The village itself is quite nice. There are a lot of little shops and eateries. But as you head higher up the hill, you discover some great little neighborhoods.

I was surprised to find 3 churches in this village. So far, each village has had one main church. Riomaggiore has at least three. I'll have to do some reading to find out more about why that is.



I ended up following an alley to a lookout. This was another first for me. At the lookout was the first school I have seen on this trip. It was an elementary school that was having some repairs done. On the walk back down, I noticed a flower I have never seen. I took a few photos of the bloom and one of the pods that it came from. I have no idea what it is, but it is very pretty.



Riomaggiore also has a great little harbor. I decided it was time to dip my toes in the Lugurian Sea. I went down to the dock area, took off my shoes and sat there with me chubby feet dangling in the water. It was so refreshing. In fact, I got excited to see a pretty big wave coming my way. My passport and money were safe from the water, so I just let it hit me. It was a very refreshing treat on a really hot day.

How do they do that?

One of the questions I keep asking myself is how do they make deliveries, move building supplies, etc? There really aren't roads in Cinque Terre like we are used to having. There may be a main street that an occasional delivery truck, police car, or ambulance will use. Everywhere else is a series of small alleyways. And remember, nothing here is flat. Steep and narrow stairs are your access to everything.

I thought this piece of equipment was ingenious. It isn't very fast, but it handles the stairs and alleyways really well. It also looks like it carries a lot of materials. I've seen them using it to make deliveries and for construction.

Max and the Angry Birds

I had one of the most enjoyable times last night. First, Max, the son of the Germany family staying at Walter's, has been very shy of the 4 days we've been here. His dad speaks pretty good English, and we've all been chatting with them. Max, however, has just been a typical shy 6-year-old. He really likes Angy Birds and did bring down his stuffed Angry Bird toy to show us.

Charmelle had tried to play Angry Birds with him on her iPad, but something wasn't working. So I went up and grabbed my iPad and off he went. He cranked though levels like a master. He even provided color-commentary for us. It was a really cute thing to watch and hear.

I decided to introduce him to Train Yard. For those that have not played it, don't start! Basically, you have to draw train tracks to carry the train or trains to the destination(s). Some times the trains need to join, other times they need to collide so their colors can mix, etc. it's a lot of fun and takes a fair amount of problem solving skills, at least for must of us adults. Then the is Max. I showed him how to draw the tracks and somehow he and I went through the basic "rules" of the game. The amazing part is, I speak maybe 20 words of German and he speaks no English. In any event we did it. He successfully completed tons of levels. It was a lot of fun. He also is a very talented artist for a little guy. He drew us 3 pictures: an iPad with Angry Birds and 2 about Train Yard. Then he asked for our address and email. I can't wait to get a message from him. It was great!

We also had 2 new couples join us at Walter's. One was from Iowa and had completed their first RAGBRAI last year. Believe it or not, they didn't know Bruce Spitzer or any of his family I could name. I told them I was suspect of their actual Iowa roots. She is a 6th grade teacher and he is an IT person. We spend a lot of time talking about Ed Tech things and RAGBRAI. The other couple was from Huston, but originally from Lafayette LA. They were getting ready to move to Washington DC where he will be starting a new position as a graphic artist. It was a lot of fun just drinking wine and chatting.

Dinner, conversation, and wine

All four of us were beat and took naps. Even though all the books say not to sleep when you arrive, we had to get a little rest. Then we got up and headed for dinner. So far we eat, sleep, and eat some more. None too shabby, if you ask me.
Dinner was good, no photos, sorry mom. We started with leek soup, then rice with veggies and a mushroom sauce over some veal. I don't eat veal as a rule, but I believe in eating what is served when you are a guest, so no nasty remarks please.
What was fun was chatting with the others at the table. One couple was from MN, just east of Fargo. They are with their adult son. He works in Zurich. The other family was from Redondo Beach CA. The we're with their young daughter. Then there were two young guys from TN and a German Family with a young son.




We ended up hanging out with the two guys from TN and making sure all the wine bottles on the table were empty :-) it was a yummy table Merlot that matched up well with the dark chocolates we brought down after dinner. The real excitement was hunting flies. According to Tim (our host at Walter's), there are a lot of flies, because there is a lot of cow shit. There are a lot of flies, so I'll trust him. Walter's has a "tennis racket/bug zapper" that really packs a punch. Yes Henry and Bruce, I touched it! Note: there is an inverse correlation between the accuracy and speed of swinging the bug zapper and the amount of wine consumed.

I used my broken German, and it worked :-)

While we were heading to the train station, I stopped and got a European SIM for my iPhone. I was able to ask for help, confirm he spoke English, and get the card. While it's not much, I've never been good with languages and it's a victory for me.
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Location:Zurich, Switzerland

Traveling lite

We made it to Zurich and will bid the ease of pushing Charmelle around




farewell. All four of us made the trip with only a carry-on. We look like North Face reps with all our bags.
From here we have 3 different trains, a bus, and a gondola! I'm hoping for a bicycle or rickshaw, but I'll settle for the current plan.

Location:Zurich, Switzerland

Almost a false start

As many of you know, Charmelle ruptured her Achilles last month. So that did change the overall idea of the trip (no hiking, etc.). However, we were still planning to go and enjoy time away with Jo and JJ not to mention experience some great scenery, food, and wine. Yesterday we found out that she has a clot in her leg! At first look we thought the trip was cancelled.
We met with the Hematologist today and he started Charm on a daily dose of a thinner and said go ahead and go. So the trip is back on! Stay tuned for more updates.
Next step, pack...

Location:Bellefonte,United States