Round the World with Mick

Photos at http://www.flickr.com/photos/michaellar/

Monday night VJ and I caught the train to Genoa where she and James live. They have an awesome apartment with an amazing view of the city and port. James makes a very good house husband and had dinner on the table shortly after we walked in the door!!

On Tuesday Vilija introduced me to Italy of the Stairs. No wonder Italian women don't get fat (or have large thighs.) Our first duty was to eat focaccia (so good) and then visit PosteItalia (See photo). If you are ever in for a fun time try it out. It is a wonder anything gets anywhere from Italy. Makes you really really appreciate Australia Post.

We headed off from Genoa back down the coast a little to Santa Magherita, a beautiful village with more stairs. After walking (including some decent stair action) around a little and finding some turtles and scooters and gelati (of course) we headed off to Portofino- play ground of the rich and famous. I should mention that we put our lives in the hands of the gods (lucky we visited all those churches...) by taking the bus along the very narrow streets between villages. Portofino was very beautiful and even better when we climbed yet more stairs to get away from the tourists swarming the central piazza and found Castello Brown, an ancient Castle with a long history and the most amazing views (See photos of Portofino.) In the Castello they had pictures from Portofino in the 1950s and 60s with Aristotle Onassis, Sophia Loren, Marlon Brando, Elizabeth Taylor (with one of the husbands), Orson Wells, etc etc.

We got home just in time to head out to Aperitifs with some of Vilija and James' Italian friends. Genoa has a lift (due to its hilly nature) that you get in somewhere near their house and then it does underground down to the city centre. strange but very handy if you are looking to avoid some stairs.....Aperol and tonic with a wedge of orange might just be my new favourite summer drink. Give it a burl sometime. Followed up with gelati from one of the best in genoa (we have it on good authority). strawberry that fizzes in your mouth.

Which finally brings me to today. Today Vilija had to work so I headed off to Cinque Terre- the 5 little villages on the coast just down from Portofino. I caught the train the Monterosso the most western of the cinque terre villages, had a looook, took some photos and then set off on the walking trail to the next village of Vernazza. After 50 million stairs upwards (that's not that much of an exaggeration) I was wondering what I had got myself in for but the views were spectacular and it was actually an amazing walk, all 1.5hrs of it (See photos).

It was so great catching sight of Vernazza and it was the most beautiful of the 5 terre towns I visited. I stopped for lunch (Panini), Gelati (strawberry and bacio), water (lots of it) and sunscreen application before heading off on the track to Corniglia the middle of the 5 terre. I had fun finding cats all the way along the 5 terre.

By the time I reached Corniglia another 1.5 hrs later I'd pretty much was happy never to see another step again. Had a wander around (again very beautiful) and then took the 363 steps (according to the lonely planet guide) down to the train station. I took the train to the last town of the 5 terre, Romaggiore and had a look there (see Photo) before taking the train back to Genoa in a state of complete physical exhaustion.

James was in the process of MAKING gnocchi when I arrived which we later had (after I had washed away the dirt and sweat of the day, and tended to my sun kissed skin) with genovese pesto. Fantastic. And as if that wasn't enough he then helped me load my photos on to Flickr. Don't forget to go see them.

Tomorrow the lovely VJ is taking me on a tour of Genoa (I hope we can avoid the stairs....) So, Ciao Ciao until then.