This is Treasure Island

We take the train to Vizzavona to hike into the Cascades des Anglais, a very popular and beautiful walk. The village is very tiny, the structures are so old and the forest is a brilliant green with new spring foliage. The rivers run clear and appear so pristine. It is hard to imagine how the people here have managed to keep their land so intact after at least 2500 years of inhabitation. This really is a treasure of an island.

The Gorge, Vallee du Tavignano

The trail into Vallee du Tavignano starts right outside the townsite of Corte and goes into what is known as Corsica's deepest and most spectacular gorge. We hiked for 7 hours that day and my body was super tired by the time we got back. What can I say, it was spectacular.

The Cave

What would you do on a rainy cold day in Corte? Well, let me tell you how our day evolved...tee hee...... Glancing over his shoulder, Nick notices an archway leading into a dark wine cellar lit by a flickering fire. Wine bottles and barrels are stacked upon one another, cob webs matt the walls and passageways and a woman sitting next to a local man invites us inside. We sit down on carved stools that surround a barrel that smells of pungent fermented grapes. Noticing us, Anthony shaves off some of the molded hanging sausage to a plate and fills two wines cups to the brim. Laughter and smoke billow out of a back-room that we cannot see. A man peers at us through the doorway - he looks like Telly Savalas, bald with a giant smoldering cigar sandwiched between his lips - he comes over to fill our wine glasses once again. We learn he is the owner, his best friend Anthony manages the front, kinda, and people stream in and out to buy Corsican wine and sausage. The day turns to evening, we toast Corsica and stagger out of the cave.....What a fantastic day!

Corsica Here We Come!

We have wanted to visit Corsica for many years and once we arrived we were not disappointed. The landscape is wild with giant snow caped mountains that are completely forested with oak, pine and chestnut. The food, wine and beer is locally grown. It is an absolute pleasure not to see any commonly known fast food chains of ANY kind. The people are proud, pleasantly polite to tourists and definitely have not compromised who they are culturally as a people.

The Devastating Floods of October 25, 2011

It is hard to imagine that only 6 short months ago Cinque Terre experienced the worst flooding in recorded history. Monterosso and Vernazza were severely impacted and they both received massive amounts of damage. The community of Vernazza though is still reeling from the devastation. They have cleaned up the mud and much of the debris but the damage to the buildings is extensive. Imagine a village in a restricted mountain gorge when the heaviest recorded rainfall pounding down on them in a very short period of time. What is normally an unassuming river roared through the village at heights of over 30 feet.

SPRING is in the air....

You know by now that Nick and I love to explore a place by walking and this region lends itself so perfectly for this. Not so long ago these five villages were only accessible by foot and the century old trails that connected them were their lifelines. We explored a number of routes in this area and so enjoyed the spring flowers and blossoming trees. This passage from one our Cinque Terre tourism brochures describes the landscape much better than I......

"Along the paths and the centuries old flights of steps, the terraced vineyards alternate with strips of olive trees, and where man has abandoned the soil, the Mediterranean shrub land biome has taken over again with round euphorbia bushes, broom, white and pink cystus and the agaves"

Slow Down: Just For A Day!

Taking some of our own advise we settle into an apartment for a week in Riomaggiore, one of the five villages in Cinque Terre. The tourist season has not yet started and the village is quiet. From our apartment we can hear the sea crashing over the rugged coast and the screech of the train as it passes through tunnels in the sheer rock cliffs. The streets are steep, the colorful houses cling to the mountain side, the shops are tiny, the hidden walkways and staircases are enchanting. Yup - the Italian Riviera is the perfect place to slow the pace.

Rome: First Impressions

We arrive three days later than planned utterly exhausted. The evening is cool and wet, rain is pooling onto the cobble stone streets as we make our way to the hotel. Morning brings renewed energy and we are anxious to get out and explore.

Magnificent! The history, the culture, the people,the buildings, the incredible sculptures and statues. We are in love...........