Reale Montecatini Terme

... trattoria – and in the end, Murray’s food interest had picked up. I had minestrone soup, and Murray and I split the porcini mushroom risotto. Murray was even feeling good enough for a beer at that point, as well as a veal with mushrooms entrée (I seriously hope he’s not pushing it too much…!). After dinner, we were back to the hotel by 9:30pm, and in bed not long after that. Here’s to better stomachs tomorrow…!

nous sommes rester a florence pour terminer notre visite la ville en allant aux jardins boboli et bardini, situe dans la cours du palais pitti. Deux grand jardins qui a cette date n'ont plus autant a offrir qu'en ete. il n'y a plus de fleur, et la moitie des arbres n;ont plus de feuille, mais on a pu constater l'ampleur de la propriete en passant tout l'apres midi a ...

... every time I’m about to open up the inner doors to the lift to get on, I get the feeling that I will find a murdered body inside. What’s up with that?!)

Early evening, I finally ventured forth into our new neighborhood to find myself some dinner and to bring something small and stomach-friendly back to the room for Murray. I had a nice walk through several blocks of Florence, and found a decent-size grocery store, so loaded up on ...

partie de pise pour se rendre a Florence en toscane. On s'approche tranquillement de la region de Chianti ! Encore uen ville magnifique ou l'on ne peut pratiquement rien prendre en phtoto tellement les rues sont etroites. Le duomo, le 3e plus haut de l'europe est visible de tres loin. Ensuite, de piazza en piazza, nous avons traverser la ville pour voir des tres grand edifice , souvent construit avant meme la decouverte de l'amerique!! Nous avons ...

... as the place was so cramped and nothing else to do in town, but ended up having a good night both nights we were there.


Sunday did the walk between the 5 towns from Riomaggore to Monterosso. Took about 4.5 hours including thestops in each town to check them out.
The views out over the Ligurian Sea are stunning. Leaving one town and seeing the next far off in the distance, and sometimes a lot higher up in altitude, was really cool.

... The view from the terrace was also stunning. I could not have asked for a better birthday lunch. After such a huge intake of carbohydrates, it was time for us to hike of some of them. The cliff-side walk from Riomaggiore to Manarola was fairly easy and led us through the Tunnel of Love. We even walked down the stairs of death on the side of one of the cliffs to take a picture on the rocks. Grape vines also decorated the landscape. Cinque Terra is known for a wine made ...

... to performing in front of people, but Tai's energy was amazing. He alone got me to go up there and follow his five words of advice: "Just go up there and do it, man. Say to yourself what my buddy taught me, say these five little words and you'll be fine: 'I don't give a ****.'" We came up with Banana Pancakes, Blackbird, Wonderwall, but in between the last two songs I started to mess around on the guitar and wound up playing Last Dance with Mary Jane. It ...

... there is a representation of the Passion of Christ on Good Friday. Around 500 people in medieval costumes arrange a procession through the streets of Grassina up to the Calvary. Arrived there, they re-enact scenes of the life before the Birth of Jesus Christ. In Greve in Chianti they take up a steel wire rope from the church to the building opposite the church where they fix a plastic turtle ...

Up early this morning to join a local guide in Piazza Signoria. The mantras were only minimally effective and I wake with racing heart and shallow breathing. Nevertheless, I am determined to make it through the day. The guide shows us various statues and gives histories and details. He shows us Neptune ( who was apparently disdained by Florenzians) and the replica of David which is where the real one used to stand ...

... filled with military and army people dressed in a half dozen different costumes. Navy, army, carabinieri, and a few other I don't remember. They all lined up facing the basilica and beside the huge tower to the right. Then just after 11:30, music began to blast from a huge speaker, seding pigeons flying for cover. It could have been the Italian anthem, but I only ever hear that never so I don't know what it was. A bunch of men came into the square carrying flags and ...