Cinque Terre

Our final European adventure was an opportunity to challenge our legs and see another bucket list destination.  The 'five lands' of the northern Italian coast are five cliffside villages linked with a series of hiking trails (and for the tender footed, a train that tunnels from one village to the other).  We spent four nights in the middle village of Corniglia, perched above the Gulf of Genoa.  Our apartment had a balcony and a view of the coast and the neighboring village. From this central starting point, we were able to hike to all of the other four villages.  The hikes were generally quite strenuous, filled with many serious trekkers from around the world.  The terraced hillsides are covered with vineyards.  We did take one easy seawall trail, carved into the side of a cliff, from Manarola to Riomaggiore  Three of the villages have tiny harbors that facilitate fishers and tour boats.  At each village we checked out the churches, fortresses and shopping.  In our opinion, the most picturesque village is Vernazza; the most populated, Monterossa; and the smallest and least visited, Corniglia.  We had great weather and a wonderful time with just the two of us.  Our only glitch was when the key broke off in the apartment door and we were locked out.  Fortunately, another tenant was able to let us in.  As we say goodbye to an exciting five week trip, we are anxious to go home, and are extremely grateful for the resources and health to enjoy this adventure.

Portugal - Alentejo

Ed and Karen had scoped out the country and planned areas to explore, and the next region was north and inland.  We stayed a couple of nights in a country inn near Monsaraz.  A short distance away and a stone’s throw from Spain Is the historic town perched on a hill with church and castle.  We enjoyed the late afternoon sunlight as we wandered through the castle walls and took in the view of the surrounding countryside.  We capped it off with a wine tasting on a roof top. The next day we explored the city of Evora. Following a Rick Steve’s walking tour, we saw a Roman temple, a basilica boasting the pregnant Mary, and a very unique ‘chapel of bones’. as well as a nativity collection of 2600 sets from around the world. On our way to Lisbon the last day we stopped at a Roman aqueduct and some megalithic monuments that predate Stonehenge by a couple of thousand years.  Portugal produces most of the world's cork.  They harvest the bark and the trees produce more bark. We said goodbye to Ed and Karen and flew back to Italy for our final adventure.

                                                  

Portugal - Algarve

 Our home base for the Algarve (southwestern region) was the charming sea town of Carvoeiro.  Our apartment was a very uniquely designed townhouse with many levels and tons of outdoor nooks.  On our first day we drove west to the southwestern most point of Europe with its lighthouse and rugged cliffs guarding the entrance to the strait of Gilbralter.  Close by was the site of the cliffside school of Henry the Navigator where all the great explorers were trained: de Gama, Magellan, Columbus.  The windy conditions above the white cap sea added to the nautical mystique. We ate a late lunch in Sagres and took a walk on the beach as the sun went down.  The second day we took a kayak tour of the nearby amazing sea caves..  We were glad to have a guide as was snaked our way through tunnels in the granite seawall.  In the evening we enjoyed the golden hour walking the cliffs near the town.  Dinner was the delicious local seafood stew.

Portugal

 As our cruising friends scattered to different airports for their trip home, we took the train to Rome and caught a Ryan Air flight to Lisbon, where Ed and Karen Heutink met us. We rented a car and drove to the rented apartment close by.  In the morning, Ed's son, Austin, and wife Alexandra, came and picked up some of our luggage before we headed down the Portugal coast.  Ed and Karen had mapped out an itinerary, while I drove using Waze directions; which was a relaxing change from previous days of leading the charge with my google map in hand.  The weather changed to cool and windy as we explored the coastline. We stayed in Cercal, a small town near Sines; where shortly after arriving, it began pouring rain.   We were thankful that we had a nice covered porch to enjoy.  Thankfully, the next day changed back to clear skies as we furthered our trek down the coast to the Algarve region where we will stay for three nights.

Venice

 After a smooth transfer from our Florence country inn to Venice via taxi and train, we arrived in the 'floating city' mid afternoon.  Walking out of the train station we were immediately ushered into the most unique city. During our entire stay in Venice I was mesmerized by the ingenious infrastructure of this ancient trading city.  Canals, bridges and cobblestone walkways create a maze for moving boats and pedestrians.  Everything is brought into the thousands of businesses by boat and handcart. Since our lodging was a considerable distance from a serviced canal, we hired a porter to cart some of our 10 suitcases.  We wasted no time in hopping on a boat to the bustling St. Mark's Plaza, taking in the distinctive architecture of this historical city.  The church and adjoining huge plaza reminded Esther and I of the Santiago de Compestela at the culmination of the Camino.  We ate dinner on the serenaded plaza and took an evening ferry back to our hotel. If the Greek Islands have an abundance of cats, Venice has an abundance of dogs. The next morning I corralled the 'Kitsap cats' and we headed to the Grand Canal and Rialto Bridge, briefly grabbing some breakfast pastries at a bakery.  Near the bridge Esther found a tiny jewelry shop that specialized in African Venetian trading beads.  We have a collection of these historic relics from our Nigeria days. Another walking trip to St Mark's Plaza and a gondola ride through narrow canals topped off a very memorable day.  The eight of us had our final dinner before parting ways.  The rest of the group is heading home, while we head for still more adventures in Portugal.