Cinque Terre –
I had been to Cinque Terre (which means five lands in Italian) the previous year and found it to be a breath of fresh air amongst all of my travels, so I decided it would be a great idea to find my way back again. There are really no interesting stories in Monterosso, other than the fact that one should observe the miniscule “Don’t touch the fruit” sign in the far left-hand corner of the fruit store, hidden behind fourteen boxes and buried 3 feet underground. I exaggerate, but I was a bit disappointed that they treated me so poorly for merely searching for a good peach in the morning. I spent 3 days strolling through the 5 cities (Monterosso being home base) and over the mountains. This area is known for being one of the environmentally conscious hot spots in the world. The land is virtually untouched. I rowed out on the water a few times and found myself simply basking in the rays, tasting the wines, and greedily gorging on the wonderful Italian dishes. This, ladies and gentlemen, is the life. More to come!
Jon David