cinque terre, day two

On day two we awoke to the sound of the ocean below.  We realized that internet access cost money per half hour, so we spent very little time online.  This was the beginning of the gift of a true vacation for us.  By this day we were making friends with the hotel owner and staff, they helped us plan our day.

We had a wonderful breakfast in the hotel of croissants, pastries, nutella toast, fruit, and juice.  We walked five minutes to the train station and took a train to a neighboring town.  Then we hiked one town over, and then on to another town.  It was hot, and we were so happy to support the sweet local boys in their lemonade sale at the top of this first tiny town.  We then hiked for an hour, gazing at the picturesque ocean below, and were again very happy to stop off and get cold water and stand in the stone doorway of a tiny cafe, resting in the shade for probably too long, but no one seemed to mind.  We found an amazing place, with homemade organic gelato and fresh juices.  Turned out the owner knew our Italian friend who is a famous painter, but who lives near us now, since he left Rome many years ago.

We took the train home and went swimming across the street from our hotel, in the Ligurian Sea.  The kids had fun playing on the large rocks, and jumping into the cool, salt water.  I swam with them, and it was then that I began to really relax, and feel like I was on vacation.  We discovered the seas' treasures, pebbles of all colors, including pink, green, terra cotta, white, black.  Annabel liked the shiny pieces of shell best.  We collected these gems, getting lost in the looking, the water gently lapping at our ankles.  I made the kids pick small ones because I knew they would add a lot of weight to our suitcases.  But that was fine with them.  It was a magical afternoon.

We ate dinner out, in a restaurant where the service was fast and the food was delicious but overpriced.  Our only flop in terms of restaurant choice the entire trip.

And then we had gelato for desert, because you can't have too much while in Italy, according to my husband.