Italia Part III: Siena and Cinque Terre

Our sextet changed to an octet for this leg of the journey. The new members? Jason and Dan. We all piled into an 7-seater mini van, making an extra seat in the roomy back row. The three beautiful ladies on the trip usually sat in back.



Jason drove from Rome to Siena. Up and down windy vineyard roads and trying to locate our location on google maps, we finally made it to Castello di Selvole, or Heaven. Set atop a hill, our spectacular views and peaceful location provided a perfect break from busy Rome.



Take a look at the architecture and the pool!



We slept, read books, played lots of Scum, and walked through the miles of grape vineyards. We visited Siena on the first night for a meal out.



The next morning was our designated pool day. Then it was off to dinner at some friends of the owners of the Castello di Selvolve. Free champagne anyone? Garrick and I devoured Bruschetta with Fresh Cod Paste, Wild Boar Ragu,  Sorrento Salad, and finally Tiramisu.





I would like to retire in the Tuscan region of Italy. The warmth, gorgeous scenery, fresh food and relaxed nature are unmatched.

Next stop? Cinque Terre!

Italian for "The Five Lands," we stayed in the southern village, Riomaggiore. The towns are built into the rocky cliffs alongside the Mediterranean Sea. Brightly colored, the buildings are worn from salt water and laundry blows freely from most windows. Flowers and stray cats dot the streets. Pizzerias, Gelato, and touristy shops are not difficult to find.



We had one full day in Cinque Terre, so we made the most of it! We hiked between all five villages: Riomaggiore, Manarola, Corniglia, Vernazza, and finally, Monterosso al Mare. This was about an 8 mile hike, with vertical climbs and drops between each town.





Truly, these views were the most beautiful I've seen, and stopping to look around was a frequent occurrence. More photos are necessary, as words can't describe the beauty.



In Vernazza, we stopped for Gelato and a rest. We had one of our few group photos taken by a kind tourist.


From left to right, Lindsay, Dan, Christy, Jason, Andrea, Garrick, Adam and Bob. As I look back on the trip, I'm so thankful to have shared our experiences with this bunch, and for a group of eight people, we got along pretty well! We shared lots of laughs and meaningful discussions.

The next morning, we made our way back to Rome, to fly back to Scotland. Stepping off the plane in Prestwick, the cold air refreshed our lungs and it felt like home.

One thing is for sure, Italy is a special place.