SIENA & CINQUE TERRE

So we have finally left the city and traveled to the country. Leaving Florence and getting to Siena has to be one of our biggest adventures yet! We had instructions that told us to take the train, take the bus, and then we could just walk 3km. Easy, right? We had our backpacks - we would be fine! The train was easy, the bus slightly confusing, but then we got dropped off in the middle of Tuscany to find our way. 6km (thats right) and an hour and a half later we arrived at our Tuscan getaway sweating and looking like we had just crossed the Sahara. Fortunately, it was well worth the hike! Since then, we have been relaxing, wine touring, and eating some of the best food of the trip. We were referred to a great restaurant and watching one man (the owner) serve over 40 people and also manage to be gracious enough to give us a ride home because he said he would be faster than the taxi- we could hardly believe it! While in Siena, we had dinner with a group of travelers from Germany, Belgium, and the Netherlands. We talked politics and Nancy passed on the sardines. Leaving Siena was easier since we opted for the taxi instead of the hike. We hopped on three trains that led us to the coastal town of Riomaggiore (one of the five towns in Cinque Terre). This place is like Big Sur on the Mediterranean-literally sits on a cliff side, remote, and gorgeous! While we loved the cities of Italy, we feel a bit more at home in Siena and Cinque Terre. I think we have reached a true point of relaxation and find ourselves discussing life and the crazy pace we usually go at. We now think that life should be about sleeping till 11am (Nancy seems to do this consistenly these days), eating breakfast on the hillside, taking the bus to have a dip in the ocean, and then having seafood risotto and a beer for a late lunch. Why dont more businesses operate under these conditions?? We have been taking a lot of pictures of these two towns but can not download the picture at this place. We will try to do this at our next stop in Nice, France which we leave for on Monday (Chris's birthday). Well back to the beach to take a dip before hoping on the bus back to our place on the cliff. When we arrive we get to say hi to the 12 cats living with us and walk about 300 steps to our room that is snuggled between vines of grapes and the ocean bluff. Ciao!