La Dolce Vita......The Sweet Life!
My plan with this part of my blog is to take you on a journey.....a soul and heart healthy journey....as I did when I participated in La Dolce Vita....Living the Sweet Life....with Lenora Boyle as our leader.
If you take a tour of her website, you'll learn all about her and the sweet trips she provides for people like me! When I was trying to decide whether or not to take on this trip, I came across her site and began to communicate with her and read the other words from those who had traveled with her on previous trips. Still undecided.....until one morning, when reading a book of poems and read this dedication by WH Murray..
"Until one is committed, there is hesitancy, the chance to draw back...
Whatever you do, or dream you can do, begin it.
Boldness has genius, power and magic in it.
Begin it now."
and that, my friends, was what made my decision to take the plunge! I wanted to feel the magic!
That very morning, I called Lenora and told her to sign me up and I would be sending my deposit in immediately. And I did before I could change my mind.
I knew that beginning my adventure with 9 other women that I did not know, from other parts of the country, would be a great way to get used to the language, the money, the train and bus systems for travel. And hoped that at the end of the 9 days with them, I'd be good to go on my own.
Which is exactly what happened!!
And then what happened? My BFF from Washington state decided she could go with me !!!!
Oh Happy Day!!
So, on Sept. 12, 2012 I met up with her in Atlanta and from there, we took off on the adventure of a lifetime! Two words will explain it all........GOOD TIMES!!
Open the door and come on this trip with me!
I hope to show you the beauty of landscape, food and times with new friends here!
We met the other gals at the airport in Paris....they were waving a pic of lisa and I so they would know who we were! Laughter began there. We all flew into Pisa together and traveled by train to Cinque Terre, where we stayed for the next 6 nights. And traveling to hmmmm...8 different cities during the days, I think?
Off the train in Monterossa and we walked to our hotel, La Colonnina.....of course, making my first stop at the first gelato stand I saw! And some window looking as well!
crazy cindy and lisa!
Of course, the minute we reached our hotel, I was back out on the street looking for vino...Italian vino, Cinque Terre vino no less....for Lisa and I to toast our trip with! As well as first intro into drinking wine from any kinda cup you can find. Because they drink wine like water, most times it is drunk from regular glasses..or plastic glasses!!
A few pics of our perfectly precious home for the next 6 nights....
we had a few chuckles talking about our "Ricky & Lucy" beds!
wait......just wait for it! looking out the door to our terrace
where this view greeted us everyday!! Perfecto!
I have a real softness for clotheslines and doors in Italy...as you'll soon see!
these were hanging on a house across the way from our terrace.
Let's take a stroll now as we walked out of the hotel!
down the narrow vine covered steps where this lil buddy sat every single day...Every day!!
at the bottom of the steps, a typical Italian image awaited....bikes and vespas!!
turn to the left and this lil street led you to the openness of the city of MONTEROSSA!
the most perfect little coastal town...one of the five that make up Cinque Terre. It suffered major damage in the flood of the year before, but truly the only signs of destruction were in the pictures posted all over town. The people of this village came together and worked HARD to get it back up and running. Not only for the tourists, but for themselves, as well.
just a few of the first things I saw as I walked down the street. What more could one want than a whole grocery store on one table right in the street!
beautiful architecture everywhere you looked!
this being a travel day from the states, we were all tired and hungry..heheh! We went to this restaurant that Lenora had been to before. Nice.
the first of probably one million toasts together!
perfect example of Italian life!! Everything is explained and talked thru the hands!! Our waiter explaining the menu as best he could with broken English!
antipasta platter.....one of the one million of these I had while traveling!
Hey! I was in Italy and on the first night....I needed PASTA...plain ol' pasta bolognese! Heh. there is no such thing as "plain" about pasta in Italy!
and someone else had pesto ravioli!
It was to bed after this to rest up for the fun stuff on the next day....I have so much to tell you about and so many images to share!!
Next?? Riomaggiore and Manarola!!
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