Well after our late arrival in Corniglia,the main priority was shower,change and food. A few doors a square housed several restaurants with outdoor sitting,so at 9pm we were sitting eating and drinking red wine. Just the thing after a long day travelling and to cap it a sleep-in was on the cards. Corniglia is the middle of the 5 Cinque Terre towns perched on the cliffs above this past of Italy's coast. They are Riomaggiore,Manarola,Corniglia,Vernazza and Monterosso. Corniglia is the only one with no sea access for the tourist boats that ply the seas bet'n the towns. So when visiting the other towns (we skipped Riomaggiore) it was a cruise ship arriving with hordes of people landing in a small area. The towns/villages are picturesque with colourful buildings and narrow,sometimes steep,roads/lanes. We walked along the coast path to Vernazza and then Monerosso on a hot sunny day and in places it was steep and single file. At the end we were glad to catch the train back to COrniglia(370 steps up again though). The next day we walked along the high path to Manarola and 1/3 of it was through vineyards,olive groves and people's vege patches,with at times wonderful sea views. In Manarola we took advantage of the proximity to the sea and had seafood for lunch,before once again getting the train back. All too soon it was time to leave and train it to Florence. Corniglia was friendly,less touristy and great food and wine.An example of the lovely people was the shopkeeper let me take groceries back to the appt after Gary had emptied my purse w/o me realising.
Florence or Firenze was a quick trip and the last adventure with our friends. I had booked for the first time an airbnb appt but it all worked out and we had a cosy (yes very cosy for 4) cottage in a courtyard of an old appartment complex.It had a big door to open as access and inside it was so quite away from the hustle and bustle. We were within 15mins walk of the Duomo (very impressive inside),the central market(what array of all kinds of pasta,cheeses,meat etc)and a bit further walk for other things. We appreciated the air-con in the cottage as it was hot and lots of tourists abounded in the key spots. WE did a free 2hr walking tour with a focus on Renaissance things. History everywhere.We taste tested pasta,gelati,panini's and wine. All too soon after 2 nights and 1 day there we split up and went our different ways. Them going north and us venturing south.
So on 10/9 we managed to find the bus station in Firenze,bought a ticket and after many inquires got on a bus to San Gimignano,about 1.5hrs bus trip south. It is a little walled town with quite a few of its towers intact. After arriving around lunchtime we sorted ourselves out and had a stroll around the outside of walls,found some old roman fountains and then strolled through the cobbled narrow streets visiting a couple of churches.By this time late afternoon the number of tourists are less and it is much easier to enjoy the sights. More pasta and wine for dinner and my second tiramsu of the trip. It is lovely but so much cream. The next day we ventured out on a walk our landlady recommended along on a nearby hillridge and back to the town. Though it was hot we enjoyed the vineyards,olive groves,the old italian houses and the view back to the town.Afternoon rain and thunder saw us indoors with a late afternoon nap. After dinner that night there was a free concert in the main piazza starting at 9pm. A choir and a top flautist were the feature. A nice surprise to end our stay here. The next morning it was off to Sienna by bus - another 1.5 hrs down the "road"
