Another family adventure!

While Caleb was TDY in Turkey, I had the privilege of hosting my parents and dear friend (second Mom, really!) Lisa Weaver. Not only did they entertain me (a LOT!), but my sweet family was a welcome relief to the hustle and bustle of the pace here at Aviano.We missed Caleb on all of our adventures, but had an amazing time exploring Tuscany, Cinque Terre, Lake Como, and Verona.

The four of us set out on our Italian adventure; a six day road trip from Sacile, through Florence and Tuscany, Pisa, Cinque Terre, Bellagio, and back home. Our first three days in Florence, Lucca and Pisa gave us a great taste of Tuscany, both literally and figuratively! We savored every moment in quintessential Italia.Our next stop: Cinque Terre!

Once we arrived in Levanto (a small town outside of Cinque Terre), we ate a hearty dinner and settled in for the big hike the following morning. Good thing we got a great night of sleep! The train took us to Monterosso where we began the hike. Two hours later, we were covered in sweat and finally reaching the second of five towns, Vernazza. Sidebar- cinque (pronounced CHINK-wey) means five, terre (pronounced TAY-reh) means land...five towns all together that make up Cinque Terre. So we arrived in destination number two and were blown away by the beauty of the setting. The town is nestled down near the water and has colorful buildings and sprays of the ocean that capture your eye. It was my favorite of all the towns.

 

Starting our hike in Monterosso

Vernazza

Because of mudslides from earlier in the year, we were unable to hike to the third town, Coniglia. The train dropped us off at the bottom of a long staircase, which we climbed in order to see this small town. Fourth on the list, again by train, was Manarolo, where we stopped for lunch. After a great meal, we walked the twenty minute path to the last town, Riomaggiore. Riomaggiore is the largest town and seemed the most crowded. We spent little time there and instead of taking the train back, hopped on the ferry to shuttle us back to Monterosso. The boat gave us a unique view of all the towns, as well as a break from the hiking and trains! We arrived back in Levanto just in time for rest and relaxation by the pool and an excellent dinner. Success in Cinque Terre!

Manarola

View while hiking

The last stop on our driving tour of Italy was the beautiful town of Bellagio on Lake Como. Caleb and I had spent our second anniversary at Bellagio the previous summer, and the three of us got to celebrate our anniversary at Lake Como again, just without my hubby! The visit was awesome, nonetheless! We took a boat tour of the lake, enjoyed good food and wine, shopped, and just took in the richness of the city.

Although Bellagio was the last stop on our driving adventures before we headed home, a few days later we hopped on the train to experience Verona. While there, we were able to see the main squares filled with incredible architecture, Juliette's balcony, the 3rd largest Roman Coliseum (still intact), and the remains of both the medieval city wall and the Roman city wall. What a packed day of sightseeing!

Lisa and Mom at Bellagio

Dad "in" Lake Como

Coliseum in Verona

Lisa at Juliette's balcony

It was such a joy to have my amazing family in Italy with me. The three week TDY passed quickly with great company and awesome trips! I hope I can convince them to return every time Caleb has to be away!

Ciao!