Cinque Terre and a very short stop in Pisa

So from Switzerland we left the cool temperatures and went straight into the humidity and heat. Cinque Terre is a small area on the Northwest coast of Italy (just a little south of Genoa). It is called Cinque Terre because of the 5 small towns right on the coast, all tied together by a series of trails that take you along the mountainous coastline and through the terraced farms. The towns have remained really small and have kept their true Italian feeling to them. It was really cool to walk to and through the cities and to see the lifestyle they maintain. As my friend Jen put it, "they represented the quintessential Italian cities" we all think of when we think of Italy. Fisherman, fresh fruit stands, beaches, small restaurants, and clothes hanging to dry out of large and colorful houses and apartment buildings. It was really quite something to see. The beaches were not the best beaches around as they were somewhat rocky and the water was pretty cold but they were popular spots for tourists and there were plenty of those around. It was really fun to stop in here for a few days of camping (we stayed in a campground with tents set up with cots to sleep in), relaxing, and hiking. It was a lot of fun.

From Cinque Terre we headed down to Rome along the coastline. On the way down our train ended in Pisa where we needed to book a second train to Rome. We had a couple of hours in Pisa to wait so we hopped a bus and went over to see the famous leaning tower. There didn't seem to be too much else to see in Pisa and we didn't have time to do much else but 20 minutes at the tower (if that) was all we needed to take a quick look and snap a few pictures. We figured we couldn't be in Pisa and not see the tower so it was cool that we got to see it. If you are ever passing through Pisa I don't think you need more than an hour or two there to see the tower and be back on your way but that's just my opinion (that is what some of our friends that had passed through Pisa and done the same thing told us as well) so take it for what it was worth.

Anyway, enjoy the slideshow. We're down to just a few more stops and my trip will be all documented. Then it will be back to blog life like normal.