Cinque Terre

It was quite an ordeal to get here so I will quickly recap my trip from hell. Well there have been train strikes in France and Italy so I had to change trains 6 times and was never sure if I was going to be dumped off in some dark empty train station in the middle of the night alone, or worse yet with a group of freaky dudes. Luckily I met this lovely elderly American couple who were a testament to true love. When my couchette was full of creepy learing men they let me have one of their first class beds and shared the other. Together we were ripped off by a French conductor who took my Eurail pass and threatened to tear it up if I didn't pay him 100 euros all because he didn't like the way I wrote my numbers and accused me of fraud. The couple had to pay 35 euros a piece for some other nonense. That was the last time I was in France and I may never go back again. After being to Spain and Italy I see how terrible and mean they can be. (Sorry Romans friends, I had a bad day.)

So I arrived in Cinque Terre and slept for what seemed like an eternity. Cinque Terre is five lovely villages perched along the rugged Italian coastline overlooking the Mediterranean. They are connected by a series of foot paths, some hanging off cliffs others winding throught the mountains. I have been traveling with a couple of Cali Kids from the OC. Last night we had an AMAZING dinner in this cute little restaurant. The owner came to our table and kept on telling me and my travel buddy that we are "As beautiful as the sun" in Italian of course. At the end of our meal he sat and held my hand as he told us his life story and blew kisses to the women at the surrounding tables. Now this is something that has definitely changed about me. Before I would have been creeped out by what we call a "Dirty Old Man." I watched another table of girls from Cali give AIR KISSES to the owner instead of cheek to cheek acting like he was gonna make out with him. Give me a break, he is 78 years old!! I have been hearing from American girls that they find the attention from Italian men intimidating but I still mantain that there is nothing more menacing than French Arabs. After living in Romans for 7 months I have nerves of steel and find the Italians charming and sweet. Sure it is all just talk to get a kiss off you, but it is done in a way that can make you feel beautiful if you let it. I think that I am going to mellow out here for a couple more days then maybe go to Venice or Florence. I haven't decided yet.

Baci