We rode the public boats under the bridges, alongside the gondolas with a fish eye view of the impressive buildings of a minimum four storeys. The shops are stocked with the magnificent Murano glass, jewellery, wine glasses, vases, plates, chandeliers, works of art! The Murano glass blowers are artists and the things they produce are individual, unique!

We are enticed to eat at the restaurant on the other property owned by our Tuscan hosts.  We are assured of real local produce.  Well now we feel we have found the best place to eat in Tuscany and the best value, not expensive! The antipasto is to die for! Pasta magnific!  Although the wild boar macaroni did run amok in Mark’s stomach during the night!

Our hosts take great pleasure in seeing their produce enjoyed and do not charge a lot for the privilege.  The cellar door Chianti-style wine is on the menu for 4 euro ($7AUD)  This little restaurant was way out in the country and would have served well over 100 guests tonight. A classic example of ‘doing what you do, well!’

Our trip to Rome is going to be just ‘a taste’ of this city as we didn’t expect to get there at all but we have been able to take advantage of the easy access by train from Terni in Umbria.  Our first and main stop is the Coliseum and we opt for a 45 minute guided tour which includes a following 2 hour tour of the emperor’s palace and Roman forum. It’s a very long afternoon but very interesting.  We found t strange that both of our tour guides were very coy regarding questions to do with ‘lions and Christians’, something other people in our group tried to ask about.  The guides were very happy to talk at length though, about gladiators and chariot races.  Also, there was no hesitation in explaining that the whole coliseum, palace and forum were covered in marble (not now) and much of it is in the Vatican, certainly the best and most expensive marble is. Of great interest to us was the Arch of Titus, with the frieze depicting the Jews being taken captive after the destruction of Jerusalem in 70CE, carrying the utensils of the temple.  The Arch was built in 80CE. (There is a picture of this on the back of the new soft cover edition of the Bible Gods Word or Mans book). Bible prophecy being fulfilled and recorded in stone!!
Constantine also built much in the area of the Coliseum, e.g. another huge Arch in his honour.

We make a quick stop at the Trevi fountain and its 6pm and our train home leaves at 6.14 from Termini (Central Rome). Its an hour train ride and 20 minute car trip back to Fontegaia and Elsa’s kitchen opens at 8 pm. (Yes they eat late in Italy!) Since this is our last night at Elsa establishment we can’t resist eating at the restaurant again tonight.  We are not disappointed.  Justin deems this as the best meal, not of the trip, but ever! Now this is a huge call but Elsa’s hand made pasta is followed by the most tender fillet steak with balsamic vinegar and wine ‘juis’ and is ‘exquisite’!

One son, Marco, is a regular pioneer and has joined the English group.  We attend the meeting at 5.00 pm with him and although we are late and the security gates are locked restricting our access till the beginning of the Watchtower, we are able to stay for their Ministry School which follows. We have met Camparas from Macksville and their son Josh from Bethel at Fontegaia and it was lovely to have the afternoon, meeting and the most wonderful evening with them.  We have dinner in the restaurant at Fontegaia that opens at 8 pm. Camparas are Italian and conversing with Elsa is easy for them.

Elsa provides a typical Italian meal for us without us having to order off the menu and she chooses the wine (motte bene vino). What food, what a cook!! Pasta first with local mushrooms that taste so different to ours and sauce that is a little ‘picante’ (spicy).After diner Elsa has hers and we cry together as she emotionally explains that her husband has died only in February. We can’t speak the language but we can feel her pain so we just hug.

Luke, her youngest, very handsome son, joins us.  Luke’s passion is motorbikes and racing them.  His father, Elsa’s husband was professional rider in the 70’s, managed a racing team and later owned his own team.  Luke’s father also built the bike that Valentino Rossi won his first championship on.  Luke grew up with people like Valentino Rossi around and had the ability and passion to ride himself.  Luke explains that he was interviewed at the last district convention as he knew he had to make a choice between his riding and Jehovah.  He has chosen Jehovah and Elsa is so proud!

It is  getting really hot now so we rationalise a cold beer when we arrive. After exploring this village for a while its lunchtime and we enjoy foccacia and bruschetta and probably the best coffee of the trip at amazingly good prices. (Bruschetta 3euro or $4.60) Our walk then takes us on to Vernazza, the 4th village a 4k and 1 ½ hr hike. This is the most challenging of all, a very rough path, incredibly steep both up and down, all steps and hardly ever flat going. When we finally stagger into the town square we are greeted by a Gelato shop, impossible to go past! We are so hot and we’ve earned it! Rationalising again!! There is a train between all the towns of Cique Terre so we chose this option rather than walking 2 hrs to Montorossa al Mare.

We have our swimmers with us so decide we’d rather spend the time in the cool, clear azure sea we’ve been looking at all day! As with the beach in Spain, it fine rock and sometimes just plain big rocks and getting into the water for some reason is not too hard and as it gets deep suddenly you can fall in anyway if need be.  Getting out on the other hand is quite a different matter all together! It’s hilarious watching people hop, tiptoe, use flailing arms for balance, whatever it takes to get out. Then of course, the smile’s wiped completely off when it’s our turn to get out! We decide that Manarola is the prettiest and most photogenic of the towns as we plan to have dinner there as the    sun sets and photograph this town at night.  Lasagne and pasta dishes are on the menu, of course, so authentic and delicious!

Our lovely hostess brings a large glass of local liqueur with almond biscuits for dunking to finish our meal, all on the house! She seemed so stern as she managed her restaurant, staff and clients. Yet she seemed to like us and her generosity touched me. Perhaps it was that I caught her gaze after we’d said our prayer before our meals. We walk a little way back to Corniglia to take the photos looking back on Manarola. Our intention is to catch the train back to ‘our town’, Riomaggiore but it’s a ¾ hr wait and only a further 1k to walk, well why not??? It is along the good path. I have to say the steep climb up the hill to our accommodation was the slowest and hardest of the day and felt as though someone had jacked the road up while we were away and made it vertical.  We walked 9 kilometres between the towns today plus all the stairs and exploring around the towns. It has been an incredible day thought, memorable in every way!

We have the loveliest antipast and pizza in a little restaurant down the hill.
Only photos can do justice to this place and even then probably not!