Summer Vacation Part 1: Orvieto and Cinque Terre

Our sponsors (the people in our command who volunteer to help us figure out what we need to know about living in Naples before and after we arrive) happen to be friends from Norfolk the first time we lived there. Brian was in his pediatric residency with Scott, and his wife, Suzanne, is the OB who delivered Sydney! They have really enjoyed exploring Italy and Europe during their 3 years here and were gracious enough to invite us to take a 6-day vacation with them and their two boys, so they could show us the ropes. So, thanks to them, we hit the ground running!

Our second week here, we were whisked away (not an overstatement with Scott driving like an Italian!) in the comfort of a 9-person van--a little large by Italian standards, but it worked out well especially since it was a 6-hour drive. Along the way, we stopped for lunch in Orvieto--a small town situated high on a cliff with a huge cathedral (duomo) at its town center. It is said that a priest in 1623 had his doubts about transubstantiation (the Roman Catholic belief that the bread and wine actually become the body and blood of Christ at the moment of consecration during Mass). When the corporal (the white cloth which touches the bread and cup) suddenly became stained with blood at his hands, it was seen as a miracle to confirm the belief of transubstantiation. The cathedral was built in part to glorify this miracle and display this "Corporal of Bolsena."

After a relaxing lunch and our first gelato in Italy, we traveled on to Cinque Terre (meaning "five lands"), which was our first main destination. It is part of the northwestern coast of Italy known as the Italian Riviera and is composed of five villages: Monterosso al Mare, Vernazza, Corniglia, Manarola, and Riomaggiore. Each village is built high on the cliffs overlooking the sea. (Corniglia was so built so high up that, in fact, we never made it up to see it...strollers and 368 steps are mutually exclusive!)

A walking trail called Sentiero Azzurro ("Light Blue Trail"), connects the five villages. The trail from Riomaggiore to Manarola is called the Via Dell'Amore ("Love Walk") and since it was the only stroller-friendly part of the trail, it's the only trail we took. Then we hopped on the train that connects each town.

We ate lunch in Manarola al fresco and enjoyed some pasta with pesto sauce, for which this area is known. The pasta was followed by a delicious whole fish grilled simply with olive oil and salt. The girls ate more than half of the fish, but who could deny their children such a healthy food?! Anchovies of Monterosso are a local specialty, too. They are designated with a Protected Designation of Origin status from the European Union. Although we bought some for my Dad, I can't say I tried any!

One of the most amazing sights to see was the steep mountainsides used to cultivate grapes and olives. Some even required special machinery to transport the farmer up and down the cliffs to tend to the crops.

Our last day in Cinque Terre we dined al fresco AGAIN (not that it got old!) for lunch, this time in Monterosso. Then we stayed on the beach in Monterosso for the afternoon. We rented an umbrella and chairs and the kids played in the warm sand and we all enjoyed the refreshing water and cool sea breeze.

Yes, we are just beginning to get a taste of la dolce vita ("the sweet life"), and I think we like it!