Day 5 Florence to Pisa to La Spezia to Manarola

We headed to the Museum Bargello this morning. However, we had to stop and buy a leather purse along the way. By way of background information, Debbie was the first in line at the Apple Store on July 22 when Apple made available their upgraded Mac Air. However, they didn't have the right bag for her to carry it on our international journeys. Thus, the need to go to Florence where they have beautiful Italian leather bags. Here she is sporting her new REAL ITALIAN LEATHER bag!







The day prior she purchased the companion earrings to the ring we purchased last year in Prague. So far she is faring well.






Our visit to the museum was a good choice given the limited time we had before leaving on the 1:00pm train to La Spezia via Pisa (a train stop on the way). To get to any of the small towns in the Cinque Terra, you have to get to La Spezia and board the local train to any of the five towns along the western Italian coastline.

While visiting the Bargello Museum we were, once again, struck by the breadth of art work produced during the Renaissance by young artists like Brunelleschi, Donotella, Botticelli, Leonardo de Vinci, Titian, Michelangelo, Giotto and many others. The Medici's can be given a lot of credit for providing the financial resources to support the work of these artists. Of course, the finished products belonged to the sponsors and we got but a glimpse of the vast holdings of this family. Fortunately, much of the work has been preserved for generations of appreciative visitors like us to view and experience.

We met up with the 4 Harsys in Pisa where they had connected with Peter Harsy who had traveled from Chicago via Paris to Pisa. With our group now complete we all now boarded the train from Pisa to La Spezia. When we disembarked at our destination, I was picking up our bags on the platform and realized I had left behind (on the train) the new leather bag with my iPad and wallet with 400Euros, all my credit cards, my debit card , etc. I dashed back on to see several passengers staring at the bag - the same one they saw me using my iPad. I grabbed it as the whistle blew to close the doors and start the train. The doors closed on me and I UHSD to force them open while our group just stared in thinking "what the Hell is Bill doing?". To say the least, the thought of. Going on to the next station and making my way back was a lot less troublesome than g good bye to Deb's new bag, all our money and sources of money and my precious IPad.

Our arrival in Manarola was magical! Coming through the tunnels carved through the mountains (for the trains) we were greeted with views that were out of this world. If you saw the movie, Mama Mia, you may recall some of the scenes with the water crashing on the rocks and the sun setting in the west. This is the real Italian Riviera!

Our villa opens out on to the water below (150' ?) and after the tough climb up to our new home everyone set to making a pasta dinner with salad and wine with the setting sun on our terrace.