Faithful Moonbeamers have probably figured out that we've been busy...hence no blog updates. The last update ended with our fabulous dinner at the farm hotel on Friday night. We had a wonderful sleep that night, cuddled up in a soft duvet, in a king-sized bed, in a totally dark room...something we are not used to, living on a boat. With no light around, we slept until 8:30, something which NEVER happens on Moonbeam. As you might imagine, breakfast was a feast..no continental breakfast here! There were omelettes, regional ham and cheeses, croissants and other freshly baked rolls, a cut-up fresh fruit dish with nectarines, kiwis, peaches, etc...all perfectly ripe and delicious, and, of course, outrageous pastries. After this early morning pig-out, we set off for the planned two hour trip to Monterosso, this time, with Tomasina (our TomTom) programmed for toll roads.

Two hours and 9.50 euros later, we exited the autostrada and entered the mountains, Captain Ken's favorite type of driving. Monterasso is the most north of the Cinque Terre (5 towns) and the drive with views down to the sea was beautiful..at least for me who didn't have to keep my eyes on the road. Our instructions from Nicoletta, the B and B owner were to call her when we were within ten minutes of the hotel and she would instruct us how to proceed. We did, but at that moment, she was picking up Randy and Joy (my brother and sister-in-law) from the train station. She said she would call us back in ten minutes. The rest of this part of the story needs to be told in full color, unexpurgated with all the gory details over a glass of wine, but here is the Reader's Digest version: she didn't call....we drove on following Tomasina's directions...we ended up driving through streets with hordes of people meandering...we weren't supposed to be there...we found a place to pull over...we finally connected with Nicoletta (who repeated incessantly "mama mia, mama mia, 90 euro penalty")..I could go on and on, but won't. The adventure ended with a taxi driver (one of only three taxis in town) leading us back to the B and B and then, just as I was beginning to get my color back, there was a thud, and I thought the taxi had run someone over. It actually was a kid who had backed into the moving taxi. The driver stopped, and waited while the screaming child was being tended to by his family. Then, the mom spoke to the taxi driver (apparently telling him it was not his fault), and off we went. Clearly, we are not in America!!!! As most of these adventures go, it made for a great story...after the fact.

At this lovely B and B on a tiny side street, we were greeted by Randy and Joy who were already seated on the roof garden, enjoying their 'welcome snacks': mini pizzas, quiches, and a bottle of sparkling wine...and, of course pastries. The B and B has four rooms; from the street it doesn't look like much...just an apartment building. Inside, it's an oasis. Nicoletta is the fourth generation woman in her family to run it, and obviously, it's in her genes. She's the quintessential B and B owner.

We spent the afternoon and evening wandering through the streets of Monterosso (with no cars in sight), enjoying a wonderful dinner, and listening to a free outdoor concert of Broadway musical tunes, in Italian.

Sunday started with yet another amazing breakfast, which could be construed as lunch and hors d'oeuvres, as well. Then off we went. We bought a two-day railroad pass, which is the main way of getting to the other towns. (There is a boat which goes back and forth, but when we saw how rough the seas were, we were glad we chose the RR.)

Besides Monterasso where we are staying, we visited two of the 3 other towns (Vernazza, Manarola, and Riomaggiore). The one we missed is Corniglia it has 365 steps to get up to the town. (Need I say more?) The towns are all lovely, with a very relaxed ambiance, beautiful views of the sea, mountains terraced with vineyards, nice shops selling high-quality local handicrafts and many local food products. This is the Liguria region, and they have their own way of making pasta, ham, and various spice mixes. Lemon trees are abundant, and the shops have many lemon flavored products, including limoncello and lemon jams. Local wines are everywhere. You can't starve here, and the aromas, as you wander through the streets can't be beat.

The day ended with one more excellent meal at a restaurant recommended by Nicoletta, on the very block where our car ended up being parked. Once again, the servers were delightful and the food was exceptional. Just to give you an example, I had a ricotta and spinach ravioli in a butter and sage sauce. OMG: Oh yes...we ordered fried calamari for starters, because the aromas of it from earlier in the day made it a must. It wasn't on the menu, but as has been our experience in Italy..."of course, we have calamari, we have batter....we can make it."