Well, this is it, the moment we were all waiting for: The Day the Middle Child Moves Out.

My daughters have signed a lease on a little rental for the year of our Lord, 2019, and although I am rejoicing at this next step towards raising independent strong adults, I am also standing frozen in my closet, a blouse in each hand, traumatized at the realization that I will be the only female left in a house full of testosterone.

Ready or not, the winds of change are blowing and it’s going to take an industrial sized bottle of Febreeze to get me through.

2019 is therefore dedicated to opening some conversations. Maybe some hard ones. I need help with these feels and fuzzies. I am happy and sad and worried and proud and celebratory and lonely. My nest isn’t empty just yet. It’s ridiculous. I have a big pile of feels and nowhere to swoon.

The Forgetful Files to the rescue. Our motto is “Everything Worth Remembering” and with all of the change coming around the corner this January, we need to remember Rule Number One:

Remain Calm!

We are turning our blog into a type of forum on transitions and everyone is invited to participate in the Comment box.

Because, girlfriend therapy.

For January, let’s discuss moving house, whether across town, like my family did five years ago, or across the planet, as some of my crazy rellies have done.

Jan 6th: everyone else moving and leaving you in an empty nest
Jan 13th: moving from home to college
Jan 20th: moving from house to house
Jan 27th: moving from home to an elder care facility

I was mourning the loss of accessible auxiliary jewelry (not that I could find whatever I wanted in the drifts of her cyclone-decorated room, but the good stuff was usually on the top pile) when I heard my girls discussing their imminent move.

“You’re keeping your hair drier in your room,” said one, “I don’t need it and the bathroom is teeny tiny.”

“We need a bookshelf. That’s top of the list.”

“People have to take off their shoes in the house.”

“Yeah, and no dirty dishes left in the sink.”

It gives me great satisfaction to say, “I told you so.” Kid number three, she who will not be hangered, the Queen of Quite a Lot, the distributor of flotsam in every corner of the house, was preparing a Pre-Nup in tidy little lines.

Perspective is everything, and there is nothing like moving houses to find it.

Pro: Middle Child finally cares about tidiness.
Con: I will not have access to her cute shoes either. Argh.

Please share thoughts below on an emptying nest; they are uniquely yours, and – happily for the rest of us – universal.

The Forgetful Files is a safe, supportive space exploring different life challenges and big questions with courage, kindness, humor, and practicality. Please join the conversation by offering your unique perspective!

“You can never get a cup of tea large enough or a book long enough to suit me.”

C. S. Lewis

Behind every writer is an epic bookshelf. This one is a collaboration between me and you, my lovely readers.

Originally published in September, 2016, the following “recommended booklist” is a work in progress: This is a continuously updated page. For an explanation, visit this post…and this one.

I have not read them all but I have read most. Please add your favorites to the comment box below and they will be stirred into the mix as we go. I will attempt to list them by genre and then by author, and if you leave your two cents of an opinion with your book, I will put that in too. Eventually, I will add links, etc to make the page more interactive.

Thanks for visiting. Don’t let your tea get cold. Happy reading.

Fiction, Chick Lit/Romance

• Alcott, Louisa May: yes, girlfriend, warm my heart
• Allende, Isabel: “magical realism”? Zorro is awesome
• Austen, Jane: P&P forever! Team Darcy
• Bronte, Charlotte: Jane Eyre, great book, heroine needs to pull it together already
• Chevalier, Tracy: Girl With a Pearl Earring
• Evanovich, Janet: all numbered Stephanie Plum books
• Golden, Arthur: Memoirs of a Geisha
• Griffin, Emily: I’ve enjoyed a few
• Jackson, Helen Hunt: Ramona
• Kinsella, Sophie: the Shopaholic Series
• Meyer, Stephanie: I know, I know…don’t judge. Team Edward though
• Mitchell, Margaret: Gone With the Wind
• Penman, Sharon Kay: historical, medieval England and France
• Ripley, Alexandra: Scarlett. Because we want to know if he gave a damn
• Rowling, JK: she’s my hero
• Tolkien, JRR: because of course

Humor

• Barry, Dave: the man’s hysterical
• Bombeck, Erma: the lady’s hysterical
• Bryson, Bill: A Walk in the Woods
• Larson, Gary: The Far Side cartoons
• Lawson, Jenny: Furiously Happy
• McManus, Patrick: backwoods humor
• Twain, Mark: every single thing he ever wrote
• Watterson, Bill: Calvin and Hobbes cartoons, must read

You Thought These Were Kid Books: Wrong

• Bagnold, Enid: National Velvet
• Barry, Dave & Pearson, Ridley: Peter and the Starcatchers series
• Burnett, Frances Hodgson: Secret Garden, A Little Princess
• Burnford, Shelia: The Incredible Journey
• Carroll, Lewis: Through the Looking Glass
• Farley, Walter: Black Stallion series
• Goldman, William: The Princess Bride in book form knocks my socks off
• L’Engle, Madeline: her books are actually multi-level
• Lovelace, Maud Hart: Heaven to Betsy series
• MacLachlan, Patricia: Sarah Plain and Tall series
• Milne, AA: The House at Pooh Corner, etc.
• Montgomery, LM: Anne of Green Gables series
• O’Brien, Robert: Mrs Frisby & the Rats of NIMH
• O’Dell, Scott: Island of the Blue Dolphins, Zia
• Sidney, Margaret: Five Little Peppers & How They Grew
• Sewell, Anna: Black Beauty
• Spyri, Johanna: Heidi
• Suess, Dr: UCSD dedicated to this guy
• White, EB: Charlotte’s Web, Trumpet of the Swan
• Wilder, Laura Ingalls: Litte House on the Prairie series
• Williams, Margery: The Velveteen Rabbit, be real
• Wyss, Johann: The Swiss Family Robinson

Great Literature

• Cooper, James: The Last of the Mohicans. You. Will. Cry.
• Dickens, Charles: all of him, A Tale of Two Cities is my favorite
• Dumas, Alexander: this series blows me away every time
• Homer: The Odyssey
• Hugo, Victor: The Hunchback of Notre Dame sadness
• Kipling, Rudyard: he who makes India look like an exotic flower
• Melville, Herman: Moby Dick, I even liked the chapters on whales
• Scott, Sir Walter: Ivanhoe YES YES YES
• Steinbeck, John: Of Mice and Men
• Stevenson, Robert Louis: Jekyll/Hyde, Treasure Island, Kidnapped
• Stowe, Harriet Beecher: Uncle Tom’s Cabin

Mystery, Drama, Horror, Tense Fiction

• Caine, Hall: The Bondman
• Conrad, Joseph: Heart of Darkness
• Courtenay, Bryce: The Power of One
• Doyle, Arthur Conan: Holmes is a master
• King, Stephen: excellent formula writer, hard to critique his predictability when it made him rich…
• Shelley, Mary: Frankenstein, original in claymation
• Stoker, Bram: yep, the original Dracula was pretty good

Poetry

• Silverstien, Shel: Where the Sidewalk Ends, etc. The Giving Tree is epic.

Philosophy, Psychology, Business

• Adam, Grant: Originals, how non-conformists move the world
• Blanchard, Kenneth: The One Minute Manager
• Brown, Brene: Daring Greatly, Rising Strong
• Canfield, Jack: Chicken Soup for the Soul series, there’s almost too many of them
• Carlson, Richard: Don’t Sweat the Small Stuff
• Carnegie, Dale: How to Win Friends and Influence People
• Covey, Stephen: Seven Habits of Highly Effective People
• Duhig, Charles: The Power of Habit
• Gilbert, Elizabeth: Eat, Pray, Love (good), Big Magic (meh)
• Hatmaker, Jen: For the Love
• Klein, Gary: Seeing What Others Don’t
• Johnson, Spencer: Who Moved my Cheese?
• Og, Mandino: The Greatest Salesman in the World
• Rubin, Gretchen: Better Than Before
• Tharp, Twyla: The Creative Habit
• White, Kate: I Shouldn’t Be Telling You This (for Gutsy Girls)

Nonfiction Adventure

• Corbett, Jim: Man-Eaters of Kumaon
• Dineson, Isak & Blixon, Karen: Out of Africa
• Gibson, William: The Miracle Worker
• Herriot, James: All Creatures Great & Small series
• Hillenbrand, Laura: Seabiscuit
• London, Jack: all his wild and snowy stories
• Mortenson, Greg: Three Cups of Tea
• Thomas, Lowell Jackson: With Lawrence in Arabia
• Washington, Booker T: Up From Slavery

Venice, as I may have mentioned, expects you to take it’s paths and bridges and meandering waterways in stride, hauling luggage over every uneven inch. When it was time to go the airport however, we were picked up directly in front of our hotel by water taxi. From there, it was an easy twenty minute race to the airport, each boat attempting to outrun the other, our captain taking the wakes in a rhythmic bump, bump, slam pattern.

I imagine a taxi ride in Rome would have felt the same.

Finally at the quiet dock, we stepped onto moving sidewalks that ushered us gently into the Venice airport. We waited at our gate, relaxing in the morning sunshine and sorry to see Italy go.

Of course, the minute boarding was called, everyone immediately stood up and crushed forward at the cattle chute. We were so Italian by this point.

The airline slowly and clearly called out each boarding zone and the restless passengers reluctantly took their turns moving through, flashing their tickets and dragging their carry-ons. Hubby inched one deliberate inch forward at a time, keeping an eye on a little old lady to his left and a businessman on his right, both of whom were preparing to jump the queue if he wasn’t diligent. I drafted behind him, playing word games on my phone, confident in his ability to blaze a path through the chaos.

We finally scanned our tickets through and headed briskly down the ramp, jostling our carry-ons and bags and the fluffy neck pillow that Hubbs so faithfully dragged all over Italy, knowing full well he was never going to use it. But it was from Costco. For all I know, he will attempt to return it.

What seat number was I again?

At the end of the ramp, it took a turn and instead of an airplane door, we were faced with a flight of stairs. Super confused but laughing, because this behavior is always what we will remember about Italy, we hauled our luggage down another, and another, until we were exiting the airport onto the tarmac.

Were we walking home?

There was a bus. Full of passengers, standing like cattle, holding onto handles from the ceiling. We squeezed on, trying not to step on the old lady’s foot. She looked ready to kick.

Everyone was shifting restlessly, eye-rolling, wondering which way they were going to stampede next, and preparing for all possibilities. Hubby flared his nostrils. Challenge accepted. “The first shall be last,” I whispered. But I knew better. This man had already extrapolated all pathways and exits. He was ready for the next Italian chess move.

The bus rumbled across the Venetian tarmac and vomited its passengers out in front of an airplane that had open doors at both ends, accessed by another set of stairs. I could see everyone mentally freaking out with the option.

The rush, I was told, is so that you have room in the overhead for your stuff. Worst case scenario? The nice stewardess takes your bag up front and hands it back to you as you casually exit at your destination. No overhead hoisting required. Less time sitting in a stifling plane, and a free valet. I’m sick of lugging luggage.

But honey, did I hustle with it.

I put some serious mileage on those poor little swivel wheels; cobbles, stairs, pavers, grills, bridges, escalators, curbs, moving sidewalks, ramps, rain, even an exploding water bottle. And it was always packed first and politely waiting for Hubby’s dastardly duo at the hotel door.

We finally sat in the plane, luggage at peace overhead. Hubby was in his seat, fluffing his shirt from his exertions and wrapped it up with his signature sigh. All was right in the world.

Goodby for now, Italy. Thanks for the memories!

We flew over the crispy alps of Austria, the farmland of Germany and the tidy dikes of Holland. Scotland, Greenland and the Hudson Bay brought us slowly back into America and home. So many more places to visit.

The world is bigger and smaller and more beautiful than you will ever discover in this lifetime.

But you should try.

As your train approaches Venice, it’s surprising to see other islands out the window, some minute and others large enough to contain whole villages. There are reedy marshes in the shallows and areas deep enough to welcome massive cruise ships. It’s a delicate ecosystem that, as you know, has scientists scrambling to prevent its extinction.

Motoring away from Venice on the vaporetto, this extensive lagoon holds evidence that every inch of mushy land was a personal challenge to someone: if you can make it stay upright, you too can have your own private island in paradise. Not sure how it compares to Bora Bora, but obviously things did not always work out:

Our first stop was Torcello. This area was the first of the lagoon to be inhabited and contains the requisite basilica and campanile. The ruins can be perused after paying a fee to the guardians there, and are quite interesting. True to our mantra of “climbing all the things”, we ascended the little tower and discovered some curious facts: it was held together with baling wire and duct tape (Was it really safe to climb? Too late), it utilized ramps instead of stairs (nice), and the view is by far the prettiest view from a campanile that we had seen in all of Italy. Have a look:

Torcello had it’s own little canal, a beautiful restaurant and event venue, vineyards and agriculture, all enjoying this peaceful corner of the neighborhood. The brick walkway leading to and from our landing invited a leisurely pace, an opportunity to stop and smell the roses. Which we did. An elderly gentleman stood to one side, playing an opera selection on his accordion. So far as I could tell, it was purely for his own pleasure. I made the decision immediately to live on Torcello if I ever get the chance. It will bring the population up to eleven, I think.

Across the way is Burano, known for lace, brightly colored houses, and a leaning tower that we did not even attempt to approach. The tower reminded us that – oh yeah – we are all perching on stilts over a marsh. After Burano, we realized every tower in Venice was tilted.

The cheerful homes invited us to wander the island, the lace shops let their wares ripple in the sunshine. We ate some overpriced calamari, considering the options. I’m not so very into tapestries and doilies, but stepped into a shop and put some serious thought into a bodice. It was an intricate hand-tatted green glory fit for a princess. It also had a princess price tag: 380E.

Our next stop was the larger isle of Murano. Murano is famous for the art of glass-blowing, and you can take tours of the glass factories or even a class there. You can browse drifts of cheap glass souvenirs made in China, or consider high-scale one-of-a-kind glass sculptures made right here on the island. I had already made up my mind, before taking our trip, what I wanted. I could see it in my imagination but none of the shops seemed to be selling it.

All hand crafted Murano glass beads take time to create. The specific ones I sought have layers of colors from smaller millefiori cane beads, which are rolled together into larger beads, then eventually strung together into necklaces. The detail work, the patience under heat and pressure and the creative drive behind these little beads fascinates me. The colors, both bright and deep, swirled around each other, repeatedly fused together with fire, and knotted individually by hand represent a lifetime of marriage to me. This symbology is also used in tapestry; but a necklace can be worn over the heart.

I dragged Hubby over Murano – twice – before we found the exact right one:

The pretty stretch of Lido forms a buffer island, and helps protect the lagoon from the larger Adriatic Sea. It’s also a divider between the swirling Carnival within Venice and the cold industrial business in the grey waters without. Homes here appear to strike a gracious balance between them.

Lido is home to the famous yearly Venice International Film Festival. The mainland and other islands surrounding Venice host the multitude of art, architecture, dance, cinema, music, and theater people who attend. Probably someone stayed in Torcello, but I hear many of the private islands are rented complete by big celebrities. We had just missed the 75th year of the event, four weeks prior.

Lido boasts sandy beaches, both private and public, and we walked across it to put our feet in. Santa Maria Elisabetta dead ends in a “free, self-serve” beach. At one time in history, it must have been a bustling area with shops, a fancy restaurant and a bar. Only one out of three was operating, and I was thankful because a restroom was high on my list of priorities. Following the arrows on the floor through an abandoned cafeteria, past a broken euro turnstile, I entered a bathroom that made a gas station in Yuma look pristine. Doors were off hinges, empty dispensers hung from the wall, rubbish littered the floor. It was a perfect spot to get mugged…only the people I saw loitering in the area looked so apathetic that I felt sorry for them. I wanted to add a tag on the wall, “This too shall pass”.

Reappearing on the dark sand, I took Hubby’s arm saying, “You don’t want to order a drink here. Let’s go.” He nodded. The party hangover was pervasive.

The slate-colored Adriatic Sea licked at our ankles as we watched cargo ships in the distance. Where were they from? Where were they going? It felt piratey. Impersonal. Harsh even. But perhaps their pilots had other stories to tell.

I sighed a little.

Our love affair with Italy would end tomorrow. Like Lido, we had protected our bright anniversary bubble from the matte roughness of the daily business back home.

But like Murano, we have more beads to make.

Italy wears its heart on its sleeve on the isle of Venice. A thoroughly romantic mix of museums, music, colors, history, and mystery, Venetia makes you want to wear a pink swirly dress and swoon on a balcony.

Venice, the home of Marco Polo, Casanova, Vivaldi, Goldoni, and Titian, begins with formal introductions in St Mark’s square, but will lean in when you least expect it and whisper sweet intimate nothings in your ear.

Venice has no other purpose than to delight you.

St Mark’s Square is to be toured in an orderly fashion. The “finest drawing room in Europe” as Napoleon christened it, invites loitering with the pigeons while your imagination takes flight.

First, step into the Basilica (a free but timed voucher). The cathedral glows from an overbearing amount of gold decor. It feels heavy, a facade so thick that you are sure the real church must be hiding in the back somewhere, but no. For an additional fee, you discover that St Mark lies beneath a sheet of gem-studded gold that seems just a little like he is trying too hard to impress.

Competition is tough for saints.

You are not supposed to take photos, so you didn’t see this:

Near the entrance, a tiny passageway leads straight up to the rooftop terrace. Pay your 5E at the top and you will be able to enjoy the views, indoor and out, as long as you like. The original copper horses are inside, and replicas are out. Sadly, I was not allowed to ride either set. But they are magnificent.

Back in the square, a trip to the top (another timed voucher) of the Campanile is not to be missed and to prove that chivalry is not dead…it has an elevator! The lift holds just 11 people at a time and you will have only 15 minutes up top. It’s a gorgeous arial view of the island and its surrounding neighbors. The bells overhead ring at high noon. You will have to decide for yourself whether this is an exhilarating experience or the fast road to deafness.

The clock tower bell-ringers across the way are far more decorous in their duties.

Enter the lacy pink marble Doge’s Palace and you will once again feel the weight of history. It settles around you as you move from grand staircases to spacious rooms, fat gilded ornamentation bordering heavily detailed paintings, scrolled metalwork, polished wood; symbols of wealth, government, and religion. Here, judgement was passed and here, beyond an extensive armory, the Bridge of Sighs led prisoners to the dungeons. Graffiti in the cells is intriguing, especially as Casanova himself scrawled some of it.

To complete the Square, explore the elegant Correr Museum. You will simply run out of time to see all of this multi-level extensive collection of everything. I was reduced to taking a photo collection of chandeliers (12) and then another of rare and ancient books (a million or so). A giant foot statue and a mummy rounded it off nicely.

When we ventured away from St Marks Square, Venice decided to rain on our parade. Armed with our Roman umbrellas, we hopped the vaporetto south for a march along Via Guiseppe Garibaldi. We admired his monument then strolled slowly back along the waterfront. When the drips threatened to put a damper on our day, we stopped at a sidewalk cafe and ordered hot espresso and a banana nutella crepe with a puff of whipped cream.

The Rialto Market was right beside our hotel. Placed beneath a permanent roof, this sumptuous daily market is full of tourists taking photos and locals buying their groceries. Everything is shipped in on early morning boats and by afternoon, nothing is left but a lone man hosing down the empty pavement. The variety of seafood, flowers, fresh produce, and spices is glorious.

This is a hint for what your restaurant is going to put on your plate tonight. It’s time to dress for dinner.

The cloak of dusk swirls around the island. Venice dons a mask of deep purple with gold trim, water shining through like eyes of magic. The crowds are finally gone. The night is young. And you are so beautiful.

Venice moves from courtship to seduction.

On each side of St Mark’s Square, a little orchestra plays. To your right, you hear The Blue Danube, from the left comes the theme from Titanic. Should you sit for a moment and take some champagne from the bow-tied servers hovering along the edge of the pavement? Or perhaps you would prefer a creamy hot chocolate from the cafe, steaming like a sigh from its cup? The music begs your feet to move, and happily, Venice is entirely new at night.

The Grand Canal is rippling glass, reflecting lamplight, moonlight, and the stars in your eyes. Wander over the Rialto Bridge (take the gratuitous selfie), and on past glittering delights in small shop windows. Chocolates, high end luxury stores, fashion, bakeries, gelato, lace, leather, glass, jewelry, pubs, and restaurants tempt on all sides.

There are few straight lines in Venice. Follow the curves and dips, the paths that make you glance back over your shoulder wondering whether you missed something, on through the twirling shadows. Each little bridge is an invitation to pause and enjoy the swimming splendor of it all.

If you are wise, you brought your own Casanova for emergency purposes.

If you are smart, you brought your dancing shoes.

After disembarking the train into Venice, a meandering cruise down the Grand Canal via bus (vaporetto) is a great way to get acquainted with one of Italy’s most popular destinations. Grab a seat in the front. Wear something warm. Never stand up. This blocks your pilot’s view and he will let you have it because – surprise! – the Italians are still driving like…Italians. I never saw James Bond fly by (although we watched a film cast drift past, complete with cameraman, equipment, and actors hiding in the bow) but when you get everyone on the water it’s crazy. This is why we didn’t take a gondola ride. The tourists didn’t scream out loud, but the gondolier paddled for his very life a few times…

The water in Venice is very green lagoon water; it smells exactly like the San Diego Bay, without the salty open-ocean undertones. It’s not something you want to swim in and although we saw a gull or two, I saw no sign of marine life. The buildings in Venice are beautiful and in a constant state of maintenance. As the waters slowly rise, lower stories are abandoned in some of them. Doorsteps go right down underwater.

As you make the first big bend in the Canal, you pass the colorful daily Rialto Market, full of fish, produce, flowers, and spices and the Rialto Bridge that gives gondoliers wonderful acoustics and bus drivers terrible tempers.

The next bend has the only “traffic light” in Venice. It sits at the corner and is used exclusively to allow fireboats out of the station at top speed.

If you watch long enough, you will also see garbage collectors, polizia, construction crews, ambulenzas, and other services at work…all by boat.

As you curve back around and see La Salute, this is your sign that you are about to enter the lagoon on the south of Venice. The water opens up and St. Mark’s Square is coming up on your left. You have arrived at your destination.

We are going to leave St. Mark’s Square for the next post (click here for a preview), but I will leave you with this story:

A long time ago, before Venice was on the map, their patron saint was Theodore, the dragon slayer. After the sack of Constantinople, Venetians brought home random pieces of statuary, which were put together to form this image and for a long time, it was good enough. His claim to fame was that he wrestled crocs could bring victory in battle.

As politics marched forward however, the founding fathers decided that a more glamorous (and less Byzantine) saint was needed. So they stole one. In 828, Venetian merchants took the mummy of St Mark from its sarcophagus in Alexandria Egypt, packed it in a chest with pork and cabbages, and thereby passed it through Muslim customs officers. (Don’t try this at home.) They hauled St Mark to Venice and began a new church for him. The church was destroyed, then rebuilt, St Mark was lost and rediscovered in the process, and finally in 1094AD, we have the basilica, square and etc.

They left Theodore on his post to watch the show go by.

But I’d love to see him take on that cruise ship.

You need to know right up front that the title for this post was spun into every possible derivative involving the use of the word “knockers” and that – although we are in the middle of a holiday week surrounded by children and piles of food – common sense prevailed.

But we had fun with it. (While we’re at it, here is a link to some “knock knock” jokes to keep the kids happy while you cook, clean, and caper.)

What I love about Italy (there’s a list) is the way they put their cities together. The streets are narrow and they pack their homes into little apartment-type multi-story buildings.  Every square inch of space seems to be commandeered and cars are an afterthought. This design is possibly the result of centuries of building in the same footprint as ancient days, when everyone kept safe within a protective wall. In places like Cinque Terre and Venice, you only have so much land to work with as it is.

You party in the piazza.

Regardless, we spent many hours cruising the streets of Italy and everywhere we went, Hubby had to drag me away from the doors. All you see from the street is a massive pair of doors (go big or go home) with an impressive set of knockers.

I did not just say that.

They are unique, fun, and probably never used for their intended job. Are they inherited from one’s ancestors or purchased by an individual? I know I wasn’t supposed to stare and it felt awkward taking pictures without their permission. But they were beautiful. And I’m only human. I do wish I’d gotten a photo of the mermaids. Just to prove they exist.

These knockers held mystique, they represented something going on in the heart of the home and as a result, I went about Italy guessing the story inside, judging each book by its cover.

So tell me…if all that anyone was every going to know about you, if your life story was going to be represented by a pair of knockers…what would you put on your door?

I would like to dedicate this next episode to Andrea, Barbara, Bettina, Abbie, and every one of our Tribe who has seen the colored-up filter-enhanced impossibly beautiful images of Cinque Terre on jigsaw puzzles and travel brochures and thought to herself, “Self, a place can’t really look like that and be real.”

You and your selves are wrong.

The five little villages of Cinque Terre, in the province of La Spezia, the region of Liguia, are connected by a local train, a local water bus, and a narrow hiking trail (each require a purchased ticket). They perch along the cliffs like tiny jewels. Throw on your sturdy shoes and grab a water bottle, because we are going exploring.

Monterosso al Mare, where we stayed, has an original section and a newer section, connected by a little tunnel. These are the views from that middle spot, looking both ways. The beach is what draws people to Monterosso, but it has a sculpture at the far west (under scaffolding during our visit) and a tiny castle to the east if you want to “see a thing”. You can walk the whole length in twenty minutes or so, which we will do, because this is the morning we are hiking the tiny, famously outrageous trail to the next town over: Vernazza.

Vernazza is a lovely hamlet, if you are a giraffe. I love Italy’s use of space. Vernazza has the only natural port of the Cinque Terres and was buried in a mudslide in 2011. 

We took the train for the rest of our adventures. (Whew!) When it stopped in Corniglia, the next town south, we discovered what makes this place extra-special:

Once you reach the top, you must still climb through Corniglia and around the little chapel of St Catarina to the cliff for the view.

We treated ourselves to a fruit smoothie and headed back to the train. Our next stop was Manarola. This is the one featured on jigsaw puzzles, colorful homes perched at the water’s edge.

We hadn’t thought to bring our suits, but it’s just as well, we had one more village to find. Riomaggiore is the fifth stop and if you have any steps left in you, climb left and follow the path…

To end this day just right, we took the train back to our hotel, got fancy and returned for the spectacular finale:

Vernazza at sunset is not to be missed. Everything changes color with the sky: you, the town, the water, the air. My friends, you must sit here some day.

We sat at a table along the beach front next to another two random couples, in the true Italian way of forcing you to make eye contact and offer a word of introduction while you wait for your meal to be delivered.

I hate that.

I never know where to begin and I always worry there’s spinach in my teeth. Thankfully, Hubby thinks it’s great. He dove right in and told our life story to the four unfortunate souls.

All I can remember about them is that one of the ladies was from Santa Barbara and appeared to be trying to land a business deal with the uneasy elderly gentleman across from her and the other lady was super excited to hear about our plans for “doing absolutely nothing” that day.

Her companion and I kept busy with the wine.

“We’ve been running through Italy at high speed,” said Hubby, “so we planned for a day when we would do nothing but lounge on the beach,” he took a sip, “especially since we want to do some hiking here tomorrow.”

He paused and waited for the raised eyebrows. He was not disappointed.

“Oh,” said the other lady, “You haven’t been hiking yet?” She leaned into Santa Barbara’s personal space, “Wait till you see the trails!”

Her companion took another drink.

“We went on one of the trails,” she continued, “and the steps go absolutely straight up! They just go for ages and my legs are still aching!”

She nodded wisely.

“Give yourself plenty of time,” she finished, as the food was served.

Hubby smiled into his glass. This challenge had been accepted, even before we left home. Hubby reckoned that if “regular” people had done a hike in an hour and a half, we could certainly accomplish it in forty-five minutes. He had done his math. I had rolled my eyes.

Thirty years of marriage: I had also calculated how this would end but kept my mouth busy eating pasta.

Which proved to be a challenge in itself.

See these?

I can remove the crawly legs. I can forgive the buggy eyes. I can work around the crunchy tail bits. But for the love, why must I spend my time fishing out stray antennae from around my noodles? These long hairs were the only frustrating part of a gorgeous day.

Grab your towel, let’s go. I’m giving you my beach chair.

Cinque Terre is where Italians go to unwind. When they are sick and tired of creating art, discovering ruins, and eating gelato, they toss their pizzas into the air and hop a train to Monterosso. And this is where we stayed.

We sauntered out to the beaches that morning like professionals. SoCal is not short on beaches. It’s a language we know.

This narrow strip of beaches runs west to east, as Monterosso al Mare sits in a little alcove before the coastline turns south and into cliffs for the rest of the “five terraces”. The beach is pebbly to rocky, shifting as you walk it, and not easy if your feet are tender. You can burrow a nice space in it with your shoulders, but by far a better way to go is to rent a couple of loungers and an umbrella from the guy running one of the private beach areas.

I’ll give you a minute to stop choking on your arugula.

You have a choice.

Yes, there are free beaches that people pack into during the day, and it’s really not a bad rap if you aren’t the fastidious type or you have an hour to kill. You can walk through the “private” beach areas with your feet in the wavelets.

But for twenty euro, you get comfy chaises, wide umbrella shade, and use of their showers, changing rooms, etc (these resemble porta-potties, don’t get excited) for the entire day. This is not a spa experience, but you can come and go as you please and your chairs will be right where you left them, unclaimed.

We did a fair bit of “coming and going” that day, to the boardwalk for lunch, to the tabacchi for post cards, to the trattoria for the outrageously good specialty of the area: deep fried seafood in a paper take-away cone.

And when I say “we” I mean “Hubby” because once you are settled in that lounger with the gentle waves serenading you and the light breeze blowing by and the warm sun slowly melting away your troubles, everyone and everything else around you no longer exists.

Well…the street vendors exist. They followed you to paradise and if you want to have a foot massage right there in your lounger, be my guest. If you must buy a sarong, go ahead. But if you aren’t interested, you can plop your hat over your face and feign death. They will pass by your chair and let the tassels of the sarong brush over your feet to get your attention.

And you will have to decide whether responding with a kick will get theirs.

After what happened in Rome, I decided to play nice. You never know.

Hubby enjoyed the Med, snorkeling and floating and wandering along the jetty. There were plenty of fish (although not the variety that you find in Hawaii or the Caribbean), and large, jagged rock formations. One just off the beach offered adventurous types a fifteen foot jump into the bright clear blue water.

All morning, we watched incoming waves of visitors arrive at the train station, doing Cinque Terre as a day trip. They flowed along the tiny main street and eddied into the public beach areas, wrestling luggage, eager to experience the area. They came and went and finally washed back out to the countryside. Those of us who had the great fortune to be staying overnight then strolled through the quiet dusk to enjoy the small community vibe, the splendiferous sky, and of course, a lovely meal with new friends-of-the-moment.

Q: If your train departs Florence at 9:30am and arrives in Pisa at 10:30am and your second train departs Pisa at 1:40pm, how much time do you have in Pisa?

A: Plenty, if Hubby will just stop fretting.

Q: If you exit the train in Pisa and it takes ten minutes to run in a circle looking for the baggage lockers and another twenty minutes to deposit said luggage into said lockers, and another twenty to walk the length of Pisa to the leaning tower (thankfully, without your luggage), how much time do you have in Pisa?

A: Plenty, if Hubby will just stop fretting.

Q: If Hubby has tasked you with navigating the fastest way through Pisa to the leaning tower and you have located a short cut that NO OTHER TOURISTS appear to be taking, should you guide him that way?

A: No. Hubby will lose his mind. Place him squarely in the center of the lost tourists and let him work his way to the front of them so that he feels like he is making good time.

Q: Once you have located your leaning tower, should you take a dorky tourist photo of Hubby holding it up?

A: Yes. This is a good use of your time.

Q: You have a timed entry ticket for the leaning tower and must arrive by 11:45am. You have already placed Hubby’s manly fanny-pack into the security lockers nearby (aka: cloakroom). It’s 11:45am. Should you get in line?

A: No. Your tiny 3×5 purse is NOT ALLOWED in the tower. It is considered armed and dangerous. You must dash back to the line at the security lockers nearby and leave it there, too. Camera phone included.

Q: It is now high noon. You have been scanned by high security airport personnel, patted down, and watched closely by rifle-toting military dudes. Can you finally act hot and bothered?

A: No. This tower is all the fame Pisa has and they are not about to let some tourist like you tip it all the way over. They will take the key and lock you up.

Q: Is the climb worth it?

A: Yes, it’s all fun and games until you reach the top where the tilt is strongest. Galileo himself hung off the edge and experimented with the velocity of falling objects. Stop looking at Hubby like that.

Q: Now that you have accomplished your climb and retrieved your effects, do you have enough time to tour the Baptistry and Cathedral?

A: No. Your ticket is no good for the Baptistry. You can take a quick dash through the Cathedral if you will just stop taking so many pictures, because – this is true everywhere – church is free.

Q: Fine. I didn’t want to see it anyhow. If you ask me…the Baptistry is leaning too. Or maybe I am leaning. Is everyone leaning?

A: No. Just the Baptistry. We are sorry you noticed….

Q: If your train leaves Pisa at 1:40pm and it’s 1:15pm, did you have enough time to return to the train station, retrieve your luggage, locate your platform, and sit around people-watching?

A: Of course. Have a snack. You will be at the beach tonight and Hubby will take all of his frets and throw them into the sea. You’re welcome. Thank you for visiting and have a nice day.

(If you know my Hubby, you know he is a creative engineer. His brain works like a Rubik’s Cube combined with Mastermind and Statego. He had decided – through sheer will power – that the Italian train system was not going to throw a wrench into our stop in Pisa. He was in it to win it…)