La Spezia - Cinque Terre

 Our hotel was in La Spezia, but we really didn't spend much time there. The Cinque Terre are 5 towns that you can only get to by train or boat or hike. We road the train in and spend the day.

 The Cinque Terre is on of the places that when you see pictures of it on the internet or something. You think to yourself it really can't be that beautiful in person. But when you see it in person you think. WOW! it is amazing.

 This shot is the view we had as we hiked back from Monterosso to Vernazza. Bill and I had taken our swimming suites and spent most of the day on the beach of Monterossa.

 A couple more pictures as we hiked to Vernazza. I think if you were to ask Bill his favorite place of the trip he would say The Cinque Terre!

San Gimignano and Pisa

 San Gimignano is a beautiful village in the Tuscan region of Italy. It sit upon a beautiful hill and has amazing views in every direction. 

 We were lucky to be there on the day of a big festival. The parades at San Gimignano were not as flamboyant as Venice, but still fun to see. 

A couple of views from the city. I really loved this area. It has the very laid back and easy going feeling. Also San Gimignano had the best Gilato I had the entire trip.

 

Here are a few shots of Pisa. Bill doing the obligatory "holding the tour up" shot. I was really quite amazed at how far it was leaning. I think the last shot, I straitened it out in the view of my camera. I must subconsciously not like seeing it lean. :)    

Florence Cont. - American Military Cemetery an Memorial

On our way out of Florence we stopped at the American Cemetery and Memorial. What a beautiful and peaceful place!

 

 The Florence American Cemetery and Memorial site in Italy covers 70 acres. The wooded hills that frame its western perimeter rise several hundred feet. Between the two entrance buildings, a bridge leads to the burial area where the headstones of 4,402 of our military dead are arrayed in symmetrical curved rows upon the hillside.

One of the ladies that was in our group was able to find her friends father's grave and the people at the cemetery gave her a flag and some other information to give to her. It was very special. This last picture is the view you see from the cemetery. I thought to my self as I looked out that I hope the families that chose to bury their loved ones here are comforted to know that they are in a beautiful place and that they are treated with the utmost respect.