Jeffrey and Anna

Two things we have gathered from our time so far in Italy:

1) When a sign says it will take two hours to walk from one town to the other, pay attention to that sign. Pay even closer attention if the path between those two towns is a hilly, rocky demi-path that will cause you pain and existential worry if you cannot see what’s in front of you. Pay the utmost attention if it the sun is setting, leaving you unable to see what’s in front of you.

2) You might have just transferred from a train whose ticket was attached to the one for the train you’re currently on, but that is not enough for the onboard attendants. Forget to read the fine print on the back of your ticket that tells you to “validate” (and don’t be told what “validating” means) and you will be fined an outrageous amount in front of a crowd of smug, Italian onlookers.

We awoke this morning to the sound of thunder and lightening in the Cinque Terre. We had been thinking that we’d spend this morning checking out Riomaggiore, but when a giant clap of thunder shook our cute little room overlooking the ocean, Jeffrey turned to me and said: “Let’s leave!” And I agreed. Exploring more of the Cinque Terre will have to come at another time, as it is a really beautiful place. Pictures to come soon.

After a flurry of train rides, we have arrived in Florence and settled into our private hostel room, allowing our electronics to charge and taking advantage of the steady internet connection before heading out again. Our hostel is pretty awesome – big room, friendly and helpful owner, convenient location. All is looking well.

In the meantime, here’s this:

Paris photos will come relatively soon, but in the meantime here is a post to let you know we’re already crackin’ Mario jokes here in La Spezia. Although Mario is either from the Mushroom Kingdom or Brooklyn, based on who you ask.

We are on a train to Manrola, one of the terres in the Cinque Terre, after having just disembarked from two other trains with broader goals. It is the end of the tourist season around these parts, so I doubt we will have much to report besides a serious amount of lounging, which, in fact, suits us just fine.

We had our first full day in Europe! In London! We participated in a walking tour (very informative and enjoyable), and did some exploring on our own. We had delicious Indian cuisine for dinner, a dining experience that proved to be really awkward. We also went to a park that was supposed to be the equivalent of San Francisco’s Dolores Park, and we rode one of those super cool double decker buses. Tomorrow: Soho neighborhood, then on to Paris!

Our hostel in London:

Monmouth Coffee Company. Great cappuccino and arguably the best croissant I’ve ever had. (Thanks Duncan for the suggestion!)

Insert Beavis & Butthead joke here.

The English Pig, a.k.a. bar with really snarky sign.

St. Paul’s Cathedral

Millenium Bridge

Cannons and bikes

London Bridge – as in THE London Bridge. How boring.