Just when are we to get a rest day on holiday ? Tough job but we are the right people for the situation.

Today is our day in the Cinque Terra . It is to be a big day, we are to catch public transport so who knows. The 7.10 am bus @ the station at 7.20am to catch the 7.50am train to Pisa then on to La Spezia then on to the five terras - sure. The bus is 10 minutes late and it is the school run so also takes 10 minutes longer so we arrive at the station as our train is departing so instead of arriving in CT at 10am now around 11.30 am.

We use the spare time to catch a taxi from the Pisa station for a visit to the leaning tower. Yes it is great but nothing fantastic, take the obligatory photos and then skip back to the station for the main game.

Take the train to the last CT town, Monterosso where Kathy and Donny are taking the trek over to Vernazza - I offered my back pack to them to really experience the experience but they have elected to take the soft option and go bare back. M-L, Maddie and I take an even softer option and elect to partake in a cold beverage under an umbrella on the beach . We then catch the train to Vernazza and meet the hikers.

In paradise everything is perfect, this is the Cinque Terra. The fishing boats bob about, the restaurants in the small piazza create the colour and vitality and the local people just count the cash. We are happy to assist, lunch is taken any time from 1.00 pm ish to 4.00 pm ish. Life is being very kind to us.

By the way Kathy and Donny practically ran the mountain course and fronted up fresh as a daisy. Said it was like a walk in the park, happy to go that way each day to get the milk and papers. I asked about the views, they said they were to die for! Disappointed that they didn't bring back my shoes, trackie pants and jumper.

I had one of the best meals so far when we partook in lunch harbour side, just perfect for the location so have included a pic. We then caught the ferry around to Manarola - town number two. The views along the way waterside are a sight to behold, to me very similar to the last time I was here !! M-L hell bent on taking her clothes off in public (again) so looks like a swim is on the cards, she has Maddie keyed up for it as well . In the end only Maddie went in, something about it being too hard to get out of the water. Funny, others seem to cope, could it be a matter of water being so cold?

Went for walk around the village, my fried anchovy man was closed for siesta - not happy Jan. Those things out of a jar are now but a faint memory. Some further problems with the trains on the way to the next village, it stopped but the last few carriage doors would not open (guess where we were!) so the calendars and note books that I had planned on getting on my return went down the toilet.

The only train that was on time for the entire day today was the first one that we missed, all others either ran late were cancelled or just did not turn up. As a result we arrive back in Pisa late and have no connecting bus to get us back to Vicopasano - taxi it is which wasn't that bad in the end, 45 euros for a 25 minute trip. We were a little frazzled so the wine bar it is . Vat no. 1 for the girls. As it was late, around 9.30 pm all the shops ( all 3 - 4 of them) were closed. The wine bar people made up a take away platter for us to go with the pasta ragout that Massimo had supplied us on arrival.

We collected our 5 lit plastic drink container and had it filled with 5 litres of said number 1 Vat for a cost of 15 euros, they turn water into wine in these parts and drink it like water as well. They also place very little preservatives in the wine as it is a made now drink now product and we have found that it has very little effect on one the next day. It does not stop M-L from taking in Braille after three!!! Dinner at the normal time in these parts around 10.00 pm allowing time for us to look out and count our lucky stars - in these parts there are many. Off to dream land with the bell tower doing its thing every hour on the hour - it has a comforting effect on me and I like to hear them regardless of the day or night.