Travel Log
Posts Tagged ‘Coast’
Maine has been fabulous. That’s the only way to put it. I met Karen at Boston Airport at around 6:30 in the morning on Saturday the 10th of June and we picked up the rental car and headed north. It looked like the weather wasn’t going to cooperate with clouds hanging overhead all afternoon but it didn’t rain until we arrived at the house in New Harbor, Maine. After the long drive, Karen and I bundled up in our rain gear and went for a walk anyway. As it turned out, that was the only daytime rain showers we had all week. Glorious weather with occasional clouds that never did turn into a storm was the pattern for the week. Apparently that was NOT the type of weather they had prior to our arrival. It rained for the entire week before we got there.
On Saturday I'm moving to Hostel Calazete in the town of Oeiras. Oeiras is located on the coast about 30 minutes to the west of Lisbon. I'll probably do a day trip to Cacais (further west along the coast) on Sunday.
Unimpressed With Barcelona
Barcelona is another huge city. I’m not quite sure what I expected but when I thought of the Riviera (Spanish or French) I must have had images of wide open beaches and quaint little hotels and private villas. The reality is somewhat different to say the least. Yes there are some really nice beaches along the coast but there are also high rises, modern buildings, and dumpy old hotels everywhere.
Took an early morning train today to La Spezia, Italy which is near the Cinque Terra section of the Italian coast. Changed trains in La Spezia and took a narrow gauge train up along the coast before setting off on a hike between the coastal towns. Took the late train back to Florence that night.
Strolling Through Cinque Terre
One of the side trips I made while staying in Florence was to Cinque Terre (Italian for “The Five Lands”) which are the Italian version of the Rivera. The entire area is located about two hours by train northwest of Florence near the town of La Specia (La Spe-cee-a). I had to change trains in La Spezia to travel into the Cinque Terre area. The tracks twist and turn so much through Cinque Terre that they need narrow gauge train tracks. So, after leaving Florence early in the morning I was in the resort town of Monterosso al Mare by around noon.
