But first, Italy

My flight to Spain stopped in Milan so I couldn't resist a couple of days in Italy. I went directly to Cinque Terre, a three hour train ride from Milan.

A keyboard  musician played selections from Italian opera at the entrance of the tunnel between old Monterosso and the new. The tunnel acted as a hugh amplifier as the tourists wandered through. Welcome to Cinque Terre..incredibly touristy (I heard more German, French and English than Italian) but still remarkably charming. Colorful villages perched on hillsides at the edge of the turquoise sea. It is Italy as Disney would envision it.

I walked the coastal path to Vernazo and Corniglia with breathtaking views at every turn--and the flowers!! Everywhere! In the villages the streets were more staircases than roads. Even the laundry hanging on the balconies looked picturesque. And of course each village had its gelateria which I had to sample. I had a mere 24 hours here but its images are burned in my memory.