Cinque Terre, Italy

The Mediterranean Sea nearby this old village

This blog relates to the villages of Cinque Terre in Northern Italy.

Ugh!!! Dirty words....school and teenagers!!! Yuck and yet....with a cup of coffee in the morning, I will be back in front of my students entertaining children about the rules and regulations of the Spanish language.  I will encourage them to dream and explore.....and it will feel good to be back again doing what I do best...educating people about my passions.

Currently I am planning a trip with my partner and some friends to the Pantanal area of South America for next summer.  Three countries(Bolivia, Brazil, and Paraguay) share these natural borders of this tropical swamp area at the base of the Amazon Rain Forest.  Here's the trick when traveling....it's not about the countries you visit...it's about the regions that they inhabit. Focus your travels on one spot instead of trying to cover a lot of areas.  You will be able to take in more by keeping your focus on one place.  Speaking of the focus for next summer, we will be in the "Everglades" of South America.  It should be quite a trip as I explore water plants and features for my Tucson garden.  I'm very excited as we are in the beginning phases of planning right now. Another hint for those who dream....if you buy your tickets, you have something to be excited for and get excited about....so buy your ticket and then start planning.  Read books and drink coffee or tea and research over the internet.  Life is good and full of adventures....live your life because you never know what tomorrow will bring. 

Why do I write this?  On returning back to my school site, I discovered a mother,whom I had worked with closely over the years, had passed away recently.  She was a dear woman and I had two of her sons in my class.  They both were very good boys and loved their mother dearly.  Mom would call me a lot over the course of several years and we would be on a first name basis later. She was a young woman in her early 40's and her story makes me sad and I know her boys will miss her dearly.  So sieze the day and make it your own.

Gardening brings me peace and tranquility as does travel.  A magical place that I've recently visited these past couple years is Cinque Terre in Italy near Milan and Genoa.  It is a place with old world charm.  The best part is that you have to take a train to get there and then hike through these 5 small villages which is like taking a trip back in time.  It was an incredible walk along the gardens of these villages and the Mediterranean sea.  Give yourself several days to take it all in. 

Cinque Terre, Italy

The colors spoke to me from this trip and I love how they just jut out from the rocks and cliffs.  An idea that I take away from this journey is the use of a bold art piece against a stony wall hidden amongst the plants.....it is this technique that I will be using when I get to designing the art around the property after I have placed all my plants in their spots. This was a really beautiful place.  Check it out and escape for 2 or 3 days around the 5 villages of Cinque Terre.....Monterosso al Mare, Vernazza, Corniglia, Manarola, and Riomaggiore

This territory was long isolated and the characteristic Ligurian culture has been conserved. The five villages were only reached by the outside world about one hundred years ago, when the railway line was built.

"The chain of mountains that surrounds these villages runs parallel to the "Appennino Mountains" and creates small insenature, steep valleys where the towns are situated. This makes for a unique landscape, different from the rest of the coast. Right in the center of this landscape during the centuries was placed the man Ligure, always in struggle and always in love with its territory. The result of this geography is the typical houses liguri, the narrow bands and the knoll in terrace built on the rocks.
The Cinque Terre is a National Park and territory protected by UNESCO. This zone is characterised by the presence of typical steep slopes cultivated with vines thanks to terraces, unique witness of the transformation of the territory carried out by mans hard work.The suggestive kind of coast falling sheer to the sea, with cliffs which are often vertical, alternated with small creeks and enchanting beaches among rocks, with depths rich in fish, make this territory a real Natural "work of art". "
http://www.cinqueterreonline.com/villages.htm