Paradise discovered: the beautiful Cinque Terre, one of Italy's most scenic spots!

The Crazy Days of November Deals

Pack your “bag” and run away with Anna Jones, founder of 50 Plus Travel™

Our first Free Travel Talk was so successful that we decided to give you another insight of what’s in the bag for you this month. Please come along and enjoy jovial atmosphere, delicious refreshments and amazing offers…

Discover River Cruising (Wellington)

Want to discover more about river cruising in Russia, Ukraine, Germany, sail from Amsterdam to Budapest... and see footage from previous trips?

• Be entertained and hear details about upcoming tours.

• Friends and relatives are welcome!

• Delicious refreshments provided.

• Reserve your seat today to avoid disappointment.

• Special offers available at this presentation; don’t miss out.

Free Travel Talk

Date: Monday 22nd November 6.00pm – 7.30pm
Venue: Wellington Central Library Mezzanine floor 65 Victoria Street
RSVP by 19 November 2010: email anna@50plustravel.co.nz or ph 04 528 3603 or text 027 230 9304 

… And you may go away with a bottle of Nemiroff Vodka, a unique combination of chilly and honey, straight from Ukraine, and a set of quality hat and T-Shirt, valued over $100. Good luck in the draw and see you on 22nd November.

* * *

Our trip to Italy was a fabulous prelude before our cruise on the acclaimed Russia River Cruise: Waterways of the Czars.

We started our journey in Milan. And although we missed Leonardo da Vinci's masterpiece The Last Supper (you need to book well in advance) we found there’s plenty more to Milan than the famous fresco.   The Duomo was breathtaking.  It’s one of the world's largest, perhaps the most striking, Gothic cathedrals with many spires, and thousands of statues crammed onto the roof and into its façade. Of course we also visited the fabulous La Scala opera house and museum and spent time at the glamorous Galleria Vittorio Emanuele shopping gallery. Wisely, some of us left our credit cards securely in the safe’s hotel. At the mosaic of the bull, one of us (no names will be mentioned) completed an old ritual: this entailed placing her right heel on the bull’s balls and then spinning around the Turin emblem for good luck.














Unfortunately, it didn’t work. Luck abandoned her in St Petersburg where her luggage was delayed for a few days.

Next day a train took us to Levanto, our hub for the 5 days: we stayed at the Villa Margherita where Federico and his family made us so welcome. We started our day with a buffet breakfast - warm Buongiorno and cappuccino. Levanto, a lovely little town, was just a short, pleasant stroll from our villa. We voted it the best place to stay in for visiting Cinque Terre.

Cinque Terre, the five lovely fishing villages in Tuscany, are strung along the cliffs bordering the Ligurian Sea and are linked by walking paths, a train line, and ferry - we used a combination of all three. The five villages have much in common yet each has a distinct style. Their commonality lies in the stunning sea views and sumptuous sea food delicacies.













With enough caffeine to keep us going for the day, we arrived at Monterosso Al Mare, the first village. Exploring it, we especially enjoyed the unspoilt medieval architecture. Our chosen route was between the towns closer to the sea, and supposedly the easiest, but don’t be fooled by what you read. We puffed and panted our way up, conquering the many steps and steep hills, but we were then rewarded with the most beautiful land and seascapes.

At the end of our hike it poured with rain, so much we thought that it would rain forever as we arrived at Vernazza cold and wet. Seeing a café across the road we left our shelter and claimed the last table for our lunch. The cafe was nice and our sea bass and pasta pesto was delicious. As we finished lunch the sun came out and life was beautiful once again. Vernazza is an astoundingly beautiful cliff-side town with tower-shaped houses, beautiful loggias, porticos and portals, and a much-admired Church of St Margaret and monastery. The little harbour is as pretty as a picture with its colourful beached boats. 

Our next hike was to the more rural Corniglia with houses sitting on a steep inaccessible-looking promontory about 100m high above the sea. We visited Gothic-style Church of St Peter and marvelled at its exquisite façade with marble tracery rose window and a round-arched portal and lunette with small sculptures.

The next day we took a train to Corniglia to start our walk to Manarola, a 12th century village. It was relatively easy walk and again the views were outstanding. We loved this village, most of the houses are grouped on a rocky outcrop and all the historical buildings are concentrated in a pretty square. We also visited the 14th century Church of St Lawrence with its baroque interior. Of course, we even did some shopping! 














Our last walk was to Riomaggiore village where the highlight here was the Via dell'Amore (Lovers Lane) a gentle 20-minute stroll along yet another scenic coastal path to Riomaggiore. Its romantic vistas over the Mediterranean Sea are second to none, no wonder lovers love it.

One day we took a boat trip from Monterosso to Porto Venere and admire the views of all five villages from the sea. We has lunch there, enjoyed the atmosphere and a lovely stroll along the beach.  

For us the Cinque Terre is a paradise on earth. It felt like we went back 1000 years to see these villages. Our advice if you too are able to visit Cinque Terre please don’t rush, go slow, enjoy the unique landscapes and fantastic scenery; explore ancient history and architecture; try the delicious local sea bass and pasta pesto and have a great time in this exotic place. It seems many tourists return there every year.

We then flew to St Petersburg in preparation to sail along the Waterways of the Russian Czars. After the drama of some lost then found luggage we boarded Viking Lomonosov - our floating hotel for the next fortnight.

The sailing programme was full of excitement. We stopped in many cities, all of them full of history, beauty and tragedy. We saw many churches, cathedrals and learnt all about the Romanov Czars dynasty, Russian history, Putin and democracy. Read more about Russia and places we’ve seen in the article “Just as that old cliché says spring has sprung! ” and visit our online Live Journal for some enticing pictures of our journey through Italy and Russia (coming soon).  

Our 2011 programme is on our website has many wonderful destinations to choose from! “Eeny meeny, miney mo … to what wonderful place will I go?”








To secure a place on any of our tours - and reap the benefits of an early booking - it will really pay to book right now, so don’t delay, give us a call today as we’d be delighted to have you on board next year.

• Footsteps of the Cossacks, Ukraine River Cruise, depart June 2011

• Waterways of the Czars, Russia River Cruise, depart August 2011

• Grand European Tour, from Amsterdam to Budapest thru Germany, depart July 2011

• Cities of Light, from Prague to Paris thru Germany, depart September 2011

• Imperial Jewels of China, including 6-day Yangtze River cruise, depart October 2011

• And, last but not least - Vietnam & Cambodia, depart March/April 2011

Save up to $2,000 per person if book and pay in full by 7 November 2010 (booking enquiries), for new bookings only.

Our groups are small. Call us today 04 528 3603 or email info@50plustravel.co.nz  to reserve your place on the wonderful river cruises and have one of greatest times of your life. All our tours are escorted from New Zealand by Anna Jones, founder of 50 Plus Travel™.  

PS: Need accommodation in Cinque Terre? We can do bookings for you now. But you have to book well in advance. Call 04 528 3603 or email info@50plustravel.co.nz to secure place in paradise.
 

Published 1st Nov 2010

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