Sun, Sand, and Surf...It Doesn't Get Any Better!

Emet suggested the last part of our Italy vacation be spent on the beach! Yippeee! We took a short train ride over to Viareggio, a beach town on the Italian Riveria. We stayed in Hotel Eden (pronounced Aidan!) where if all four of us were standing up at the same time in the room, there wasn't really enough room for us to turn around. However, since we spent most of our time on the beach, it was all good.

Being a Jersey girl, I thought I had mastered the art of going down the shore. Before each summer, I scoured the stores for the perfect beach chair. It had to recline in just the right positions, be a certain height from the sand....I know you probably don't believe me, but I had a lot of criteria for my beach chair. Once we got to the beach, it was important to find the perfect location to set up for the day. Now that I have kids, the definition of the "perfect location" has changed a bit. Now, it is essential for me to be close to the water so that my kids can play and I can sit comfortably and watch them. I don't go in the water. It skeeves me out.

Our first day on the beach was a bit of a surprise. I was excited to see that we could rent a chair, a beach bed (aka lounge chair), or an umbrella. However, I noticed quickly that all of the chairs and umbrellas were in completely straight lines along the beach. It didn't look like there was any choice at all to location. After some hyperventilating, we rented two beach beds because they were closest to the water. We set up our toys, drinks, and snacks and tried to move our beds closer to the water. Big mistake. It was as if an alarm went off. The lifeguard came running over and moved our chairs back. He even flipped the back of the chair back up that was in front of us, so we could not see beyond it. I guess he didn't care if we watched AL in the water. That is what he gets paid for, I think? That and ensuring the chairs and beds are all in perfect order.

The first day we were on the beach, we were approached by many people selling different items. Toys, jewelry, towels, massages. Emet couldn't resist. He got a full-body 50 minute massage while relaxing on his beach bed. He said it was one of the best massages he has gotten! She then proceeded to come back daily asking if he wanted another one.

The other thing that struck me was people's comfort levels with their bodies. No matter their shape, size, or sagginess 97% of women wore bikinis...no matter their age. On our second day, I was surprised to see someone in a one piece bathing suit. As she passed me, I could hear snippets of her conversation with her friend. And I could understand her. That explained it. There were a fair amount of women who were topless as well. This doesn't bother me in the least--I understand the desire for no tan lines! I think it is funny though that AL didn't even notice! (I will make no comment of Emet here). The part that I thought was interesting was the kind of activities these women took part in while sunbathing topless. My favorite by far was the 60+ woman who sat upright on her beach bed plucking her chin hairs.

We spent 4 days on the beach. Some days, Emet took AL back to the room because Operation No Nap is still not 100% successful. Some days, Aidan fell asleep on the beach bed. The last day before we left there was massive flooding due to all of the rain. We hung out in our peanut sized room and got out to walk around when we could. We also ate a fair amount of gelato during this entire vacation (ok, probably every day). That is a very good thing.

Tell me again, how many steps to the top?

Our next stop in Italy was Cinque Terre, which is part of the coast of the Italian Riveria. It is made up of 5 villages (Monterosso, Vernazza, Corniglia, Manarola, and Riomaggiore). Over centuries, people have built terraces on the steep landscape right up to the cliffs that overlook the sea. There are paths connecting the villages, but you can also take trains and boats to each one.

We stayed in Corniglia, which is the only village that is not directly adjacent to the sea (however, the picture below was a view from our balcony!).

Staying in Corniglia takes some planning. Since it is not located next to the sea, there are 33 flights of stairs one must climb to get to the village. I don't know about you, but that does not sound like a fun way to get home after a day of exploring the other villages. There is a bus that runs, but it is important to try to coordinate times coming in from the train to make sure you catch it. Otherwise, you might be up all night rubbing IcyHot on your calves.

The real reason we went to Cinque Terre was because Julene (my SIL) was getting married! It was the perfect location....quaint, beautiful, amazing food. Julene and Raymond looked so happy. They hosted many events that weekend (one of which included Lucas puking over the side of a boat). I was finally able to meet Emet's cousin, Tim, who lives in Italy. We also met some of Raymond's family and Aidan and Lucas got to spend time with their cousin, Kara! It was too short and we didn't want to leave. Below are some pictures of the wedding weekend.

Taking vows while overlooking the sea. Most of the villagers came to the wedding and surprised us by throwing rice at the end!

They promised not to shove the cake into each other's faces. No fun.

Once in the village, these narrow corridors are lined with houses, shops, and cafes.

Waiting for the train....AL, Kara, Emet, Raymond's sister's family, cousin Tim and his girlfriend.

It is all about the angles

My kids didn't believe me that The Leaning Tower of Pisa was located in Pisa, Italy. They insisted that it was in Rome. It didn't matter what we said. I even checked out a book from the local library and read it to them every night for a week at bedtime. My mom, having climbed the 296 steps, tried telling them it was in Pisa. No luck. According to my children, it was in Rome. So what did we do? We took them to Pisa and made them walk around The Tower in 104 degree weather and then rubbed their noses in it. It felt great.

I have to admit that at first I was disappointed in the "leaning" of the tower. I thought it would be much more noticeable. We tried to take the famous picture where you hold up the tower with your hands, but because "the lean" was barely noticeable the pictures were not that impressive. The tower was also much smaller than I anticipated. I imagined it being a massive structure. It is more squat than massive.

Since it was so hot, everyone was thirsty and tired. Aidan sat on the lawn near The Tower and refused to move. He also refused to have his picture taken. Nancy (my MIL) and I dumped the boys at a cafe and decided to go shopping. We walked along souvenir row, and I cursed myself for not bringing some sort of rag to mop the massive amount of sweat from my face. At one point, I happened to look back at The Tower and this time it was really leaning! We spent all of our time standing too close to it to really see it lean! Damn. Lesson Learned.

Monica Ingalls Wilder

For the last six years, my mornings always started the same way. I woke up entirely too early, stumbled to the bathroom, and then climbed back into bed with my BlackBerry. I then spent the next 20 or so minutes scrolling through and reading all of my emails. For me, it was not only an addiction, but also a serene way to start each day.

Then I moved to Tbilisi.

I was stripped of my BlackBerry when I left Virginia (understandably since it was given to me through my work). The first morning without it was rough. I sat shakily in bed wondering how to start my day. I needed my immediate fix....what emails did I receive, what was happening around the world, what about all of sites I subscribe to? My connection to others was lost. In the spirit of multi-tasking (waking up and reading emails), I had not a clue as to what to do. I had to maximize my time! I can't just lie in bed and ....wake up slowly! Needless to say, I walked the two feet to the living room and booted up Emet's laptop so that I could connect with the world. But it just didn't feel the same.

That was back in July. We then went to Italy for a few weeks where we did not have Internet. When we returned to Tbilisi, we moved apartments and have not had Internet since we moved on August 5th. Over the last two weeks, the withdrawal symptoms have worsened--chills, sweats, sleeplessness, nausea. Luckily, our Internet was restored late yesterday (after many, many visits from the telephone company, Internet company, and our landlord's son). Magically my symptoms have disappeared!

I have rejoined the world. It might not be from the comfort of my bed while cradling my BlackBerry, but I am here. Ready to post about life in Tbilisi.