The last minute

With the flooding in Austria, we didn't bother booking anything for tonight. However, after checking at the train station, we found out we would be able to make it to Austria. So we found an Internet restaurant and got some wifi and booked a hostel for tonight in Kitzbuhel. It's in a ski resort area not too far from Innsbruck. We are looking forward to the scenic train ride up and exploring the Alps. There is sure to be more hiking in the next couple days:) 

We enjoyed our last morning in Venice and Italy. The gelato will be missed dearly along with the pasta. 

The city on the water

We got plenty of great pictures in Venice on our nice 2 hour walk. Can't wait to share them. Tonight, we are eating at the hostel as they offer loads of pasta and sangria for just 5 euro. We are so fortunate to have a nice balcony overlooking the waterway at our hostel from which we can enjoy Venice as the dark sets in. What a great way to spend our last night in Italy. 

Venice

Kari and I just arrived at our hostel in Venezia!! We just have one night here so we are off to explore! 

Monterosso to Vernazza to Corniglia

That was our hiking route this morning. The views were incredible. We got a nice early start after enjoying a coffee and croissant. We hiked along the coast route in half the estimated time. We were feeling like champs! As it was a sunny day, we were glad to be finished by noon. In the afternoon, we had our clothes washed and dried. As we waited, we laid out in the warm sun by the small harbor. This evening, we packed up and prepared for heading to Venice in the morning. Tonight, we are eating at the hostel again. We will be missing the food and wine of Italy after heading north into Austria on Thursday. No doubt we will be taking a nice walk enjoying Manarola by night.

Mountain hiking

We did a lot of hiking in the mountains along the coast through the rain and sun. We preferred the rain. It was cooler. During the trek, we ate an entire box of granola bars and half a roll of cereal cookies. We needed the energy. It was so scenic and we are planning another long hike for tomorrow. Tonight we are eating at the hostel restaurant. We are just really enjoying it here:) 

Manarola 

Corniglia 

Pretty flowers

The view from our hostel patio

Hello Cinque Terre!

This morning we went on a great walking tour through Florence, learning about the history of the city's interesting past. We then headed off to the train station and arrived in Pisa around 3 in the afternoon. The leaning tower was neat to see. At 4:30, we were off again to the Tuscan coast. Arriving in Cinque Terre was magnificent. So much beauty. We are staying here for three nights and I know we will enjoy every moment. Tonight, we took a short walk around Manarola and took pictures. Then, we treated ourselves to a nice seafood meal. We split a mixed grill with vegetables and had a house wine. It had small portions of seabass, squid, octopus, prawns, crab, and lobster. We liked everything, but Kari's favorite was the crab and I loved the prawns and lobster. It was a nice introduction to our time here in Manarola. Tomorrow, we hope to hike along the coast and visit some of the other cities. Hopefully, it won't rain as much as predicted but it will still be very scenic.   Along with the nice things, we also need to catch up on some laundry. 

Manarola

Trains

Yesterday we activated our Eurail pass and our month of train travel began. We headed up to Florence. We took a nice long walk about the city in the evening. We finished the night down at the hostel restaurant, enjoying espresso and splitting a tiramisu. We had a nice heart to heart. Today, we are going on a free walking tour of Florence and then heading off to Pisa and afterward arriving at Manarola. Excited to see Cinque Terre!