My 2005 trip to Paris & Italy

So I thought I would go back in time and post some photos of my 2005 trip to Paris, Venice, Florence and Rome. We had a great time - we celebrated my birthday with the Eiffel Tower in view, experienced the overnight train from Paris, learned a little bit of Italian, hiked Cinque Terre, got friendly with a gladiator and may have tasted some Chianti in the process.

celebrating my birthday in Paris

the view from our apartment in florence

Vernazza, Italy

Cinque Terre was a new destination for me on this visit to Italy. Cinque Terre literally means Five Towns. This is a great destination for hikers as you can walk / hike between the 5 towns along the Ligurian coast. The 5 towns are Monterosso al Mare, Vernazza, Corniglia, Manorola and Riomaggiore. There is also a railway connecting the three towns in case you don't want to hike or simply can't finish it all. This area is also known for great seafood and pesto.