The Riviera, French and Italian (post 3 of 3, I lied about there being 4, sorry)

If you are reading these posts top to bottom (and not in real time as we post them), then the last picture in the last post wasnt the clue we hoped it would be. It was a picture of Lindsay looking like a martian, and that was because she was wearing a helmet because we rented a scooter for the day!!! We rented a scooter in Nice and scooted up and down the Riviera, an exhilirating and terrifying experience (people pass whenever and whereever they feel like it). To be honest though, the most dangerous time was when I did a lap of the block as my training -- almost crashed into two cars and have cuts along my left shin to prove it. Anyway, this is a picture of Lindsay and I in Antibes, our last stop of the day. We wished we had more time in Antibes, a beautiful town filled with beaches and shopping which is located between Nice and Cannes, but we ran out of time and the weather was turning against us.

We also scooted North to Monaco and Monte Carlo to see the yachts, that were big enough you could land 747s on them, and the famous casino; we switch-backed up the hills to the quiet little town of Eze; we lazily cruised around the Greenwhich-looking neighborhoods on the pennisula that is home to Saint Jean Cap Ferrat and enjoyed a lunch on the water; and we scoped out the beaches of Villefranche, right next to Saint Jean (the martian picture of Lindsay overlooks the bay there). It was probably the most incredible day we have had on the trip and was well worth the risk of losing the massive deposit we put down on the bike (read: you buy it if you break it)!!!

A new country, Italy! The below picture is of Manarola, one of the five villages tucked along the Italian coast that make up what is known as Cinque Terre. We hiked the 9km of dusty and rocky terrain that up until this century, was the only way to get between the 5 villages. The trail weaves along cliffs overlookng the sea and the secluded villages were great rest stops that were packed with as much gellato and foccaccia as you could dream up.

This picture is of Vernazza, another of the 5 villages, and the last stop before the village where we stayed, Monterroso Al Mare. This last stretch of trail was one of my favorites, as it wound its way among picturesque vineyards, lemon groves, olive trees and pine trees.

Near the area pictured below, we actually stopped at a small lemonade stand tucked in the hills where a man was squeezing his own lemonade and serving wine from his vineyard. We opted for the refreshing lemonade as the trails were too dangerous to navigate unless you were completely clearheaded. It was a gorgeous time to be hiking as well, as the sun was beginning to set over the mountains that separate these villages from the rest of civilization.

Italy has been absolutely incredible so far, as expected. We've tasted some amazing local wines and have already consumed a year's worth of tomatoes, in the form of bruschetta, focaccia, and salads (and I've had to apply my own version of the Bush doctrine in my battle with heartburn, preemptively taking heartburn pills when I am experiencing no symptoms rather than waiting for the symptoms to show up and ravage me). Tonight, we meet up with our first visitors, my parents and my sister Meg, in Florence and are very excited to see some familiar faces. Arrivederci!!!