We thought it would be a good idea to take the train back to the very first of the 5 cities of the Cinque Terre…….it wasn’t.  The train troubles caused us to lose a couple hours out of our day.  We had to transfer trains and we were packed inside like standing sardines.  It was hot and we girls were getting uncontrollably giggly, who wouldn’t when your face is right next to someone’s stinky armpit?  There is really nothing else to do but laugh.  It was such sweet release to get to the beach, grab an umbrella and lounge.

As we were getting settled, I noticed little Asian ladies scattered along the beach giving massages.  My goal before we left that day was to get a massage and that I did! And so did Annie, Indi and Ireland.  It was the girls’ first massage and, of course, they loved it!  Our little lady was so sweet.  To have a massage while listening to the waves crash onto the beach was pure bliss.

Raleigh turned into a little fish in the saltwater and was swim, swim, swimming.  He spent most of his time watching  a man from California playing around on his paddle board.  The man noticed Raleigh watching him and let him get on for a try.  This was a very big deal for him because he talks often about his cousin, Zach, who is a surfer and he wants so much to be a surfer dude too.  That’s kind of hard when you live in Nebraska!

The girls rented a paddle board for themselves and, with a little instruction from a stranger, they each stood up on their first try!  They were nice enough to share a ride with their brother too.

I met a lovely school teacher, Dominique, on the beach who was from Canada.  We had such nice chats and she entertained the kids a bit too as she talked of being a 7th grade science teacher.  Any class would be blessed to have her as a teacher.  It was obvious that she loved her job and had fun with the kids.

Raleigh and I climbed out on a strip of rocks for some good adventure and enjoyed the view.

It was interesting walking through the town after we left the beach, especially when looking up.  This woman seemed to be looking out for her daily entertainment, or perhaps she was simply watching her washcloth dry.

On our way back to the pension that evening, it was the same scene as the previous nights–the presumed owner and the neighbor ladies in their lawn chairs, with a dog at their feet, watching us walk in.  They nod their heads and we smile and continue to walk by until Raleigh stops in his tracks and says, “I just don’t know why you guys are ALWAYS sitting out here.” Then we walk on.  If only he had a bubble above his head that showed us what he was about to say, I could pounce on him like a mama tiger before the words flung out of his mouth!

Overall, another great day in Cinque Terre, good night.