European Moto Trip - North Of Italy: Day 2

Sunday, September 9, 2012

Day 2 - Cinqueterre

This should have been Day 2 of our ride through the North of Italy. Unfortunately we are not on the road as we wait for bike to be fixed, so we discuss at breakfast how we can make up for this. Well, we are on the Italian coast after all and we are only 1.5 hours away from Cinque Terre. Should we rent a car and drive there or even better is there a train from Genova that takes us there ? Ask the reception and yes, there is a train leaving every hour or so and the train station is 5 minutes away. The train is all the way on the coast line so it should be very beautiful. It is a beautiful sunny day.

After breakfast and double espresso we walk to the train station, pay the 6 Euros each way and go to the platform 12 to wait for train to depart.

As we sit on the train and take some time to write the blogs and read a book, I marvel at how lucky we have been so far to have had this experience and how many people we meet that would also like to do something different with their lives and yet are afraid to take that step.

This morning I read a quote from Steve Jobs that I enjoyed a lot so here it is:

"Remembering you are going to die is the best way I know of avoiding the trap of thinking you have something to lose. You are already naked; there is no reason not to follow your heart."

I specially like it because as I watch a number of friends of my parents and in-laws that are coming to that part of their lives and speak with them not one of them speak about money or even career related issues but rather about friends, family and dreams they would have loved to follow and did not.

It makes me think about how one should live our lives.

This thing of being off the bike makes me too philosophical. Sinor Massimo, be quick with your hands and get that clutch working fast.

Back to trip to Cinque Terre which literary means Five Places and they are Monterosso, Vernazza, Corniglia, Manarola and Riomaggiore. These are villages that have been built upon the rock and some of them are only accessible by sea or by a train that goes through long tunnels under the mountains.

We have been fortunate to have been to many beautiful places around the world and this one is surely in the Top 5. Pictures do not do it justice and only way to really feel it is come and see it. Strong suggestion for your Bucket List.