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Posts tagged ‘Cinque Terre’

Jan 13

orvieto italy
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Best towns to homebase in Italy without a car

I love finding a place in Italy and parking it there for an extended period of time.  I believe this is THE best way to connect with the people and have as close to a true cultural experience as a tourist.  Not to mention this is a great way to save money, decrease travel time and get to actually relax.

I will be listing a few of my favorites towns to home base in for travelers that are using public transportation only.  Unlike the US, it is fairly easy to get around using just the train systems.

CORTONA

I love Cortona.  One of my favorite restaurants is here.  Also my favorite weekly market.  And wine store.  And antique store.  You get the idea.  The town itself can keep you busy for a few days.  Florence, Assisi, Orvieto, Spello and Perguia are all within easy train distance.

cortona italy

ORVIETO

My very first hilltown I visited when I was 19.  You can never shake your first love.  Orvieto gets loads of attention because of its location near the autostrada, but it still maintains its beauty and charm.  Evenings are exceptional here.  My favorite handbag store in within the walls of Orvieto.  The views are some of the absolute best.  Easy connections from Orvieto by either bus or train are Rome, Florence, Cortona, Civita, Bolsena, Chiusi and Montepulciano.

orvieto italy

VERNAZZA

If you are planning time on the coast, stretch it out and really make a vacation out of it.  So many people rush in and out of this area.  Vernazza is my favorite home base for seeing the other four villages of the Cinque Terre.  There is more to be visited in the area by easy train connections like Portofino, Portovenere and Sestri Levante.

Cinque Terre

To be continued…….

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Copyright 2012   Andi Brown,  Once in a Lifetime Travel

Nov 9

6 Comments

Featured Photo Friday | Storms in Vernazza

storms

A Photo taken by Davide Balboni

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Copyright 2012   Andi Brown,  Once in a Lifetime Travel

Oct 29

vernazza flood
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Vernazza One Year After The Flood

Courtesy of Students for the Cinque Terre

Just over one year ago a massive flood and mudslide buried one of my special places on earth, Vernazza.  So much has been endured, rebuilt, rethought and rejoiced.

As fate and nature would have it, on the very day an Alert 2 went out to the people of the Cinque Terre but thankful everyone in the area weathered the storm well.

Much is still to be done.  Please keep Save Vernazza in your minds as we move towards the close of this year.

Below is a link to some fabulous people who have been a part of the recovery process as they celebrate Vernazza’s bittersweet anniversary.

Students for the Cinque Terre Commemoration.

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Copyright 2012   Andi Brown,  Once in a Lifetime Travel

Oct 28

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Susan Van Allen featured Article | Vernazza

italyMany of you might remember my review of Susan Van Allen’s 100 Places in Italy Every Woman Should Go.  If you haven’t gotten it yet, go now!  Imagine my delight when she asked that I take part in her Golden Days in Italy with my ideal day in Vernazza.

To see my full article click here and make sure to follow her blog!

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Copyright 2012   Andi Brown,  Once in a Lifetime Travel

Oct 25

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Featured Photo Friday | Vernazza’s One Year Anniversary Since Flooding

Remember help is still needed.  Please visit Save Vernazza today!

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Copyright 2012   Andi Brown,  Once in a Lifetime Travel

Oct 2

blogging
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A Year in the Blogging World | Strange search terms and Dr Oz shows

I realized just the other day that I have been blogging for just over a year.  I didn’t even want to start, my husband made me.  Kicking and pouting but trusting in his marketing prowess I began my journey in the world of the blogger.

Little did I know that within a month, disaster would strike my beloved Cinque Terre and through my writing I would be able to reach thousands of readers.  The networking and relationships built and made through the experience remain strong twelve months later.

A few months after beginning, I soon became ‘on-line’ friends with other writers and authors of books I loved.  Their stories became my inspiration and I began to write even more.  With my writing came followers and with followers came encouraging feedback and comments.  The fire and passion to share began to burn brighter, and so the cycle began.  WordPress added fuel to the obsession with its detailed stats page and the ability to track favorite posts, clicks and likes.  Although I no longer check my stats hourly, it is the last thing I look at before turning out the lights.

I want to thank everyone who has been a part of this journey and growth.  A blog the started with only my mom following me has grown to over 200 subscribers with at least that many views daily, over 300 Facebook followers and twice as many on twitter.  I am nearing 100,000 views and my busiest day to date was 1,123 views.  My posts have brought people together, help to Vernazza, made preparing for travel to Italy easier and hopefully a smile to everyone’s faces.  This blog even got me on the Dr Oz show, although embarrassingly it was for a personal poo story not as a travel expert.  If you can find me on Facebook then you might find the video link!  I can’t WAIT to see what the next 12 months bring!  To celebrate I have a few fun and …. well…. interesting facts about my blog.  Enjoy!

Most Interesting Key Words:  These are real life snips of real life keywords that brought readers to my blog.  Unfortunately, I am sure many were disappointed.

italy travel humor

Now that I would like to see.

travel italy humor

All at once?

blogging key words

I don’t even WANT to know

blogging keywords

Another disappointed viewer. I would hate to see what would happen if I DID write a post about a penis.

My blog read around the world

blogging

Top Posts

Views
Home page / Archives More stats 8,089
Vernazza Flood More stats 6,700
Cinque Terre, Vernazza Flooding:  Before and after photos and videos More stats 5,598
Understanding Italian Culture |  Handling Money, Shopping, Computers and Staying in Line More stats 2,402
Cinque Terre Flood:  Vernazza Clean Up Progress More stats 2,254
Cinque Terre, Vernazza flood update: Disaster Relief More stats 1,882
Learning When To Run More stats 1,785
Cinque Terre:  Vernazza Flood Update More stats 1,764
Top TenI’m obsessed with feedback, let me know what you think.Love it??  Pass it on!Copyright 2012   Andi Brown,  Once in a Lifetime Travel

Sep 28

Cinque Terre via dell'amore

Featured Photo Friday | Via dell’Amore Traditions in Cinque Terre

cinque terre italy

Our graffiti space.

Cinque Terre via dell'amore

Lovers Locks

For more on the recent rock slide injuring 4 tourist, click here.

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Copyright 2012   Andi Brown,  Once in a Lifetime Travel

Sep 26

cinque terre italy
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Rock Slide in Cinque Terre Injures 4 Australians | Via dell’Amore Closed

A week of good news followed by bad I am afraid.

This past Monday a group of Australian tourists were caught in a rock slide along the famous and most popular section of trails in the area called Via dell’Amore.  Two of the tourists remain hospitalized, one in serious condition after being swept over the protective barrier and trapped along the hard to access rocky coastline.

What caused this new tragedy?  The mayor of Riomaggiore made a statement earlier blaming the drought and dry weather to cause the boulders to detach from the cliff above the trail.  The incident is incredibly rare and even harder to predict.  The trails in the Cinque Terre are often closed due to land slides.  I always warn my clients to double-check closures before starting out.  With the mudslides from the flooding last winter, most trails have been closed longer than open.  But this is the first time fingers have been pointed to drought as the culprit.  I am sure many are wondering what will happen when the rains begin again this fall.

cinque terre italy

I will keep travelers updated on the conditions of the trails and the situation on Via dell’Amore.  For related articles, click here.

cinque terre italy

Courtesy of Da Paulin Cinque Terre

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Copyright 2012   Andi Brown,  Once in a Lifetime Travel

Sep 25

vernazza cinque terre
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Trattoria da Sandro Open Again | Vernazza

When people ask me where my very favorite restaurant in Vernazza is, without hesitation I say Sandro’s.  It is one of the only restaurants without a view of the harbor, but that doesn’t keep it from being packed every evening.  The crowd Sandro’s draws is also important:  locals and Italians.  Going where the locals go has always been my secret for finding the best places and I wasn’t disappointed here.  So much so that almost one year ago I placed it on my Top Ten Favorite Places to Eat list.

Sandro's

The village of Vernazza

But when the floods hit Vernazza last October, I was afraid Sandro’s would be lost for good.  This restaurant was one of the hardest hit and the owner barely escaped with his life.  The location of the restaurant and the way the kitchen was set up meant a difficult clean up and recovery.

This hardship makes announcing Trattoria da Sandro’s re-opening even more exciting.  If anyone is getting ready to travel to the Cinque Terre, make sure to stop by Vernazza and spend an evening here.  Let them delight you!

For the most recent photos from Trattoria da Sandro, I invite you to my blogging friend’s mouth-watering article at Cultural Comments.  I have been trying not to be too jealous of Nicole, but come on!  Those photos are just NOT FAIR!

vernazza cinque terre

Courtesy of Cultural Comments. And I’m not jealous at all. Really.

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Copyright 2012   Andi Brown,  Once in a Lifetime Travel

Aug 18

ciao amalfi
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Day 22 of My Favorite Italian Websites | Ciao Amalfi

Welcome to Day 22 of my 30 days of Italian websites that will draw you in and keep you dreaming.

Here is another site focused on the Amalfi Coast.  She is a wonderful writer and you will completely enjoy.  Click Here.

Feel like you belong on my list or have a favorite link to share? Let me know!!

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Copyright 2012   Andi Brown,  Once in a Lifetime Travel

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