More photographs from my travels, sorry if you are getting bored with all the travel posts but I really wanted to share these places with you. These villages below are known as Cinque Terre - meaning the five lands in Italian which include the villages of Monterosso, Vernazza, Corniglia, Manorola and Riomaggiore. They form the Italian Riviera and are designated by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site. They are located to the west of La Spezia where we got the train to the villages. You can also access the villages by boat but due to stormy seas the boats weren't running the day we visited. Walking paths connect the five villages but again due to the stormy weather the walking paths were closed. There is no vehicles in the villages and tourists arrive via the train or boats. It is such a breathtaking place and I would love to go back there again and walk between the villages. The areas are very busy with tourists so it is best not to visit in peak season as I am sure they are crowded with tourists particularly if the paths are closed. Just this week when I arrived home, I have seen online that the locals in the villages have an online petition to call for the numbers of tourists to be managed as the villages cannot cope as they are being overrun with mass tourism. I do hope that the numbers of tourists can be managed to ensure that the integrity of the villages are protected and also that a balance can be struck to allow the villages to thrive on tourism but that the unique architecture, landscape and heritage of these villages remain intact. It is one of the most beautiful places I have visited and the photographs below really do not do it justice- it is 100% nicer in reality.  

I was away on holidays for the last week and took a break from blogging. I had an amazing holiday visiting Venice Italy first, then getting a cruise to Kotor Montenegro, the island of Corfu. mainland Greece, the island of Mykonos and the island of Kefolonia. We had to do a quick stop off near to Split in Croatia. Then it was back to Venice to catch the wedding of George Clooney. Yes I was on the VIP list!

Below are a few images I took in Venice. The weather was warm but overcast and there was some thunder on the first night but it didn't last for long. Luckily enough we were eating at that time so it didn't bother us. Venice is a beautiful city, so unique with the waterways, the bridges, the narrow lane ways and the wonderful architecture. There are no cars in the city which is great. I would recommend to anyone thinking of visiting to visit in September/October or early Spring as I can imagine the volume of tourists in the summer months could get frustrating. If you have never visited, you really should try as it is well worth it.