A few observations, Part I

Just returned from 12 days in Italy, and I have a few things to share, for what they're worth. Don't forget the sunscreen, says the man with a still-sensitive scalp. The day after we returned, my wife said she wishes she had taken a notebook and written down everything we did each day. (Rick makes the same suggestion in his packing list.) Don't get so caught up in the little stuff that you miss the big stuff. My wife and I were so intent on getting off the vaporetto at the Murano Faro stop that we didn't even see that big lighthouse. Our hotel in Florence was 90 steps up, so we didn't even notice the beautiful ceiling painting at the top for a couple of days. My wife hesitated at the cost of two pairs of $130 Naot shoes originally. She's convinced that it was a good investment now. Even though Portofino has a reputation as a rich and expensive Italian Riveria town, there's still laundry hanging out over the Louis Vuitton store. Know your train schedules. Last Sunday, one of the Cinque Terre trains was cancelled and the one scheduled after it was 15 minutes late. A desperate crowd was assembling on the platform at Monterosso, but I happened to notice that the train scheduled AFTER the one that was 15 minutes late was on time, waiting at the platform, and was virtually empty. We sprinted through the tunnel, hopped on and glided out of the station just as the late train arrived. If I had one scheduling flaw, it was picking up the rental car in downtown Florence. We could have taken a train to Cortona and rented a car there. I hope your trip was as fun as ours.