My long awaited flight to Rome, and thence to the Cinque Terre, leaves Seattle on Wednesday at 6:18 a.m. I had my packing list -- full of hiking gear, shorts, t-shirts, and other paraphernalia -- drawn up over a week ago.
I'm now doing last minute packing list revisions.
I've been keeping my eye on the Italian weather, and unfortunately the country is in the midst of a long spell of wet weather. The nine-day forecast shows rain, with occasional thunder showers, every day from the day I arrive until May 18 -- five days before I return home. And I'm offered no reason to believe that those final five days won't be equally wet.
I spent the spring of my junior year of college in Florence. It probably rained at one time or another, but my memories are of one warm, sunny day after another -- reading for classes in our little garden with a view of the Duomo in the distance. Today's weather forecast leaves me feeling misled and betrayed.
The cliffside paths in the Cinque Terre -- which I read are brilliantly scenic, with views far below of the sea and of the small villages on the shore -- do come with a caveat. They are, every one, steep at the start and at their conclusion -- and they are built on rock which becomes very slippery when wet. Hikers are advised to save their hiking for days when the paths are dry.
But when in my two weeks will they be dry?
I stay only six nights in the Cinque Terre -- the remainder of my time will be in Rome and Florence. But those six days, my days of hiking, were my reason for traveling to Italy at this particular time. My vacation has been built around those hikes.
One must be flexible. Certainly in the big cities there are many things to do that don't require perfect weather. But I'm not so sure about the Cinque Terre -- I'll just have to wait and see.
A fellow hiker who has hiked with me on other trips has little patience with my complaints. She, essentially, tells me that I have high class problems.
Hmmm ... wine, cheese, pasta, espresso, gelato, tiramisù .. is there really a problem here?She may have a point.
I'll try to survive the horrors of a wet Italian vacation on a rainy shore, and return to Seattle with a smile on my face. Seattle -- a city that's anticipating an 88 degree Monday next week. That's a little too sunny for this Pacific Northwest lad. By contrast, I may find a gentle shower or two to be refreshing.
