Expats in Italy: I've lost the bag I am wearing

Cinque Terre (Five Lands), is located on the west coast of the Riviera and consists of 5 havens; Monterosso, Vernazza, Corniglia, Manarola and Riomaggiore. They all boast their own unique beauty, and they all equally attract German trekkers with hiking sticks. "Allo" Happy bunch of people.

The Cinque Terre is noted for its allurement. Over the years, terraces have been carefully built on the rugged, steep landscape right up to the cliffs that overlook the sea; defiance in gravity has been proven and I am amazed that these buildings are still attached to the land and are considered safe dwellings! Cinque Terres charm is the lack of visible "modern" development; trains and boats connect the villages, and cars cannot reach them from the outside.

In the morning we head to the Mongelia train station and watch as our train rolls out of the station as we scurry for change for the parking machine. We have no Euro coins and no Euro coins can be accessed from the train station. Group consensus is to walk into town. We have one hour to occupy 2 young children in an empty train station with the only entertainment being an empty Coca Cola vending machine and a large plastic tarp left on the floor by painters. Amusement Park for children, not good however for my tolerance. Pleasant stroll to Mongelia for coffee, coins for parking and a few photo opportunities. I wore my sunglasses, (once again in my quest to look 'super-cool'), but by the time I am riding the train, I am feeling quite ill and end up sitting on the ground with a snap lock freezer bag between my knees for security. Yay me!

Start of Via dell Amore

Beautiful coastline

Tunneled section of our walk

Arriving at Riomaggiore we realised my husband did not have his wallet in his pocket. Supurb. Mental panic and shallow breathing instantly sets in as I am imagining repeating the process of paperwork involved with card replacement in Italy. I flashback to the inconvenience of my handbag being permanently borrowed by a person in need 2 months prior. Panic obviously hits my parents also; they start fretting and fighting about the where abouts of their 'black bag', now also presumed stolen... needless to say, it was not stolen and eventually located on the shoulder of a parent! We agree not to think about my loved ones wallet, and his 'glass half full' attitiude leaves me with hope that it may of fallen out of his pocket in the car.
We purchase basic trail passes and discover that the only coastal walk open to the public is from Riomaggiore to Manarola due to a series of landslides causing the other tracks to be inaccessible. This pathway is referred to as 'Via dell Amore', and is dedicated to lovers, (grandparents and parents with prams). It was easily accessible with the pram, and I felt as though we literally hovered over the waters, just beautiful.

Peep holes for a view

Locks of love left along the walk

Random flowers along the way

Splashes of colour

Enjoying freedom out of the pram!

Riomaggiore provided steep streets, a nice lunch and holiday ambience. Monorola gave us gelato, the quaint feel of a little fishing village, fishing boats parked in narrow laneways, crystal coloured waters and enough calm in the air to make me forget about feeling ill.