Cinque-Terre
Sunshine in the morning let us explore the fabled colours and cleverness of the Cinque Terre. From Manarola we took a walk along Lover’s Lane, or Via dell’Amore- a paved, gentle walk for twenty minutes to the next village, Riomaggiore. Far below the sea promised excellent kayaking and snorkelling on its emerald water, fringing the rocks with clean white foam. The walkway had seats to admire the view, a couple of cafes in the summer and some picnic spots. Apparently it is so crowded in the season that the ticket numbers are limited. Read more
Rosanna Capatini is the owner of Eliotropica - a travel company focused on women travellers to Italy. When I made contact with Rosanna about Women Travel the World, she was very interested and when I said we were coming Italy, she said “You must come and stay in Lucca – the most beautiful town in Tuscany”. Of course – how could we refuse?
Danielle, Rosemary and Ceridwyn in Florence
I have been travelling for six weeks with good friends from New Zealand Ceridwyn Parr and Danielle Melton. We have spent the time in Spain, Portugal and Italy. It has been a fantastic opportunity to explore these places which I would not have seen in such depth without them. Each of us fell into particular roles on the trip – Ceridwyn was the tour leader/planner, Danielle was the driver (we hired a car in Spain) and I was the personal chef when we had an apartment we could cook in. We formed a great team which enabled us to each have a great travel experience but within the security of companionship along the way.
It is why Women’s Tours are popular and growing – a small group of women, with an experienced guide – exploring a country, its a great way for women on their own to travel.
Rosanna Capatini of Eliotropica Travel for Women kindly took us on a half day tour outside of 
Lucca. We visiting one of the historic great ‘Villas’ – historic yes, and beautiful, but the owners don’t live there as they often can’t afford to heat the place!
She took us to Pietrasanta a gathering place for many established and aspiring artists in Tuscany. Read more
Lucca is just 60 kilometres from Florence, still in Tuscany, but as a small walled city, it is is another world. Rosanna Capitani of Eliotropica a company helping women to travel, had suggested we stay and organised us a great apartment inside the city walls, right beside the open canal which cut through the city.
It only took us a day and we pretty much had the feel of the city Read more
Photo: Danielle, Rosemary and Ceridwyn off to a night
at the Opera in their new leather jackets
Duomo in Florence: It was just the rosary – the priest led it and the congregation responded.
But it was like music. Something about the lilt of the language and the rhythm of the poetry of the prayer, and the steady passion of those who recited it – we were transported. Afterwards the lovely priest came by and obviously spotting us as English speaking tourists welcomed us and asked us where we were from. He asked us if we were sisters – we said we were friends, and only afterwards realised he was probably asking if we were religious sisters! We stayed for the Mass and lit some candles for friends – our first music in Tuscany..
It is not ‘a’ women’s B&B, it is ‘The’ women’s B&B! To emphasise this point, its name is even B&B. As long as I have been working in the women’s travel network, this B&B which has been in business now for over 10 years, has been one of the great icons. The apartment is managed by Christina, owned by Liana Borghi and the business was started by Paulo, who now manages La Foresteria in Rome.
I have just finished Liz Gilbert’s book Eat Pray Love, and I feel like I have been living it as I have travelled. I was sceptical about the book at first (before I read it), but it has proved a great companion on my travels, and has provided a fantastic grounding place for me.
EATING: I identified so much with her description of depression as she seeks a way to live again after a traumatic divorce. This month it is two years since my partner Ngaire died, and among other things this four month journey I am on is about finding a place to stand without her alongside me. Like Liz Gilbert, here I am in Italy eating my way around the city, discovering magic places and delights along the way, while processing that sense of loss, alongside a desire to move on.
Jewish Synagogue in Florence
Today we set off for the Jewish Museum and Synagogue in Florence. The very rigorous safety check, which included leaving all bags, cameras and phones in a locker and walking through a very serious metal detector, made me aware of how fragile the security of the Jewish community has been through the years. Read more
We booked into La Foresteria Orsa Maggiore, women’s accommodation in Rome, as one of the things about the trip for me has been to stay in as many women’s accommodation places that I can – and to continue the networking that I have begun on the Women Travel the World website.
The hostel is part of a complex of women’s organisations in 16th Century convent Read more
