Vernazza was the second town we went to and like all of the Cinque Terre towns, and Genoa and other towns in the area for that matter, there were some amazing homes built right next to and on top of one another (see picture of Riomaggiore above). The thing that I think is unique about the Cinque Terre is that until recently, their livelihood was farming (now it is mostly tourism.) But the farming is done up on these super steep mountains so they have to build up terraces to hold in the soil and crops.
We quickly found a restaurant to eat at complete with a tourist menu and a pretentious guy two tables over who was all sort of entertainment for our hour and a half meal. When we got bored listening to him, we started throwing the remnants of our breadbasket to the Mallard ducks who were floating near the castle. It was like wild kingdom there for awhile as both the ducks and fish were going for the bread.
Based on a recommendation from Claudia’s friends in Germany who had lived in Italy for awhile, I made sure to drink my cappuccino at the counter, standing up. Apparently, only tourists sit and drink. My cream-filled croissant and cappuccino were all that I had imagined they would be and I was happily content.
After a European shower, we had another wonderful breakfast right on the river. My new favorite thing that is abundantly healthy (I wish) is eating the bread like Germans with butter and then marmalade and/or honey.
According to www.shanghaiexpat.com and our experiences, expats in Shanghai come from all over the globe, span the range of demographics, and while many are here for business, the majority are seeking experience. Foreigners, according to government work permit statistics, come from 112 different countries and regions. Of them, Japan accounts for 33.7 percent, and United States citizens make up 11.5 percent and Republic of Korea citizens account for 8.7 percent. To me it really feels like there is a higher percentage of Europeans than Americans. Students and interns seeking a cross cultural indoctrination, small business entrepreneurs opening a niche to fill a perceived demand, and returning overseas Chinese who have studied and worked abroad for many years returning to participate the phenomena of a rapidly changing China are all here contributing to the cultural mix. To become a “world-class” city, it is a stated intention of Shanghai city planners to increase the number of expatriates living in Shanghai significantly. (From Shanghaiexpat.com, June 8, 2006.)
This is a quick update to let you know that I have updated the New Photos page with pictures from my parents trip as well as added a Beijing and Suzhou photos page. We had a really great visit with my parents while they were here and they left this morning. I really cannot believe [...]
