oh what a story

My Aunt Judy has joined us for 2 weeks in Florence. I told her one place we had to go was cinque terra. On Friday, we planned to go and left our apartment at 10 for the train station. We got there and all the ticket windows were closed and we had to use the self service kiosk and we also heard trains that kept getting cancelled. I soon found out that the trains were on strike from 9-5, Italian will do anything for a day off! So we had to buy tickets anyways and hope that our train would go to Pisa. After 4 trains, no luck. We started talking to 2 guys from Louisiana that had just finished med school that were also trying to finally end up in Cinque Terra. After some conversation I showed them were to possibly catch a bus to Pisa. No buses go to Pisa. Then the idea was tossed around that we could rent a car and drive. The next thing you know, we were all on the bus to the airport to rent a car. We got to the airport and the only 9 seat er car was 400 euros. My aunt somehow found a 9 seat er for 175 euros, SOLD! So we loaded up the car and headed to the sea side. These guys are like 27 years old, have been touring around Europe for 3 weeks and they are now driving around Italy with 3 ladies (I'm putting myself in that category because I know with 3 kids they thought I was older) and 3 little kids! We had a couple detours because of our inability to read the Italian signs but we made it. I don't think words can really describe this adventure. The drivers here are crazy, we are with 2 of the nicest southern boys that we just happen to strike up a conversation with at the train station and we made it. Oh but it gets worse, I forgot the paper with the ladies number that we were staying at her place! yes, I am stupid I will admit it! So I called Ryan and told him where it was and he found it. It was the wrong number. I asked a lady who we stayed with last time that referred me to this other apartment, she couldn't rememberwhich number she gave me. At this point there was no point in crying, what good would it do, I felt helpless. My aunt started walking around the very small "center" square and asking people if they rent rooms and if they had a reservation for BROWN, and she found our place! This village is so tiny and all the locals just kinda sit around a talk all day.
Ryan came after school and he messed up with his train switching and didn't end up arriving until 12 am. We stayed in Vernazza and it is the most romantic Italian city. so cute and quiet and right on the Mediterranean. On Saturday, Ryan and Judy painted and me, my mom and the kids took a short train ride to Monterosso the top village. (there are 5 villages, cinque means 5). It had a long beach and the kids frolicked in the sand and water. At about 4 we drove back home. We stopped in Pisa on the way to see the leaning tower. I'm so glad we ended up renting a car, it was a 2.5 hour drive and would have been about the same on a train. The thought of being stuck on a train for that long with 3 kids, no thanks. So now I'm sure you are all so excited to come here to let me show you around Italy!!
I also included some photos from an Italian cooking class we went to.
sorry for the photo tease, it's midnight and they are taking too long to transfer, promise to post them all tomorrow!