Thursday morning and a lovely Italian style breakfast plus
freshly made omelette on the terrace peacefully overlooking the coast. I found
out that there are 12 rooms here and that the property was previously 2 Villas
made into a hotel. Feel like I will be testing out the pool late one afternoon.
The walk down the hill to Monterosso and I negotiate the
train to Riomaggiore, the furthermost town in Cinque Terre. I spend about two
hours wandering the streets while thinking I must be missing something from a
tourist point of view. I take coffee overlooking the natural stone structures
around which people are swimming and sunbaking. After consulting TripAdvisor
and metaphorically seeing that the third best attraction in each of the Cinque
Terre towns is a gelateria or coffee shop and that a visit to one or two
churches will see you done I don’t feel quite so guilty.
I asked about walking from Riomaggiore to Manarola but after
being told walk up the mountain then down the mountain – two and a half hours –
sanity took hold and I took the short train ride. Same same, lovely scenic
Mediterranean town with lots of nooks and crannies to explore. Back to
Monterosso where I lounge around on the terrace outside my room and absorb the
peace and tranquillity.
During this time I try to work out why I prefer France so
much over Italy and it comes to me. Italy offends my OCD senses. Everything
here looks so tired and in need of repair. Graffiti covers EVERYTHING, lifts to
and from the stations are shut down and look like they have been for so long,
the street sweepers use tree twigs wrapped around a broomstick, secondary roads
look like they were built pre-war – everything looks to be in need for
attention.
Anyawy I catch the 18:30 car down to the Village.Now when I
arrived I was surprised at the limited size of Monterosso, there appeared to be
a limited number of restaurants, shops and facilities but hey I guessed that
was what it was. While searching for a restaurant I became aware that there is
a 100 metre tunnel at the end of the boardwalk that led to Monterosso proper –
where I am staying is a like a secondary area. Ahah I now find great
restaurants, shops and facilities. I find a restaurant for the first time
regretting I was alone as almost all of the restaurants sell pastas for a
minimum of two people but the waitress kindly arrange for a serving for one
person for me – a very good meal indeed notwithstanding that it cost $A63.
Home to sleep and after waking up at 05:30 I decided to get
dressed and walk down to the station to get the 06:50 train to Santa
Margherita, a coastal town that had been recommended to me by a number of
previous tourists to the area. Arriving at 07:30 (express train) I spend an
hour relaxing while nursing my cappuccino and reading up on the latest news. I
then walk around the town for an hour before catching the bus twenty minutes to
Portofino.
The bus was crowded and I was forced to stand up with people
who clearly had less of a clue about the use and purpose of deodorant than I do.
Anyway Portofino is a lovely fishing Village with shops and restaurants lining
the bay in which all the action takes place. I knew nothing about Portofino
except mum and dad visited it in their 1966 European sojourn. This made my mind
wonder to just what it must have been like to book an overseas trip in that
time, no internet, no phone bookings, hotels booked by telex, no TripAdvisor
recommendations just word of mouth or a book from the library, no lonely plant
or WikiTravel – it all looks so arcane looking backwards but maybe it was
simpler and happier times, especially as I sit there watching my phone battery
totally depleted in just two hours, but like a good scout I come prepared with
a portable battery charger.
A two hour wander around and walk up the hill to the church
and fortification, I board the almost empty (phew) bus back to Santa Margherita
station where I negotiate a 35 minute ride to Levanta, a 50 minute wait and
then the 35 minute train to Monterosso. A few hours relax in the room before getting
the shuttle down to the town where I have an amazing meal at Restaurant Micky
which I found by looking at the menu outside and later find out to be one of
the best in the area. Crustacean, asparagus and leek ravioli done in a most
exquisite way – it is cooked with a tomato style sauce in a platter after which
it is covered in Pizza dough which is flamed at the table allowing one to use
the dough to mop up the sauce – really nice.
Back to my room to catch up on some emails and such and
ready for my next adventure – the remaining two towns in Cinque Terre, Corniglia
and Vernazza which I plan to do tomorrow leaving my last day here for a real
relax, especially after having walked 10kms+ on each of the two previous days.
Saturday morning and I have breakfast before heading off to
Vernazza but this time by public ferry for a change. It’s only a short hop to
this town nestled near the sea. The buildings are tall in the Genoese style and
it dawned on me that the lack of back yards is somewhat compensated by each
block having a rooftop area. Coffee and granita and a very deep relax before
heading back to Monterosso for a lunch of grilled seafood. Specialty of the
region is salted or stuffed anchovies which were quite tasty I must say.
I spend some of the afternoon sitting under the umbrella on
the terrace watching the 1993 English House of Cards Series (highly
recommended)before heading down to the town for a cheapie meal and a relatively
early night 22:00.
Sunday and my last day in Cinque Terre. A very relaxing
breakfast in the terrace restaurant and I can feel that, like every day here,
the weather will be hot (no problem) but with high if not 100% humidity
(argggh).
Before I forget, I really loved this hotel B&B Il Parco.
I know it uses the word B&B but I have found out that this is for legal
reasons and it is a long way away from being a B&B. The family that own it
have been so amazingly hospitable and I can say that the place is faultless.
Although it is not the cheapest hotel around it is certainly good value for the
peak time of the year.
A quick train ride to Corniglio – two stops $A6 not so cheap
and then a difficult choice between 382 steps up to the town or a $A4 bus ride –
um err um err ok bus it is. Corniglia is the only of the Cinque Terre which isn’t
located on the Mediterranean. It is a very pretty hilltop town with lots of
small squares, coffee shops and the like. I have my usual cappuccino and
granita before heading back to Monterosso, but I should say that unlike
elsewhere in Europe, in CT they are made with real lemons and not sweetened
syrups – much more to my taste this way.
I f&*k the trains again figuring that if the train stopped
at small Corniglia it would certainly stop at the larger Monterosso – hmmm using
logic in trying to figure out the Italisna railways is a grave error of
judgement. Anyway it wasn’t long before I could get off at the next stop and
change platforms to head back to Monterosso after a not too long wait.
I then decide to treat myself to a lobster lunch and it was
amazing! Cooked and served quite plainly it was juicy and succulent and didn’t need
anything to improve it. The restaurant was Oceanside on a path overlooking a
Nazi bunker carved into the rocks lining a cliff but outside of that I just sat
there for 45 minutes after finishing and basking in the sun and atmosphere –
well that and waiting for the bill – speaking of which the lobster was very
cheap $A55.
I walk along the boardwalk and decide to walk up the hill to
the hotel - rather than wait for the 14:35 shuttle – where I do some washing and
packing in preparation for my departure for tomorrow for two days in La Spezia.
I hear it is nothing special but meeting Michael and Vivien Cornell there.
That night down to the town for another quickie meal – guilt
after lobster prevents anything more.
Anyway enough for now.
Hope all are well
XD
Photos here for about three months after the trip
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