Wednesday, May 14 - Cinque Terre

We set out after breakfast for the Cinque Terre – 5 villages spread over 15 km. of the rugged Mediterranean coastline.

We took our coach to La Spezia, then climbed down steep paths to the town centre. We were stunned by the fact that on these precipitous slopes, crops were growing and people living.

Dry stone walls lined much of the path. Our local guide, Amelia, explained the conservation methods used in the area and led us into the town. Many in the group then went farther, down to the water and up a switchback path on the hillside.

We stopped at the water’s edge, then enjoyed people-watching from a shaded bench, next to an amazing display of pansies. There are many school groups around, because school ends in about 2 weeks for the 3-month summer break and this is field trip time.

We boarded the train to our next stop, Varnazza, where we saw a very protected fishing cove and more steep terraces.

We boarded a large boat for the trip to the next village, where there were amazing cacti growing and a WWII bunker. We enjoyed a seafood lunch, then wandered through the town.

Larry relaxed over a beer or two, while I explored a bit, then we caught the train back to Santa Margherita, where Enzo waited with the coach to return us to the hotel. There, we were reunited with our lost safe contents and the lovely couple who brought them to us, and we retired to our room for a rest. After a while, we were ready to venture out to explore Santa Margherita.

We started with a visit to the public beach, which we understood was open 24 hours a day. However, we were told to get out, because the gate closed at 7 and it was 7:20. “The gate is open”, we replied. Get out anyway, was the message, and the gate was closed behind us. So we didn’t get to put our feet into the Mediterranean. Sigh. We continued on to the harbour area, found a bar, and

enjoyed drinks and snacks. We had thought to eat some of our snack food in our room, but there was

no need. Lovely day, and bed calls.

 

 

Click for all the pics of the day