On the road again...
June 20, 2019
Our group headed out by bus from Volterra to stop in Lucca on our way to Cinque Terre. There was nothing boring about driving in Italy. Even the view from the Autostrada was gorgeous. There were a few times on more narrow roads that it got a little nerve-wracking coming around a curve to have a car or motorcycle even coming at the bus head on! You could tell by the looks on the other drivers faces that they weren't expecting a large bus to appear in front of them either. But our drivers were very skilled and no accidents were had on this trip!
Our group headed out by bus from Volterra to stop in Lucca on our way to Cinque Terre. There was nothing boring about driving in Italy. Even the view from the Autostrada was gorgeous. There were a few times on more narrow roads that it got a little nerve-wracking coming around a curve to have a car or motorcycle even coming at the bus head on! You could tell by the looks on the other drivers faces that they weren't expecting a large bus to appear in front of them either. But our drivers were very skilled and no accidents were had on this trip!
Our next installment from the scary or strange Italian files...
Lucca
Lucca is a must see if you are visiting the Tuscany area of Italy. You can walk on top of the walls of this town or even ride a bike around the whole perimeter. Our local guide was Elena who is a native of Lucca. She provided us with an overview of Lucca and it's colorful past and we definitely understood how Luccans feel about Florence...(insert spitting sound here)
If you look closely enough you can just make out all of our tour members!
Lucca has so many towers some on churches and other were formerly homes back in the days when it was very important to be able to see your enemies approaching and the towers even provided safety.
Torre Guinigi
Well we did it again! We couldn't help but climb up this tower.
The trees on top were too inviting and provided the perfect amount of shade to take in the birds eye view of Lucca on a hot Italian day.
The trees on top were too inviting and provided the perfect amount of shade to take in the birds eye view of Lucca on a hot Italian day.
Just a quick peek down a side street provides the best opportunities to capture the ambiance that is Italy!
The Cattedrale di San Martino...the columns were amazing! Outside the walls again... means it's time to move on!
Cinque Terre
We arrived in Levanto in the afternoon and all loaded on to trains to complete our trip into the Cinque Terre. We would be staying in Monterosso which is the northernmost of the 5 towns. We knew getting off the train that this would be a very different experience than the prior towns we had visited. Anytime the water is involved it just makes time move more slowly. We walked from the train station to our hotel for the next two nights, Albergo Degli Amici. It was tucked into a little corner of Monterosso and was so inviting. After resting for a short while, we headed out to a fabulous tiered outdoor area at the hotel where she had set up a little aperitivo and we just enjoyed each others company while soaking in the views.
AHHHH.....our first few moments in Monterosso. We knew this was going to be something very special!
Our accommodations were at the Albergo degli Amici which was tucked away on a back street in Monterosso. This was a fabulous hotel. The breakfast was exceptional, the rooms were updated and had every convenience you could want. They even provided big fluffy towels to take down to the beach! Our favorite place on the property of the hotel was UP. Just a few steps up and the view was exquisite!
Now it's really time to eat! |
We had a group dinner at Ristorante L'Alta Marea. Of course the menu was going to be mostly sea food because, well, we were in Cinque Terre. Unfortunately, Nancy doesn't do seafood but neither did one of the Jeffs. So Patricia called ahead to the restaurant and they not only arranged to have non-seafood options for those that needed but also made non shellfish options for Mick who is quite allergic to shell fish. Dinner was fabulous and we all headed back with very full bellies!
Some of the ladies from the group couldn't resist the chance to put their feet in the Mediterranean one more time before bed that night. Feels great on aching feet!
Exploring the Cinque Terre
June 21, 2019
It was another early morning up and out to hit the trails that connect the towns in Cinque Terre. We were left to our own devices today...no guide but Patricia was sure to fill us in about how we could spend our time. She always encouraged the mode of transport that was less intensive. We all were provided with trail/train passes for the day so we could choose our own adventure. Boy did we ever adventure! Our Apple Watches clocked 29,236 steps (11.9 miles) and 170 flights of stairs! It was worth every aching muscle!
It was another early morning up and out to hit the trails that connect the towns in Cinque Terre. We were left to our own devices today...no guide but Patricia was sure to fill us in about how we could spend our time. She always encouraged the mode of transport that was less intensive. We all were provided with trail/train passes for the day so we could choose our own adventure. Boy did we ever adventure! Our Apple Watches clocked 29,236 steps (11.9 miles) and 170 flights of stairs! It was worth every aching muscle!
Starting off in Monterosso before hitting the trail...
On the trail to Vernazza...
The trail from Monterosso to Vernazza is not for the faint of heart (or legs). It is a LOT of walking and climbing stairs and traversing rocks even. We were very glad to make our trip with our tour friends Cora, Emily and Sook. There were truly beautiful sites every turn we made...pictures of the Mediterranean framed by trees, flowers and even vineyards. At one point we even heard accordion music and there was a local standing on the path playing away. After about an hour of hiking the hills we finally started to catch a glimpse of Vernazza. We still had a ways to go to reach the town but it was definitely a welcome sight! |
Vernazzahhhhh!
One of the first things we did when we made it to the town was to head to the water. Even though we had left quite early in the morning it was one HOT day already and feet were aching from all that walking. Cora and Emily went for the full body dip while Nancy chose the feet only because she didn't think to wear a suit under her clothes. Even feet only was pretty refreshing and gave us the energy to keep moving on! |
Another for the file...
So until we watched this machine in action we never thought about how merchandise, food and other necessities would get transported throughout a town built on a hillside with very few roads for large delivery trucks to drive on. Then we saw this man and his motorized cart with rubberized tank-like treads that he used to go up and down all the stairs. It was a slow but effective procedure. Those of us who don't live in seaside hill towns found it fascinating and had to stop and watch! We will take liberties and putting this one in the file marked "strange things I saw in Italy" file!
Our visit to Vernazza was a short one. We had more towns to see and more hiking to do.The group set off towards Corniglia which is a smaller town on a high sea cliff. It is the only
town in Cinque Terre to have no direct access to the Sea
town in Cinque Terre to have no direct access to the Sea
Back on the Trail...
The water was gorgeous! There was a man who was actually RUNNING on these stairs.
Most of us could barely walk up them without tripping!
Most of us could barely walk up them without tripping!
We saw this sign and thought for sure we were almost there! Then we rounded a corner and saw it...if we were birds we would be almost there but this was one time that there was NO REST FOR THE WEARY!
Corniglia here we come!
Not "Free Wifi" but "Wifi Free"
Emily was loving that this little restaurant was encouraging it's patrons to put away their devices and just enjoy each other and their beautiful surroundings!
Time to catch a ride
We had to take the train to Manarola because the trail had been closed for some time and to be honest, there was no way we were going to hike another trail in the blazing sun on this day. Not one more step. Well...then we got to where the train station was and saw this! Thank goodness it was all down. That's almost 400 stairs DOWN and not a bit of shade in sight!
Onward to Riomaggiore
We took the train to the last of the 5 towns of Cinque Terre, Riomaggiore. We saw the entry to the path that has been closed for years (right). Our stay in Riomaggiore was very brief as we were all quite tired and we saw the boat schedule. Only two remaining boats would be heading back to Monterosso that day and one was going to be leaving very soon. We decided we would take the boat back so we would be able to experience ALL forms of transport and see the towns from the water. |
Back in Monterosso
After a long day of hiking and seeing the sites of Cinque Terre we returned to Monterossa for a nap and a swim. Dinner was on our own and we took a walk to the more "modern area of Monterossa and found a little place for pasta and of course on the way back we had to have a gelato. It's hard to remember if one day went by without gelato but why should anyone go without gelato in Italy!
We stumbled on this World War II bunker while walking back to the hotel.
It would tie in nicely to a little side trip Patricia had planned for us the next morning.
Monterosso has the only beach area in Cinque Terre. It also was the only town to have a seaside soccer field!