La Spezia and Cinque Terre

Thursday, April 7, 2011

                            

We had seen pictures of the Italian Riviera, but we assumed they were “doctored”.  Guess what? They were not!  We experienced every color and every shape. There were vineyards hanging on mountainsides so steep that a mini-train is required to move man and grapes. Oceans blue and clear. Streams rushing through the villages. Church bells ringing on the hour. Locals going about their daily lives. Houses clinging to the sea cliffs.  Brightly painted fishing boats.  Markets brimming with local produce.

  

                              

We woke early in order to watch the “sail-in” to the harbor at La Spezia on the Ligurian Sea in northwest Italy.  Our tour, “Discover Cinque Terre”, took us via bus on a short drive over the mountain.  It was a beautiful drive with multiple views of vineyards on very steep mountains which dropped sharply into the sea. 

   

Cinque Terre (five lands) is the name of a region made up of five small villages. Buses are not allowed in any of the villages because the streets are narrow and winding.  We left the bus above the village of Manarola and followed a winding path down through the village.  We visited a 16th Century church with a detached bell tower that was converted from the village watchtower used to warn of pirates centuries ago.  Houses were colorful and charming and looked like they were stacked on top of each other.  The upper portion of each village was occupied by peasants who worked in the vineyards.  Fishermen lived in the lower sections. 

   

We walked the Via dell’Amore (the walk of love) from Manarola to the adjoining village of Riomaggiore.  Along the walk were several metal gates covered with small padlocks.  Our guide explained that lovers walking the trail would clasp a lock to any structure and then throw the key into the ocean to signify the permanence of their love.  The walkway was cut into the face of the cliff, and sometimes went through tunnels. 

         

  

At Riomaggiore we boarded a boat and went back up the coast for a wonderful view of the villages from the sea.  Each of the five villages were similar in the way that they were built in to the side of the mountain but each had its own unique charm. 

   

  

We left the boat to explore the Village of Vernazza, the most charming of them all.  Maybe the gelato was what made it the most charming.  We really enjoyed interacting with the locals.  From here we took a train back to La Spezia.

We elected to walk from the train station back to the harbor so we could enjoy the old city of La Spezia.  All the shops, churches, and museums were closed as, after all, it was afternoon in Italy.  Thank goodness the Italians value food as much as we do and the restaurants all stay open. 

  

Our tender back to the ship was filled with a tour group that had gone to Pisa for the day.  They were exhausted and grumbling but they couldn’t break our spirit.

                              

What a wonderful day.  Buona Note!