We began our day early once again to spend as much time in
Cinque Terre as possible. Bussing to our first stop at Portovenere, we drove
alongside the coast and through the town of La Spezia. Our tour guide for the
day hopped on our bus in La Spezia and talked us through the city’s history and
the role that the massive naval base plays in the lives of the people who live
there. Rather than the naval base seeming like an enclosed structure in itself,
she explained, many of the citizens feel like they themselves are enclosed as
it stretches far along the coast throughout the city. She pointed out the
orange flags draped from some of the balconies which indicated a resistance
movement to the base. As our bus rolled to the stop at the departure area for
the ferry, we were told we had 30 minutes until heading to sea. 
We spent this time wandering the
streets of Portovenere. We explored uphill to what seemed to be the main road,
of which many shops were lined. “Main” however is a relative term, as the
narrow cobblestone streets would not be able to fit more than five people
across. First, we sampled some incredible pesto from a storefront. It was
accented with pecorino cheese which gave a very unique flavor to one of the
famous products of this area. Another product that this area is known for is
anchovies. As I’m all about trying new things and really getting the best out
of where we go, I decided to try some fried anchovies from another restaurant
(shout out to the Stein side of the family, I know you all would appreciate
this). I guess the fact that they were cooked hampered the usual saltiness of
the fish that we are used to when eating them on top of salads, for example,
but they were quite good. We also checked out a few artisan shops and clothing
stores.
Before
we knew it, our time in Portovenere quickly passed and we were off to the dock
to board the ferry to Cinque Terre. We sped across the wavy Mediterranean Sea
on a two story boat. Myself, Kaiser, Kaelyn, Jess, and Bri spent some time up
on the second level initially. The tour guides provided information about the
random towns that dotted the coastline. Steep mountainsides met the water with
almost no gradual incline. It was incredible to see the houses and terraces
that had been constructed on terrain that was practically vertical. We made our
way downstairs eventually to see the view from there, which was just as
beautiful. Perhaps we spoke too soon about not getting splashed too much from
sitting at the front, as we were met with a very generous bout of water as we
crashed through one wave closer to the end of the trip. We passed by four of
the five towns before finally arriving at the last one to dock and begin our
day there.
Monterosso
al Mare is by far one of the most beautiful towns I have ever seen. The
buildings are overrun by color and accented by the laundry hanging on
clotheslines outside their shuttered windows. A small beach dots the coast as
we approach, but is overrun by debris and rocks from the ocean. We learn how a major
flood in this past October damaged a large part of the city. Signs are posted
throughout that demarcate where the water levels rose and where damage was done
through photographs taken during the flood. After being told some history about the parish church of St.
John the Baptist, located near the entrance to the city, we had a few hours of
free time for the afternoon. Many people shopped for jewelry, clothes, scarves
and more. Myself, Claudia, and Charlotte (the XL tour rep) had lunch at a great
restaurant with perhaps the freshest Caprese salad and Bruschetta I have ever
had. After free time, we had the option to either take the train directly to
Riomaggiore, or get off a stop early at Manarola and complete the walk on
Lover’s Lane to Riomaggiore. The majority of us chose to journey on Via
dell’Amore.
The
supposed 15 minute walk turned into maybe a 45 minute journey, as we couldn’t
help but stop and take photographs along the way. The view was breathtaking the
story about the road held much cultural significance. Right at the beginning of
the walk, a metal grate was home to numerous locks with couples’ names etched
or drawn on them. We learned how lovers would come attach their locks to the
grate, or various locations throughout the walk, and throw their key into the
ocean to signify their enduring love for each other. Random cacti also dotted
the path, which also had names
drawn into it. We were feeling a bit daring so we ventured off the
beaten path, literally, upwards on some stone steps on the side of the
mountain. Though I hesitated at first, I made it about halfway due to Sue
encouraging me to have a “YOLO mentality.” We safely climbed down, continued on
the path, and make our way to Manarola. Props to our tour guide who stuck with
us and waited despite our dawdling while taking pictures and truly getting as
much out of the walk as we could.  |
| EUWS on Via dell'Amore. |
Arriving
in Manarola we were greeted by a large mural which indicated our meeting place
after some time to venture through this town. We walked through a tunnel to the
main part of the city, where many of us bought some fresh fruit to snack on to
hold us over. Though the colors of this city were the same as Monterosso, they
appeared more worn and washed out-it was still beautiful nonetheless. Many of
us also tried some gelato or a frozen lemonade drink-as this area is also
famous for their lemons. Perhaps the coolest part of Manarola was the small
port at its base that we were able to travel down to by steps and hang out on
the rocks. Elderly men sat chatting at the entranceways to their shops,
fishermen lined the edges of the sea, and brightly colored row boats rested
around the path downward. In the area where we were sitting, a fisherman reeled
in a fish for a stray cat. We enjoyed time relaxing in the cove and taking in
all of the sights before departing via train back to the bus.
After
a respite at the train station while a decent wait for one to arrive, we headed
back and eventually drove back to the hotel in Montecatini. We were off for
dinner on our own that night as opposed to our normal meal in the hotel
restaurant. I ate with Lidija, Veronica, Kuehl, Meredith, Jess, Kaelyn,
Charlotte, and Feldman at a restaurant off of one of the main roads. Afterward
we sought out gelato as we would be unable to get any before our game the next
day. Eventually we ventured back to the hotel and called it a night.
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