DAY 7
Tuesday 18 July 2017
It was a rather early morning in Venice. By necessity. In
order to make the most of our day and have time later in the day, we chose to
cash in the very precious sleep and breakfast hours...
Double checking everything we headed down to the lobby to finish
check out. dad asked the grumpy sleepy receptionist setting out breakfast if we
could maybe take something to go since we'd miss the breakfast he was so nicely
setting out. And he was so nice enough to give us reign to each choose a fresh
warm croissant and jelly packet. Mmm. Those were a nice addition to our morning
train ride...
Then it was a long and quick walk through the surprisingly
less than quiet streets all the way around to the other side of the river and
the farroza. aka Train station. We somehow managed to beat our time sans
backpacks when we’d tested it out the previous night. But it wasn’t a walk we
wanted to repeat. Though little did we know it was only the tip of the walking
iceberg we’d encounter that day. If we knew what was coming perhaps we would
have chosen to wander those Venetian streets with our packs for hours.
Just kidding. (But only kind of…)
Anyway. On the train, anxiety started to hit again. I don't
remember how I stopped it.
Only 2 hours in business class today.
My stomach hurt. A couple trips to the bathroom with the push
button door. The second time I pushed it the door opened to reveal a shock for
both myself and the old man sitting on the throne... ups... I wish I could say
that was the only shock of the day but then another woman came after me and did
the same thing. Poor man, why didn't he lock the door??
Was that a Monday event? I can't remember if it happened
before or after the poor little girl's public urination over the canal...
bottoms up...
~
So, business class. To Florence. Then switch trains to a
small crowded loud warm second class coach to La Spezia.
Would have loved to sleep except for the group of loud French
students across from us. Well, mostly only one was talking...
~
Then we were in La Spezia. But our misadventures were far
from over.
Long line to reserve our way out of there tomorrow. Talk to
mom. Look at google maps and see an alternate route to our best laid plans...
buy bus tix and a Coke. Walk ten minutes to a random bus stop and then wait 20
for a bus that never comes. And eventually back to the train station to do our
original plan an hour later. An hour wasted. My frustration and self
disappointment and the should haves was rising quickly now. Augmented I'm sure
by the heat...
~
But we were on the train. And the view of the water after the
tunnel was very oraia.
The trains ran behind so we ended up in riomaggiore with
hardly enough time to catch the bus to the hotel.
We clambered up a huge hill swearing and huffing and puffing
to no end. Somehow we made it and talked to these two women who said the bus
should be coming. It did but we had the wrong tickets. The driver took us
anyway though I imagine he thought us silly and frustrating. I stood on the bus
that carried us up a small winding mountain road bordering the cliff that led
to the water.
Ufda.
I was not in a good mood.
We finally made it to the hotel and then needed to wait 10
minutes to check in. Which we eventually did.
Then a 10 minute walk down 200 stairs with a beautiful view
and the pinkest flowers to our room.
I was beat.
How could we salvage this day? We had to try...
~
Very quick changover. rest a minute. Go to the bathroom.
Repack backpack. Fill up water. Then let's go...
~
15 euros taxi back down those winding narrow steep roads.
With an expert driver driving a path I wouldn't want to. Train to Corniglia.
Buy trail passes. Wait for a shuttle that wouldn't come so walk the 100 flights
of stairs instead (at least so it seemed).
We hadn't even started the hike yet and already we were
exhausted. Especially dad.
Got lost in the town of Corniglia but found bananas and an
apple which ended up being a good idea especially considering we hadn't eaten
so much today and expected to hike in the high afternoon heat.
Eventually ask and find we are just 10 meters from the sign
that would tell us we are already headed now in the right direction.
Loipon.
It's a long but beautiful trek this path. Lots of ups and
downs that dad wouldn't believe me till later the downs can be worse because of
the footing. He also wasn't so willing until the end to admit the views made
the exhaustion worth it. Ya know, I'm not sure he would admit it still...
Lots of breaks to take pictures (aka catch out breath...).
But if you are tired and can't breathe what better place to be than the cinque
terre?
Take the
extra steps to enter the postcard yourself...
Seas and skies early blended and almost as blue as Greece...
cactus the size of baby elephants... beautiful flowers peaking out here and
there... stones and limbs placed expertly to mark the path. And railings too.
Who could have done this??? Quiet but for the occasional passing hikers. One
time the husband sang and whistled and the wife followed, not liking the
downward climb... the halfway point was an oasis (or what I imagine a desert
one must feel like. And the 3 euros we spent there for 2 waters is among
the best spent money of the whole trip...
Eventually the hills began to slope more often down. We knew
we must be close even if we couldn't feel it. The view opened up and switched
from seeing the retreating town to hoping for the approaching one.
And then. We were there. Or almost at least. We still needed
to pick our way officially to the train station.
Dad was bushed. Exhausted. Done for the day. No more
exploring necessary.
This must have been our highest step day.
Back to Riomaggiore on the first train out of Vernazza. Then
wait exactly by the bus station in town. A lot closer and a lot less steep then
the first one we'd found...
I sought out gelato and dad made friends with a nice
traveling couple from New Jersey. Don't know there names.
We shared the bus back up. Different vehicle but same driver
go figure. We were prepared with correct passes this time. Ups.
~
Back in time for a much needed shower and a pleasant quiet
oraia sunset.
Then dinner at the hotel restaurant. A long climb up. On our
way we passed families eating home cooked pasta and wished to join them or at
least thought sooner the same idea.
Eggplant Parmesan and tiramisu tasted good but then did not
set well with me. Tummy ache. Ouf.
~
Make ready a few things for Rome and then... sleep..:
~
In the end, managed to salvage and make great the day... :)
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