Our day started very early and I almost missed it. My alarm didn't wake me up but I managed to slap myself together and join the group for breakfast at 6:33. I was only 3 minutes late. I'd set the new alarm time but somehow didn't turn on the alarm on my watch. Ah well, not the first time and won't be the last.
We boarded our bus at 7:30 and headed to La Spezia to catch the ferry. It was about an hour's drive along excellent highways. En route we were still hoping for the rain not to materialize. The forecast wasn't very promising. Fortunately for us, the forecasts here are just as speculative as those at home, and just as (in)accurate. The rain that could have spoiled our day consisted of approximately 3 drops. Then the sun came out and stayed. The high temperature was supposed to be 19C but it got up to 25C.
Along the highway, our guide pointed out the mountains that are made of Carrera marble. It was cloudy at the time and the marble was not easily seen. However, on the drive home late in the afternoon, we did get a good view.
When our bus dropped us off at La Spezia, our terrific guide, Francesca, was first in line to buy our tickets and as a result we were the first group in line to board. It was worth the wait to get the best seats on the top level of the boat, on the side closer to land. This meant that we could get unobstructed views of the coastline. I'm not sure how many photos I took and choosing one or two for this post was difficult.
After about 90 minutes we arrived at Vernazza and disembarked via a moving gangplank between the boat and the land. There really wasn't a dock but all went well as we gathered around our "guiding flag" to learn where to go and what to do. To say Vernazza is hilly is to understate reality. Not only is it hilly, to get to your home if you live there, means climbing stairs, a lot of stairs.
Almost everyone made the trek up the stone steps to the viewpoint offering a 360 degree view, which somewhat offset the difficulty of the climb. Thankfully there were handrails almost everywhere with only a few gaps. The views from the top were breathtaking.
The trip back down was much less taxing. We did a bit more wandering among the souvenir stalls and along the street lined with cafés and various shops. Overhead, residents were hanging their washing out the windows above the mass of humanity below. It's hard to believe this is not yet tourist season. I'm very grateful we beat the crowd, although it's hard to imagine more humans fighting for space to walk around.
From Vernazza, we once more boarded a ferry to Monterosso, a relatively flat village. Instead of stairs you were merely walking on inclines less steep than in the neighbouring village. We had time to enjoy a lovely lunch at L'Osteria and then wander through the tunnel to the train station for our return to La Spezia.
The train trip took less than half an hour and was mostly in tunnels through the mountains. Our coach and driver (bus with Giacomo at the wheel) awaited our arrival. The drive back was smooth and I'm very grateful our driver was so skilled. Driving a large coach around a small roundabout requires skill.
This evening we dined at the hotel and are now relaxing before calling it a day. The photos have not yet uploaded from my phone, so I'll have to add them later. In other words, tomorrow morning.
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