Morning Cappuccino - We're up about 8 a.m. and I immediately go out to capture scenics as the sun moves over the hills of beautiful Manarola. Today, we plan to hike between the various towns of the Cinque Terre. We would desperately like a cup of coffee to wake up with but there is none in the room so we must wait until we are ready to find a bar (which is what coffee shops are called).
Thanks to my Italian class, I know what to expect when ordering a cappuccino although, instead of standing up at the bar, we select a table along with a croissant and a spinach/mozzarella pastry. Cappuccinos aren't very large so we order another.
Hiking to Corniglia - Adequately fortified, we head off on the trail to the first town, Corniglia. The trail isn't difficult and the views are stunning of the water and cliffs. About an hour later, the trail dribbles into the train station at Corniglia. We still need to get up to the town, which sits high above both the water and the station. One route is up the unbelievably steep and long set of stairs that seem to go for at least a mile up to the town. Our second option is to take a shuttle which typically goes when the train comes - who knows when it will arrive? There's no way we want to tackle the stairs. Luckily, the shuttle comes reasonably quickly and is definitely the wise choice by all of us packed on the bus. We take time to explore Corniglia, a charming little town with the typical narrow streets, tiny shops, and eateries. Our target lunch spot is in Vernazza so we make do with a gelato snack.
North to Vernazza - This portion of the trail moves inland a bit so there are more trees along the trails and fewer vistas of the water. Still, the views are spectacular and there is plenty of opportunity for photos. This trail is considerably more rugged with a lot of rough-hewn, tall steps to negotiate. We're glad we have shoes for this as people with flimsy sandals and strappy Tevas are not having an easy time of it. We finally reach the top - as we are told by some American hikers who have come up from the northern end. The hike has been difficult and hot and I took a tumble on the loose rock.
At this point, we are not all enthused about tackling the final section from Vernazza to Monterosso which is supposed to be even more rugged and precipitous. We meet up with some hardy younger Americans who said it definitely was not fun nor particularly rewarding. I comment that that I doubt that I will feel like doing it and an outspoken American gal - who reminds me of a couple of friends - strongly declares, "And you don't have to!" At this point in life, neither of us have a big drive to complete for completion's sake but rather to enjoy the journey along the way to its fullest. As we hike the downhill portion to Vernazza, I'm glad I polled people on the Rick Steves' site as to which was the preferable direction to hike - south to north or north to south. I can now agree that south to north is less arduous and more picturesque. Close to Vernazza, there were folks older than us heading up the steep slope already looking weary. As tempting as it was to advise about what lay ahead, I kept my mouth shut.
Snazzy Vernazza - It is with a huge relief that Vernazza revealed itself, thus signaling the end to our hot, dusty, and sweaty ordeal. The views coming into Vernazza are worth the hike. They are really beautiful and the camera gets a workout. Vernazza is lovely, touristy, and well worth the visit. It has a stunning protected waterfront for water play and sunning. Restaurants ring the area. Most restaurants shut down for lunch at 3 p.m. and, as it is 2:40 p.m., we quickly select a restaurant for its shady umbrellas and water views rather than try to locate a Steves' recommended restaurant. As it turns out, Gambero Rosso is listed in his book as a venerable, snooty, and slightly more expensive. Bob gets seafood pasta with clams (in shell) and I opt for pasta troffie with pesto sauce (the Ligurian area is known for troffie pasta and pesto). We share a salad, order a bottle of aqua frizzante and two ice cold beers which we quickly gulp down. The bill comes to about $55E which includes the cost of the basket of bread and surcharge for sitting outside. Restaurant meals aren't cheap.
The views of Vernazza just up the trail to Monterosso are supposed to be terrific so we work off our lunch a bit by heading uphill in that direction. For the second time, we run into the American woman who decided to switch careers from marketing to design, and is in Italy for 6 months taking art courses. We chat and take pictures of each other. She regales us with a story about getting an extension on her Visa. The government worker who was helping her gets up in the middle of business and says he's taking his break now and will be back in 20 minutes. Customer service and efficiency is not at the top of the list in Italy. Otherwise, Italians are very nice and typically friendly.
Water bound return - We're taking the boat back from Vernazza in order to get waterside views of the Cinque Terre, so we buy boat tickets ($6E/ea) in the harbor and enjoy the relaxing wait for the boat. Soon, we're on board and enjoying new views of the little towns. We get off in Riomaggiore (the southern-most town) in order to explore it and to walk the Via del'Amore portion of the trail again.
The hunt for Maurizio and our passports - Before hiking up to our room, we stop at the COOP grocery store for purchases of peaches and yogurt for breakfast, plus a large bottle of cold beer for under the stars on our patio. We also drop by Trattoria dal Billy's to see if we can hunt down Maurizio. We know that the Trattoria is owned by family members and wonder if Maurizio might be hanging out there.
Where in the world is Maurizio? - We inquire about Maurizio from the first person we encounter. The 30-something Italian says in heavy Ligurian accent, "I am his brudda. Maurizio no here. He no work. Is allergic to work." We suspect he is jesting but it is said seriously. We decide to make a reservation for dinner at Billy's since it is supposed to be very good. We are given a choice of tables and a reserved sign is placed on a tiny table outside on a narrow walkway between the kitchen and a dining room. Apparently, we'll get it all night if we want - it doesn't matter what time you show up or leave. I ask again about getting hold of Maurizio and the waiter brother says he will call him and he will meet us at the restaurant at 8 p.m. "But, he no like to work," he says again. I quip that maybe we won't have to pay him either if he doesn't show up, but we need our passports back for sure.
There's no time to shower before our reservation so we change from our sweaty clothes quickly into something more presentable.
Lo and behold, Maurizio shows up with our passports. We pay him for the two nights and mention that we're going for dinner at Billy's. Maurizio says, "My brudda work there. He has a big belly (and gestures with his hand to outline the belly). Great big belly. He eat too much and don't work hard." I said back to him, "Yeah, he said nice things about you, too!" "Oh. Good," replied Maurizio in the most serious of tones. Teasing through insults is apparently the Italian way among family and friends, as my Italian teacher has mentioned.
Dinner at Billy's - Off to Trattoria Billy's we head where Billy himself waits on us. He is Mama Franca's brother and thus, uncle of Maurizio and his waiter brother. He, too, is a bit gruff and I suspect that this personality trait is both familial and cultural for the Ligurian area as I've experienced it several times by now. Our table is located adjacent to the kitchen and it is as noisy as can be with the cooks and dishes clattering. We're also in the spot where Billy and the other waiters zip by into the dining room or down the narrow steep stone steps to another dining space carved into the mountainside.
We order water and a half liter of house wine (which is usually decent and inexpensive). We select a primi to share of homemade trofie pasta with pesto sauce. For secondi, I go for the beef medallions (whatever those are) in lemon sauce. Bob decides to get a grilled fish and selects one from the platter of fresh fish that Billy offers. Billy warns, "That fish small!" But Bob sticks with it. We select grilled vegetables for a contorni. When the fish comes, it is complete with head and tail, and definitely short on meat. That's all that's on the plate - just the fish. My beef is actually veal, pounded tenderly thin and covered with an incredible lemon sauce that isn't creamy but definitely pungent, fragrant and delicious. The grilled veggies include eggplant, zucchini, and red pepper. They are served cold and drizzled with olive oil. Even cold, they are delicious. We share a tiramisu for dessert. Our bill was about $55E.
We're tired and it's too late to enjoy our beer on the patio. We must pack, hit the hay, and be up early to head into La Spezia to pick up the rental car by about 10 a.m.
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