Village Italy - 2014
Carrara & Cinque Terre
Thursday, September 18
Carrara Marble Quarry, Portovernere, Monterosso and Levento, Italy
Our first stop after leaving Lucca was the Carrara Marble Quarry. To reach the quarry, our bus drove up a steep and very narrow winding mountain road. Upon arriving, a local guide took us to an outdoor museum where she told the history of the quarry and described how marble is mined today. The mine has been in operations for hundreds of years and many famous statues carved by Michelangelo and other sculptures used Carrara Marble from this quarry.
Carrara Marble Quarry
It was late morning when we left the quarry and drove to Protovernere, a small town on the Mediterranean Sea. For lunch, we found a restaurant by the Mediterranean. After lunch we had a couple of hours to walk around Protovernere.
Later in the afternoon we left Protovernere. taking a boat on the Mediterranean heading west to the Cinque Terre region of Italy and the small town of Monterosso.
Ristorante le Bocche
The sea was calm and the scenery was fantastic. On our way to Monterosso we dropped off and picked up passengers at Riomaggiore, Manarola, Corniglia and Vernazza, four of the five villages that make up the Cinque Terre. We got off the boat at Monterosso.
Riomaggiore
Manarola
Our final distination for the day was Levanto, a town west of Monterosso. To get there, we had to take the train that ran through the mountains behind each of the villages.
Before going to the train, we had a couple of hours to see Monterosso. Of all five villages, Monterosso is the largest and the only one where a car can be driven into the center of the village.
Monterosso
Late afternoon our group met at the train station and took the ten minute ride to Levanto. It was a five minute walk from Levanto’s train station to Albergo Primavera where we stayed for the next two nights. We didn’t have to handle our luggage because it was at the hotel when we arrived.
We were on our own for dinner because no group meal was planned for evening. There were a number of restuarants near the hotel and decided on Pizzaia il Navicello.
Albergo Primavera
Friday, September 19
Vernazza on the Cinque Terre and Levanto, Italy
Today was a free day. Nothing was planned with the tour. That was great because it gave us the opportunity to explore whatever part of the Cinque Terre we wanted to see. There are five villages in the Cinque Terre and we decided to spend our day in Vernazza. We had been to four of the five villages in 2001 and loved Vernazza.
After breakfast in the hotel dining room, we walked to the train station, bought our tickets and checked the schedule for the train’s arrival time. As usual, the train was late. Italy is notorious for trains running late. The ride to Vernazza took ten minutes.
Vermazza dates back to 1209. Centuries old tradition of fishing, wine and olive oil production still continue in Vernazza, however, tourism is now the main source of ecomonic growth. 879 people live in Vernazza.
Levanto Train Station
Another couple on the tour joined us for the day.
When we arrived at the Vernazza train station, we decided to start our visit by hiking up a path to a place where we could overlook the village and the Mediterranean Sea.
Walking the path wasn’t easy. It was long and very steep. We took our time stopping at various places to look back over Vernazza. On all sides of us were olive trees and vineyards.
Views of Vernazza as we walked up the path
We finally reached a place where we could see all of Vernazza. It was worth every grueling step. The view of the village and the blue Mediterranean was spectacular.
Vernazza and the Mediterranean Sea
Delicious grapes
Both below and above us, the steep hills were filled with vineyards. We were there at the right time of the year, because the grapes were being harvested. We came upon three men picking grapes in their vineyard. They greeted us in Italian and then gave Dianne grapes to taste.
The path we were walking on is the one that runs above the Mediterranean along the Cinque Terre, beginning in Riomaggiore and ending at Monterosso.
Before walking back down to Vernazza we continued on the path a little further to Vernazza’s cemetery. It was on a small patch of flat land nestled in between the steep hills and was a perfect place for a village cemetery.
The walk down was easy and fast. It was noon when we arrived in the village, so we stopped at Ristorante Vulnetia for lunch.
Vernazza’s Cemetery
Following lunch, we walked down Varnezza’s one narrow street leading to the harbor and the Mediterranean.
Ristorante Vulnetia
Vernazza Grocery Store
Vernazza’s harbor
Vernazza is a wonderful old, unique village tucked in between two hills that are filled with vineyards. A trip to Italy isn’t complete until you’ve visited the Cinque Terre.
Late in the afternoon we were back to Vernazza’s train station waiting patiently for the train so to get back to our hotel in Levanto. The train finally arrived 25 minutes late. It was
raining when we arrived at the Levanto train station.
Since we had a couple a couple of hours before our seafood feast, in the hotel dining room with our tour, we decided to have a gelato. In the pouring rain we headed out in search of that delicious Italian specialty and found it at Gelateria.
As we finished our gelato, the rain stopped and the sky began to clear. Since the Gelateria was near the Mediterranean we decided to look over the sea as the sun began to shine through the clouds.
Dianne at Gelateria
Mediterranean Sea
The owner and chef of the hotel prepared a variety of seafood dishes. This included deep fried calmari, deep fried crab on a stick, pesto lasagna, sea food soup, fried white fish, mussels, sardines and anchovies with toast and parmigiano and creamy gorgonzola cheese. For desset we ate home made cream puffs covered in chocolate sauce and top it all off with limoncello.
Sea food soup
Calmari
Fried crab on stick
Creamy gorgonzola
After dinner David, our assistant guide, got out his guitar and we all joined in singing a variety of songs, many made famous by the Beetles. Joining David, was our waitress, bus driver Mario and tour guide Lisa Anderson.
Our seafood feast, wine and music made for a memorable evening. All the food was delicious and we both tried dishes we’d never eaten before.
© 2014. 2015 Bill Juffernbruch