Finale Ligure
Italy may have been another country, but the bad weather knew not of borders -
it was raining even harder by the time we arrived in Finale Ligure. Tonya had been to this YH before and reckoned you could see it from the train
station. Unfortunately it was dark, chucking with rain, with clouds so low we
were lucky if we could see each other let alone the hostel on the hill. We waded
through the town, up the 326 steps and arrived at
Castello Wuillermin YH looking
like two drowned rats... and people keep saying we are "On holiday"?! The next day we were awakened by a 7:30am air-raid siren... announcing
breakfast! It was still raining. We decided to take the sodden contents of our
packs to the laundrette. It wasn't until we got to the bottom of the 326 steps
that Paul remembered he had left some washing in his pack. With only 5 minutes
until the hostel closed, it was unlikely that he could make it back in time, but
he was willing to try. He bounded back up the first 100 steps, when his legs
turned to jelly; limped up the next 100; and dragged himself along the handrail
for the final furlong to the hostel. He made it just in time - but almost had a
coronary on the way to his room which was on the third floor. We spent the rest
of the day in cafes with Paul linked to a sugar and caffeine I.V. in an attempt
to revive him. Valleggia
A couple of years ago an Italian student called Marcella rented a room from
Tonya's parents in London. With the generosity and hospitality typical of
Italians, Marcella's family heard we were in the area and invited us to dinner.
We are not accustomed to 5 star dinning, but tonight was an exception. After a
guided tour of the Ligurian coast we were treated to a six course meal of home
cooked local specialities... followed by a sampling of several local liquors.
We could both get used to eating like this! Genova
Tonya had passed through Genova several times, but never stopped due to her
belief that it is an ugly industrial port city. However, on this trip several
people have recommended it to us, pointing out that it has Europe's largest
aquarium. The aquarium was good, if you don't mind hoards of screaming children,
but the city was exactly as Tonya had imagined - not a place we would recommend. Cinque
Terre
If you go to Italy, make a point of spending a few days in Cinque Terre. We had
read reviews on the Internet which indicated that the area had been spoilt by
too many tourists, but this is not true... Yes, especially at weekends, the
villages are invaded by middle-aged people in heavy hiking boots, brandishing
Leki poles. But these crowds only follow the main coastal path between the
villages. There are plenty other paths winding through the vineyards which are
equally beautiful and much less busy. Cinque Terre means "five lands"; the area being comprised of five
villages perched in the mountains over the sea. From North to South the
villages are: Monterosso, Vernazza, Corniglia, Manarola and Riomaggiore. We spent 5 days at the
Ostello Cinque Terre in Manarola
and would definitely
recommend it. The staff are exceptionally helpful, it has a great roof terrace,
and L8,000 ($4) buys you the best Gnocchi al Pesto in Italy! We took a boat from Manarola to Monterosso, for exceptional views of the
coastline from the water. Then spent the afternoon walking back to Manarola
along the coastal path. Other than the section between Vernazza and Corniglia
(which is a series of steps cutting through vineyards) this is more of a
"walk" than a hike and does not require any of the equipment the
Italians carry. We wore Teva sandals and were perfectly comfortable. The only
"equipment" required is a bottle of water, a camera, and enough cash
for a Gelato from "Artigianato Gelati" in Corniglia. Their ice-cream
was the best we've ever had.
The villages are tiny and linked by a railway which cuts through the mountains.
The trains often grind to a halt in the middle of a pitch black tunnel. Pay
attention - this could be your stop. The gaps between mountains and hence
stations are so small that the entire train does not fit in. Several times we
had to get off in a tunnel and walk along the track to the station. To exit Manarola station you walk through a pedestrian subway - a long tunnel
through the mountain running parallel with the train tunnel. We were walking
through it when a fast-train came through the station and blew its whistle full
blast. A tiny Japanese girl in front of us jumped 10 feet into the air and spun
around with a look of complete horror on her face, expecting to find a huge
locomotive in the subway careering straight at her. It would have made a perfect
"Vacation Video"! |
