Santa Margherita
We were going to leave on our day’s adventures a little later than usual this morning which gave me time to walk around Santa Margherita before breakfast. You will notice in the photo that most of the shutters are still closed.
Santa Margherita
Santa Margherita
Santa Margherita and the Virgin Mary statue.
Santa Margherita
Santa Margherita
Another view.
Santa Margherita
Santa Margherita
The Victor Emmanuel II statue.
Santa Margherita
Santa Margherita
Close–up of the Victor Emmanuel II statue.
Santa Margherita
Santa Margherita
Statue of Christopher Columbus (Cristoforo Colombo).
Santa Margherita
Santa Margherita
If you look carefully at the shutters on the front of this building, you will see that the bottom shutters are only painted on, a tromp l’oeil effect (painting something to look real), but the top row of shutters are real shutters. You’ll see shutters, balconies, windows, etc., painted on buildings to look real on other buildings in Santa Margherita, an art specialty here.
Santa Margherita
Leaving Santa Margherita
What happens when a large tour bus (ours) meets a truck on a sharp curve on a two–lane road. Our bus needed to be where the truck was in order to make the turn––the truck and all the cars behind it had to back up for us.
Leaving Santa Margherita
Heading Toward La Spezia
We traveled on the extension of the cliff road that we traveled on to Santa Margherita yesterday. We went through many tunnels and after we got through a tunnel we could see little villages either in coves by the water or in the hills such as this village.
Heading Toward La Spezia
La Spezia
A local guide met our group and led us to the boat that would take us first to Portovenere and then to the Cinque Terre (this was an optional tour). On the boat was an Elderhostel group. They were hiking in this area as were a number of other groups. After noticing that I had had a conversation with two of the Elderhostel group, one of our Australian tour members asked me who the group was. I answered: Our most fit Americans! The boat dropped the group off at Palmaria, an island off the coast, where they were going to spend all morning hiking. This photo is of La Spezia.
La Spezia
Arriving at Portovenere
The town of Portovenere.
Arriving at Portovenere
Portovenere
A close–up view of the town.
Portovenere
Portovenere
Close–up view of the San Pietro Church seen in the last two on the left.
Portovenere
Portovenere
Photo of the village and an old castle.
Portovenere
Portovenere
Entrance to the street leading up to the San Pietro Church.
Portovenere
Portovenere
Walking up the street.
Portovenere
Portovenere
Menu sign outside a restaurant that we passed.
Portovenere
Portovenere
Another restaurant sign.
Portovenere
Portovenere
Paolo, our Trafalgar tour guide.
Portovenere
Portovenere
Stairway connecting one steep street to another steep street.
Portovenere
Portovenere
View of the Church of San Pietro. This black and white church is from the 13th century and is built on a stone promontory.
Portovenere
Portovenere
Close–up view of the Church of San Pietro.
Portovenere
Portovenere
The Grotto Byron seen from the rocks near the church.
Portovenere
Portovenere
Plaque commenorating Lord Byron’s feat. However, our guide said it is all hype and that Lord Byron never made this swim.
Portovenere
Portovenere
This girl sitting in an opening in the sea wall made many of us very nervous.
Portovenere
Portovenere
View of Portovenere from the church.
Portovenere
Portovenere
View of the inside of the Church of San Pietro.
Portovenere
Portovenere
Statue inside the church.
Portovenere
Portovenere
Unusual door of the Church of San Pietro.
Portovenere
Portovenere
Another view of the door.
Portovenere
Portovenere
If you want to use the toilette at a cafe, you usually first have to buy a cup of coffee or such. However, I asked the counterperson at a cafe if I could use its facilities. I should have expected something when she pointed to the toilette door and indicated “please do.” At least this is the only one such toilette that I encountered in Italy.
Portovenere
Portovenere
Scene leaving Portovenere.
Portovenere
Portovenere
A view from the sea of the Church of San Pietro.
Portovenere
Cinque Terre
The Cinque Terre is made up of five self–contained very picturesque villages that once were only accessible from the sea. Today, there still is no road linking all of them, but there is an ancient footpath (hiking trail) that does connect them (hence, the number of hikers in this area). Surrounding the villages are vineyards from which the local dry white Cinque Terre wine is made. The five towns from the direction that we are coming from are Riomaggiore, Manarola, Corniglia, Vernazza, and Monterosso. This is a photo of Riomaggiore.
Cinque Terre
Riomaggiore
A close–up view of Riomaggiore. We picked up and dropped off passengers here.
Riomaggiore
Manarola
Manarola, the second Cinque Terre.
Manarola
Manarola
A close–up view of Manarola.
Manarola
Manarola
Another view of Manarola.
Manarola
Manarola
And another view of Manarola.
Manarola
Corniglia
Corniglia, the third Cinque Terre. Corniglia is the only Cinque Terre that is not right on the sea.
Corniglia
Corniglia
Closer–up view of Corniglia.
Corniglia
Corniglia
Another view of Corniglia.
Corniglia
Corniglia
And another view of Corniglia.
Corniglia
Corniglia
A close–up view of Corniglia.
Corniglia
Corniglia
Another close–up view of Corniglia.
Corniglia
Vernazza
Vernazza is the fourth Cinque Terre. View of Vernazza.
Vernazza
Vernazza
Another view of Vernazza.
Vernazza
Vernazza
We got off our boat at Vernazza using this gangplank. Not only did it move up and down, it also moved sideways on wheels on the dockside end of it. However, once on it, I didn’t find it scary, but, then, it remained steady when I was crossing it. I put a movie on this site showing passengers getting off and on it––Go to Movies, Western Europe, Italy, “Off and On the Boat at Vernazza.”
Vernazza
Vernazza
The harbor and piazza at Vernazza.
Vernazza
Vernazza
Another view of Vernazza.
Vernazza
Vernazza
View of the buildings lining the harbor.
Vernazza
Vernazza
Interesting connectors between the buildings.
Vernazza
Vernazza
View of the piazza.
Vernazza
Vernazza
Another view of the piazza.
Vernazza
Vernazza
Street scene.
Vernazza
Vernazza
Street scene.
Vernazza
Vernazza
Another street scene.
Vernazza
Vernazza
Colorful building.
Vernazza
Vernazza
Statue on side of a building.
Vernazza
Vernazza
Close–up of the statue.
Vernazza
Vernazza
Street scene.
Vernazza
Vernazza
Another street scene. Close to the time that we were to leave, a dramatic thunder and lightening storm had started, although during it the sky remained sunny. We got back on our boat, successfully negotiating that gangplank, and left Vernazza for Monterosso.
Vernazza
Monterosso
Monterosso is the fifth Cinque Terre. We also disembarked at this village.
Monterosso
Monterosso
Another view of Monterosso.
Monterosso
Monterosso
Time for lunch. A specialty here is Seafood Risotto. I had pizza but was given a taste of the risotto by my tablemates––excellent.
Monterosso
Monterosso
Another street scene.
Monterosso
Monterosso
And another.
Monterosso
Monterosso
And another.
Monterosso
Monterosso
I met up with my tour group and we visited this old church (“old church” here means that I don’t know how old the church is and I don’t know what its name is).
Monterosso
Monterosso
Inside the church.
Monterosso
Monterosso
Note the skeleton on the wall. I don’t know its meaning.
Monterosso
Monterosso
Street scene on the way to wine tasting.
Monterosso
Monterosso
Another street scene.
Monterosso
Monterosso
And another street scene.
Monterosso
Monterosso
We went to a wine shop for wine tasting. I didn’t do any wine tasting, as I preferred just to walk around the village. But here is a photo of the Cinque Terre wine for sale.
Monterosso
Monterosso
Seen on my walk around the village.
Monterosso
Monterosso
Another interesting scene.
Monterosso
Monterosso
We walked along the boardwalk on our way to catch a train to take us to Rapallo, a town near Santa Margherita.
Monterosso
Monterosso
Our tour group waiting for the train. It had started to rain again.
Monterosso
Monterosso
Our train. We were given the experience of riding on a local Italian train which made many stops.
Monterosso
Monterosso
Our tour bus picked us up at Rapallo and took us back to our hotel in Santa Margherita, which it is also raining.
