Le Spezia (Day 2)

Late yesterday evening the air cooled, and we put on a long sleeved top, it had been sometime since we'd done this. However, this evening is again warm and sultry. We know when we move into France, we will leave behind the 30c plus daytime temperatures, we've become used to. Despite our electronic bug zapper being on all night, the mosquitoes continued to bite. Behind us is a stream, which to us is known as 'mosquito alley', they share the waters with the bull frogs, who we can hear calling, in their bull frog way.

Mid morning, we set off to the nearby bus stop, to try and purchase our bus tickets, using the smartphone. How difficult could that be? Well it seems really difficult. After many attempts, that failed, we decided the problem was, we did not have an Italian sim card in our phone. In Italy, you have to buy a ticket for the bus in advance from one of the 'few' outlets that sell them, but our paramedic lady who'd been so helpful yesterday, said we 'may' be able to purchase a ticket on the bus. So when said bus came along, we told the driver we could not purchase a ticket, and after glancing us up and down, waved us onto the bus. Result, with no payment made. Angela's father would have been proud!

Our next challenge after leaving the bus at the train station, was to buy return, on, off tickets for the train that travelled between the Cinque Terre. We were suddenly panicked by the ticket machines that surrounded us, but luckily saw a sign that pointed to the ticket office, where we could communicate with an actual person. Tickets purchased, we were on our way. The Cinque Terre, are five small towns, that were once pretty quiet coastal places. Not now! They are five towns, on the must, invade and see, bucket list. And we were now a guilty party to this. What had we done, we'd been sucked into the money making machine of 'tourism!'.

The five towns are.

Monterosso al Mare

Vernazza

Corniglia

Manarola

Riomaggiore

We decided to take the train to the furthest, which was Monterosso al Mare, and work back. The town was busy, with yet more people from the cruise ships, mainly Americans and Japanese. Mixed amongst us, were the people who'd chosen to walk the five towns, which is not for the faint of heart, as it is hard going, and some times dangerous, with the paths following the edge, with sheer drops. Some of the people who passed by us, seemed to be suffering with a body odour problem. John referred to them as people who were 'walking, but not washing'.

Whilst we were in Monterossa al Mare, a bicycle passed us, with the rider ringing his bell. Secured on the back rack was a black bag, and fixed behind that a homemade sign that read 'Doctor on Call'. He had come down the seafront to attend to an elderly lady, who was sat on a seat in the shade of a tree. For some minutes he took her pulse, and just talked to her. We were amazed. Old practices are still alive here. During most of our time in Italy, the background noise has been the shrill sirens of the ambulances.

After visiting all of the towns, all different from each other, and some really quite pretty, in a shabby kind of way, we felt a little saddened at what popularity can do. But maybe for the people who live here, the tourists have changed their lives for the better.

It was just after seven o' clock when we returned to Marge. We'd seemed to have spent most of the day walking uphill, and our tired legs told us so.

After a much needed shower, (not wanting to be classed as a 'walker, not washer'), and a late evening meal of pasta at nine o' clock, we feel we will sleep well tonight? We have some new vans around us from last night. The couple two down, despite it still being warm, are outside on their loungers with a blanket each, pulled up to their neck!

At just after nine o' clock, the harsh tones of Lino's ice cream van could be heard entering the site. The cheery Lino, announcing he served 'the best gelato in Italy'. We love Lino, and think he should enter 'Britain's Got Talent', which you don't necessarily have to be British to enter. On his departure, he continued to play his cheesy seventies disco music. We think the world should have more Lino's!

Le Spezia

Last night the air was fresher, and we slept better, affording ourselves a lie in until eight thirty. Really, we overslept, because the cockerel let us down, and didn't crow.

Our descent off the mountain was long and winding. At times we could glimpse the blue waters below, and realised just how high up we were.

Stopping at a lay-by to take a photograph, we couldn't believe that someone had come all the way up here to dump their rubbish.

We were on route to the Cinque Terre, (five villages), but as we travelled some hazardous roads, causing an increase in our heart rate, and that was before we looked down, we decided to just pull into the car park, that we thought we may stay overnight in, but some signage said otherwise.

From our parking area, sheer terraces rose to an incredible height.

A man pulled in next to us, and proceeded to unload a fridge, which he then put onto flat bed carriage, on a single track rack and pinion rail, with his wife straddling the fridge with her legs, whilst he operated the Honda 250cc engine, that powered them up the slope, to one of the tiny properties on the mountainside. Seeing John watching, the lady gave a cheery wave. Amazing, we'd never seen anything like it before.

Our parking area was situated right above one of the five towns, Riomaggiore. We ended up spending nearly four hours there, just looking at the views, walking across the viaduct, and chatting to an elderly German road cyclist, who was impressed with Marge, (aren't they all?). Quite a few people were walking the Cinque Terra, but the footpath by us was closed, so they had to walk alongside the road through the mountain tunnel adjacent to us, which some were not so keen about.

After hours of indulging ourselves in not driving, and basically people watching, we set off back down to Le Spezia.

It is a large port town, so naturally, there was a cruise ship moored up, this one belonged to Royal Carribean International, and was huge. We both agreed, it wouldn't have been for us van people!

Tonight's aire is behind the ambulance station, near a Marina and close to the dock area.

Upon our arrival, we were booked in by a very friendly and helpful paramedic lady, who spoke all western European languages. She wrote down information regarding buses to the railway station and back, and gave us leaflets on the tour boats to Cinque Terre. The aire is busy, and there are a couple of English vans down on the perimeter, Marge of course is amongst her usual fellow travellers!

Upon our arrival, the lady opposite seemed fascinated by us, quick turn the tea towel around to the clean side, in case she comes over! After dinner, a mobile gelato van came into the site, driven by Lino. We know that was his name, because he announced it over his microphone in nearly every European language as he drove around. The whole show was bizarre, only in Italy we thought. We did wonder how Lino accessed the site though, as after eight o' clock in the evening, there is supposed to be no access. Perhaps he works on the ambulances when he's not selling ice cream. Opposite, the lady who is now no longer interested in us, dispatched her husband to purchase two ice creams. She has now slipped into something more comfortable, some sort of one piece with shorts a little to short to cover her large buttocks! Every day we seem to see some sort of clothing malfunction!

We are planning to stay at this aire or a couple of nights. Tomorrow we hope we take the train to the Cinque Terre, saving Marge any more trauma. For now, it is time to enjoy a bottle of Chianti, bought for just 2.19 euros at the coop yesterday. It was the cheapest we'd ever seen Chianti, so were not expecting it to be excellent, but we'll tell you this, it's not half bad!