Weathering the Storm with the WP#82

It is funny when you have stayed in a place a long time or a significant amount of time. We were just away in Bojano and the region of Molise and that was a wonderful experience with 2 nights there and then came back to the apartment for 2 nights and were off again. This time for another 2-night, 3 day stay in Milan and the Cinque Terre. I guess, trying to get in as much as possible in the few weeks I have here is catching up and getting back “home” here in Rome feels good. We will be here all week and plenty to do in welcoming a client from the states on the 2nd, before Rosa and I head off to Tuscany for 3 nights, 4 days next week. It is also becoming more real now that it is getting nearer to return stateside, which is not a good feeling, but I know I will be back. That is for sure!!! ​

The weekend in Milan and the Cinque Terre was very nice and I do recommend highly that when basing somewhere for exploring the Cinque Terre, that staying in La Spezia is a very good idea, as you will be able to secure your Cinque Terre Card for the day, be it the trains or the shuttle which gets you up to Corniglia if you don’t want to hike up the 385 steps to get there. Actually, it was not bad at all and a gelato awaiting us, but first about Milan and reflecting on a memory I had, not seeing Milan, actually, but transiting through Milan, some 37 years ago, so having the chance now was wonderful and worth the trip. More time could have been spent there, but we did what we could including the Duomo and a museum and simply wandering around, but I also hit the last of the Hard Rock’s in Italy and one recently opened, July 4, 2022, so it was an experience for sure. ​

As I mentioned, briefly, my only other time with an experience of Milan was back in 1985 and I had been backpacking across Europe for some 2 ½ months and a week in Israel. Upon my return from Israel, I flew to Rome and that was my first time there, doing all the usual things as a tourist, and having been, almost pickpocketed, but it did not happen. This was outside Termini. That was then and this is now, and you know, having lived here all summer, that it is a different world, but things happen, and still do here, but back to Milan. The trains then were not high speed, so there were night trains and I had to get back to Paris for my flight home and the route was Rome to Milan, Milan to Geneva and Geneva to Paris. I had been traveling on Eurail pass, but being somewhat naïve, did not get a seat reservation, so I spent the better part of that train ride, with my internal frame backpack, with my whole life in it between cars on the old train. I also should have preface this by saying that I had gotten some sort of stomach bug, either in Israel or in Rome, but in any case, it was the worst train ride ever. Times have changed and yes, we had seat reservations and enjoyed, for the most part the train rides. They are much more comfortable now with the Freccia or the high-speed trains and you are city center – city center in less than 4 hours. ​

The highlight for the weekend was the Cinque Terre and we based in La Spezia at a very nice hotel called the Hotel Firenze e Continentale and it is a stone’s throw from the train station, so getting the to Cinque Terre is a breeze. As we had arrived later Saturday, it was our intention to cover two of the five, the first day and the other three the second day as we had a late train back and plenty of time to explore, so after some discussion, we opted to go to Manarola first, and it was a wonderful experience. We were also going to go to Riomaggiore, but that did not happen, but that is alright as we were, for dinner at Billy’s Trattoria, overlooking the Liguirian Sea, an amazing sunset, so in the end, we only did one. As you know, the towns are very close together and if you have time, hiking them is best, but the trains operate between them, as this is how we explored each. 

Yesterday, we accomplished the other four towns. First, we went to Riomaggiore, a quick 7-minute train ride from La Spezia and were greeted with a very nice experience and spent a nice hour or so there. Each of these towns are certainly unique and have a common heritage. From Riomaggiore, we headed to Monterosso, I believe the largest of the 5 towns. It is the most developed for tourism and it was also crazy busy on the beach. I did not feel the same quaint vibe as I felt in either of the previous two, but glad we made it there. Next, we headed to Vernazza, which is a quick train trip, and still being high season, the trains were packed, so we waited on one to go and took the next one. Vernazza and its church that was built into the rock itself, we think, but from the rock in the area. The sea view was wonderful and stop for some pulpo (octopus) and a glass of wine made for a nice stay in Vernazza. The last one we went to, Corniglia, offers a shuttle from the train station, as it is the only one up on the hill overlooking the sea. You can also walk it and it is 385 steps, I was told. I did not count, but it was a good hike up and at the end, and gelato to enjoy after the hike up and a stroll through the narrow streets of this town and an amazing view of the sea at the end and then we took the shuttle back down to the train station back to La Spezia, where we chilled with a cocktail at the Terminal Café at the hotel, before taking the late train back to Rome. 
It was an amazing weekend and looking forward to new adventures in the next couple of weeks. As always, I am interested in your thoughts, comments, questions and adding to the discourse is always appreciated be in on the site itself or on Facebook, Twitter or wherever you read this. Thank you for your support of my crazy little world and of my small business. It is truly appreciated!!!