San Fruttuoso - GE

July 20, 2013 

This morning we moved up along the coast to Santa Margherita Ligure. We pointed to Portofino to check if we could park there, only to find confirmation that the population there are just posh shits (and the only local car park have outrageously high prices, like €5.50/hr), so we turned back to SML, parked on top of hill for free, and took the boat to San Fruttuoso where we spent the day swimming.

San Fruttuoso

By mid afternoon we went back to the car and headed up north to visit the in-laws... and gained a proper bed in the process ...

Now we ordered a couple of softer mattresses for the Quber, so it'll probably be better to sleep in next time. At the moment the mattresses we use are pretty dense and they give us (especially me) some trouble with our chests, making it feel really heavy. Now with the new foams that should arrive next week, we should be ok, otherwise it becomes really difficult sleeping in the Quber for more than a couple of days...

Cinque Terre - SP

July 19, 2013
After breakfast in the camper van area of the service station, we left the motorway in Levanto and found us a suitable car park where we paid for a whole day stay. We then made a special ticket for the Cinque Terre Trail and Trains, so we could walk the trail from Monterosso to Vernazza and then to Corniglia, and we took the train to the other Terre, as the trail had been interrupted by landslide nearly two years ago.


From the same year's floods that caused the landslides (2011), we witnessed the remains of a house, built too close to the river that overflowed...





  




The walk was good, but with lots of ups and down, for the mountain there is very steep... the day was also really hot so we did a fair bit of sweating...

Monterosso

In Vernazza we lunched with a piece of local focaccia, always a must in Liguria, :) before walking on towards Corniglia, our next destination.

Vernazza

After Corniglia we caught the train to Riomaggiore, thinking of reaching Manarola on the next walk, but that was interrupted too, so we just caught the train back to Monterosso for a swim. Then, back on the train to Levanto and the car.

Corniglia

Leaving the Cinque Terre we decided not to take the motorway, but to use the normal road, so when a sign for a Hotel and Restaurant caught our attention we decided to follow it, as it was going towards the top of the mountain. When we reached the place we found ourselves very high up, with great views over the sea. We then asked the owners of the place if they knew where we could go to sleep with our Qubo, somewhere not too far and with toilet facilities... like we hoped, the lady told us we could stop there for the night, so we gladly accepted and remained for dinner, as a way of thanking them for their hospitality. The food was very good and the portions well generous. The place was very quiet and we really enjoyed our time there!

Our stop for the night

 










 

Finale weekend -2

Saturday 20.04
The weather hasn't been as rotten as forecasted - actually, it was rather good :)
I walked some 3.5 km to Finalborgo, then another 1 or so to Finale Marina where I had a nice stroll along the beach, that's another km or thereabout. The sea was raging - there was a red flag - and it was really beautiful. I like raging seas. I barefooted back to Finalborgo and visited the Archaeological Museum, then walked my way back to Ca' d'Alice. I did put together quite a few paces today, I'm pleased.
The evening was spent laughing an cheering with the climbing lot - and for once I managed NOT to overeat...

Finale Marina