Ancient Pathways

Cinque Terre

Vernazza's very pretty and popular harbour

The Cinque Terre is quite a walk.
Our juice break taken at the house, top right

The Gulf of La Spezia is known as the Poet’s Gulf and certainly a list of greats once lived here – Yeats, DH Lawrence, Shelley, and Byron amongst others.  Romance was certainly in the air…  We were keen then to take a day trip to the Cinque Terre, a cluster of 5 romantic villages and rocky terraces set into dramatically steep cliffs.  This area has been listed as an UNESCO Heritage site given its isolation, adherence to old farming practices and retention of an ancient pathway, Sentiero Azzurro, that links villages.  Cars are not allowed access, so it's a choice of walking, taking the train or riding a ferry. 

At La Spezia Station (when we eventually found it!), there is a helpful information desk staffed by pleasant young ladies who even spoke English.  We took the opportunity to ask lots of questions…this was a rare event indeed.  The Cinque Terre is a popular destination and cruise ships offload their passengers regularly to visit.  We were then, most certainly not alone in seeking tickets for this destination.  With day passes in hand (€16 each) we had transport and trail fees taken care of.  Our plan was to take the train (30 mins) to the furthest village, #1 Monterosso al Mare, and work our way back – not all of it walking…



Travelling along the pathway to Corniglia

Monterosso has quite the beach scene happening and being that it’s the end of the line, cars, scooters and buses cram in limited parking areas.  We sat overlooking the beach to eat our picnic brunch wondering how Italians feel when they visit Australia’s wide sandy stretches with not a jungle of sun umbrellas & sun lounges in sight.  The walking path to Vernazza looked busy too, so we made for the train and skipped this 3.6km section.
 

Houses really do cling to cliffs here

Vernazza.  Going up & up the stairs
behind the village

We took our time to explore Vernazza’s busy streets and harbour full of bobbing fishing & tourist boats – it’s rather more scenic than its neighbour.  Over coffee, we hatched a plan (Cap’n Cavalry almost convinced) to walk 3.45km to Corniglia, a journey our map assured us took 1 ½ hrs.  Vernnazza, we discovered as we followed signs to the trail, has really steep steps (called arpaie); Dangar’s looking pretty good by such measures.  Up we went, up and up never-ending stairs – until after rather more than an hour, it evened out momentarily.

Are we there yet?

The camera ran hot

 

Here, a resourceful villa owner offered a chance to rest and revive with wine, beer or orange granita.  We sat sipping fresh orange juice, admiring the view over Corniglia from the balcony, pleased we only had 30 mins (or so) left to go & it looked to be mostly downhill.  Do not even begin to think we were alone on this trail.  There were all sorts from dedicated walkers with all the right gear, enthusiastic joggers, bored teenagers and even someone in bathers & no shoes.  

 

It was something of a relief to arrive at Corniglia and also to find out that the next trail to Manarola (2.9km) was closed.  A Park notice also informed us that only 100 metres between Manarola and Riomaggiore (1.1km) could be accessed.  Gosh, that WAS bad luck!  We’d have to take the train then. 



Corniglia is a riot of pastel houses plastered against a steep cliff face.  From the village, a set of 320 (or was it 430?) stairs lead down to the station, overlooking a rocky beach.  We just had to try some home-made lemon gelato before attempting them.

Yes, yes I'm sure there was a Gelato store at the bottom of these stairs.
I'll just wait here for you to get back...

In all, it was an adventurous day (for us non-hiking types).  The scenery was an interesting mix of bold seascapes, terraced olive groves and vineyards, some long since abandoned.  If you are after peace and quiet, August is not the month to be here for sure, but the villages are quaint and somehow it’s easy to imagine them providing both inspiration and a garret for artistic types to follow their creative spirit.  Or even house a mistress or two!

Not that Riviera

Tuscany by the Sea

WJ3 (second from the left) at anchor, Le Grazie

No wonder everyone loves Tuscany, it’s just so different to other places fringing the Mediterranean Sea we’ve visited.  The hills are green, farms luxuriant and villages colourful.  Cypress pines dot the landscape and everywhere people are in boats of all shapes and sizes enjoying the last of their summer holidays.  The days are delightfully temperate and the nights cool.  We arrived late after another long day to settle into a peaceful anchorage off the small village of Le Grazie.  Technically, we are on the edge of Liguria here but who’s telling?  There is a large local marina nearby and beyond that a fish farm.  We tuck ourselves in near the church and wait for its early morning musical chimes to ring out over surrounding hills.

From La Spezia, a short bus ride away, we can catch a train to the Renaissance heartland - Pisa, Siena and Florence.  Nearby is the famous Cinque Terre.  So, if it all pans out AND the anchor holds, we’ll do a little exploring before heading off to Corsica, our only taste of France this year.

View over Porto Venere back toward the Gulf of La Spezia

Just as a warm up expedition, we took the local bus to Porto Venere.  It was Thursday, but judging by the crowds, you could quite believe it was Sunday.  Still, we walked the quaint old town set into the side of a steep coastline and admired the views out over Palmaria Island to a very busy anchorage and the cliff-lined coast north along the Cinque Terre. 

North along the Cinque Terre coast 

San Pietro perched on the cliff's edge at Porto Venere

Porto Venere is considered, unofficially, the 6^th village of this area and it is possible to walk (yes, hike) along the verges to village #5.  We chose instead to explore San Pietro, a very pretty 13^th c black & white marble church perched on the seaward slope of the village.  Some parts of this church date back to the 6^th c.  At its foot, a door leads to a grotto where Byron is said to have enjoyed swimming.  He swam (apparently quite often) to Lerici across the Gulf of La Spezia to an apartment he rented there, and furnished with 2 mistresses.  After all, it was the time of the great Romantics and Porto Venere is named in honour of the goddess of love, Venus!

Climbing through the village

Climbing a maze of rickety stairs (that could well have been ladders!) through the village, we encountered the second church of the village, the 12^th c San Lorenzo.  Significantly larger and rather more severe, it’s named in honour of a saint who was martyred over a grill (alive!!)  Those medieval types certainly had an interesting punishment list.  Just in case you weren’t entirely clear how he met his maker, a sculpture over the doorway depicts this fate graphically. 

Of course, we had a further climb to a small citadel, Castello Doria (12^th c) that crests the rise above the town.  The village was fortified by the Genoese, a powerhouse state at the time.  The castle was defended by a garrison of archers, musketeers and sometime later, cannon.  During Napoleon’s time, the citadel was used to hold political prisoners.

Poor Saint Lorenzo

Back down steep stairways that wound through pastel coloured and very tidy villas (I want one!!), we decided on a late lunch at one of the many tiny restaurants lining the main pedestrian street.  At 3pm, there was no service until at least 7pm!  Needless to say, we are still adjusting to Italy’s meal times.   So, a quick nibble on pesto (a free sample made from locally grown basil) then on down to the corniche for at least a beer and a little bikini watching (that should read, watching incredibly little bikinis!), before heading back to Le Grazie.

 

Finally, a chance for a little girl talk!

(Photos later when we have better Internet connection, grrr!)

Detained on Elba

The island of Elba was next on our list, so we planned to break the journey mid-way at an anchorage sheltered from prevailing winds.  Despite an adverse current, we made good time with a pleasant southerly pushing us along.  Yes, we even sailed for a few hours!  However, the southerly freshened up in the late afternoon and it became apparent that our anchorage would be less than attractive in the onshore swell.  The Cap’n consulted various weather oracles and declared that despite a forecast late evening change, we could make it to Elba, albeit in the early hours.  There was only 40 miles to go. 

At dusk, with 20nm down and off an aptly named Giglio (actually it means lilies) we experienced a couple of strange events.  Firstly, a large fishing boat was towing another, whilst a small coast guard boat danced around them.  We provided some much needed relief from the tedium obviously, so this occasioned the flashing light and a momentary chase to ensure we were well out of the way.  We didn’t have the VHF radio on, and there was little point anyway given our limited language skills. We wondered what they said to us... 

The next item of interest was a low line of grey cloud hovering in our path.  It looked so low, GS was concerned the mast would touch it – reliving memories of lightning strikes off the US coast.  “Ah,” said the Cap’n, “that would be our front arriving.  Predicted winds from the NW (yes, our direction to Elba, of course) at 10-15kts.”  We also noticed clouds piling up along the coast. 

Passing through the front was fine, the waters disturbed but not challenging.  Breaking free of it however told another story.  Winds built up to 20-25 kts fairly quickly and with a steep swell and current against us, the last miles in trampoline conditions took FOREVER.  GS succumbed in the final hours yet managed, whilst clutching the bucket, to assist our heroic Cap’n furl the main at the mast (the furling line in the cockpit was slipping).  Equipment difficulties always seem to occur in dreadful conditions!  Finally an anchorage on the south coast of Elba was in site - in the dead of night and two hours later than predicted.  After watching an incredible electrical display from a line of storm cells dotted along the coast, we crashed, without dinner. 

So, what does a red sky a night really mean...a howling gale again tomorrow?
This is our anchorage on Elba

We were spinning like a top on anchor
 so had to set the riding sail. 
All hands on deck 

We spent 3 days locked in Golfo Stella as wind howled over us.  Thankfully our trusty anchor held - and so did those on (most) other boats.  The Cap’n took Bruce out for a spin to see the lay of the land and despite the number of boats at anchor, there was little civilization (unless your need was for a beach umbrella and sun lounge) and nowhere to go.  It seems that we had been caught between the Mistrale that blows through the Gulf of Lyon in France (at 35kts) and a Bora (40kts) blowing over Italy from Croatia.  So, rather like Napoleon, we too were detained on Elba.  At least he had a fashionable townhouse, a country villa (furnished with a mistress, naturally), servants and a navy (but only one ship – just like us!).

A brief respite in conditions presented itself, so it was yet another early rise and long day motoring to seek shelter in the expansive harbour and pleasant village of Le Grazie.  This, we decided, was as far north as we planned to go.  The Mistrale had been far too a regular companion of Med France since we started watching forecasts in Naples.  Anchoring in strong winds, in busy, choppy harbours would not be enjoyable.  We would make for Corsica and then on to the Balearics.  After a few days rest and some more sightseeing, it would be –“Spain, here we come!!

(We are slightly behind with the blog at this stage and as the plan is to head off first thing for Corsica tomorrow - for a brief interlude - we may not have internet until the Balearics.  If nothing else, the map & tracker will be updated when the opportunity presents itself.  Florence is just more photos of statues and paintings anyway!)

Roman Sabbatical

The Vatican

Of course this is THE Pieta

A 10am “tour” of St Peters Cathedral meant an early start and a crowded train but by now we felt like locals.  We took the Metro through to Ottaviano San Petro and walked the length of Via Ottaviano to our meeting place under the columned arcade of Bernini’s famous Piazza San Petro (1667).  The space is vast and even at that hour of the morning, tourist numbers were increasing and temperatures rising.  The obelisk in the centre was brought to Rome by Caligula and used for a time by Nero in his circus as a turning post for chariot races.  Why ever not?  Priceless antiquities with benefits.
 

We met our guide, skipped the line (entrance to St Peters is free but numbers are controlled, so the ever present queue cannot be avoided) and fronted for an audio guide.  Let me tell you, the Vatican has gone modern.  We downloaded an app on our phones using free Vatican wifi and were given an earpiece.  All this sounds awfully cosy and convenient, however the app was not user-friendly (far too complex for us low tech over 60’s) and there was way too much information. GS even got bored listening to the Cardinal’s introduction!  Then the earpiece threw a wobbly.  By this time our guide had mysteriously disappeared and we realised exactly what we had paid for (& what profits the Vatican is reaping daily from the masses). 

Still, we were inside and so out with the trusty guide books and off on a tour of our own making, wandering for 1 ½ hours through this cavernous space; highlights were Michelangelo’s Pieta (now behind glass after being attacked by some crazy person), Bernini’s elegant dome and writhing High Alter Canopy and a spot on the floor where Charlemagne was crowned by the Pope.  One can only begin to imagine the pomp and ceremony of such State occasions.

Vatican Museum painted ceiling

 

Then it was time for round two – a yellow guide and quick march past a very lengthy queue waiting in the sun for tickets to the Vatican Museum.  This time, an audio guide was not included, so we had little to moan about except to consider that the profits from our entrance fees might be used at Christie’s Auctions to obtain yet more valuable art works (when donations were slow that is).  Cynicism aside, the Museum is vast and to ensure an expedient flow of visitors, the complex is designated with one-way routes (not clearly marked but evident by the human drift and encouraged by security staff). 

The Sistine Chapel was the end of the line, so we shouldered bags, filled our water bottles and joined in.  Be warned!  You will incur the wrath of the security guards if you take photos or make noise in the Sistine Chapel.  GS missed the notice, so was warned off.  The fellow next to us was not so lucky - he even had to delete his photos and show proof to the guard who stood over him until his mission was achieved!  We stood for as long as we dared gaping at Michelangelo's famous artworks, and then escaped via the exit, lined with bookshops, religious memorabilia and regular tourist tat.  In all, a thriving business!

Walls on the map room

What a stairwell!

We finished our day with the Omni Bus ride.  It may well be a 24 hour ticket that we had, but the offer was for one ride (round trip only).  The earpieces didn’t work so we sat up-top with the breeze in our faces and feet finally up to take our last look at this extraordinary city.  At its conclusion, we stayed on board (oh, we are so naughty!) and hitched a ride to the main train station, Termini.  Then it was back to WJ3 with a few odd jobs to complete before our departure scheduled for the following morning. 

One of these would have come in very handy down the Museum's corridors

 

Roman Encounter

And the Rest

The Spanish Steps are closed!  What do we do now?

Back into the city and our Metro stop was Spagne (said "sparn yah").  Can’t you always tell a tourist by their pronunciation of names….  From there it was only a hop down to see the Spanish Steps.  All closed off to the public in the height of the season for restoration!  Yes, that’s just Italy for you!  Tourists stood in a daze, waiting perhaps for something to happen.  We took brief note of the boat shaped fountain (by Bernini’s father) and Keats’ House where he died in 1821. 

Opera Singer serenades Big Spenders

Italy was of course, incorporated in the Grand Tour when young men of good fortune came to study the classics and find themselves.  Perhaps the closest we (Australians) ever came to such a literary epiphany was the artists colonies on Hydra, Greece ("Peel Me a Lotus” by Charmian Clift & yes, I’m probably being rather mean!). Now a museum dedicated to Keats, Shelley and Byron, it’s on every trail of every literary buff in town.

Our jaunt took us down Via Frattina, deep in fashionista heartland.  Big Names kept popping up and so did price tags too.  Even the buskers kept the experience up a notch; an opera singer serenaded us with great gusto.  We did stop for brunch, delicate sandwiches and teeny coffees, right opposite YSL in nearby Piazza San Lorenza in Luccina.  The people watching was well worth it.  

Someone (a very rich someone) was buried in this once....

Hercules

From there it was a reasonable stroll to the Museo Nazionale Romano: Palazzo Altemps**.  Just to confuse you, museums seem spread over a number of buildings, making good use of the available palazzo (palaces).  The Palazzo Altemps was a fantastic combo of palace and museum so we were able to see how the other half really lived, as it were!  You also find yourself wondering about the might of the Church too as many of the pieces are from the Ludovisi Collection.  He was just one of many Cardinals, wealthy families & others who amassed significant private collections over the years.  Aside from the quality of the collections in the Palazzo Altemps, its best feature (for us anyway) was that it was not crammed full of visitors.  This meant the First Mate could have a quiet chat with Hercules; there were several renditions of him, so it took a while….

This is Odysseus - at last a portrait

Our next move was those Omni Tickets** to the Vatican.  As previously mentioned, finding the Roma Cristiana office was quite a quest but we knew it was our only hope of getting into the Vatican Museum in August (this year!).  We decided to walk via the Tiber River, passing Ponte Sant Angelo wondering if we would ever have time to call at the mysterious Castel (we didn’t).   Eventually we found someone who pointed us in the right direction and with tickets (not for Wednesday, that’s the Pope’s Audience Day) confirmed for Thursday, we jumped the #40 bus (said to be pickpocket central) to the Station.

**Our Roma Pass gave us discounted entry to this Museum.  Aside from using the Pass on our first day, Altemps was the only other paid entry fee we used it for (or indeed had time for!).  We certainly got great value for money when calculating everything including our transport costs.  As to the Omni Passes, I doubt I would ever use these again. 

Castel Sant' Angelo built in 135AD for Hadrian & Bernini's angels on the bridge

Roman Sojourn

Centro Storico

Largo de Tritone

Next on the list was the historical centre, the downtown of Rome; a charismatic area full of cobbled streets, magnificent mansions, ancient monuments and medieval churches.  We used the LP walking tour for this area too, but expanded it a little to include a few other “not to be missed” features that were close to Metro Barberini, thus conserving our energy – vital at this stage! 

Palazzo Barberini is home to a large & recommended art gallery, however, our sights were set on seeing the Trevi Fountain and a host of other things, so with a brief nod to the Barberini Largo de Tritone (a fountain) off we marched to discover the hoards surrounding the Trevi Fountain, all throwing coins.  Why did we do it too?  A phenomenon known as “group-think”….  Anyway, we’ll be back, but only in another life.   The vast sums collected daily are given to various charities.

Trevi Fountain & the crowds

The fountain looks fantastic thanks to its recent restoration

Through back streets, we crossed Via del Corso into the historic centre finding our way to the Piazza Colonna, Rome’s political heart.  The impressive residence of the Italian Prime Minister (Palazzo Chigi, 17^th c) and the 30m high Column of Marcus Aurelius, carved within an inch of its life loom large in this fairly quiet area.  A little further on, and in competition, is the Palazzo di Montecitorio and its equally tall, Egyptian obelisk.  Games of power!

Column of Marcus Aurelius

Palazzo di Montecitorio

The Pantheon

Deeper into the back streets, it is almost possible to miss the enigmatic Pantheon.  Built in 27 AD as a pagan temple to “all gods”, the Pantheon was not declared a Christian church until 608. 

The dome, an example of one of Rome’s most significant architectural achievements, is still the world’s largest unreinforced concrete dome ever built.  Even understanding its brilliant engineering, it is still a sight to behold. 

Inside is an understated tomb to Renaissance artist, Raphael.

Magic of the light streaming in from the "eye" in the centre of the dome

The Chiesa di Santa Maria Sopra Minerva to the side of the Pantheon was sadly closed** however we were still able to admire Bernini’s very cute baby elephant, Elephantino.  At this point, we rested at the back of the Pantheon with large tubs of gelato – just to keep our strength up, mind!

Bernini's Elephantino with cheeky grin

Of course gelato is good for you! *Grin*

Revived and rested, it was time to tackle the Piazza Navona, a huge serving of Baroque’s flamboyancy.  Bernini created the exuberant central fountain representing the rivers of the four known continents of the world: Ganges (Asia), Nile (Africa), Danube (Europe) and Plata (America’s).   The site of the square is over an ancient monument, an arena for public games, hence its shape.  The arena fell into disrepair, finally resurrected in the 15^th c as the central market.  Now, with Bernini's help, it’s Rome’s showcase piazza.

One of Bernini's four rivers

Nearby we met Pinocchio

The Ecstasy of St Theresa (by Bernini, of course!)

Rather than continue on down to the Tiber River via the fruit & veg market, we headed back to Barberini, with a stop at the Chiesa di Santa Maria della Vittoria.  This delightful church contains Bernini’s “The Ecstasy of St Theresa” hailed as one the finest examples of European Baroque.  Hardly anyone else was in the church, so we had St Theresa almost all to ourselves.  One of the great joys of Rome is that you don’t always need to fight the crowds to see superb art.  It’s all there and available up close and personal.  The difficulty is that you really need weeks, years even, to see it all!

**When planning itineraries, check your guides for church opening times.  They all, along with shops, generally seem to observe Italy’s famous 3 hour (or more) lunch time “siesta”. 

Characterful fountains on every street corner...

Roman Theatrics

Ancient Rome

What better place to start our little Roman adventure than with its very beginnings.  We turned our walking tour on its head, simply because the nearest Metro stop was the Colosseo.  Stepping out from the dark station tunnel to see the Colosseum (80 AD) in all its glory at close range was a heart-stopper.  Also, the crowds weren’t too bad, all things considered!  From the time we found the Roma Pass entry (near the tour groups) it took us about 10 minutes to get inside.  Way to go!  This wonderful structure, said to be capable of holding some 50,000 Roman citizens, is understandably, one of the city’s most popular sites.  Nothing quite conjures up images of Sparticus, Ben Hur or even our boy, Russell (though he did make “Gladiator” in Morocco!) like this impressive stage setting.  Here, gladiator fights, wild animal hunts and even naval battles (the floor was able to be flooded) were staged for blood-thirsting crowds; perhaps a precursor of London’s gin principle to keep the masses happy?  Even so, it’s hard to imagine Trajan’s 117 day extravaganza featuring 9000 gladiators & 10,000 animals. 

The bowels of the Colosseum were a hive of cells for storage, animals etc

Capitoline Wolf with twins, Romulus & Remus

 

From here, it was only a short hop to the Roman Forum & Palatine Hill entry point (& ticket combined with the Colosseum).  The Palatino is the seed that in 753 BC sprouted Rome.  Here, truth and legend mingle to fashion the myth of twins Romulus and Remus.  Historians also believe the village may have grown due to its strategic position along the salt road.  Conquering Etruscans further developed the site, transforming villages into a town and constructing a citadel on the Capitol.  By the time of the Roman Republic, Palatine became the most sought-after residential address for emperors and aristocrats.  Its popularity continued for over 300 years. 

The Roman Forum grounds looking up to the Capitoline Hill

 

Given the spread of the Palatine’s ruins, we limited our walk through the ruins to a vantage point overlooking the Roman Forum.  The Forum is sited on what once was a marshy hollow between the Palatine and the Capitol and began its life as a humble place of trade (along with other things that such market places attract).  As the city grew, so too did the Forum evolve to become the centre of ancient Rome - its ceremonial, religious, political and commercial core.  It is here that the famous Vestal Virgins kept alive the eternal flame at the heart of the “Eternal City”.  To quote one of my equally ancient guide books, the Forum’s “splendid fame runs the entire history of Rome’s first thousand years”.

Having found the tricky (and only?) Forum exit on Via dei Fori Imperiali, we staggered on (in the heat & through crowds) to find ourselves in front of Il Vittoriano (1885), a vast & imposing structure of blinding white marble celebrating Italy’s unification and to honour its first king, Vittorio Emanuele II.  In a city of “look-at-me” superlatives, this just goes one, or perhaps twenty, steps too far. 

 

 

Bernini's Medusa 1630's

There were far more than 20 steps up the Cordonata to Capitoline Hill.  Thankfully, Santa Maria in Aracoeli** was given over to a wedding, so we bypassed those extra steps and found ourselves welcomed to Michelangelo’s redesign project (of the ancient citadel) by giant statues, Castor & Pollux.  They pointed the way to the Capitoline Museum’s tidy café saving us from thirst & hunger….  

 

Then it was back to the Piazza del Campidoglio to take in ‘the most beautiful piazza in Rome” before hitting the Capitoline Museum (the world’s oldest public museum since 1471) with a big” wow” moment in every room.   (This used up our Roma Pass second and final entrance - on day 1…now we were nervous!)

A wall fresco depicting Hannibal

Some of the truly monumental bits of sculpture in the courtyard 

 

We retraced our steps back to the Metro, planning to stop for a refreshing ale along the way.  An imperious waiter waved us away from the table we had chosen, pointing to a line of eager customers, who also watched our every move.  Given that there were 5 people waiting and at least 15 tables free, we wondered about the necessity for a queue.  We voted with our feet and made it back to WJ3 where the beer was probably colder and certainly much cheaper…

**This 1250 AD church is said to be built on the spot where the Sibyl of Tibur announced the coming of Christ to Augustus.