Ancient Pathways

Cinque Terre, Italy

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

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

La Spezia, Italy.  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. 

Views north along the Cinque Terre coast from Grotta di Lord Byron.
Little wonder he found these views inspiring! 

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.

When you think you've got it tough today,
spare a thought for 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

La Spezia, Italy

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

Set the riding sail. 
All hands on deck... now!! 

We spent 3 days locked in Golfo Stella as wind howled over us.  We were spinning like a top on anchor, so had to set up the riding sail.

 Thankfully our trusty anchor held - and so did those on (most) other boats.  

When conditions settled somewhat, the Cap’n took Bruce out for a spin to see the lay of the land.  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!).

Not to be outdone, we at least did not suffer quite the same fate as Percy Byce Shelley in 1822.  Sadly, this poet, famous even at the young age of 30, drowned in the Gulf of Spezia area after a storm overtook his sailboat while he was visiting Livorno. His body washed ashore weeks later.

Finally, 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, (to haulout) 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!)