Day 16 Drive to the Cinque TerreThis morning we had our last breakfast in the center of Rome. It is hard to be sad leaving the eternal city knowing that our next destination is the beautiful Cinque Terre. The hustle and bustle of the busy Rome is overwhelming at times for a Montana girl. We caught up with Little Ricky (Richard) at the place where the cats live and also the place where Julius Caesar was assassinated. We hopped aboard and got a last glimpse of some of the more memorable areas in this ancient city, such as the Colosseum, St. Peter's Basilica located within the Vatican City, and a few other memorable sites that we waved arrivederci to in passing.
We cruised along, admiring the beautifully unique countryside that is typical of Tuscany that I have imagined for months. Between rolling hills of green and spots of Cyprus trees mixed with olive trees and other shrubs. It is gorgeous if not a little hazy. The sky teases rain. Perhaps that is why there is a haze to the surrounding lands. Eventually we enter into Umbria, a region of Italy that has no coastline or borders shared with another country. It is at the heart of Italy and is also home to one of my favorite places in Italy, Orvieto. At the stop we got an opportunity to use the restroom before entering the town. Dimitri warned us ahead of time that, particularly in the ladies restroom, there was an old lady collecting the fee to use the restroom, 1 euro, who believes that she does a very good job keeping the restrooms clean. However, according to Dimitri, the reality is that she does not. I did not think that the restroom was that horrible. I had seen worse along the way, however it was not the cleanest either. It just seemed like an interesting thing to mention at the time. At this point in the trip we have come to terms with the reality that in order to use the restroom there is a fee that cannot be avoided. Orvieto is a small town located upon a large, flat butte. It is strange to look at the town from a distance because it is sitting on top of a large rocky projection. For this reason we had to ride a FUNicolare to the top. I call it a FUNicolare because our ride up was rather enjoyable. This small "trolley" can carry 75 people (not comfortably) but with just 28 people we were very comfortable. The "trolley" carries you up the hill to the city. From there you are on top of the butte and you can go to explore the city. We had fun watching the outside views as we rode up the hill. As we neared the top we saw another funicolare approaching. Thankfully there was a "bubble" in the road which allowed the vehicles to pass each other safely. 
Watching the clock as we went we eventually found ourselves back standing before the Orvieto Cathedral. As we were standing there discussing entering, a little car came shooting out of a nearby alley. It was then parked just outside of the cathedral doors. We were surprised as a woman all dressed in white, a bride, emerged. A bit of wind came up, blowing around her veil. Her father joined her, as well as some other people, who helped to get everything settled. The three of us, now together once more, looked at each other and agreed that we should get into the cathedral to at least get a glimpse of the interior before the wedding began and it was closed.
We made a "B" line for the entry. They were still taking tickets as we entered. It was another grand cathedral. The rose window was lovely when viewed from the inside. The aisles were lightly decorated for the wedding. At the back of the cathedral we could see the groom waiting with the bishop. We had hardly gotten into the cathedral when the organs burst into life playing the classic Wedding March "Here Comes the Bride". Mom and I stopped to watch, standing near one of the empty pews at the back of the cathedral. When we looked at each other we both had tears in our eyes. We did not even know the bride, but the beauty of it all was a dream come true. Nearby a couple of our groupmates were watching the procession as well. We noticed that the lady, Barbara, also had tears in her eyes. We watched a couple minutes of the ceremony before going and exploring a few other areas within the cathedral before finally deciding that it was time to go. |
We took a bus from the funicolare stop further up the hill to the peak of Orvieto where, upon disembarking, we saw the large and incredible Orvieto Cathedral. Its imposing grandeur demanded attention. Unlike other Cathedrals we have seen, this one had white and black stripes along the side walls. The front was heavily decorated with lovely mosaics, statues, arches, and a stained glass rose window.
We were each given a ticket to get into the Orvieto Cathedral. Before we could go in Dimitri wanted to give us a little orientation of the town. He led us down the street running directly in front of the cathedral. Along the way we discovered Orvieto's other treasure, pottery and ceramics. They have shops displaying the most amazing and awe inspiring ceramic plates, platters, bowls, wall hangings and other fine decorations. Many of these pieces featured sunflowers, lemons, fruits, or the iconic Italian countryside. The three of us were blown out of the water by the beauty of the items here! Further on down the street we arrived at a farmer's market. With some closing remarks and making us aware of the time we had here, Dimitri set us off to explore on our own. First we walked around the farmer's market admiring the fruits, vegetables, flowers and other items sold at the market. A couple of guys (Herb and Bucky) purchased pulled pork sandwiches which they warned were mainly the fatty parts. We settled with some carrots and strawberries. Yum! But we saved them for later on the bus. We were too eager to get back up the street and admire the beautiful pottery. We decided that it might be best to split up while looking through this main street. That way we could meander along as we pleased. Mom and I still stayed pretty close regardless. One of the shops, amongst the finely decorated pots, plates, and bowls, had a few other items which caught my eye. There were ceramic suns, butterflies, and flowers. I sifted through these, admiring the designs and colors. Against my better judgement I purchased two of the butterflies, a poppy, and one of the suns (chances are with a few more days of traveling and couple flights to get home something will get broken). In another shop I found some adorable Christmas bulbs displaying the countryside. These were also porcelain. Once again I purchased one of these bulbs as well as a small plate, praying that they would make the trip safely. The products of this area certainly are inspirational. I would have loved to have spent more time (and likely more money) on these ceramic items and viewing them. What a treat! Orvieto was not on our itinerary (rather a vague mention that we would be stopping in an "Italian hill town") making it a surprise. What a wonderful surprise! 
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By this time it was nearly time to meet Dimitri down at the funicolare station. We dodged into a couple shops before going and planting ourselves at the bus stop. While we had been touring the town a bunch of students had arrived as well. Suddenly we had competition for catching the buses. We let one bus fill with students while Mom waited patiently for Emily and I to finish up in one of the nearby shops. Some other members of the group waited as well. When the next bus came and we were finally all together again there was another group of students waiting to go down. They filled the bus before we had a chance. Emily and I, as well as a couple of our group members, forced our way onto the bus, eager to not miss the funicolare down. Mom looked up at the bus in its crowded state and did not see where she could fit in. The doors closed and the shuttle took off.
Down at the bottom of the hill Emily and I hopped out, thankful to be away from the crowd. We both felt bad about leaving Mom at the top when we had been the ones holding her up. Now here she was still at the top waiting to come down. While we waited for the next shuttle to hopefully carry Mom to us, we walked over to the outlook where you could see the valley below. Beautiful. Nearby there was also a little postcard stand. I ran over and picked up a couple, one as a gift to mom (and as a sorry!).
Finally the next bus arrived, just as full as the one prior. Mom, and the rest of the group, had gotten on and were now with us. After a buddy check we were off back to the funicolare, which was already quite full. Somehow all 29 of us (Dimitri included) packed our way into the masses. The ride down was slow and uncomfortable as we all felt like sardines. I did not think that 75 people would fit on the funicolare, but I watched the person count decrease as we boarded and it happened. Wow. Let's just say that we were all thankful to return to Richard's luxurious and spacious bus. Next stop, Cinque Terre!
Finally the next bus arrived, just as full as the one prior. Mom, and the rest of the group, had gotten on and were now with us. After a buddy check we were off back to the funicolare, which was already quite full. Somehow all 29 of us (Dimitri included) packed our way into the masses. The ride down was slow and uncomfortable as we all felt like sardines. I did not think that 75 people would fit on the funicolare, but I watched the person count decrease as we boarded and it happened. Wow. Let's just say that we were all thankful to return to Richard's luxurious and spacious bus. Next stop, Cinque Terre!
First actual view of the Cinque Terre!
The beautiful Monterosso al Mare located on the Ligurian Sea.
Waiting outside of the laundromat!
The sign for our hotel.
The big bed in the room, so cute!
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Orvieto was wonderful and very memorable, even if it was just a couple hours that we were there. However a couple hours later we found ourselves cruising down narrow, windy streets as we approached the coast. For this adventure Richard revealed a special treat - Strategically placed around the bus were a couple small screens which feed from a camera situated just above Richard's head. Therefore everyone, even those in the back of the bus, could see the lovely view that those in the front could see. The actual view was more incredible, but we had to do what we could. The roads were quite narrow, and several times those of us gazing out the windows above held our breaths anxiously awaiting the feared crash. The laughs of Dimitri and Richard could be heard by those of us who were closer to the front. The bus was parked in Levanto. As we were pulling into the parking lot Richard stopped the bus and got out. He pulled a knife out of his pocket and began chopping away at some of the nearby sugar cane so that it did not touch his bus when he pulled up into that spot. He loves his bus! So to get to Monterosso al Mare we had to ride a train. For this reason Mom, Emily and I packed lightly and just planned on taking our backpacks. We followed Dimitri down a nearby path and into the train station. From there he directed us to the correct train we would take to arrive at our destination. The trains come by fairly frequently so we did not have to wait too long in the hot sun of the coast. Once on board the train it was a quick ride to Monterosso. We hopped off and followed Dimitri to the exit. Behold, our first true view of the lovely Monterosso! From the train station we took a right and walked past some brightly colored flowers and buildings until we came to another major road. We turned on down this road which eventually ran under the railroad track. Dimitri stopped us outside this building which was half grocery store and half laundromat so that he could go and get the current fees in case anyone wanted to get some laundry done. After a delay of a few minutes he led us under the railroad tracks. Beyond the bridge and a couple doors on the left we finally arrived at our hotel, the lovely Punta Mesco, which is conveniently located just a few minutes from the beach! It was hot, hot, hot in the Cinque Terre. The hotel that we were staying in, however, was cool and refreshing. I loved the decorations! They used a variety of blues and whites for the halls, reception area, and even in the rooms! It really felt like a beach room! It took us very little time to go and settle in. We were so eager to get out to the water and check out the infamous beach and the waters of the Ligurian Sea! I grabbed my camera and we grabbed our hats, except for Emily who lost her hat somewhere between Florence and Rome. Together we headed down to the water. Some of the beach, we noticed, was more rocky than other parts. Many places on the beach were privately owned by groups who own the umbrellas and beach chairs. There were a couple of sectioned off areas that were considered public. We did not realize this at first as we dumped off some of our items on the private shore. The water was that exotic, lovely, aquamarine blue that you dream of. The water was also surprisingly chilly, but in the heat of the sun it felt amazing! According to Dimitri this area has a higher salt content in the water as compared to other areas, therefore one should float better here! We did not get in the water to try right away since we were going to be meeting up with the group before too long for dinner. Another remarkable thing about the sand is that it sparkles in the sunlight due to tiny shell fragments, or fragments of Mother of Pearl. It was like little diamonds sparkling in the sand and playing in the gently lapping water. Beautiful. When the time came to return to Punta Mesco to join the group for dinner we had a hard time pulling ourselves away. Along the way back to the hotel we stopped to admire the lovely tropical flowers planted around the town. Back at the hotel half of the group was sitting outside in comfy looking chairs. We waited for a few more minutes before heading out together. |
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We walked back toward the beach and followed along the board walk on up toward one of the hills. We kept looking over at the water and enjoying everything. Dimitri led us up to a tunnel which took us on a shortcut through the hill down to the "old town" of Monterosso. After walking through a tunnel to the old town we finally saw our restaurant. We slowly meandered in that direction so that we would arrive closer to our scheduled time. Finally it was time to go and eat. As we approached we heard a ding ding ding. Someone, or rather multiple people in the group shouted out, "Fiets! Fiets!" (Dutch for bike). We scrambled to get out of the way of the oncoming bike. However, when we turned to look back at the bike we realized it was none other than our dear Richard! "I borrowed the bike from my buddy (the super sweet and cheerful receptionist at Punta Mesca)," Richard explained. "I asked him, "(Insert name here), can I borrow your bike?" And he said, "Sure!"." Have I mentioned how much I love this man? We stood near a stone wall overlooking the water until we were asked to go into the restaurant. Inside we had several tables pushed together and a couple of separate tables. Emily, Mom and I took one of the separate tables. Much to our pleasure Richard joined us. We did not have long to wait until they brought around the white wine and bottled water (both of which went along with the meal, also the wine was the wine of the region) as well as the first dish, Pesto Pasta. YUM! Europe has made me a believer in pesto! I also poured a little bit of wine but mainly stuck with the water. The pasta was absolutely delicious! It left us wanting more. Dimitri told us that this would be the same place where we should order Amphora, the king of seafood dishes. We seriously considered ordering some more pesto pasta before the meal when we have it tomorrow evening. While waiting for the next course of the meal Mom made sure to make reservations for the Amphora tomorrow evening. The second, main, course of the meal was swordfish and fried potatoes. Another immediate YUM! When going to eat the swordfish I began to separate the skin from the piece of fish. Richard immediately interjected. Apparently I was doing it all wrong. He picked up my knife to poke at the fish as he explained, "No, you eat the skin with the fish. You see all of the vitamins are located between the skin and the fish. If you don't eat the skin then what is the point of the fish?" Returning my knife he then got up to make sure that everyone else in the group was eating their fish correctly. For dessert we had a fruit cocktail with a scoop of vanilla ice cream mounded on top. Richard refused dessert, but requested that we get the sexy wine and cookies. After a bit they brought the sexy wine, a wine meant to be a dessert, or to be enjoyed after the meal. We started pouring it into our glasses when Richard stopped us. "No, no, no! You need the cookie! The cookie and the wine is like you two," he gestures to Chris and Mark who were sitting at a nearby table, "it is like this table and the cloth, me and my bus. We need cookies!" Dimitri responded, "It doesn't look like you are going to get your cookies Richard." However they finally did bring out a plate of the cookies, little breaded cookies for each table. We offered some to Richard but again he refused. "Oh, I don't want any. They are for you. You all needed your cookies!" During this meal Richard also told us that the tour group ahead of us had run into snow in Switzerland! Coming from Montana where it feels like we live in snow for around half of the year we were not too excited. He even had pictures of a similar bus to ours surrounded by quite a bit of snow. Brr! However, we were here in the Cinque Terre, far from snow of any sort, so we would continue to live and love the beach life! |
These are the most fragrant flowers! They smell like plumeria!
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After sipping on a little bit of sexy wine and munching on a couple cookies Mom, Emily and I excused ourselves. Tomorrow is our free day, so we did not have to wait for any evening announcements. Instead we decided to go and do a little exploring of Monterosso while there was still some light in the sky, even if it was fading quickly!
We left the restaurant and started climbing the nearby hill to get a different view of the old town. Emily had explored this area when she visited the Cinque Terre before. Therefore this was another place that she wanted to take us. Along the walk we came across these lovely flowers which smelled just like the Hawaiian flower Plumeria. Perhaps a distant relative?
This path led up to the castle and right next to that a barred area that was decorated with locks. It was a lovely and peaceful area. We backtracked a little to find a path up the hill (quite a climb) to the statue of St. Francis. There was a lovely view of the Old Town Monterosso and the New Town. We stood here and watched the ripples of the sea and the twinkling of city lights for a few minutes before walking up to the church atop the hill. Emily had been inside and we were hopeful that the church would be open. We were pleased to see that it was. We stepped up to the door and entered. Upon entering we quickly realized that we were barging in on a funeral. With an apologetic smile we slid back out the door once more and began to head back to our hotel.
We left the restaurant and started climbing the nearby hill to get a different view of the old town. Emily had explored this area when she visited the Cinque Terre before. Therefore this was another place that she wanted to take us. Along the walk we came across these lovely flowers which smelled just like the Hawaiian flower Plumeria. Perhaps a distant relative?
This path led up to the castle and right next to that a barred area that was decorated with locks. It was a lovely and peaceful area. We backtracked a little to find a path up the hill (quite a climb) to the statue of St. Francis. There was a lovely view of the Old Town Monterosso and the New Town. We stood here and watched the ripples of the sea and the twinkling of city lights for a few minutes before walking up to the church atop the hill. Emily had been inside and we were hopeful that the church would be open. We were pleased to see that it was. We stepped up to the door and entered. Upon entering we quickly realized that we were barging in on a funeral. With an apologetic smile we slid back out the door once more and began to head back to our hotel.
At one point on the way back I decided that I wanted to hang back so that I could take some night photos of the town. Emily and Mom headed back on their own and I stayed behind. With the lights dancing upon the water's surface I could not resist taking at least a couple photos.
On the way back to the room I passed by a gelato stand. Well I HAD to stop! I waited in line for a couple minutes behind some rather obnoxious travelers until it was my turn. Once it was my turn I quickly glanced over the selection. I finally decided upon my two favorites, black cherry and nutella. Yum! So much YUM today!
From there I moseyed my way back to the hotel. Along the way I walked past a busy bar blasting country songs from home. Taken aback I enjoyed the tune, also realizing that I was going through home music cravings! Back in the room things were settling down. We all prepared for bed and for the long day ahead of us. Our day in the Cinque Terre is supposed to be a "Vacation from your vacation", however as I have learned over the years a vacation is rarely relaxed. With five cities to explore we would be quite busy tomorrow. With that thought in mind we settled into our beds. Buona notte!
On the way back to the room I passed by a gelato stand. Well I HAD to stop! I waited in line for a couple minutes behind some rather obnoxious travelers until it was my turn. Once it was my turn I quickly glanced over the selection. I finally decided upon my two favorites, black cherry and nutella. Yum! So much YUM today!
From there I moseyed my way back to the hotel. Along the way I walked past a busy bar blasting country songs from home. Taken aback I enjoyed the tune, also realizing that I was going through home music cravings! Back in the room things were settling down. We all prepared for bed and for the long day ahead of us. Our day in the Cinque Terre is supposed to be a "Vacation from your vacation", however as I have learned over the years a vacation is rarely relaxed. With five cities to explore we would be quite busy tomorrow. With that thought in mind we settled into our beds. Buona notte!
