May 23, 2024 - Classic Italy
La Spezia Cruise - Cinque Terre Villages - Vernazza
|
|
We started the day at the port city of La Spezia. It is one Italy's main military and commercial harbours and a major Italian Navy base. A popular seaside resort, it is also a significant railway junction, and is notable for its museums, for the Palio del Golfo rowing race, and for railway and boat links with the Cinque Terre.
The plan called for us to go to the Cinque Terre Village of Vernazza by boat out of this port. But although the sheltered La Spezia harbor waters were calm, outside on the Ligurian Sea, arm of the Mediterranean Sea,.was rough. So we ended up doing a sea tour of the harbor area, coming back and taking a train to Vernazza. Which was fine by me. I know what it is to be seasick, and would be fine if I was never seasick again.
Here Lynnette is standing in front of the tour boat at La Spezia.
|
| |
 |
|
|
Underway on a three-hour tour, a three-hour tour....
|
| |
 |
|
| Looking at the town of La Spezia. |
| |
 |
|
|
Heading out into the harbor. The waters are calm here.
|
| |
 |
|
| Looking northeast at the Italian Navy Base. |
| |
 |
|
| Looking southwest which is also a military base of some sort. I think they practice on that old Navy ship at left. |
| |
 |
|
| Close-up of the old Navy ship. |
| |
 |
|
|
Passing by the Forte Santa Maria.
Built around 1860, called "Garibaldi", armed with 6 152/45 guns and a 45 cm Rosset-Giovannetti cannon, it was used to defend the gulf of La Spezia. During the Second World War it was used as an anti-aircraft battery, and was armed with four 76/40 anti-aircraft guns. Today it used by the G.O.I. of the Navy and is not visitable.
|
| |
 |
|
| Passing by a luxury yacht. |
| |
 |
|
|
We rounded the Punta della Castagna thenheaded southwest towards a narrow gap.
|
| |
 |
|
| P20 |
| |
 |
|
| Approaching the straight with colorful apartments on the right, with the Doria Castle at top center. |
| |
 |
|
|
Dorian Castle was built around 1160 and renovated from the 15th to the 17th centuries.
At lower left is the Church of San Lorenzo.
|
| |
 |
|
|
|
| |
 |
|
| Wharf, apartments, church and hilltop castle. |
| |
 |
|
|
We approach the narrow straight. Beyond is the Ligurian Sea, and it's rough. We turn around at this point, thankfully.
|
| |
 |
|
| But first I get this shot of the Church of San Pietrowhich sits on a rocky point and overlooks the Ligurian Sea. It was established in 1198. |
| |
 |
|
| Aerial photo of the Church of San Pietro and the Ligurian Sea. Photo downloaded off "The Internet". |
| |
 |
|
| Heading back to La Spezia, we pass this big Liquid Natural Gas ship heading out to sea. |
| |
 |
|
| Lynnette enjoying the cruise, sitting next to our local tour guide for the the cruise and the Cinque Terre. |
| |
 |
|
|
La Spieza dead ahead.
|
| |
 |
|
|
Close-up of some Italian Navy ships, including a helicopter carrier.
|
| |
 |
|
| From another angle. |
| |
 |
|
| Then we come to the container ship port. |
| |
 |
|
| Off the boat, on to the bus, to the train station, and on the train. |
| |
 |
|
A short train ride through mostly tunnels and we ended up at Vernazza.
The five Cinque Terre villages lie along an isolated six-mile stretch of the Italian northwest coast. We were visiting Vernazza, the fourth village up north from La Spiezia.
As you can see, the small village was jammed with tourists. This was really the only street, since the village is basically in a ravine.
|
| |
 |
|
|
Looking up at the hill side dwellings. I bet the locals are in good shape from climbing steps all the time.
The town has 500 residents.
|
| |
 |
|
|
Heading down the main drag in a herd. Tony, the overall tour guide, said it was Rick Steves himself that put these villages on the map and made them so popular; i.e., crowded.
Rick Steves says Vernazza is the best town of the five.
|
| |
 |
|
|
Now down by the water, looking up at the surrounding hills. You can walk along a coast trail to the other four towns, or go by boat, or train. We -- our entire tour group -- had lunch reservations sitting outside underneath those orange umbrellas to the right.
|
| |
 |
|
| The Church of St. Margaret of Antioch overlooks Vernazza's little harbor. |
| |
 |
|
| Our local tour guide gives us some information. |
| |
 |
|
|
Our son-in-law Don's mother is Italian and happened to be in Italy while we were so we met up Germana, and her friend, in Vernazza. Somehow Lynnette and Germana were able to coordinate it and we ended up having a very nice lunch together.
I'd have to say that the lunch here was my best food experience of the entire trip. I had pasta and shrimp and it was excellent.
|
| |
 |
|
|
The wine was very good as well!
|
| |
 |
|
|
Basically, we had an hour for lunch and then maybe an hour to look around, and that was it. So we just checked out the little harbor area. Rick Steves recommends spending at least two nights!
|
| |
 |
|
| The beach, what there is of it. |
| |
 |
|
| Walking out on the stone jetty, and looking back at the tiny beach, and Vernazza town. |
| |
 |
|
| The town folk grow things on the terraced hillsides and somehow eak out a living here. |
| |
 |
|
|
The sea looked pretty rough on the other side of the jetty.
|
| |
 |
|
| Looking south. Those stone walls look like they've taken a beating from the sea over endless years. |
| |
 |
|
|
The jetty.
|
| |
 |
|
| The last of the five towns -- Monterosso al Mare -- is visible in the distance right of center. |
| |
 |
|
| People are just hanging out. |
| |
 |
|
| Heading up the street, back to the train station. |
| |
 |
|
|
Looking at Vernazza from the south.
Photo by Martin Stiburek from Wikipedia.
|
| |
 |
|
| Vernazza seen from the Azure Trail (north) on a pretty day. |
| |
 |
|
|
We take the train back to La Spezia.
|
| |
 |
|
| Crossing the Magra river on the tour bus. Next stop, the magical city of Florence! |
| |
 |
|
| |
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|