Buongiorno from the Italian Riviera! It’s our first weekend in Italy and today was the first day where we could spend it’s totality not having to work. We arose, got ready and walked down the main (possibly only) street in Manarola, the second town of the five that make up Cinque Terre. We found the one cafe open and had some breakfast, cappuccinos, and fresh squeezed orange juice and looked out at the morning sea. After experiencing our first night here, where essentially the entire town closes at 7:00 PM we found out not much would be open Sunday, so we made a trip to the grocery store, which is a tiny little place, and stocked up on some snacks for our stay and trip back.
After the store and various sporadic potty breaks, we decided we wanted to explore another town. Our host, Simone, who grew up in Manarola, told us his next favorite town of the five was Vernazza, so we walked 50 yards back up the street and down the long tunnel to the train station to take the 10 minute ride to Vernazza. Vernazza was a little larger than Manarola and, because it was the weekend, the streets were full of tourists coming to see the sights.
We strolled down the main drag and took in the sights, sounds, and smells. The gelaterias and gift shops were already in full force. There was a man staining a newly built deck in front of a restaurant with a full glass of wine, even though it was barely noon. You could hear the sound of the waves on the rocks and feel the salty breeze.
As we made our way along, we stopped and got some Frito Misto (mixed fried seafood, a local favorite) and fried calamari, both wrapped in cones of paper with a skewered lemon on top. The boys got some nuggets and fries. You may have noticed how I just said nuggets rather than specifying the type of meat inside. I say it this way because that is how they were advertised and the meat inside did not necessarily seem like chicken. Nevertheless, the boys gobbled them up. Allison and I joked that it was probably Pigeon meat, as those are a nuisance everywhere we go and it seems that would be a way to put them to good use.
The food was delicious, albeit a total salt bomb, and we sat eating it on the rocks looking out at the sea. Cinque Terre is known for their anchovies and, although I don’t normally prefer anchovies as much, they were the best part of the Frito Misto. After eating, we climbed the tower of an old fortress that use to protect Vernazza in the Middle Ages from pirate attacks. It’s now a restaurant, but looking out over the ramparts at the cliffs is still pretty neat. The boys liked pretending they were pirates/rock climbers and enjoyed themselves while we freaked out over their impending doom from falling off these sheer cliffs at a single misstep.
We then walked back up to the town and looked at the local church which was built in a gothic style. After the church it was gelato time (naturally) and we scarfed it down so we could make the next train. Once back in Manarola, the boys took a nap and Allison and I took turns going out and walking around before ultimately both coming back and napping too.
Once everyone was up again, we were going to take a train again to another town, but the boys hit there limit. Beren said, in an exasperated voice, “I don’t have energy for any more adventures.” After trying to push through and realizing we would have to wait a while for the train, we came to terms with the fact that we have been going pretty hard and all the walking and sight seeing is an adjustment for all of us. So we spent the evening instead in Manarola at the playground watching the sun set as the boys played. Not too bad.
It was much more crowded today and though we wanted to go the our apertivo spot we enjoyed so much the night before, we didn’t. We briefly thought about trying to go to one of the restaurants, but when we looked inside at the tables set with wine glasses and white table cloths, we imagined the boys losing their minds if we tried to force them through that, so we opted for the takeout pizza/focaccia place. It was a good choice and the boys scarfed down some focaccia with cheese and pesto.
It was finally today where I’ve started to feel the wear and tear too. My calves are on fire from carting the boys up all the hills and stairs. Now that we are finishing up the first week, we are going to have to figure out how to pace ourselves a little more. Tomorrow will probably be a day to wake up and take it easy in the morning before catching our late afternoon long train back to Rome.