Emilia-Romagna to Tuscany.

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This is the fifth ‘episode’ of another of 'our' travel experiences.

The collective ‘episodes’ (this being the fifth) describe our journey from our arrival in London, England (from the 2nd week of May) for an extended holiday in Italy. After a few days in London, we flew to Rome to begin a short visit to that city before hiring a car and deciding to point it in the direction of Naples. Since, we've ventured into and around the countryside and this 'episode' describes our journey from Ravenna in the province of Emilia-Romagna to Florence (in Tuscany). Eventually, we'll find our way back to Rome to depart for home.





We've attached a few pics that give you a flavour of our journey, and some may 'flow over' past the dialogue. If we do this, you may need to manually go to the 'spillover' page to see them.



As always, if you want to 'see' more detail in an accompanying picture, click it to enlarge.

Wednesday 15th June; Ravenna...

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Ravenna is a small city (or is it a town) of around 150,000 people centred near the Adriatic Sea in a vast flat plain. The history of Ravenna is important to understand why it attracts tourists today. Ravenna was a sleepy Etruscan backwater in a swampy (mosquito ridden) swamp until about 30 BC when Emperor Augustus founded his eastern naval fleet in the area (at Classe). The surrounding area developed and the Romans established a series of canals to drain the swamps and facilitate agriculture. In about 400 AD Emperor Honorius moved from Milan to make the town the capital of the western branch of the Roman Empire (then, the eastern branch was headquartered in Constantinople). It appears he sought to defend the Empire from the (various) Goths (Barbarians) then threatening the empire and considered the swampy 'Ravenna' a better place for defence than Milan. In 409 AD, Visigoth (Aquitanian) King Alaric bypassed Ravenna to sack Rome in 410. Half a decade later, King Alaric was deposed and after a few more 'replacement' kings, Visigoth Odoacer gave himself the title of King of Italy. Then, a turn of events occurred that would make Ravenna lead the pack.



Over in Constantinople, the future Ostrogoth (Ukrainian/Germanic) 'king' Theodoric the Great was born. His 'community of Ostrogoths were exiles in the Balkan region (displaced from Ukraine by Huns) and unable to find 'settlement' there were seeking land to 'call home'. The eastern Roman empire Emperor Zeno called on Theodoric to lead his army to Italy to displace Odoacer. Theodoric took the eastern Italian lowlands but failed to remove Odoacer. Weakened, Odoacer made a truce with Theodoric to govern Italy jointly. Within days of the agreement and entry into Ravenna, Theodoric 'removed' Odoacer. In 476 Theodoric 'gained' Ravenna and so began a major economic flourishing for the city. Under Theodoric Ravenna became one of Europe's most glamorous cities. At the core was the desire by the Arian Christian Theodoric to coexist with the Catholic Christian Roman administration such that the two 'cultures' worked harmoniously.



In 540, the Byzantines 'arrived' and further assisted the city growth; over time Ravenna grew to become a glittering showcase of Byzantine art and culture. Two centuries later, the Lombards muscled their way in. But this was shortlived as under Papal orders the Frankish Charlemange kicked them out. As 'compensation' for removing the Lombards and enabling Rome to regain territory, Pope Hadrian instructed Charlemagne to take anything from Ravenna not bolted down. And, so he did - transferring them to Aachen in (now) Germany. However, much of the glitter remains. And, it was the 'remnants' of this 'showcase' that attracted us.



We'd read about the 'glitter', but were gobsmacked when we went to view the Basilica of San Vitale. Instead of paint for the fresco's, the Byzantine's used mosaics. What struck us was not only the liberal use of gold leaf, but also the colours of the mosaics. After discussing with others, and reviewing ourselves, it appears the bright coloured mosaics were not 'special' or different in hue to other art forms. Rather, the Byzantines appreciated the artistic value of mosaics.



This, then places quite a different perspective on how we view Middle Ages art. What we'd seen were extant paintings (pottery and metalware were rarely in colour). The fresco's and painted artwork are always subdued in hue. Pale colours showing age is perhaps the best way to describe them. But, apparently not in their original. We learned the painted arts would have been just as brightly coloured but have aged over time.



But it wasn't only the mosaic colour that challenged us, it was also the size and shape of the various mosaic pieces. We had noted in Rome of the precision of the floor mosaics and we wondered how the (ancient) Romans had achieved such outcome. Here, the mosaics were not only marble (as the floor mosaics of Rome) but semi precious stones and even what appeared as glazed ceramics. They clearly didn't have the cutting or grinding equipment of today. We figured that perhaps they knew better than us how to cut stone and it was hand operated rudimentary forms grinding stones enabled the cut precision we see. Whatever, it made us acknowledge 'modern' society isn't as 'advanced' as we sometimes make ourselves believe.

Thursday 16th June; Bologna...

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Bologna is the 'capital' of the Emilia-Romagna province. Being an an hour by motorway from Ravenna, we went and visited this city of 1 million or so citizens. Until the late 19th century, the city proper comprised about 150 hectares and was retained by walls. As a consequence, the Centro Storico comprises a maze of narrow streets, arcades, colonnades and piazza's with wall-to-wall buildings typically about 15-20 metres tall. As was then the fashion, most buildings had central garden courtyards. Generally built of local sandstone, only monumental buildings have been cleaned and the majority have developed a blackish patina giving a 'grotty' feel to the place. To add to the decaying 'presentation', in the centre of the Centro is Piazza di Porta Ravegnana with two massive square based towers leaning at precarious angles, one known as Asinelli and the other Garisenda. We''ve included a pic of our own, but it really doesn't show the lean, so we've also placed one from the web (way down below) to show the extent of the lean. Being also a crossroads, the visitor to this piazza is confronted with a sense of disorder and drab. Yet, in spite of this, the retail in Bologna is very 'upmarket' and chic.



Nearby Piazza Maggiore is somewhat better, but is towered over by a massive Basilica di San Petrionio on one side, a Palazzo on each of two other sides and a wall of (ex) residences on the other. Being the religious and administrative centre of Bologna, the feeling is one of sensory intimidation. Nearly all streets have portico arcades and it is these that provide the grace that the physical 'structure' of Bologna lacks. Apparently, there is some 38 kilometres of these portico arcades in Bologna.



Walking around a cobbled city can be hard work, especially on a hot day. By early afternoon it was lunch time and given the 'association' we headed for a bowl of Taglitelle alla Bolognese - or as we call it, spag bol - and another of Porcini and Asparagi Risotto (both traditions in Bologna). Bologna is also home to Carpigiani (makers of ice cream machines) who began industrial life making Gelato. We've come to realise that Gelato is best from Galateria - fresher, more flavours as well as crisp and crunchy cones. Bologna Gelato really caps off a meal - less sweet and fuller flavoured than elsewhere. For Judy Cocca (coconut) and Bruce Arancione Rosso (red orange). Sublime!



Our return to Ravenna was less sublime. The tyre guy we'd ordered a replacement tyre 'texted' that it was ready to fit. At A$270 for the tyre certainly dented any pleasure we'd had for the day.

Friday 17th June; Ferrara, Modena and Firenze...

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The travel time between Ravenna and our next destination - Florence - was only about 2 hours so going direct meant we'd arrive early (entry was after 4pm). We decided to visit a couple of towns (cities?) that were off the 'tourist trail'. The first was Ferarra.



Bologna may be the administrative 'capital' of the Emilia-Romagna province, but Ferarra is the geographic centre. Emilia-Romagna takes in the huge Po River delta of flat river silt lands; the Padan Plain which comprises about 60% of Italy's plain-lands. As well, Ferarra it is also the hub of the regions' agriculture. The delta plain has long been sought after by various rulers for the prized agricultural opportunities. Though Ferarra is situated some 8km from the banks of the Po River and some 50km from the Po River mouth, it has long played a major role in 'administering' the river delta landscape. When driving from Ravenna to Bologna the previous day, the flat lands (as far as the eye could see) hosted all kinds of crops. Driving from Ravenna to Ferarra was a surprise in that much of the flat land along the coastal road is allocated more to wetlands conservation than agriculture.



Our arrival at Ferarra coincided with a weekly market, so the city presented us with a lively atmosphere. We spent time soaking up the atmosphere before heading off to Modena. Before leaving, we were surprised to see a small ship adjacent to the city centre. Apparently, the region comprises many canals and the one from the Po River to Ferarra is still frequently used. We used the motorway as it's faster, but instead of travelling directly, the road lead us back to Bologna before heading north towards Milan. Modena was a complete surprise. The road in from the motorway was tedious, but once at the city centre, we found an amazingly clean, relaxed, cultured and inviting city. Being a hot day, we really appreciated the colonnades to traverse. After a delightful lunch, we wandered the Centro Storica. At the centre, the Romanesque Duomo (the Metropolitan Cathedral of Saint Mary of the Assumption and San Geminiano) amazed us. Part of the building had sunk, the external marble finery was both ornate and in excellent condition and the interior riveting. This link we've provided offers a greater insight than we could express here. Perhaps what astounded us is that so little is expressed about this church in the tourist literature. In fact, Modena itself is decidedly off the 'tourist trail' - which is perhaps why we so liked the city.



With accommodation booked in Firenze (Florence, in English) a straight line appeared the best route. But, our satnav had us returning to Bologna before heading east. At 130kph versus 70kph on the alternative, the tolled highway was fast (though expensive) and had us at our accommodation in a very short time. We'd booked an apartment some 12km out of Firenze at Grassina. Firenze is tourist central so reasonably priced rooms are like hens teeth. But, it mattered little as the local bus is E1.20 for a 90 minute trip anywhere in the locality. So, being out of the centre offered only positives. One of the more delightful being that the village had a long arbour of very mature Linden (Lime) trees lining the road. the frangrance was sensational. We've really grown to love these trees. Not only is the fragrance wonderful, but the shade provided is ideal for hot summer days.

Saturday 18th June; Firenze...

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We awoke late and moped around for a while before taking the bus into Firenze. We'd 'researched' a list of 'attractions' and on top was the Duomo - Cattedrale di Santa Maria del Fiore. Much has been written about this cathedral, but perhaps the most appealing for us is that the pink/white/green exterior was chosen as the building was (re)erected shortly after Italian unification. Being the middle of the day, the cathedral piazza was wall-to-wall elbows. Unlike anywhere else in Italy we've been, all we could hear was American accents. Perhaps because of this 'clientele', the admission price to the cathedral was E15. perhaps more irritating was that the queue extended right around the cathedral and we were told it was about 4 hours before one got in the door! Bruce suggested to Judy "hey, there's a 5pm mass in English, let's go inside that way!". So, we did.



Until 5pm, we spent a couple of hours doing a 'suggested' walk around the streets. What 'got' us is that in other cities we'd visited, there was the occasional outstanding building/facade in the urban streetscape. here in Firenze, there was an occasional 'ordinary' facade wedged between a continuous series of outstanding facades. Being the 'capital' of Tuscany, Firenze enjoyed a tremendous 'flowering' over the decades. The urban history of Firenze is far more involved than perhaps any other Italian city. To understand a little go here. Essentially, though, the 16th century 'economic blossoming' and the impact of the Medici family made Firenze 'the place to be'. And, with the associated wealth and power, the urban streetscape facades took on a 'mine is better than yours' look (which still remains today).



Near 5pm we returned to the Cathedral for Mass. In hindsight, this was a really great decision. In comparison with the elaborate exterior, the interior is rather low key. After having visited many Cathedrals with elaborate interiors, paying E15 to 'looksee' would have prickled big time. The smallish congregation within such a large building made for a peacefulness that would otherwise be absent when 'filled' with tourists. For Judy, the service offered a connectedness; the lack of architectural elaboration coupled to the space and quietude allowed the essential aspect of the Mass to shine.

Sunday 19th June; Firenze...

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The second item on our 'list' were the museums. Much has been written about how there is a spectacular trove of artifacts housed in various Firenze museums. On top of the 'museum' list are Palazzo del Uffuzi (Uffuzi) and Galleria dell'Accademia. We'd seen the queue outside Accademia the previous day and reasoned it would be best to prebook. However, that evening we found the booking website showed 'prebooking' was sold out for weeks ahead. That meant 'the queue'. To avoid the 'big wait' we figured that if we got there before the 8:15am opening time, we might have a chance of minimising the wait. Getting up early, we arrived at 7:30 and found we were far from the first in queue. By 8:15, the queue was ginormously long so we felt OK. We later learnt that being Sunday, most tour guides took the day off - that explained why the 'pre-book' queue was minimal. To our surprise we entered very quickly. Was the effort worth it? Very much so. The paintings on show were remarkable. There was an order - from 13th to 18th century - such that we were easily able to see the artistic 'developments' in style, the 'focus' of attention, and the progressive refinement of detail. While all religious, that was then the focus. It was also interesting to observe the impact of Descartes (over time) in the way 'religion' was presented. The Uffuzi administrators had arranged the collection in a time progressive order around the building with patrons starting the viewing not anywhere near those having arrived earlier. Knowing that the hordes would eventually catch up to us if we dallied (we could return to a section or two at any time) we found very few times when 'people' interrupted our viewing. After about 4 hours it was time to depart and do different 'things'.



'Old' Firenze is primarily located on the west bank of the Arno River. There was a church on the east side that gained some reviews so we headed up the hill towards our target. In the hot mid day sun, we appreciated that the path was pedestrian and mostly shaded. We found the church itself wasn't the focus, but the view from the hill overlooking Firenze. After a delightful lunch and a bit more wandering around, we noted the brewing storm so headed back to the apartment for a relaxed evening.

Monday 20th June; Chianti...

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We had another full day and had learned when attempting to 'pre-book' that all museums are closed on Monday. We'd had our fill of the urban so thought it worth going country. Chianti is a wine growing region some 25 km from Firenze (and 12km from where we were staying at Grassina). The day started out gloomy and we had second thoughts, but we were here but once. We made our way to 'Greve in Chianti' - not the village of Greve in the Chianti region, no, for some reason many villages (but not all) had such names. Being close to Firenze, this village had blossomed immensely on the back of busloads of tourists. We found the 'information' office and gaining ideas for options in the region, we went wandering. The hills in the Chianti region are a little more 'closed' than other areas we'd visited. That is, less rolling but not necessarily more steep. We'd seen similar in Abruzza. We wondered why Chianti/Tuscany is so well written about compared to (say) Abruzza. The wines, cheeses, proscuito, etc., was equally plentiful everywhere we'd visited. So, we figured it was the Firenze factor with so many tourists looking to 'do' things in/near Firenze.



We found ourselves at the (nearby) hillside village of Panzano - with narrow windy streets - and went wandering. Within a short while we noticed more and more tourists. So, we thought, where to now to 'enjoy' a local experience. looking at Googlemaps, we pinpointed Lamole as it appeared way out the the range of (probable) tourist destinations. That it was. The road up was narrow and windy and appeared to keep ascending forever. Eventually we arrived at this little hillside village to find a church, a few houses and a restaurant. being lunchtime, we ventured in.



What an incredible lunch experience. Maybe we now understand 'why' Tuscany. Elsewhere we'd enjoyed traditional food of the region done beautifully. Here, we were offered traditional regional food done in an exceptionally refined manner. But, was it 'just' this restaurant, or Tuscany? Time will tell. But, it was an exceptionally delightful meal.



After a satisfying lunch, we ventured further down back roads. Before long the sun emerged and gave the landscape the kiss of joy. Eventually we found our way back to the Grassina apartment.

Tuesday 21st June; Another museum and Monsummano...

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As we were heading eastwards today, we 'decided' we ought visit the 2nd museum 'Accademia'. We approached it early and were very close to the beginning of the queue with some 40 minutes to wait. But, unlike Sunday, the 'prebooked' patrons came in numbers. Instead of gaining an early entry we had to wait about an hour before being ushered inside. With maybe 6 to 10 in our queue being allowed in at time, it was frustrating to know that the 'pre-booked' were in such large numbers. inside, the centrepiece was Michelangelo's David. At about 5 metres and on a 2 metre pedestal, the statue certainly commands attention. The remainder of the museum was of Renaissance religious items pulled from churches during the early 19th century when Napoleon declared religious 'relics' to be destroyed. The church hierarchy wanted the items preserved so were hidden from bureaucratic view. For reasons unknown to us, they were rarely (if ever?) returned. But, it was Michelangelo's various works that took centre stage.



Taking our leave, we bussed it back to our car and headed west to our accommodation at Monsummano Terme. Being somewhat early, we deviated to San Miniato. Perched on a steep hill aside the Arno River plain, the site has long held a bastion church community. It was pretty, commanded a good view and the narrow tree lined streets were a cool relief to the heat of the day. We eventually arrived at our lodgings, and needing supplies headed to the local supermarket. Monsummano Terme is about half way between Firenze and Pisa. We selected the accommodation because were unable to find the sort of accommodation we wanted closer to Pisa, and after arriving we were glad of our choice.

Wednesday 22nd June; Lucca, and...

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Our accommodation is spacious, quiet and restful. And, we slept in somewhat. Rather than head to Pisa, we headed for Lucca, the regional city. Lucca is centred on a large plain (the Maremme) that hosts a surprising diversity of agriculture. We'd read a little about Lucca, but within the region it appears to be largely overlooked by many tourists. We found it a lovely city with a large Centro Storica enclosed behind an imposing 12 metre Renaissance wall. Perhaps because the old centre is behind the wall with minimal access, little regional business appears to be undertaken within. Rather, those businesses that we saw appear to be financial and skill-based (eg. doctors, artisans, etc.). With only a modicum of tourists (at least after Firenze it appeared so) the city has a very relaxed ambience. We learned the old city was spared from WW2 bombings and so has retained much character.



We wandered around enjoying the 'feel' of the city and eventually found our way to the Romanesque Duomo (Cattedrale di San Martino). We hesitated entering as the 'ticket' entry price appeared high. The church is also used as a 'hall' for concerts. As we hesitated in the cool of the entry vestibule, the voices of the concert choir in practice 'invited' us in. We found the church had several 'identities'. There were the artifacts that supported the history. There was the current use (as a church) and the ancillary use (as a concert hall). But the one that blindsided us was the pilgrim use. The Duomo has long been an important pilgram waypoint, and we found many pilgrims in the church exercising their beliefs.



After a light lunch, we headed 'up the mountains' - a spur of the Appennines that runs along the west coast and finishes close to Lucca. We'd read the scenery was nice, and after the heat of the plain we relished the idea of some 'green'. But, we were in for a surprise. The road up the valley was windy (we expected that), narrow (we expected that), and densely trafficked (ie lots of cars, trucks and buses) we didn't anticipate so many. Travelling along the Serchhio River valley, we came across an 11th century bridge; Ponte Della Maddelena. Getting frustrated at the slow traffic speed, at a round-a-bout we took the least used option and found ourselves rising greatly to arrive at a hilltop (ruined castle) village of Castiglione de Garfagnana (say that with a skinful!). We enjoyed a wander around, had a fruit drink and a gelato before returning to our 'digs'. With the heat, we've really been enjoying a late afternoon gelato. Judy loves Cocco (coconut) while Bruce prefers summer or Citrus fruits.



On our return, the accommodation owner met us, invited us into his vege garden and in broken English suggested we take whatever vege's and salad we needed for dinner. We didn't have to be asked twice. Fresh vege's and fresh salad, YEEAH!!!! Italy appears not to have the variety of vege's we have in Australia. rather, they have an abundant variety of whatever is in season at the time. For example, at a larger supermarket we noted over 10 varieties of tomato's, countless potato's, etc. To wash down the goodies, he also offered us a bottle of his favourite cleanskin wine - produced by a friend of his.

Thursday 23rd June; Pisa, Livorno, and...

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The previous day we'd decided against tootling off to Pisa as the 'leaning tower' is one of three top 'attractions' and we wanted to visit early to avoid the 'rush'. We left early enough, but still found plenty of people milling around the 'tower' site. As the cathedral doesn't open till 10am (for tourists), the buses had yet to arrive. We wondered what the forecourt would look like at 11am after the 'busses' arrived.



We found Pisa (city) to be a scruffy place, with the immensely ornate cathedral, baptistry and (leaning) bell tower but an extreme contradiction. So, after having our fill of the site, we headed towards the coast to Livorno. Being a large port, Livorno was severely hit during WW2 and so has few remnant historical buildings. In some regards, we found a more pleasant city because of the lack of place tourism. It still hosts tourists - those travelling to drive onto or catch a ferry to nearby islands like Sardinia etc.. In a way, though, the city just gets on with doing what it does best - which appears to be servicing the needs of the surrounding region, providing boating and fishing services, and doing 'administration'.



Historically, Livorno was developed (in the current era) by the Medici family, building a fort palace on the coast in the 16th century. Later that century, the Grand duke of Tuscany (Ferdinando de Medici) declared the (then) town a duty free port and to facilitate development assured those with criminal pasts that their crimes would not be pursued while they remained in the 'city'. Urban growth saw the town develop into a city and the Grand Duke felt he 'needed' a new fort palace. As Livorno is close to the Arno River and lies on the delta, the Grand Duke was faced with potential flooding issues. His solution was to build a series of navigable canals with the the spoil used to raise the street level. As a consequence, Livorno became known as 'little Venice' or Venizzia in Tuscany. The canals remain and offer a quite different city ambience.



We parked the Joke, had a wander and on return to the car stumbled upon a vibrant food market hall. Being a bit after midday, most proprietors were preparing to close down. We wandered the aisles buying morsals as we went; mini rolls of smoked salmon with a herb centre, fresh sardines in oil, tiny quiche type morsals, even finger food sized filled bread rolls. We finished with a rice cake. Sort of like a Friand (same shape, too) but with the centre filled with a custardy Risotto. YUM!



We headed off down along the coast road to find all the pebbly beaches filled with sunseekers. On each side of the road was lined a constant flow of parked cars and motorbikes. Even if we wanted to go have a look, there wasn't a parking space to be had. From the occasional rocky headland we could sometimes double park to take a peek. We thought "After a long cold winter, such sunshine must be very attractive to the locals". We left the coast and headed inland, visiting an odd monastery along the way - the sacristy had a painting of Madonna and child which at some time in the past had been given special status. As a consequence, the walls of the monastery are now adorned with paintings offered by bereaved for a recently dead loved one. One was of a WW1 soldier shot in the chest and his singlet was in a glass case showing the bullet hole (with remnants of lead), much dried blood and a prayer for his soul from his family. That was enough to send us back to the vege garden (and another bottle of wine 😊 ).

Friday 24th June; La Spezia the back way...

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Today we headed to La Spezia - Pitelli, in fact. Pitelli is but a village in the hills of La Spezia. The purpose of staying at la Spezia is to 'do' Cinque Terre. The Cinque Terre is a string of centuries-old seaside villages on the rugged Italian Riviera coastline. In each of the 5 towns, colorful houses and ancient vineyards cling to steep terraces. For some road access is non-existent. The 'site' is rated extremely highly on the tourist trail. La Spezia is just outside Tuscany, in the province of Liguria. And, it is a largish industrial and port town.



The motorway drive to Pitelli from Monsummano is a little over an hour - some of which we'd driven on our way to Lucca and Pisa. We chose to go 'over' the mountain range as it appeared to offer scope for an interesting drive. That it did!



Before departing the Monsummano area, we ventured up a hill that rose significantly above the plain and is visible from afar. As to be expected, perched on top is a historic village; Montecatini Alto (or the high village of Montecatini). In the morning coolth and Linden tree fragrance, we explored this delightful little place.



The drive over the range had many surprises. Wonderful greenery, extremely narrow roads, tiny villages, and soaring mountain range vistas. From time to time we'd stop and explore the forest or a (very) cold stream. It was a beautiful drive in a type of scenery we'd not yet experienced in detail.



We didn't know it when we booked accommodation in Pitelli, but it is perched on a hilltop and is one of the few 'communist' villages left in Italy. During the Fascist era, it opposed and was subjected to the wrath of La Spezia 'principles'. This had the effect of making the village more united in it's 'commune' effect.

Saturday 25th June; Cinque Terre...

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From everything we'd read, Cinque Terre comprises 5 fishing villages wedged into a length of the Appennines that tumbled into the Ligurian Sea. For some villages there is no car access. And, one either travels via the coastline 'walk' between each village, or takes the train that stops in or close to each town. Apparently, the train hardly sees daylight as the track is laid in an almost continuous tunnel.



When we asked him for advice regarding car parking near the train station, our accommodation host suggested the 'ONLY' way to access the villages is by boat. With much appreciation he advised on parking, boat costs (and which company), time to depart and much more. Armed with this information, we left early-ish to a cloudy day with gloomy fog. We parked the car, bought 'all-day' boat passes enabling us to move backwards and forwards along the coast, and waited in the growing queue for the boat to arrive and 'load' us all. We began wondering whether this was going to be another day that falls flat because the weather was against us.



The boat duly arrived, we all boarded, off we all went. From the map, we could see the boat would visit the Cinque Terre villages in order. But, there were six villages; Porto Venere, Riomaggiore, Manarola, Corniglia, Vernazza, and Monterosso. The last was apparently the largest, so given the crowd on the boat we decided to stay on board till Monterosso, then make our way back. As we approached Porto Venere, the sun broke through the fog and provided us with some hope that the weather would improve. As we left Porto Venere, the fleeting glimpse of the sun disappeared. "Oh, well", we thought, "at least we have an idea of what the villages may look like in sun".



The boat next approached Riomaggiore. Where there was a wharf at Porto Venere, there was none here. We wondered how people would exit. Slowly, the boat captain drew the bow of the boat close to some rocks - one of which had a concrete 'landing' - and the crew placed a walkway between the boat and the concrete. With the boat lurching with the swell, the arrangement looked far from satisfactory. The village clad the side of the mountain where a rivulet had eons ago gouged a narrow valley. There were no roads, just walking tracks. And, the village perimeter was but a series of terraces used for agriculture; mainly, grapes and olives.



Manerola was even smaller, and steeper. The boat by-passed Corniglia and headed for Vernazza. Again, the village clung precariously to the hillside. Eventually, the boat arrived at Monterosso. While seemingly a little more flatter and spread along the shoreline (rather than wedged on a watercourse), the exit still required the nose in gangplank arrangement. With the many who had the same idea as us, we departed and headed towards the central piazza. As we did, the sun emerged brightly. The village took on a quite different ambience in sunshine. Via a tunnel under a spur, we ventured along the shoreline promenade away from the piazza. People began flocking to rocks and pebbly 'beaches' to soak the sun. Monterosso was bigger, but also much more touristy. We noted that the boat schedule allowed us to depart at 12:20 before a 1 1/2 hour 'space' for lunch. We surmised the restaurants on offer and decided to take our chances in one of the other smaller villages. So, we headed back to the 'landing zone' and departed as we'd come.



On board, we noted the timetable allowed us to depart at Vernazza and then await for another boat after the 'lunch' siesta, or head on to Manarola. The latter allowed us an option to return to Vernazza before the window closed. We decided to head for Manerola. The clouds had now all disappeared and the water sparkled as the boat sailed on. As the boat approached Vernazza, the sunshine offered us a completely different perspective. Same village, but the brightly coloured buildings now dazzled. We continued on and alighted at Manarola. We wandered around, but found the place wall-to-wall elbows so quickly decided to head back along the coast to Vernazza. Vernazza appeared to have restaurants more spread out - if a glimpse from the boat was any guide.



As we arrived back at Vernazza, we took particular attention to an apparent restaurant perched high up above the village. We wondered whether we'd be able to make our way there. After alighting, and again finding wall-to-wall elbows, we used googlemaps on the phone to get ourselves to the hillside location. It wasn't easy, the 'path' between houses/dwellings was not signposted and often we'd take the wrong steps and arrive at someone's front door. But, eventually we got ourselves to the restaurant we'd seen from the boat. And, it had a birds eye view of the town. With only a couple of tables left, clearly, we weren't alone in seeking 'space'. When we say 'tables', don't think a big flat area. Rather, a sinewy path about 2 metres wide (at best) leading around the hillside with small tables on the 'outer' side. The path zig-zagged up the hill.



We passed the kitchen and it was a really tiny room. Mmmmm, what to order. We decided on a couple of beers and a local dish - potato's, tomato's and Sardines. It was a combination that appeared to have spent time in a pizza oven - some time for the spuds, and just a little for the remainder. Rustic, delightful, herby and with Italian bread, very, very tasty. With a delightful day, an amazing view over the water and village, with good food and beer, we weren't in a hurry to leave.



We eventually made our way back down to mingle with the hordes. We decided to catch the boat and go visit Porto Venere. However, when we arrived at the port, we recognised we'd had the most wonderful experience and to 'push' it amongst crowds wasn't going to be helpful. Insterad, we returned to La Spezia, found a Galleria and had a gelato each before returning to our accommodation.



Today was special!

Reflections...

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Most of this (fifth) part of our journey has been spent in Tuscany. And, much is written about Tuscany. We arrived with an expectation that Tuscany would be special. Somehow, this region would offer an experience that surpassed that which could be had elsewhere. At least that's the perception conveyed. For us, yes it does and no it doesn't. That the Etruscan's first, and later Romans, developed an intricate web of power and culture is beyond doubt. And, the arts and crafts associated with that 'development' are manifestly influential in any perspective of the region. But, while history influences it does not necessarily make the present.



As noted, we were unprepared for Modena. There is a relaxed culture in Modena that is quite deceptive. It may initially look sleepy, but it is not. Rather, 'life' is undertaken efficiently and quietly.



In contrast, Firenze is loud and brash. The city dominates, not only with monumental statements, but also monumental volumes of tourists. That said, it's still a 'must see' city. Our 'first' day in Chianti (more are to come) was more than icing on the cake. While the weather wasn't flash, the rolling countryside was very easy on the eye. And, our lunch at Lamole was an outstanding highlight that will be remembered for many a year.



Only after leaving the area can we recognise that we recognise that the Arno River plain is the real foodbowl of Tuscany. The rolling hills are the regions' oil and wine backbone. In some regards, the Arno river plain houses the 'workers' of Tuscany. Not in a blue collar sense, but the season-watchers, the croppers. And, while the cities of Lucca and Livorno offer a concentrated view of that 'cropping' tradition, it is the many villages across the plain that reinforce the perception. Cropping may not offer the finesse of Firenze, but it is honest!



So, was Tuscany that little bit better than where we'd been. If one was to concentrate just on the arts on display and the impact of power-holders of Firenze and Chianti, yes, definitely. But, for the remainder of Tuscany? No, just a little bit different to Puglia, Umbria, Abruzzo and the other regions we've visited. Perhaps what we have really noticed is that unlike Australia, each region has it's own identity, it's own food specialties, it's own perception on what is important.



We must note that after the 'intensity' that was the Po River and Arno River 'experience' (Ravenna, Bologna, Modena, Firenze and the plains), we really appreciated the opportunity to get back to the forested hilly region.



But, the absolute WOW experience was the day on the water visiting the Cinque villages.



Cheers

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