Travel Day Tuscany - Monterosso

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After a comical breakfast with Roberto as entertainment we headed off back to Florence to catch a train to Monterosso on the Ligure Coast or the Italian Riviera. Monterosso is part of Cinque Terre (5 towns)…but more about that later we have to get there first! As we have our rail passes we travelled free and the first leg would start in around 45 mins which was great timing. Throughout Europe they have this funny system where they only allocate the platform a few minutes before the train is due to leave! The huge notice boards are very popular place to hang out and both Paris and Florence terminals there have been no seating. We generally keep an eye on the board and people watch to fill in the time. Finally our platform is announced with just 4 minutes to go before departure. Of course the platform isn’t in the place where the majority of platforms are and we have to race around to where it is…trolley used to create a path through the growing throngs of passengers. Now for anyone that hasn’t travelled on local trains (not the fast trains) throughout Europe wouldn’t know that the inside of the train is usually up 3 narrow stairs and around 3-4 feet off the ground! This is fine IF you don’t have any luggage and if you do your luggage doesn’t weigh a tonne like ours now does! (My suitcase was 20kgs as I checked it through at Brisbane!) We heave it on and nope no luggage racks next to the doors as like the fast trains (well there are just local trains!) they are above the seats…no chance of them a) reaching there and b) staying there without shortening someone’s life! R finds a little space at the other end of the carriage where one meets the other for our bags. We both have a suitcase, an overnight bag and a handbag. R pulls her suitcase along nps. (The train is moving by now) and I try to but like the Spanish trains the Italian ones were too designed before my suitcase so I drag it sideways with my overnight and handbag slung over each arm. This is a fairly easy thing to do really but not one you are in hysterics from realising how funny we must look! One (American) guy opens the door at the end of the carriage and asks us how many months we are travelling for. We very quietly say “6 weeks”. He says “me too” and nods towards his very small back pack. Nothing else to say really…we received the message loud and clear!

About an hour passed before we had to change trains at Pisa for LaSpezia. We were up just before the stop ready to drag our stuff to the door. That done we waited for the train to stop and the doors to open…only they didn’t…so we had to go to the next carriage. The American guy was also getting off so suggested he and I swap bags until we were on the platform. Brilliant idea so I jumped at that! I waited with the bags while R found out where our next platform was…”over there” she pointed out…so down two flights of stairs and up another two flights to the platform next to us. I bounced my suitcase down and then a lovely gentleman helped me carry it up the next sets of stairs. For when the next train arrived we had discussed a system one jumps on and heaves the cases on and the other pushes…much better results! We then didn’t move, using our cases as seats, only problem with this is this part of the train is not air conditioned!

We thought the journey to La Spazia was only 10 minutes (read the ticket incorrectly) and it was actually an hour. We used this time to look at the passing scenery and to do a video update. Another change at La Spazia for Monterosso with the same rigmarole with cases, platforms, stairs, etc and we were almost there, yay! I had commented to R on our last leg that I had wondered where the sea was hiding as we could see mountains inland but no coastline yet. We could see sugar cane and banana’s growing so guessed it wasn’t that far away! We had our 1st glance of the Mediterranean around the first Cinque Terre town of………… Stunning!!!

Just another few stairs to bounce the cases down and almost there to our new apartment for the next 4 days. No taxi’s to be had so I left R with the luggage and went in search, but none to be seen anywhere. R had spotted an information centre so I went in there and a very helpful lady contacted our accommodation agency as we had been trying to call (3) different numbers throughout the day with no answer. I spoke to the owner who asked “didn’t you receive my email?” which I hadn’t of course! His email had (apparently) let me know that there was nothing available (even though his website said there was) but luckily there was another guy that he had contacted that had accom for us and he would be there in 10 minutes. The guy turned up showed us on a map where the apartment was and we were off. A 2 minute drive in a taxi cost us 7E for us and our luggage! The apartment isn’t a patch on the one in Florence but does have two double beds in two separate areas. One is off the kitchenette and one near the front door. The guy said the apartment is for 4 people (costing more) but would let us have it for the price of the one we thought we had booked even though it has more space! A scam maybe, well maybe but all part of the adventure and experience?! Oh and then there is the other thing…no credit card payment, cash only, something we were both short on. He said he would help us by taking us to the cash machines so we could pay him. R had transferred some money onto her passport card the day previously and my pin doesn’t work on mine (first time I have used it on the trip) Nps he tells us I’ll just take your passports as security until you have the money. We have until Monday (2 days being a weekend) before we have to have the cash to him then he will return R’s passport.

Hungry now we head out as we are for a meal. Tried to find a place that he recommended but can’t find it…this place isn’t that big so have no clue where it is!
After a nice (but expensive) meal we head back to the apartment for showers and unpacking and much needed sleep.

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