Chapter 5 - DAY 5 - Monterosso (Cinque Terre) Day 4

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ALL BLACKS V AUSSIES – RUGBY WORLD CUP

Another slightly chilly start to the day but the glorious blue sky promised another cracking day to come. After breakfast we headed down to the Fast Dal 1989 Bar Monterosso to confirm the All Black v Australia Rugby World Cup quarter final would be screened live – it was!

I had my All Black Jersey to wear and Jeanette wore the NZ Football away top (Black with a white fern). We also had our full size New Zealand flag so we were well prepared. It was about an hour before kickoff and there was already one group of New Zealanders there – four friends who live in London and took advantage of some cheap flights to spend a few days in the area.

By the time kickoff arrived the little bar was full, there were around 20 Kiwis (amazing when you consider we are a long way from home and a bit out of the way), half a dozen Aussies and a handful of curious locals. There was a young local lad Mario who had procured an All Black flag from somewhere and he was waving about proudly, much to the amusement of the other Italians at the Bar.

We strategically placed the New Zealand flag below the TV and a really good atmosphere developed in the lead up to the game starting - lots of banter over our coffees. It was a fantastic morning, obviously a great result but it was a really different experience watching from so far away with a bunch of strangers who shared the passion for the game.

TRAIN AGAIN - FINGERS CROSSED
After a couple of celebratory drinks at the end we headed off to the railway station to buy our tickets for the trip to Siena – hopefully it will be more successful than our one from Genoa. Since then we have used the regional train to get around Cinque Terre without a hitch – so fingers crossed.

We also did the Italian postal service an injustice in an earlier Blog, our parcel sent from Florence reached home within a week so hats off to them – the chaos at the time was obviously organised chaos (or just the Italian way)! All going well we will leave Monterosso at 9.03am tomorrow and arrive in Siena in time for lunch.

CHURCH OF ST GIOVANNI BATTISTA
We did some last day shopping, souvenirs, t-shirts and a few bits and pieces. We also had a look in a church located in the heart of the Old Town that is currently under renovation. The 12 century church of St Giovanni Battista stands out because of its Gothic style and the outside colour scheme which is Black and White stripes. Normally the doors are closed but probably because it is Sunday they were open today, it might be a little church in a small town but the striking exterior is matched by a stunning interior. We helped the cause by purchasing a candle – hopefully one day we will be able to return and see it in a finished state.

LAZY AFTERNOON
We then had lunch at a beachside cafe overlooking the ‘New Town’ beach, folowed by a paddle in the sea. The water was quite warm and we thought seeing we were here we should at least have a bit of a splash around.

Then it was back to the B&B for a quiet drink in the enchanted garden, it was in the shade and a bit cool so we headed back to the sunny beach and just sat on the nice warm sand and watched the sun slowly disappear behind the surrounding hills. There are people who walk up and down the beach offering massages and Jeanette had a very relaxing foot/leg massage.

It was a bit of a lazy day but that’s what we wanted before we headed off on the last leg of our adventure. We decided seeing it was our last dinner we would stick with Al Carugio restaurant and had our last delicious Beef fillet stroganoff in Monterosso –a real highlight of our time here!

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Photos

Go the ABs
Celebrating the All Blacks 20-6 win over the Aussies with Mario (a local lad and All Black fan). One local bar became a 'State of New Zealand' for a couple of hours! A brilliant time was had by all.
NOTE: Thats a New Zealand flag hanging from under the TV.

Go the All Blacks
A long way from home but 100% behind our team

Church of Giovanni Battista
Currently under renovation it was open to the public today. The interior was amazing

Splashing about
Having some fun at Monterosso's main (new town) beach. its packed in the summer but nice and quiet now - still great weather to!