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| Vernazza |
The consensus
among travel writers is that Vernazza is their favorite of the Cinque Terre
towns. So, of course, we were especially
excited to visit this neighbor just to the south of Monterosso al Mare.
When
the doors of our train opened, a mass of people, including us, poured onto the narrow
streets of this tiny town. The crowds topped
any we saw in Monterosso. Like a swarm
of bees, we were led down the hill and curve of the main street that stretched
from the station to the harbor below.
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Boats, Umbrellas, Laundry
All Part of the Vernazza Scene |
As
we walked the day’s laundry floated in the breeze far above our heads. We noticed the town seemed a little worn, perhaps
partly from the remnants of the terrible storm that inflicted so much damage
a few years before. But maybe a town dating
back to as long ago as 1080
deserves the right to be a little tired, a little frayed. Perhaps it wears its age like a badge of honor.
In
spite of its rather tired look, or maybe because of it, the enchantment of the
town shined through. Its natural harbor and
its castle’s ruins, that stood majestically as if still on watch for marauding
invaders, were the stars of the show.
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| Sea Spray |
The
part of the piazza closest to the water was cordoned off as the waves crashed
against the harbor’s rocks with such force that they sent the sea’s spray
toward the sky, much like a geyser. Umbrella
covered tables were already full of diners enjoying the day and the water show. As we made our way as close as we could to
the angry sea, we understood why the boats weren’t running this day.
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| Yes, We Climbed all the Way Up |
For
some silly reason, we thought it might be fun to climb to the top of the castle’s
lookout. Following the many steps, I
thought I might pass out before reaching the top. With a short climb left to go before we earned
our reward of what we hoped would be a spectacular view, a woman popped out of
a little nook to demand payment before we could proceed any further. Totally not fair … by this time there was way
too much invested to turn back … there was no mention of a fee when we began this
ridiculous journey, which now seemed days old … such a racket!
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| Terrific Shoreline View |
We
paid for the privilege of torturing ourselves a little longer, and continued up
more stairs and a spiral so narrow it couldn’t accommodate more than one person
in one direction at a time. Finally we
were compensated with a stunning view of not only Vernazza, but the whole of
the Cinque Terre.
Surveying
the land and sea from atop a castle that probably dates back to the 1500s was
truly a breath-taking experience, and one we won’t soon forget. But with all that climbing we did work up an appetite,
and there just happened to be an excellent restaurant in this very castle … how
convenient.
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| Ristorante Belforte |
Happily situated in Ristorante Belforte, dangling far above the roaring
sea, we had, what we have both agreed, was the best meal of our trip. Perhaps it was the view, or the fresh
air, or the mist from the crashing waves below, or perhaps we were just
happy, or extremely hungry, or maybe we were delirious from the
climb and the altitude … I don’t know why, but the pasta with shellfish we had
for lunch tasted like heaven rose from the sea and landed on our tongues.
Spaghetti with shrimp, tiny clams and a
boatload of mussels swimming in a light tomato sauce accompanied by a crisp salad,
crunchy bread and, of course, a little vino … it was all local and fresh and just
too good. It was a postcard of what a
vacation on the coast of Italy should be … only better …
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