Italy: Why I Went, What I Did, and Why You Should Go Somewhere Far Away, Alone (or Almost Alone), at Least Once in Your Life

Part 3: Highlights of Cinque Terre and Lake Como

by Robin C. Bonner

(Italy: Part 1: Rome)) (Italy: Part 2: Tuscany))

Prelude
By the end of Part 2, I had spent more than a week traveling through Italy on a trip organized by my college roommate Tammy, who in the intervening years had become somewhat of an unofficial Italian tour guide. I can’t say enough good things about that portion of the trip. Please do visit the Fall 2013 issue links for details.

Thus far, we had experienced Rome in three days. Exhausted, we then had a full week to explore Tuscany, staying in San Gimignano but taking side trips to Sant’Antimo Abbey, Montalcino, and Florence. During our last few days in San Gimignano, a second group of Tammy’s friends met up with us, and we traveled together the rest of the trip.

A day trip to Volterra, known for its alabaster, marked the last of our last Tuscan adventures. The hill town is site of the Etruscan Guarnacci Museum, which has preserved the culture of the early settlers of the region. The ruins of a first-century Roman theatre were another worthy sight. Both attractions (plus the myriad cafés and alabaster-laden shops) make Volterra worth a visit.

On the way to the town (which lies about 45 minutes by car from San Gimignano), we passed a huge red circular installment of the artistic series “Sites of Experience,” by sculptor Mauro Staccioli. It’s a real curiosity if you’re not expecting it.

We wrapped up our stay in San Gimignano with a day in town. First, we attended an English-speaking mass at the intriguing Sant’Agostino Church, in a chapel off an outdoor courtyard. Then, we went our separate ways, and I finished all that Christmas shopping in the shops in town, rewarding myself with a gelato. It would be interesting getting all that stuff home, but I made the decision to check an extra bag rather than trust the Italian postal service; the cost would be about the same.

Cinque Terre
The drive to Cinque Terre, in the Ligurian region of Italy, was not long, but it was arduous. A stop in Pisa (to lean on its famous tower and take some photos) aside, the trip took just under three hours. Slow speeds on hairpin curves, however, marked our descent to the town of Monterosso al Mare, the northernmost of the five “lands” of Cinque Terre. We were excited!

Tammy parked in a municipal lot at the top of the hill. Then, because no cars were allowed into this tiny seaside town, we bumped our wheeled luggage along the cobblestone streets as we made our way to our hotel. As we neared the bottom of the hill, we were rewarded with our first glimpse of the Ligurian Sea (which is really just a cove of the greater Mediterranean).

Eventually, we reached Hotel La Colonnina, perched on a hill in the center of town, and accessible only through an arched doorway over one more stone alleyway and via much uphill dragging of luggage.

When we finally reached our dining destination for the evening, Ristorante Belvedere (yes, it really had the same name as our hotel in San Gimignano), we had earned the fresh seafood we ordered.

The next day, I headed out alone, at dawn, compelled to take an early-morning walk along the breakwater, where an occasional rogue wave crashed over the rocks and tried to soak me. Growing up near the ocean, I’ve always had a special relationship with the sea.

After breakfast, we explored the hotel’s rooftop patio and were rewarded with a superb and sunny view of the Ligurian Sea. As we set out for the day in that general direction, we strolled from the “old section” of Monterosso, the site of our hotel, to the “new” section of town, through a long tunnel hewn through a mountainous crag. A talented pianist piped keyboard-generated strains of music over a public address system; it echoed in the winding tunnel. He was a smart man—once I exited the tunnel, and before I knew it, I found myself handing over 10 euros for the privilege of owning one of his CDs in an effort to capture the experience. And I wasn’t the only one.

Walking on, we began our descent down an ancient, steep, stone staircase into the “new” part of town. What we saw were more cafés and shops along the water, and— across a cobblestone walk and then a road—more residences, restaurants, and shops edging up the hill again. Old architectural styles met new. From that perch above the town, I was fascinated by a tourist climbing down a 50-foot formation that jutted up from the waves at the rocky shoreline. Would she fall? No, thank goodness! Next, I spied a café that hung, cantilevered, over the water. I swore by its blue-and-white-striped umbrellas that I would be eating lunch, or at least tasting a gelato, there later that afternoon. The idea captured my imagination as we meandered through town.

A hiking trail to Levanto, about 7.5 miles to the north, was accessible from the northern end of town. Determined to do at least a little hiking while in Cinque Terre, several of us headed up the steep, marked trail into the mountainous countryside. I eventually zipped off the legs of my quick-dry hiking pants. The shorts, though a no-no in Italy for the most part, made for a much more comfortable hike. The view we had once we got up a bit—of the Ligurian Sea shimmering in the sun—was simply stunning. I silently breathed a prayer of thanks once again for the gift of this trip.

The fact is, a serious hiker can walk from town to town—from Levanto, in the north, to Porto Venere, in the south (46 miles one way)—along the mountainous trail connecting these benchmark towns. (That’s if there are no avalanches. Flooding and a rockslide in 2011 caused trails to be closed, so do check beforehand.) I met a few such hikers, and they were happy to share their stories. The five villages of Monterroso, Vernazza, Corniglia, Manarola, and Riomaggiore (the “five lands” of Cinque Terre) lie in between. Lonely Planet, REI, and other groups offer hiking tours. Unfortunately, we had just about 36 hours in that idyllic setting, so I filed this info away for future reference. Gary and I are definitely coming back!

Only three from our group completed that hike to Levanto, which was along very rugged terrain and entailed a train ride back to Monterosso. As for me, reluctant as I was to head back to Monterosso early, I was enticed by the thought of blue-striped umbrellas, gelato, and a chance to see the other towns of Cinque Terre. I met up with the rest of the ladies, in a serendipitous kind of way, under those enticing blue-striped umbrellas overlooking the sea. (Maybe we all had been thinking the same thing?) And, because a railway (as well as a trail) runs south from Monterosso, early that evening we went “wine-tasting” by train. We would sample wine in several villages of Cinque Terre!

First stop was Vernazza, which we explored while the sun was still high in the sky. An old church offered cool respite for a few minutes. Then, we enjoyed wine and appetizers at a café on the beach that was more crowded than you’d think it would be on an October evening. We were in good company…

Our “wine crawl” ended at sunset in Riomaggiori. The sun dropping into the ocean that evening was breathtaking, especially against a backdrop of old pastel-colored buildings, so we were not disappointed by our decision to stop a while. After some second guesses about the train schedule, we finally made it back to Monterosso and grabbed a bowl of homemade soup in town, calling it dinner. A perfect end to our perfect day in Cinque Terre.

Waking early again the next day, I headed out before dawn for a second time. I just couldn’t get enough of the rocks and the sea, and it was almost time to leave them. During my walk that morning, though, I found a stairway I hadn’t noticed before. It led up along the rock face, to a wide trail. A railing kept me from plummeting into the sea as I occasionally stumbled in the darkness. Shrines to saints were etched into the rocks, and votive candles lit them eerily. Looking ahead and down to the right, a breathtaking sight caught my attention—a view of the night lights in old Monterosso. As strange as it was being out alone in the dark, and so high up on the mountain, I felt oddly calm.

That is, until out of the corner of my eye, I saw what appeared to be a giant, dark arm and outstretched hand, and my heart skipped a beat.

As I made my way toward the (thank goodness) quite stationary figure, I saw that it was a giant statue of St. Francis of Assisi, taming a wolf—the famous legend from the town of Gubbio. I chuckled. Well, that was a relief! Soon, I made my way down the mountainside and back to Hotel La Colonnina. The sun was rising by now, and it was time to pack to leave Monterosso and Cinque Terre. This was one of just a couple of locales during that two-week trip that I swore I’d come back to—with my family. The beauty of it filled my heart.

Lake Como
The half-day trip from Monterosso to Como on Wednesday morning seemed longer. I guess it was (a) that I left my heart in Monterosso, (b) the tight fit in the van alongside five other ladies and two teen-aged girls (all of whom were lovely companions, I will add), (c) that I think I was beginning to miss my own family and also to think about all the catching up I was going to have to do once I was back home, and, finally (d) it was raining—not a good day for driving. Better it rained then, when we were driving, though, than when we were touring the day before, I thought. Then, I remembered the sun on the Ligurian Sea from high on the trail to Levanto and wine and gelatos under the blue-striped umbrellas, and all was fine.

And, some fun was still to come.

Sights along Lake Como.

Our destination was Bellagio, a gem of a town at the center of the lake and at the very tip of the inverted wishbone. Of all the towns we could take a boat ride to, how did we decide on Bellagio? Well, the night before, we arrived in town and immediately set out to find a cute little place to have dinner that could accommodate 8 on the spur of the moment. Only in Italy… Anyway, a nice man running a tiny restaurant (10 tables?) agreed to seat us in about 40 minutes if we wanted to have a glass of wine and wait. We were in no hurry, so we readily agreed. Besides, the guy was friendly. You know how you can connect with someone, even if you don’t speak the same language, just because you like his or her smile? That’s the way it was.

I think that night we had one of the best dinners of the trip. I don’t remember much about the food. But, we laughed. We toasted Tammy, the proprietor, his wife, and just about everyone else in the place. At one point, the owner asked us what we were going to do while at Lake Como. We told him we’d like to take a boat ride. When he asked, “Where?” we had no answer. We figured we’d walk over to buy the tickets in the morning and just see what looked good. “Where should we go?” we asked him. “Go to Bellagio!” he said. “Why?” we asked. “Just go,” he said, nodding and smiling. And, so we did.

Bellagio walkway.

Our tour boat was completely enclosed with windows, so, although we were required to remain “indoors,” we were never deprived of a view. And, with blue water and snow-covered Alps all around and stately old mansions dotting the shore, what a view it was.

We disembarked at the town dock and eventually split into several groups, shopping and wandering through the cobblestone streets, poking into churches and shops. The area is known for its textile industry and especially for “Como silk.” Needless to say, a number of silk ties and scarves made their way into my already full luggage. The fabric was beautiful and the prices reasonable. We enjoyed a leisurely lunch at Terrazza Metropole, a fine dining establishment overlooking the water. Not enough can be said about that view, the wine, and the food, which I can’t remember now but I’m sure it was lovely. I just remember the sunshine bouncing off the water. And, the wine.

The boat ride back was somber, as this was technically the last day we’d spend touring Italy. We were flying back to the States from Milan on Saturday and so planned to stay at a hotel near the airport on Friday evening. That gave us one more day of sightseeing to schedule, and we made the decision to drive over the border to check out the lovely town of Lugano, on a lake by the same name, in Switzerland, just because we could. We were all up for one last adventure.

Bellagio: the view at lunch.

In truth, I think it was in Lugano that I was the antsiest to get home. One more day! It was a good place to be after two weeks on the road, enjoying every minute of it. We spent our last night together in a hotel near the airport in Milan, talking, drinking, hugging, and tearing up. We had come a long way together! The trip home, with a layover in Frankfurt, was long indeed, and I was very, very happy to see Gary pull up at the curb at the Philadelphia Airport. So much to tell him about! So much to show him.

And, I knew that Christmas gift-giving would be a smash…

Epilogue
In the end, upon my return home, I was a proverbial “changed person.” I found that traveling on my own could work very well, especially as part of a group with a loosely structured agenda. I would have liked to have spent more time writing about the trip as I was living it, but working at night was the only way it was going to happen for me, and in the end, it all worked out. It had been the perfect way to test my wings, after many years traveling as part of a couple and/or a family. I enjoyed having quiet time, time for solo walks and reflection. But, I was also looking forward to sharing everything with my husband and grown children.

I was, and still am, in a very good place. Thanks again, Tammy!