Day Twentyone - Jun 11, 2012
Pisa, Italy to Riomaggiore, Italy
Daily Didactic
We woke up late. We've figured out that on travel days checkout is usually 11:00 and check in is usually 3:00 or so (although almost everywhere has let us in earlier). So the sweet spot seems to be a 12:00 train and a slow start. Certainly works for us. We caught the 12:30 train out of Pisa to La Spezia for a connection to Riomaggiore. The train rides went fast, as we met and chatted with a really great fellow from San Francisco who was toward the end of a India/European adventure of his own. Riomaggiore is a town in the Cinque Terre, five small villages along the Italian Mediterranean coast. They were historically fishing towns surrounded by vineyards. In fairness they are now mostly tourist towns, but are still some of the most amazing pieces of historical geography we have ever visited. Nonsensically pretty. They are connected by a trail that usually follows the coastline like a seven mile footpath version of Highway One in California. Because of flooding last fall, some of the trails are now closed and you either need to take the high trail or the train. We were surprised to be met at the train station by Emiliano who runs the small place we are staying with his mother. He helped us find our room and gave us 30 minutes of the most useful advice we've had on the whole trip. We grabbed a snack, sat on another amazing terrace, and headed to Manorola for dinner in the early evening. Just a ridiculously nice day.
Today's Photos
