Italy 2023, Day 16: Milan to Norfolk Virginia (USA)

There's not much to tell on this day. We got up early, and, not knowing the trolly schedule, we jacklegged our packs and carry-ons down the early morning streets to the subway station at Saint Agostino. We got to the Milan airport, checked in, and dropped off our only checked bag, my world-travelled, Southampton College cross country Atlantis duffel. Bon voyage!

We snaked our way through the lines and metal detectors, and finally boarded our plane to Norfolk by way of New York. When we arrived in NY Kathi got her jollies and snapped this picture as I was searched while going through customs. The security guard thought the triangles of parmesan cheese were owefully suspicious.

Leave it to the Americans to feel threatened by real Parmigiano-Reggiano! You can tell by my posture, I was not pleased! 

 After a long layover in NY we boarded our flight to Norfolk. We got in at around 11pm, which is de rigor for these transatlantic flights. We were glad to be home, but being suddenly immersed in American culture made our amazing experiences in Parma, Lake Garda, the Dolomites, Varenna and Lake Como, Camogli, San Frutuosso, Moneglia, Portovenere and Riomaggiore feel like they had occurred far away and long ago.

On the trip, we talked a lot about traveling and traveling companions. Now, our Walter Mitty wish is that we can return to Italy one day and rent a house for the summer so we can slow down and explore many more of the nooks and crannies in the small towns that dot the Italian landscape. We will be back!

Italy 2023, Day 15: Riomaggiore to Levanto to Milan

We woke up early and showered before breakfast. We descended down the steep stone steps and bought crema croissants at Il Maggiore and then found cappuccino at “Nonna Vittoria Cafe and Bistrot". We enjoyed the cool quiet streets before most of Riomaggiore stirred. Freeing up one of the few outside tables, we paid and climbed back up to the room, packed and descended the stairs for the last time (this trip). I struggled to get the key deposit to work (a sign) but it finally swallowed our key forcing us to leave.

We boarded the morning train to Levanto, where we would have to change to a regional train service that would take us to Milan. We made it to Levanto easily enough, but the earlier connecting train was full, so we would have to wait a couple of hours. Kathi watched the bags while I took a turn walking around and rekindling our fond memories of Levanto.

I walked down the Corso Roma until it intersected with the Ligurian Sea at Spiaggia Levanto. Here's the beach looking north...

... and south

All the little towns along the coast seem to have signs that show the paths connecting them to their surroundings. Here's Levanto's ...

Umbrellas and beach lounges all at the wait...

I walked down the Corso Italia and window shopped. I visited the surf shop, but didn't see anything that compelled me to buy (and not look like a poser). I walked up theVia D. Alighieri, passing the Piazza Generale Staglieno where Kathi and I had danced to a band in 2018 - such memories! I saw the little shop, the Pesto Laboratory, where she purchased her mortar and pestle and another kitchen store selling spices and herbs that I knew Kathi would be interested in. I climbed back up to the train station and took my turn watching the bags while Kathi ducked down into Levanto to check out the kitchen store.

After a while, she returned but I was disappointed that she had returned empty handed; likewise, she hadn't found any must haves. Eventually, we boarded the 1 pm train to Milan. We arrived at the Centrale train station around 4:15.

It took us a few minutes to get our bearings but we got headed in the right direction and jumped on the next trolly heading to the Canal District in Milan where we would spend our last evening in Italy.

The trolly was slow, but eventually we made it to the Navigli canal district, which some claim is the most charming and vibrant area of Milan. The crowds were certainly there!

We found our room at Ritorno alle Origini Suites, which was situated in a building occupying a prime spot along the canal, but our room's window faced a small private courtyard so we could sleep without being disturbed by the revelry the area was known for.

We dumped our bags and went out to walk along the canal.

Naviglio Grande is a canal between Milan and the Ticino River. Along the canal, there is a host of small restaurants souvenir shops and street vendors with their trinkets on carts or laid directly on the ground. On our tour, we paused to take the quintessential selfie on one of the bridges crossing the canal.

After coursing up and down the canal, we finally picked a spot for apertivo. We had to share a communal table to get a seat, but as soon as a private table opened up, we jumped for it. Kathi and I both opted for a Hugo spritz with elderflower liquor.

We sipped our spritzes but I have to confess, I wasn't digging the vibe. It all seemed too crowded and rushed and seemed to lack the intimacy that we had found is so many other towns. I'll admit it, that should not be unexpected, but it just shows my preferences for the small Italian towns over the big cities. We walked around a bit more, and then crossed the canal to find a recommended restaurant for dinner - El Brellin

Just outside the garden terrace was the Vicolo dei Levandai, the historical alley where washerwomen would bring their clothes and beat them against the stone "brellin".  The restaurant sits on the site of the old grocery store where the women would buy soap, brushes, and other items to aid in their work.

For dinner I ordered the renown ossobuco di vitello in gremolada - braised veal shank with risotto milanese (with saffron and bone marrow).

Kathi got the chicche di patate e barbabietola - lemon scented potato and beetroot dumplings with burrata cream and basil zucchini. We took our time, sipped our wine, and savored every moment. 

Leaving the restaurant, we walked back along the eastern side of the canal as night began to fall.

Circling back to our hotel room, we paused along the

Naviglio Grande and were enticed into having one last gelato.

Looks just like the advertisement! I had my favorite flavors - fior di latte and hazelnut

The Italians know how to do sweets!

As the sun fell below the horizon, the cafe lights began to cast a soothing glow on the canal streets.

While the evening promised its own delights, we were both pretty tired and still needed to pack for the long travel day ahead.

We packed as many dirty clothes and other items as we dared (that we could do without if our bags got lost or delayed) into the yellow duffel I had carried the whole time in the bottom of my backpack. Then we packed our Parmigiano-Reggiano, balsamic vinegar, cinque terre tile and patches, thank you gifts and other souvenirs we had picked up along the trip into our carry-ons and fell fast asleep.

Italy 2023, Day 14: Riomaggiore to Portovenere to Montorosso al Mare and Back

Today would start with a little bit of horror and then luck. We woke up and got breakfast at the Hotel Mondial and then returned to the room to finish packing before our departure. As I was organizing my things, I couldn't locate my Nikon digital camera and asked Kathi if she had seen it. When she said no, a horrific realization swept through my brain. I had put it under the streetside table at the restaurant Tender the night before and has forgotten it there! I rushed downstairs to the front desk and as I nervously started to tell my tale of woe, and ask if the clerk could call the restaurant, he interrupted and said that yes they had found my camera and were holding it for me. Relief!

Problem was, we were leaving Moneglia and the restaurant wouldn't open for a while, but the hotel clerk said there would be people there early cleaning and that I could probably go there at 10 am. So at around 9:30, I walked with Kathi to the train station, left my backpack with her in the waiting room, and flew down into town to the restaurant.

There were a few guys loafing about and as soon as I said camera, they motioned inside. There, it was, just sitting out on a table! Relief again! As I left, I checked the memory to see if there were any surprise pictures captured to document how stupid I had been. You know the random ass shot or something similar? Nothing but respect and care from the restaurant Tender!

Rejoining Kathi, we boarded the next train to Riomaggiore. Upon arrival. we walked from the train station through the tunnel connecting to the Via Columbe in the main part of the town.

We struggled a bit to find the alley that would lead up, always up (!), to the entrance to our hotel room in the Casa d'Amore. We called our contact to get let in...

... and and after waiting for some time gained entry and climbed up to our little room. We dumped our bags and then headed back out to make our way to the ferry terminal for an excursion to Porto Venere. Along the way, we stopped to admire and capture the beauty that is Riomaggiore and the Cinque Terre region. I love the century plants!

The inviting harbor...

We gout our tickets, boarded the ferry at the
Imbarco Traghetti di Riomaggiore ...

...and I snapped a few pictures as we were pulling away from Riomaggiore.

The pictures do not do justice to the beautiful clear blue waters. We cruised along a rugged and mostly uninhabited coast.

One of the rocky beaches created by avalanche, just before the Punta Castagna.

If you squint, perhaps you can see the cross on the top of Scoglio Ferale (feral rock) in the Ligurian Sea.

Below, how do the townsfolk (upper left) get down to the sea? Looks like perhaps a cabana awaits?

Iron oxide deposits in the rock faces of the "Rocce Rosse". I love seeing the solitary trees at the top of the ridge...

Beautiful rocky cliffs...

At last, we rounded the point, the Promontorio dell'Arpaia, and into the passage between Portovenere (port venus) and the island of Palmaria - the gateway to the Bay of Poets. The Chiesa di San Pietro standing guard at the entrance.

The church was built in the 13th century and replaced a Roman temple.

Portovenere was first established by the Romans in the middle of the first century BC, using it as a fishing village, and naming it Portus Veneris as an homage to the god of love: Venus.

As we neared the town, we were welcomed by a familiar cluster of multi-coloured houses along the seafront known as Calata Doria or the Palazzata.

We disembarked the ferry...

... and walked through the town to make our way to the Church of Saint Peter. On the way, at the
Porta del Borgo, we came across this ancient stone stamped with the symbol of Saint George. Wonder what it was used for? 

Kathi and I window shopped as we leisurely strolled along the Via Capellini and through it's narrow passageways known as carruggi. The town was charming with its smaller crowds and cute little shops. We bought a decorative Cinque Terra tile and Kathi purchases some gifts for friends who were watching our dog and helping out with our girls.

I was also on the hunt for a Cinque Terre patch I had seen when we visited in 2018 but didn't buy thinking they would be everywhere.  I wanted it to add to my backpack since I had hiked all the trails connecting the 5 towns.  In one of the small shop stalls, I found it!  Where I would least expect it, Portovenere Magic!  

I also liked the logo of this shop; it seemed to capture the essence of Portovenere.

We climbed through the town and up to the Church of Saint Peter the Apostle.

Along the way there were portals framing the views along the coast back towards the Rocce Rosse and Riomaggiore beyond.

Rotating slightly, you could see the Castello Doria, built in the 12th century, and named after the famous Doria family who once controlled Genoa during its time as a major maritime power.

Adventurous swimmers in the waters below...

Inside the church, built in 1277, contains three naves, each simple and beautiful.

The main alter... 

The last of the three dark chapels...

Back outside from the terrace, you could see the steps leading to a second structure, perhaps the battery used during the Napoleonic era used to defend the Gulf of La Spezia.

Looking from the ramparts past the island of Palmaria towards San Torenzo which formed the other arm encompassing the Bay of Poets.

After our visit to the church, we walked back into town for lunch. Along the way, we passed this tile of the town's coat of arms.

It was established in 1933. The crown, the three towers, and the color of the three flags (which include the cross of Saint George) speak to the town's alliance with the ancient Republic of Genoa. One of the branches looks like an olive branch which symbolizes a willingness for peace. The other branch looks like an oak with acorns, which In heraldry, is a symbol of strength and endurance (since its leaves are less easily shed in the fall than the leaves of other trees)

This blanket for sale reminded me of our sweet Hailey; our little mermaid.

The cross of Saint George was everywhere; here made form rad-painted stones among a sea of white gravel in the Piazza Giacomo Bastreri

Also in the Piazza was the town's World War I memorial.

Hungry and in a hurry, we grabbed a table at the

La Bottega del Fritto Burger House...

... but since the service was slow, we changed our burger and hot dog order to go so that we could catch the next ferry.  We grabbed our food in the nick of time, and hopped on the ferry selecting seats on the starboard side so we could again marvel at the coast. We felt a little embarrased eating our delicious hot food in front of others, but whuchyagonnado? Goodbye Portovenere, ti vogliamo bene, and hope to come back again some time (with our own boat for exploring the coast!).

We got off the ferry...

... and made our way back to the train station.

We had planned to go back to Monterosso al Mare to find that Cinque Terre patch I had seen there in 2018.  Even though I had found the patch we decided to revisit the town for apertivo.  Almost immediately, upon emerging from the train station, I found the patch in one of the souvenir stores, so I bought another one for posterity. Time to celebrate!  We found a nice spot for apertivo which had a great view.

We both opted for a lemoncello spritz and were treated to a selection of chips and nuts.

After a leisurely cocktail, we hopped back on the train back to Riomaggiore. We decided to head to the harbor for gelato and struggled with the GPS to find the Gelateria Sottozero, but we finally made it and then, dinner in hand, we climbed up to the terrace on the SE side of the harbor to watch the sunset.

Glorious!

On the way back, my keen eyes spied an unassuming and degraded, but recognizable, Blub street art poster. Score!

We also enjoyed the ceramic tiles that adorned alleys, tunnels, and side streets.

I need to learn how to make these!!!!!

We climbed our way back the the Casa d-Amore and got our stuff together for the next day's trip back to Milan. I was sorry to be leaving the lovely Cinque Terre!