Italy 2023, Day 12: Camogli to Santa Margherita Ligure to Portofino to Sestri Levante.

On this morning, I grabbed breakfast solo while Kathi rested some more. I did grab an extra croissant for Kathi and some tea for her sore throat. We packed our bags and left them with the hotel clerk to be retrieved later in the day. We climbed the stairs up to the train station and waited for the next train to Santa Margherita Ligure (SML). And waited and waited and waited; there was some delay which lasted about an hour. To pass the time, I struck up a conversation with a bike trekker about his fancy bike with only one front fork.

The train did eventually come, and Kathi and I arrived in SML by train, perhaps only a 10 minute trip from Camogli

On paths to Portofino would be different. I wanted to hike the trails from SML to Portofino, but Kathi didn't, so she took the short ferry to Portofino. The monument to Christopher Columbus pointed the way.

We kissed at the Piazza Martiri della Libertà and parted.

I was using vague written directions from a Rick Steves Cinque Terre guidebook to find the trailhead. It told me to look for the trailhead at Via Maragliano, then follow the trail markers (red and white stripes). With trust in Rick, I set out. On the way, I passed this monument to the local soldiers killed in WWII.

When. Mussolini was deposed in July 1943 and his fascist government collapsed, Mussolini's chief of staff, General Pietro Badoglio began negotiating with American General Eisenhower to surrender Italy to the Allies. The surrender occured on September 8, 1943 and that allowed the Allies to land in Salerno to attempte to beat back the Germans. On the day of Italy's surrender, Hitler launched "Operation Axis" to occupy Italy. when his forces entered Rome, General Badoglio fled to Brindisi, in southern Italy, to set up a new antifascist government. On October 13, 1943, the government of Italy declared war on its former Axis partner Germany and joined the battle on the side of the Allies. This monument honored the local soldiers that fought and fell, from 1943-1945, in the service of the Allied forces against the Germans.

Continuing on, I found Via Antonia Maria Maragliano and started walking up the street. I didn't see any trail markers so after a while, in this local area away from the tourists, I tried to find someone that spoke English that could help me find the trail. The first woman I spoke to had no idea what I was talking about. She enjoined a local shop keeper, who also did not know anything about a trail to Portofino, but they both agreed I was crazy fro wanting to walk over the mountain to get there!

I was burning time, the hike would take me several hours, and I knew Kathi, having taken the ferry to Portofino was likely close or already there waiting. So I turned on my phone's international cell service and used the GPS to navigate to a known waypoint. The Cappelletta delle Gave. I was following roads, but at least I was on my way.

I switched sides of the street to stay in the shade. Thankfully, there wasn't much traffic to worry about. I climbed up the Via Minerva and then hooked a left on the Via Partigiano Berto Silvio Solimano passing hillside terraces with vineyards and and olive groves.

As I climbed, the views of the port of Santa Margharita Ligure and the distant mountains behind the town of Zoagli, including Monte Anchetta, just got better and better.

I continued on to Nozarego...

On the way, I cam across this sign promoting the Parco di Portofino.

Zooming in, I can see my folly. The GPS had taken me on the roundabout path to Nozarego, straight up the mountain, more or less following the trail with the marker of three circles arranged in a triangle, rather than the more direct diagonal route symbolized by the red cross (to Gave).

Nevertheless, at least I was headed in the right direction! Just like in the US, on this rural road, there are reminders that "waste dumping is prohibited".

Tree limbs formed the perfect frame to Santa Margherita Ligure below.

I followed my phone's GPS route as the Via Partigiano Berto Silvio Solimano turned into the Via Marinai D'Italia and that's where I stumbled across my first trail sign at the Villa il Sogno!

In my blind faith in Rick Steves, I was looking for red and white stripes so I must've missed what I see now in the photo - the letters spelling out GAVE underneath the red cross. There are trails all over these mountains so I decided to walk a little beyond this point on the Via Marinai D'Italia to see if I could find other trail markers. I was now descending, but I could see the coast and the Faro di Portofino extended to the south, so this way didn't seem right.

It looked like I was quickly headed down to the road to Portofino.

So I backtracked to the Villa il Sogno, and followed the trail and qas quickly rewarded with this sign confirming that this was the trail to Gave and Paraggi Beach (which I knew the trail led to).

While the first half of my hike was devoid of trail markers, now they seemed everywhere!

On the right track...

Hiking through the countryside, OK, this seemed more like a trail and I was glad to be off the road!

Another park sign confirmed that I had arrived at the little chapel, Cappelletta delle Gave, in the shadow on Monte Brado.

This is where the trails converge. See the power pole with the three circles arranged in a triangle in the photo below?

I followed the wall surrounding the grounds and started my descent towards Paraggi Beach.

I watched my step to make sure I didn't slip as I gained momentum heading down along the loose soil and gravel. I hadn't seen another soul on the trail all day!

Continuing my descent...

The trail brought me into Paraggi near the Hotel Argentina.

I continued down the Strada Provinciale 227 di Portofino but following the "pedestrian way to Prortofino" as the sign says.

At the south end of Paraggi the scene opend up so I got a view of this small, lovely and secluded cove.

Rejoining the trail, and ascending again, the views became even more stunning.

I continued on, following the trail markers - three circles formed in a triangle.

I saw very few other trekkers. The path was gently rolling. People don't know what they're missing!

Following the signs to Portofino Mare...

And an occasional tiled marker.

Continuing to ascend provided the opportunity to get a good view of the Golfo Tigulio and the Villa Bonomi and its Castello (Castle) di Paraggi on the Punta (Point) Castello

Walking through the Portofino Regional Park, nearing the Punta Caieca.

Getting close now, the Faro Punta del Coppo revealed itself.

Getting even closer the Portofino harbor started to take shape.

Anticipating my reunion with Kathi, my pace quickened. These festive red arches beckoned me to kick up the pace.

Yes, we're walking here...

Elevated views of Baia (Bay) Cannone

The path led me along, skirting the coast, weaving in and out of cover.

Finally, the trail led me to the Chiesa del Divo Martino, where I had arranged to meet Kathi. Yay!

The 12th century Romanesque church is dedicated to Saint Martin of Tours, a Roman bishop and military man. He ministered in Gaul (in present-day Hungary) and was one of the first non-martyr saints proclaimed by the Catholic Church.

I didn't see Kathi immediately, so I looked for her inside the church; I figured she'd be in the shade. Inside, there are several pictorial and sculptural works, such as the wooden group depicting the Deposition of Christ by the Genoese sculptor Anton Maria Maragliano, the canvas of the Madonna del Rosario by an unknown painter, an Annunciation of the 18th century, and a painting depicting the Saints Rocco, Sebastiano and Pantaleo.

Inside, a depiction of Saint George slaying the mythical dragon, saving the King's daughter from sacrifice to appease the dragon who was terrorizing the King's realm.

The stunning alter...

Madonna...

Saint Francis...

Loved this devotional to Mary

After a quick tour and not seeing Kathi anywhere, I turned on my phone and called her. She was on a lower terrace and we found each other.

After some scolding for tardiness (deservedly so), we descended into Portofino into the Piazza Martiri dell'Olivetta and then explored the shops along the Via Roma.

Kathi and I were both disappointed with the fabled Portofino. Except for a few guarded and exclusive shops in the Piazza, most of the other shops were just selling tacky souvenirs to prove to others that you had been to Portofino (sort of like the T-shirts that proclaimed - "I climbed Half Dome"). Twisted motivation.

Anyway, we stalked out a cafe in the Piazza and finally got a table for lunch. I was parched. We split a pizza and got a giant bottle of water! After lunch, I wanted to walk to the point of the peninsula, Faro Punta del Coppo, so off we went in the blistering afternoon heat.

On the way to Faro di Portofino, we came upon the

Chiesa di San Giorgio, the church of Saint George.

This photo is taken from St. George's terrace looking out past the church towards the point. The rocky coast and jewel colored water was striking.

Saint George is perhaps best known as the patron saint of England. So what's his connection here?

St George was famous as a dragon slayer and reputed to be one of the Emperor’s favorite Tribunes, as well as the son of one of his friends. But St Goerge was arrested because he was a Christian soldier and as part of an overall programme of Roman persecution, he was ordered to be sacrificed to the Roman gods.

True to his faith St George refused to renounce his Christianity and bravely stood up for his Christian beliefs so Emperor Diocletian had no choice but to order his death by decapitation. St George was arrested in April 303 and dragged through the street in humiliation before they chopped his head off.

As described by Gibbon in the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire, one of the later Crusaders found where St George's headless body had been buried in Lydda in Palestine and tried to bring the pieces back as relics to England. When they ran into a severe storm in the Mediterranean they swore that if they ever met landfall again they would leave the body there as an offering – and the little harbor which finally offered them sanctuary was Portofino. That's the connection between St George and the little harbor in Italy!

Inside, the church was simple, clean and white, without much adornment; pretty all the same.

If I remember correctly, there were these bronze reliefs on the church door. I'm guessing this is Cain killing Able?

And, of course, another one of Saint George killing the dragon.

After communing with St George, I took in the view from his church high on the point.

The path to "Il Faro" continued to climb and that's where Kathi decided to let me blaze ahead. I passed Castello Brown, but did not tarry. My destination was the end of the point where a seaside bar awaited! I continued on the Via alla Penisola and the Faro (lighthouse) di Portofino started to come into view.

But first, I passed Il Faretto (translates to "spotlight")...

... a festive covered bar that offered drinks and aperitivo.

As inviting as it was, I reluctantly passed and continued on a few hundred feet to Il Faro.

It would have been nice to stop and celebrate the moment, but maybe next time. I picked up the pace to rejoin Kathi. Of course the views are totally different going in the opposite direction. Here, Castello Brown occupied a commanding presence in the skyline.

Kathi and I returned to the Harbor, somewhat disappointed in our experience based on all the hype surrounding Portofino. I liked San Fruttuoso better and think I would have liked Paraggi Beach better too. You never know until you come... We hopped on the next ferry back to Santa Margherita Ligure and bid farewell to St. George and Portofino.

Back in SML, we made our way back through the town. Near the Piazza Martiri della Libertà, we passed an information kiosk and I ducked in to see if they had any Portofino hiking trail maps because I was curious to identify the real trailhead for hiked I had done. They did have trail maps, but they were 20 euros (!) so I passed. Instead, they gave me a free placemat map that did only show the trailhead; not where Rick Steves said it was. I'll have a bone to pick with Rick and his travel staff over that one! For the record, see the red arrow next to the red cross trail marker; do not take the road to Portofino.

We made it to the train station and whisked back to the Hotel Comigliese, where they were graciously holding our bags for the day. We got the bags and made our way back to the train station and headed south to Sestri Levante.

We tramped a fair way to our hotel, the Albergo Villa Rosa, checked in, took showers and donned fresh clothes for a city walk about. The hotel clerk recommended we head to the Baia del Silenzio (Bay of Silence) as it was very beautiful. We walked through the Piazza Republica, passing the Basilica of Santa Maria of Nazareth...

and after about 10 minutes, reached the Bay of Silence. At first, we stopped at an area of tables and chairs on the beach, but it was empty and looked kind of shabby. When the service was slow to come to us, we just got up and left. We strolled along the beach, but the noticeable green color of the otherwise blue jewel color of the Ligurian Sea made me think there was an algae bloom in the water and my mind drifted to a sewer leak somewhere. Perhaps unjustified, but I could not shake that thought and it soured my whole impression of Sestri Levante.

We found a nicer looking apertivo spot at the Citto Beach Bar at the end of the sandy beach. Unfortunately, we were seated next to a loud American woman and her obvious young Italian gigolo. She was paying for drinks and dinner and he was tortuously listening to her entitled and self-absorbed drivel. What a way to make a living! We rushed our aperitivo (a crime!) and left but tried to end the night on a bright note by stopping at Ice Cream Angels for gelato to sustain us on the walk back to the hotel. Once there, we washed clothes and went to bed.