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!