Week 4 St. Margherita Ligure and Portofino

Today was the most pleasant walk...we were not carrying our backpacks!! It was a great walk passing by the most beautiful landscaped homes. We realized that we entered the “crème de la crème” district, with amazing homes just meters to the sea. The trek started along the sea walk and moved inland to a trail matching the beautiful homes. When we reached Portofino it was not surprising that prices doubled for souvenirs and restaurant food.

Check out Picasa Week 4 photos St. Margherita Ligure and Portofino (CTRL+Link to open in a new tab)

Week 4 Rapallo

The trek from Camogli was intense and it took us about two hours to reach the hilltop town of Ratu that was only 2 km away.  But what a view from the top! The coastline it long and clear and we could see all the way to Genova. We had reached the same height the day before when we walked to St. Rocco without any backpacks. It sure makes a difference when carrying 35 and 45 pound backpacks. The climb up seemed endless.

The remaining 8 km was relatively easy as we descended into Rapallo, another coastal town that is surrounded by mountains. It is a beautiful setting and we’ve decided to stay an extra day to explore the village of St. Maurgarita that is only a few kilometers away.

Check out Picasa Week 4 photos Rapallo (CTRL+Link to open in a new tab)

Week 4 Camogli

There are days when we arrive in a town and we are in awe with its beauty, but somehow Camogli is different. In contrast Camogli grasped our soul. It is set on a rugged hillside and therefore is a tourist attraction, however there are many people living at the water’s edge. Many people are enjoying the water – fishers, kayakers, [serious] swimmers, little children, lovers and vacationers. And there are cafes and restaurants on the city harbour that attracts many people at night. It is hard to imagine that on October 6, 2012 we would be sitting on the beach enjoying the sunset. Dreams do come true!

We loved Camogli so much we decided to stay another day and take a day-hike on the local mountain. We were looking forward to the hike but knew it would be a difficult one - which it was. It was straight up, following stairs and passing resident homes. Hard to believe people live on this mountain, because the only access is by foot, donkey (which I didn't see any) or motorbike (which there were many). On the way up we passed a elderly women with a large bag (sack) of buns making her way slowly to her home. Unfortunately, after an hour and half the path started to get little dangerous and therefore we decided to return to Camogli. And as it turned out I didn't take any pictures because I left the camera memory card in the computer. I had to cheat and download a photo from the Internet.

Check out Picasa Week 4 photos Camogli (CTRL+Link to open in a new tab)

Week 4 Genova and Nervi

Genova has a boating event from October 6 to 14 and therefore I thought this would not be a good time to stay in Genova with so many people. Much to our surprise we discovered that many of the hotels in outlying areas have been booked for this event. Hence it was difficult to find accommodations in Nervi, but we eventually we did, but at a much higher price than Genova. It is not surprising, given the beauty of the area. Nervi is a town that stretches along the sea side, with a small inner harbour. The boats are all stored away and the only boats we saw were kayakers practicing in the sheltered harbour. We bought a bottle of wine and some ice cream and enjoyed the afternoon in the harbour. Nervi also has a long boardwalk that stretches for 4 km, to the next town of Bogliasco that we will pass by tomorrow. The highlight of the day was my mishap on the rocky shore. It is such a beautiful shoreline and we walked down the steps leading to the water’s edge. Julie was ready to take my picture, but as I stepped the rocks I went sliding on my butt. Two men came to help and Julie made sure she got my picture.

Check out Picasa Week 4 photos Nervi (CTRL+Link to open in a new tab)

Week 4 Arenzano

Hard to believe we have completed three weeks of our holiday already. How time flies when having fun. Today we found a beautiful hotel in the town of Arenzano. The room was large and clean, and with a large patio that allowed us to spend a few hours in the afternoon and evening enjoying the sights and sounds of the town.

Check out Picasa Week 4 photos Arenzano (CTRL+Link to open in a new tab)

Week 3 Varazze

Today all of Italy’s buses were on strike for the day. As we left Savona, there was a line up of cars 2 km long crawling into the city all the way from the nearby village of Albisola. There was one taxi in the line up and I’m sure that ride was an expensive one. It would have been easier and quicker for people to walk or take their bikes, which some were, but obviously not enough. This was a day to phone in sick. The trek today was another splendid one, walking the coastline and going through an old rail line tunnel. The towns in this region are all connected with well maintained walkways, which many people today were enjoying – including one large hiking group we encountered. We arrived in Varazze and booked into Hotel Lido that is located across from the beach, and what a spectacular view from our room! The town of Varazze is small compared to Savona, but bigger than other towns we passed today. There are many places to shop and eat, but like many other sea-side towns we wondered about the crowds during the summer months. It would be amazing to experience the hustle and bustle (and possible chaos) during that time. It is very quiet now and we wonder how so many restaurants survive during the low season.

Check out Picasa Week 3 photos Varazze (CTRL+Link to open in a new tab)

Week 3 Savona

The one observation trekking the coastline is the number of natural grottos caused by constant pounding of the surf. From the trail it is sometimes possible to see the waves came in and then a few seconds later a burst of sea-spray comes out from a hole in the rock. There are also some grottos that have stairs leading down to the water and it’s possible to swim into the caves. Unfortunately it was a too rainy today to consider this adventure. Julie doesn’t think I would do it! If the conditions were right, I just might.

Savona is a relatively large city and therefore not as picturesque as the smaller towns along the coast. Our hotel is on the beach and with a view of the water from our room. Hotel Ariston is in a great location, but a bit outdated and therefore could use some remodeling. Regardless, we ventured around town to visit Fortress Priamar perched on top of a hill with a 360 degree view of the mountains and coastline. There are many beautiful churches to visit, and none built in the modern day would compare with those built hundreds of years ago.

Check out Picasa Week 3 photos Savona (CTRL+Link to open in a new tab)