We drove through the Ligoria countryside through Livorno and passed Pisa with its leaning tower visible in the distance along the mountain range which shown white in parts like snow which was actually marble quarries from which Michelangelo chose the blocks of stone for his works.
We arrived in Spezia and picked up two additional tour guides who narrated as we drove to Manarola where we walked down through a tight street and 4 story homes over a street that covered the once open stream.
From there, after a quick snack, we walked back towards Riomaggiore along 'lovers land', a walkway which hugs the coast with breathtaking views of sparkling seas. Rio was built similarly in a small canyon with stone-walled vineyards carved into the steep hillside. Then by boat to Vernazza. The boat crew was fantastic in their ability to lasso the moorings and place a rampway from the bow to the shore while the pilot put the boat in an easy reverse to keep the proper distance from bow to shore.
We grabbed lunch in a restaurant built into the harbor fortress with views out to sea. Then we walked out onto the rocky breakwater to swim. Carolyn had some difficulty with the last step and ended up on her back between two rocks. We lifted her up and we all dove into the Med.
Great swimming! We got out and took a brief outdoor shower and hurried to the town square to find our group had already left for the train station. We hurried to follow and met up with them to find the train was 10 minutes late, thankfully. We took the train back to La Spezia and met up with our bus to trace our way back to Livorne.
A dinner at the main restaurant, a Med buffet which was followed by a staff talent show featuring songs, Indonesian and Filipino dances and a garage band. Not the most talented, but it was fun or funny.
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