Prior to leaving our beloved Zibello and the Trattoria de la Buca, I needed a photo or two of Miriam...the nona (grandma)...who made the pasta and is the face of this amazing establishment...she's the one on the right with the glasses
There was also a nice artistic photo collage of her... so enjoy...
She truly was so sweet, and each night, one of her key contributions, since the pasta is made earlier, is that she looks at you and your dinner party, thinks for a few minutes, asks you a few questions and then tells you what you need to eat. A real special treat...and as you can tell from the previous days' blogs...she knew us well and chose for us well. May the Lord richly bless her life, her family and La Buca.
After a great breakfast of fruit, yogurt and cappucinos, we said goodbye to Jim and Christine. One last required experience...that Christine got to do yesterday...is driving on the levee.. Here I go :weeeheee...
We made it to Cinque Terre (now to be referred to simply as CT) in around 2 or so hours. The coastline is beautiful and reminds me of the stretch between Carmel and Pismo Beach. Cars are not allowed in any of the 5 little towns...and it became obvious as to why:
Our B and B, the Carugui, had a US born owner, and she helped us with directions and on getting settled in with network connections and advice on where to eat.
After I parked high above the village to get to Peggy and our room, and then walked straight downhill about 1/2 mile...Peggy mentioned they needed the passports...which were in the trunk of the car...about 2 oxygen tanks above our B and B...by foot. So Peggy and I first hiked back up the hill and while I went all the way to the parked car, Peggy protected an available space a little closer to the town. Sweating slightly, we went past our B and B and hiked down into our town, Manarola, toward the sea: trail cutting through the middle of the photo is called the Walk of Love...and winds its way to all 5 of the CT towns. At a small fee, you get to go many kilometers, with no cars, and experience the coastline like nowhere else in the world. can't wait until tomorrow to start exploring...
Our lunch was on the narrow street right near this small harbor...the folks here are known for their fish...but we needed traditional prosciutto and melon, along with a caprese salad..
The pasta was excellent as well...and we need to carbo load in preparation for all the hiking between towns over the next few days:
After lunch we watched the Tour De France, I worked on 5 days of blogging and then we went to an early dinner...so we could get back in time for the World Cup soccer game between Holland and Uruguay....Holland just won 3-2 and head to the finals against the winner of tomorrow's Germany vs. Spain match.
Many of the local restaurants are known for their fish and their pesto...so we ordered exactly that: Broiled Swordfish...so fresh and sizzling when it arrived I forgot to take a timely photo...
and pasta with pesto sauce, zucchini and small potatoes...very tasty...
Finished with dinner, we got back to the room in time for the game...and this was the first time I actually sat down on the bed to look forward to the comfort of our sleeping situation. When I placed my bicycle-sore important hind quarter down on this mattress
It immediately motivated me to find an equivalent for you to best understand what I was experiencing...so here it is:
Ouchhhhh...this mattress is H-A-R-D. Thankfully, with all the walking we plan to do, I am hopeful that by God's grace, sleep will come quickly.
If any of my hordes of blog readers (4) have ever been to CT and have some cool recommendations of hikes, or restaurants or other activities...please pass them along. until tomorrow...Ciao bella from CT!
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