Monterosso

Regular visitors will know that we can’t go on holiday without having some sort of drama with our travel arrangements. Today was the day for this trip.

Travelling by train from Bologna to Monterosso in the Cinque Terre requires changing trains first at Florence, then at Pisa. My bookings did rely somewhat on the punctuality of the Italian rail system though I still think half an hour’s transfer time should be enough - the case for the defence is fairly flimsy!

Anyway when our first train was delayed, there ensued a Keystone Cops chase through Florence station, me leading and turning round to “encourage” Tess, she in hot(in more ways than one!) pursuit, dragging our cases behind us! The out come was we reached the platform, which was inevitably the one furthest from the one we’d just arrived on, in time to watch our connection disappear.

The Trenitalia staff were brilliant: they told us just to hop on the next train to Pisa where they then issued us with new tickets free of charge, admittedly necessitating a further change at La Spezia.

The upshot was we arrived at Monterosso rather later and more flustered than anticipated, where our friendly B&B host picked us up from the station and delivered us to her beautiful Affiticamere high up the hill behind Monterosso beach.

A shower and a change and we were ready for a drink and another fantastic meal in the old part of town.

The blip is of the Torre Aurora which stands on the promontory which separates the old town from the newer bit. Taken on the walk back.