We Drive out of Rome and into Levanto (about 5-6 hrs later). We find the black sand beach and I immediately parked the car and went for a dip in the ocean. It was certainly an experience as the beach wasn't much of a surf beach but rather a like like beach. Oh well. We get to our B&B and realise it backs onto the beach parking lot, so didn't have to go far.
We quickly rush off to the train station to go explore some of the towns that make up the Cinque Terre (5 sea-side towns that are literally cut into the cliffs). During the train ride to Riomaggiore (20 mins) and the weather turned from sunshine to storm. We get off at the station to be met with torrential rain. A bit of running in the rain to find suitable shelter and any method of exploring the town was met with nothing but dissapointment and wet clothes. Trip abandoned. We get on the train back to Levanto. As we pass each of the other 4 towns, it gets progressively better weather wise. By the time we get back to Levanto, it was down to a spitting drizzle. DAMN!! We get back to the B&B, go to a pharmacy (while in Rome I had contracted numerable mozzie bites and was itching like buggery so we went to the chemist for some remedies.), faff around, exit the B&B and SUNSHINE! Double DAMN!! On top of this we had the worst Italian meal since coming to Italy. All in the vain hope of saving some dollars.
Tomorrow is a new Day...... Tomorrow comes, and with it a cloudless sunshine day. We pack up and head of to try and do some of the Cinque Terre before our designated leaving time. We were able to get to Walk from Riomaggiore to Manarola which is a ½ hour walk along "lovers lane"- how touristy. We deicided not to walk to all the way to Corniglia but went about ¼ of the way, and back to mke the next train to Levanto. I guess we will just have to come back for the other 3 towns next time. More thumbnails ...
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