We hopped on the ferry from Monterosso. The first obvious benefit of travelling via ferry is the chance to see Monterosso, Vernazza, Corniglia (even if the ferry doesn’t stop there), Manarola and Riomaggiore from the sea. We had plenty of opportunity to see most of them from the cliffs yesterday, and today we see them from another angle.
We hopped off at Porto Venere, all the way at the tip of the Bay of Poets, where La Spezia is built upon. We did not have a clear plan of attack. The town essentially has two landmarks. Chiesa di San Pietro, a tiny church on the tip of the port with great views of the Tyrrhenian Sea, a part of the Mediterranean Sea. If you didn’t know about the Tyrrhnian Sea or if you’ve just learned about it because you thought I was drunk when I wrote this log, don’t feel bad, I too only learned about it by scrolling through Google Maps. In any case, learning about a new sea is more interesting than the church and its terrace, which would aptly be named Selfie Point. I would compare going to the terrace to standing atop the Eiffel Tower. While on top, you see what could be any large European town, since what makes a picture of Paris unique is the presence of the tower. The same goes for Porto Venere and its small church on a rock.
The real sight in Porto Venere is Castello Doria—a 12th-century castle built by the Genoese. An example of military architecture of the time, the castle, which is pretty much a self-guided affair, offers the best views of both the town and the sea. As a bonus, you can get Chiesa di San Pietro in the frame, helping tell where that picture of the big blue sea was taken, thanks to that unique landmark.
Our first mission after getting off the boat was lunch. That’s when we learned that relying on Google Maps to navigate the small city of Porto Venere was not a good idea. The location of streets is approximate, and the same is true for businesses. Also, some roads and staircases are incomplete, leading to directions that take you around perfectly good streets or stairs. Since the town is small, directions are easy. If you keep heading uphill, you’ll hit the castle; if you keep following the water, you’re likely to find the church or the port. Other than that, you’re pretty much on your own.
The guide recommended La Piazzeta, a small restaurant in a tiny square off the few streets of the town. They specialize in panini and focaccia. Skip the first page of the menu, with 10-15€ plates, and go for the 5-8€ sandwiches with a glass of wine or water, depending on how you feel. Finish things up with a quick coffee, and you’re in business.
We went to the church, a mistake, then the castle, a well spent 5€ per head and back to the port for some day drinking while waiting for the ferry back to Monterosso. A pleasant sunny afternoon that required minimal effort. A welcome contrast with yesterday’s hike.
We had what should have been an express boat ride back. The ferry only stopped in Vernazza before heading to Monterosso. We were, however, detained for a good 20 minutes because a jackass who should never have gotten his captain's license was blocking the port with his small yacht. We got treated to what I can only assume is an extensive repertoire of nautical-themed insults from the crew. Sadly, neither my Italian (5 words) nor Karine’s Italian (food-focused) allowed us to understand what I’m sure was a 20-minute master class.
Finally making our landing, we went for the all-important wine shopping. You see, the Cinque Terre region produces Sciacchetrà, a sweet, port-like wine made from grapes grown on the cliffs overlooking the sea. Since production is small, they don’t export it, but our local purveyor of Lemon Spritz and other day-drinking concoctions, Enoteca Da Eliseo, ships internationally! Karine negotiated for some wine and had Limoncello shipped home.
Dining was our regular affair at the Ciak. Karine went for a double portion of their Gnocchi fatti a mano al Pesto (Gnocchi, made by hand, in a Pesto sauce), since it’s been a long time since I've been here. I kept to the namesakes: Spaghetti Ciak (Mussels and Olives in tomato sauce). As always, we went with the local white wine. Karine didn’t get any shipped as we found Sassarini be good but nothing worth the import fee or, really, drinking anywhere else than here.
You might be wondering why Karine would have a double serving of the Ciak’s Gnocchis al Pesto. The answer is really the Pesto: the gnocchi, while well-made and showing off the cook’s skill in making it right, are just a pesto delivery system. Good pesto is made by hand: if you’re zipping anything in the food processor, you’re wrong and are missing out on the texture. The only nut a good pesto contains is pine nuts. Good pesto requires all fresh ingredients, no half-depressed basil, sprouting garlic, old olive oil or leftover grated parmesan, no vented pine nuts. It should be bright green and full of flavour. The Ciak knows this and makes it well. This is rare, and Karine just had to make sure she had everything she could get before we leave for Naples tomorrow.
