We drove to the Mediterranean coast to Lerici, a town south of Cinque Terre. Not officially in the “five lands” but that’s a good thing, as there aren’t swarms of tourists covering every square foot of cobblestone. We saw slabs of marble in an industrial area by the highway as we drove past Carrara. This is where the best marble in the world is produced and from which Renaissance artists carved their masterpieces.

Our Air BNB was at the top of 81 stairs, with no elevator, but what a view. We could see the old fortress from our Juliette balcony as well as a sweeping vista of the marina. It had a loft bedroom with two single beds and a separate room with super high ceilings and a double bed. Since I like to sleep late, Emma and Hans kindly let me have the separate room.

We ventured out to wander the town, and on a side street we discovered a local fresh pasta shop run by a large friendly toothless man. He seemed a little unhinged. We bought some delicious fresh ravioli from him, and some red sauce which turned out to be a very expensive mistake. It was delicious but way too pricey. Should have asked the price first. I saw him later walking around to the restaurants selling his pasta out of a bag 😂.  I said hi to him. He said his family is crazy and that he loves Canadian food.

We enjoyed an Aperol spritz on a terrace overlooking the harbour. I was pleasantly surprised when a substantial spread of snacks was placed in front of us. Bowls of peanuts, corn nuts, olives and bread. I was suspicious that it wasn’t free, but Emma assured me that’s all part of the experience here. So all in all, a very affordable drink with snacks to tide us over until our late dinner.

The next day we took the ferry up the coast of Cinque Terre (Five Lands.) One can take the train between towns, but I felt like it would be better to see it from the water. The boat was packed but we got a good seat by the windows and took some fab photos. The boat pilot was incredibly skilled at docking because there wasn’t actually a real dock. He had to keep the boat steady while the passengers disembarked, all the while the boat is being tossed around by the waves with treacherous rocks all around.

When we arrived at Vernazza, we grabbed a quick lunch, then did a sweaty two hour hike to Monterosso. There were tonnes of stairs and a lot of elevation gain & loss. It was not easy. Part of the trail between two other towns was damaged by storms, therefore closed and more pressure is put on to the trails that are open. It was packed with other hikers and to be honest not very enjoyable. I’ve never been on a trail so busy before. Also you had to pay a few euros at the entry, at which point the attendants check out hikers’ footwear and perceived fitness level. We saw them turn some folks back who were already panting and sweaty from just the steps approaching the entrance.

Afterwards, I had an iced coffee at a funky coffee shop to cool off. I was jiving to the music and the owner liked my vibe and we clicked for a second or two.

Our apartment was close to a small “beach” for lack of a better word. Often in the Med, there aren’t a lot of sandy beaches, more like concrete steps down to water access. It was a nice way to cool off as the weather was in the high 20s or low 30s every day.

Emma and Hans are in such good shape. And I’m not lol. We went on another long sweaty technical hike in my unsuitable Cloud shoes one day. I sadly realized they are more suited to walking in Disneyland or some shit, not navigating goat trails. Anyways I survived, and we had lunch in a pretty little town Tellero. Then another dip in the sea, a drink in the harbour and then I packed for the next leg of my journey: Turin for a couple days, then my house sit in Geneva for 2 months.

Bye Cinque Terre, hello Turin! I stayed for two nights there on a stopover to Geneva.

The first day, I visited the center piazza and the Duomo which houses the Shroud of Turin. I think I saw a fake shroud on display — the original is in a custom-built vault at the Royal Palace. One is also supposed to exit through the gift shop. Don’t forget to make an offering with your credit card!

I also had two foodgasms in one day — the first was the La Carla – a giant chocolate mousse- filled brioche pastry in an opulent dining room complete with chandelier. The second was arrancelli, a deep fried rice ball filled with cheese. I found it at a random fast food place near the university.

I had a long visit at The Royal Palace of the Savoys, which houses opulent Baroque furnished rooms, an armory, a two storey art collection and an antiquities collection. They had on display a version of Boticelli’s Venus with a simple black background, plus I was surprised to discover a Rembrandt self-portrait in a nondescript room.

I also had time to visit the cinema museum which had a special exhibit of Hollywood film memorabilia. They had a baby Groot and a storm trooper mask among many other things. I was on my feet for eight hours that day!

Next — my house sit near Geneva via four train transfers!

Where we stayed in Lerici

 Find the La Carla pastry at Caffe San Carlo coffee shop (Turin).

 The Royal Palace – a must-see