CINQUE TERRE – RIOMAGGIORE 23/5 – 29/5

CINQUE TERRE – RIOMAGGIORE 23/5 – 29/5

From the tranquil delights of Tuscany we headed to the Cinque Terre and based ourselves for 7 nights in Riomaggiore – a truly stunning town perched right on the edge of the Mediterranean. Riomaggoire sits on the edge of a massively steep hill. It almost killed us to walk from one end of the town to the other…. especially chasing the green bus that gave us nothing but grief. The start of the week didn’t start too well as we were in a little place about 4km out of town that could only be reached by 1 bus a day that left the town at 6:20pm….. doesn’t sound too bad? But it was just me and trace with nothing else around, so after travelling together for 2 months straight – we became bored pretty quickly. We decided that after 3 nights of the absolutely stunning view it gave us (the one plus of the place), it was time to move into town! Then the drinking and nightlife began and we were back into the swing of drinking, socialising and eating out for tea….. what else is there?? After a few hours looking for a room we eventually found this great little apartment overlooking the town with the hostess with the mostess, Anna – an old Italian lady with her own house who took us in and looked after us like she would her own kids.

If you ever get to Italy, make sure you visit these towns as they all have their own unique identities but make a fantastic little cluster of special views, great walks, good beaches and awesome people. The recipe for good times!

MOMENT OF THE WEEK – Hanging out with the gang from Bar Centrale. Ivo the fiery but super friendly Italian owner and guitar guru, Jeff (aka Jeffro) who is the king of this joint and makes everyone feel welcome, Pat the US military guy, Stevo the smily Auzzie, James the Canadian Craig Cann, Miriam and Karen the Dutchies, John Lucca the little Italian stud and a host of others who made every night a fun time and ended up down the beach listening to Ivo play his tunes til 5am……….ahhhhh good times.


MOMENTS –
Drinking a bottle of red at Il Borgo di Campi with a simply stunning sunset as a backdrop and a sequence of funny photos to remember it by
Foccacia and beers at a Monterosso café served by an Italian wearing Rip Curl
Sunbaking, snorkelling and just lazing around on the black stoned beach of Riomaggiore
Eating a pizza with a bottle of red on the rocks of Manarola watching another perfect sunset
Celebrating Dazza’s birthday in traditional European style….A day at the nudey beach! .… when in Rome...! Have to say best birthday ever!!!
Listening to Ivo play guitar and sing songs on the beach surrounded by fireflys, good people and a few beers till sunrise
Hiking along a very narrow track a few hundred metres above a rocky beach with awesome views …. it definitely got the heart rate going
Coffee and gelato

TOOL OF THE WEEK –
We had a Bad Auzzie tourist incident in Riomaggiore where we met a 24 year old Mentone Grammar student who was travelling with his parents and was a complete w*nker. He insulted the locals, competed for stories, had a Gillsy like tight gentlemans perm and butted in everywhere he wasn’t wanted. It all ended after a Dazza spray which had the poor little Aussie crying like a baby and sobbing ‘I just wanna go home and go to Twister with my mates…..’ Twister?? You are on the Cinque Terre ……you are a massive tool!!!!!!!