Day 9: Rapallo

Monday, September 28, 2015

First thing today was to buy our train tickets online for tomorrow's travel to Milano.  The train station here in Rapallo is only a 5 minute walk from the hotel, but buying them online gives me a better chance to consider schedules and train changes, and I can also avoid the line of other confused travelers.

The next item on our agenda for today, our last full day in Rapallo, was to take the ferry and visit a couple of nearby villages.  We got to the dock just as the boat was leaving, but it departs at the top of the hour throughout the day, so we had an hour to wander.  Like we do a few times each day, we stopped at a place for espresso, standing at the counter for 4 or 5 minutes to have an espresso for 1€.  Then we stepped into the big church in the center of town (outside photos posted yesterday, but we didn't enter because services on Sunday), and took this photo of the ceiling.

After strolling along the promenade, we board the 11:00 ferry, and it was a perfect day to be out on the water.  This view is Rapallo from the departing ferry:

The first stop is a village 15 minutes to the north, Santa Margherita Ligure, which is very scenic from the boat, but we didn't get off there yet, because our plan to to get off at the furtherest point, and visit the other towns on the return trip.  Here's what Santa Margherita Ligure looks like from the water:

Next stop is Portofino, a but further north, and a popular place for people with some pretty fancy boats:

Helena, how do you suppose Lester and Dad would would like this boat?

Approaching the dock in Portofino:

A light house guarding the entry to Portofino:

A small church on a cliff overlooking the water:

Here's the place that Jenae was looking forward to, at the end of the ferry route: San Fruttuoso, where she read about a tiny bar and restaurant called Da Laura:

Da Laura, where had lunch of silky pasta with tomatoes and basil pesto from their garden.  As we sat there, drinking wine and eating pasta, a young couple in front of us laid out their blanket to sun, and the woman held a sheet with her teeth wrapped around her as she changed from shorts to bikini bottoms.  I though that was a pretty good trick, and then she peeled off her top and bra for topless sunbathing! 

Jenae wanted to walk on the smooth marble chip beach through the water:

Another view of the water at the beach in San Fruttuoso:

A fancy yacht in Portofino:

On the way back to Rapallo, we disembarked in Santa Margherita Ligure to wander that village.  They have a beautiful church on a spacious piazza near the center of the village:

The day's laundry also hangs above the piazza, across from the church:

A few photos from inside that church:

One of their stained glass windows:

Later in the day, back in Rapallo, the water is very calm, and we stroll to an enoteca for a bottle of local wine and snacks, while watching boats return in the evening.

Ducks:

Tomorrow we go to Milan, for the final 3 nights.  We'll miss Rapallo and the quiet, relaxing pace of the seaside town.

Day 8: Rapallo

Sunday, September 27, 2015

Today is our first full day in Rapallo, and the weather continues to be very nice, with highs in the mid-70s, and the low 60s at night.  We slept a bit late, but still made it in time for the included breakfast, which ends at 10:00.  We walked though the marina, looking at boats from various countries.

Continuing our strolling, we ended up in a little piazza next to a church and listening to the bells, and this photo captures that moment:

At lunch time, the recommended restaurant was full of church goers, so we stopped at a little bakery and had focaccia, which included local tomatoes, cheese, and olives.  Then we walked to the edge of town to the funicular station, also know as a cable car, to take us to yet another beautiful church atop a hill.  Our fellow passengers included a pleasant guy from Long Island, and some slightly scared Italians.

The view as we ascended was fabulous:

Two Mini Coopers at this home:

And at the top was the nicest church we've seen so far:

We spent most of the afternoon up there, wandering and relaxing, before heading back down to the town.

In town, at one of the churches, was a classical music recital, performed by Luigi and Guido.  I shit you not.  Luigi Colombini is a professor of oboe and other woodwinds at a university in Genoa, and Guido Ferrari played organ.  It was a very nice concert, with the church filled to standing room only, a total of fewer than 100 people, plus at least 1 dog with the lady in front of us.

To close, here's my blurry photo of the blood moon above the promenade in the village, as captured by a wine-confused camera holder.

Day 7: from Torino to Rapallo

Saturday, September 26, 2015

Today we checked out of the hotel in Torino and said goodbye to our traveling companions.  We took a cab from the hotel to the train station, about a mile away, which made for another new experience: Italian cab driver.  Within 6 blocks of the hotel, he blew through 3 stop signs, but we got to the trains station intact.  Mindy and Nate were going northeast to Milan, and we were going southeast to Rapallo, on the coast just south of Genoa.  We had a great time with them, and we all wished they had more time to stay in Italy, but they needed to return to Pennsylvania.

First, before checking out, I took a few photos of the two bedroom apartment that the four of us shared while in Torino.

The four of us as we said goodbye to each other.  Thanks to the kind Italian man for taking the photo, in spite of his overactive toddler daughter!

For Jenae and I, it was a three hour train ride, changing trains in Genoa, arriving in Rapallo at about 2:30 pm.  After a 5 minute cab ride to the hotel (mainly because we were uncertain of where to go), we checked in, and walked along the waterside promenade.

Below is a photo of our hotel room in Rapallo.  Small, somewhat old, but a view of the ocean, and run by very nice people.

By then we were quite hungry, so we went into an enoteca (wine bar), where we shared a plate of prosciutto, ham, salami, cheeses, some bread, and a bottle of Ligurian wine.  After that, a bit of gelato, then back to the hotel where Jenae would relax while I went out to find the TIM store (cell phone store), to buy a new data card for my iPad since I got ripped off when I bought the last data card last Monday in Venice from Vodaphone.  The TIM card works much better, and is cheaper.

Here's the bayside promenade in Rapallo.  Very charming, with locals and tourists strolling, visiting, or just sitting, watching people, dogs, and boats.

I've seen a lot of cacti in Texas, but this one was very big, growing at the base of a palm tree.

Scooters are quite popular in Rapallo, and we saw a couple of dogs that ride along with their people.  This is Luna, ready to go!

And finally, a photo of a nice bicycle.

It had been sunny this afternoon, but a rainstorm moved in while I was at the store.  That lasted about an hour or two, but I had an umbrella with me, so no problem.  Rapallo is small and very walkable, and after getting freshened up at the hotel, we went to Gli Angeli for our 8:30 dinner reservation.  That was another great dinner, and yes, I have photos, which are forthcoming in the stunning food blog!

When we got back to the hotel at about 10:30, the night clerk was listening to Stevie Ray Vaughn.  He had a big smile when I told him we're from Texas, and he proclaimed he loved SRV.  It was a fun way to make a connection.

Torino, day 6

Friday, September 25, 2015

Today we had a lot of ground to cover.  By this time in our trip, each of the four of us has found their role.  Nate, who obviously spent a good amount of time studying Italian, was our communication specialist.  I had the iPad with a data card, which enabled us to map destinations and fetch public transit schedules, so I was navigation.  Jenae handled acquisition and purchasing, and Mindy was cat-herder and laughter leader.  

First on the list is the Basilica di Superga:

Basilica di Superga (opens in new window)

which involved catching a couple buses across town, made more exciting when we either missed our stop, or got on the wrong bus.  We eventually recovered, and arrived at the tram station at the bottom of the hill on which the basilica is located.  It's about a 10 minute ride up the steep hill, cheaper than  taxi and much easier than walking.  Here's Mindy and Nate, ready for the ride:

The church is beautiful, both inside and outside:

Floors of various colors of marble;

Still at the basilica on the hilltop, is an amazing view of Torino and the Alps, although also troubling when you see the obvious air pollution.  Much of the pollution is trapped by the terrain surrounding Torino, and much more visible from up,here, rather than ground level.

Preparing to go back down in the tram, a miniature train station:

Then, we took the bus and the subway across town to our next destination, which was Eataly, an Italian grocery store like no other, with a modern twist.  They have a few small restaurants there, and we had a nice lunch:

Eataly (link opens in new window)

At one point during the bus ride, about a dozen kids of junior high school age squeezed onto the bus, and it made for a pretty lively ride.

After eating and browsing in Eataly, we walked a few blocks to Museo Nazionale dell'Automobile, the National Car Museum.  Along the way, we passed an old Fiat parked along the street.

We were all surprised by the scope and quality of that museum.  We were there for about an hour and a half, but all of us wish we had more time to spend there.  A fantastic collection of cars, primarily European, with history of the industry, including the role of the United States auto companies.  A lot of information, presented in an excellent format.  Fiat produced their first car in 1899:

And here's a Rolls Royce, although my photo chopped off the date.  I think it was the early 1920’s:

This Fiat was in production from 1936 to 1947:

After the car museum, we returned to the hotel, via another bus ride.  I had to walk about 6 blocks to find a tobacco shop to buy bus tickets, and then return to the bus stop to meet the rest of my traveling companions.  The bus tickets are good for 90 minutes from first use, but buying them is not always as convenient as locating a bus stop.

This was our last evening with sister Mindy and Nate, so we had reservations for a nice, but within walking distance, restaurant.  Yes, I've got some great food photos from that place, and I'll be doing a blog entry just for food soon.  In the meantime, you get this photo of us, as we are about to have a spectacular dinner.

Tomorrow is a travel day, with Mindy and Nate heading to Milan, and Jenae and I will go to a small town on the western coast, near Genoa.