Livorno, Italy
Wednesday, June 17th
Hours: 7:00 am - 7:00 pm in port
Livorno is the port of Florence and Pisa...our plan is to utilize a private tour company, Rome in Limo (www.romeinlimo.com). All of the tour arrangements were set up by Erin (part of our group of 8) and the cost split amongst us. We are doing a combination of two tours: Cinque Terre, as well as Pisa. For the tour, gratuity, and a boat ride, our cost is $212.25E.
Cinque Terre
The stunning coastline of the Cinque Terre (Five Lands) is named after the quintet of fishing villages clinging precariously to the steep cliffs that descend to the sea. Cinque Terre (pronounced chink weh terr ay) is actually a UNESCO World Heritage Site. For years it was secluded from most of Italy due to its isolated area. Once the railway arrived and connected The Chink (as we now affectionately call it) with the rest of the country, they began exporting their wine and Lemoncello all over the country. The Cinque Terre is noted for its beauty. Over centuries, man has carefully built terraces on the rugged, steep landscape right up to the cliffs that overlook the sea. Part of its charm is the lack of visible "modern" development. Paths, trains and boats connect the villages and cars can not reach it from the outside. It is a very popular tourist destination.
Monterosso is the largest, with a port usually filled with brightly painted fishing boats. It is the only one of the five villages with a beach.
Vernazza, arguably the most beautiful of the five, is a charming tangle of tiny streets and avenues, and has a fine 14th-century parish church with an octagonal bell tower.
From Vernazza, it's an easy drive to Corniglia, the smallest of the villages, perched high above the sea.
In Manarola, where steep cobbled lanes lead down to the sea, the streets are two narrow for cars:
Last, but not least, Riomaggiore, which has a good selection of hotels and restaurants:
After leaving the Cinque Terre, we head to Pisa, where of course, no trip would be complete without a visit to the Leaning Tower:
The Leaning Tower was originally conceived as the cathedral's bell tower. Construction began in 1173 and the tower started leaning soon afterwards due to subsidence of the ground underneath its base. A project to keep the tower from leaning more and tipping over finally reached a successful conclusion in 2001, and the tower is again open to those wishing to climb it.
Climbing the tower requires a reservation-based ticket for 15 Euro. Expect 45 minutes to 2 hours wait, but there is a lot to see while you wait. It is better if you buy tickets online for 17 Euro well in advance at http://boxoffice.opapisa.it/Torre/first.jsp.
Warning: The tickets are non-exchangeable, effectively non-refundable, and only good for the Torre, so they're a bit of a risk to purchase in advance. Make the effort to climb, though, and you'll be rewarded by the view.
Be sure to check back after the cruise for reviews and photos!
No comments:
Post a Comment