Portofino, Italian Riviera, Italy, Sunday, September 16, 2012

Starting to San Rocco

We start out with breakfast at the hotel. It consists of big croissants, rolls, yoghurt, cereal, juice, and coffee. Each place has a different type of breakfast. I think this place has a French influence which is why it is croissant and bread. We eat and head out to catch a train to Camogli where we will begin a hike we have planned for the day. It is a short 15 minute train ride and we exit the station and follow directions from the Internet to the trailhead.
The trail starts out with a climb of over 900 steps up to the small community and Church of San Rocco.

Camogli Where We Started

It is steep but not overbearing and the steps are not continuous but spaced out. They are also only 8 inches or so high which also helps make it less strenuous. It still takes some effort to continually climb and by the time we reach the church I am once again drenched. the effort is rewarded with a beautiful view down to the Mediterranean to Camogli and up the coast as far as Genova. There are also stone benches to sit on and catch our breath. There is a mass going on in the church so we just take a quick peak in. It is small but very nice. I am standing, reading my notes on the trail to make sure we take the right path from here, when a lady asks if we need help. We say no and start to talk with her. Angela is from upstate New York near Rochester but has lived here for 30 years. After a while I ask what brought her here love or work (why else do people move?), and she says she married an Italian from here. They have since split up and she now has a new love and is mostly retired. She was in the hotel business for many years and really loves the lifestyle in Italy.

Carol in WWII Gun Bunker

We enjoyed our chat with Angela but have a long way to go so onward we march.
The trail levels for a bit traveling high above the sea. We pass small old olive groves, lemon trees, and small vineyards as we progress. Where the houses end so does the stone path and it turns to dirt and rock. We enter a firmly thick forest which is beautiful and then the trail starts to climb again. After a bit we reach a point called the Batterie because it was the location of gun placements during WWII. There is still a small bunker there and we check it out as well as the great views.

Must Be Having Fun

Our first goal today was the small harbor of San Fruttuoso, where there is an old abbey, a beach, some fisherman homes, and a small harbor. From the batterie to the harbor, the trail changed dramatically. It was a constant up and down as well as some cliffside areas that had chains to help you navigate through them. Most of these were not that bad except for one spot where the footing required you to hold on to the chains as you crossed the cliff. It was not difficult but does require one to pay attention and be careful and deliberate with your steps. We continued on and had to round several points And climb over ridges before summiting the final ridge and starting the descent to San Fruttuoso. It is a long way down as the harbor finally comes into view. Steep in some spots but at least some switchbacks break up the steep spots and give our knees a break.

Beach at San Fruttuoso

We finally make it to the harbor. We had started at the train station in Camogli at 1030 and it is now 1:30. Carol uses the water closet, but I did not need to, as I used the water tree up high on the hill. It is Sunday and the beach is packed with Italians. There is a ferry that stops here and apparently it is a place to go. We mange to find a small piece of real estate and place to have a snack. We do share a cold beer from the bar which helps our spirits. I decide I need to cool off and try the Mediterranean so I strip down to my ex officio underwear/European bathing suit and jump on it. The water is very nice and refreshing.

Great Views From Above

We discuss whether to take a ferry from here or continue our hike to Portofino. Carol votes hike and always gets her way so we pack up and get moving. It was a pleasant hour break which turns immediately onto another climb. Steadily uphill we go and then round the first point heading a little further up to Base 0, an old military post. At least the climb was wooded and therefore in the shade which helped make it tolerable. From Base 0, the path was mostly level and quite easy compared to our morning adventure.

Only Another 1000 Steps to Go

Portofino comes into view and it is all downhill. Five thousand stairs or so later we reach the town. It is very small and was the haunt of many a movie star and the rich and famous, especially in the 1940-1960s time frame. The harbor is quite small especially with the Hugh yachts filling it. We walk down to the harbor, buy tickets for a ferry back to Rapallo and wait for it to arrive. A nice relaxing cruise back with a stop in Santa Margherita is a great way to cap off our hike.
Back on dry land in Rapallo, we have a gelato by the sea, and decide dinner will be take out pizza, cheese, and the wine we bought yesterday. We get two Margherita pizzas ( what we call cheese pizza except they put some fresh basil on it) and pick up a small piece of soft asiago cheese we have been wanting to try. We bring it back to the hotel where the owner gives us some forks and knives and we go out on their patio to eat.

Buns of Marble

The food is great and we try a new wine I had read about called Malvasia from Sicily. I really like it but Carol thinks it is a little too sweet for more than one glass. Since I could probably, use a little more sweetness, I drink the rest of the bottle. It is pretty strong stuff at 16.25% and with all the sun and exercise today, I manage to get to feeling pretty good. A statue on the patio tries to get frisky with me but other than that the day was great and we are loving it here. Happy Charlie is ready to turn in.
CNC
“I see my path but I don’t know where it leads. Not knowing where I am going is what inspires me to travel it”- Rosalia de Castro

Expenses
4E-2 train tickets to Camogli
14E-2 boat tickets Portofino to Rapallo
4E-2 gelatos by the sea
10.99E- 2 pizzas and asiago cheese Pizza from Bella Napoli
70E- Hotel Rapallo

Miles Hiked – 8.8 Miles , 1.7 mph moving average, 1.2 Mph overall average,
Total Miles Walked – 10.4 Miles