This morning, we had one of the best breakfasts of the trip so far, at our hotel. I was expecting it, based on the reviews, but it had everything I need for breakfast in Europe, namely bread, butter, jam and coffee. Of course there was plenty more too – fresh juice, fruit, cheeses and Italian cakes. I thought I was a big eater when it came to buffet breakfasts, but the old couple at the next table piled up the empty plates as they churned through the available delicacies.
We had to leave though. We had an interesting ride into La Spezia where we’d again catch up with Andy, Fiona and Peter. They had skipped Pisa, ridden directly to La Spezia and were today exploring Cinque Terra.
Today’s 30kms started easily with some flat roads near the water but there were a few hills to get through and we’d been warned about some horrendouly busy traffic. We didn’t strike any, and it turned out to be a nice day.
As we hugged the coast in the first 10kms, we stopped at a cafe for a standup Machiato, an Americano con latte with cornettos and then bought some focciacias for lunch. The climb of the day was pretty strenuous for me, but Cathie sailed up it seemingly easily.
There were some tunnels and descents and more Mediterranean views along the way before we found a nice park for lunch behind a port area close to La Spezia.
We rolled into town just after lunchtime and went to our accommodation – the Secret Garden which was a small apartment in the centre, accessed through a narrow gate. I had to squeeze the bikes down the corridor, then through the back of the delicatessen which then opened out to a small courtyard and our apartment. It was really nice but with some rain around, felt cold and a bit damp.
The bikes were to spend their second consecutive night outside, but with the drizzle, they somehow made their way inside to the large apartment.
We later caught up with Andy, Fiona and Peter – it’s becoming regular now – for an aperitif then dinner. Tomorrow, Cathie and I will go to Cinque Terra and the others were heading to Parma by train.
Cinque Terra was beautiful, but having seen many other places in Italy, I didn’t find it as stand-out-must-see-amazing as I had expected. We had a wonderful day along with a gazillion other tourists.
Dinner was selected foods from the Pasticeria around the corner where we had a great chat with the staff who helped us with our Italian.
