Italy Wedding 2021 – Manarola & Corniglia, Italy – 8/27/21

La Spezia, Italy – The Poet Hotel 8/27/2021

Today started with a delicious breakfast that was prepared by the hotel. We realized that the Italian (or at least the ones working here) only expect or need one coffee in the morning. We taught them that more coffee is better. After relaxing with our coffee we decided to follow the Pocket Guide that we’ve been reading from Rick Steves and visit the next town in the 5 lands. Manarola is unexceptional and Corniglia is a large wine producer!

Just getting out of La Spezia was a challenge because of the huge street market!

La Spezia near the outdoor markets.
La Spezia on a busy Friday morning.
This was a view from the car drive to Manarola!

In Manarola there is very little parking inside the town so you have to park at the top (outskirts of town) and walk down a steep hill.

This building was near the bottom of the crazy walk. This building is the train station. Tomorrow we are probably taking the train.
Nick was trying to make use of this map which was written in Italian only.

But no worries. We found a cafe to get wine and a snack! Melon and prosciutto.

Delicious and too much!

Next we explored the small town of Manarola. Not much here but cuteness! This is where I learned (from our cafe server) that each of these towns have their own dialect and that the towns people can tell the small difference between them.

A beautiful waterfall on the walk to Manarola.
Such old architecture!
San Lorenzo Church was built in 1338 for the population growth due to the growing wine production in Manarola.
Nick walks fast downhill.
Look closely and you’ll see a crazy small and old house in the side of that mountain.
Much of this area is a National Park.

We had heard there was a bus that would take you back to the top for just 1.50€. So we found it and climbed aboard. It was a fun ride and I’m glad we didn’t try to walk back up that crazy steep hillside!

This is when Nick realized the driver just passed our car.
Traffic jam en route to Corniglia. There were two trucks off to the right.

I was able to get some amazing photos of the town from the crazy and challenging drive!

If you look closely you can see the vineyards on the mountain flat areas!
This is the heart of Corniglia (pronounced Cornelia).
Nick went left towards an ATM machine and I went right toward these people shopping.
We parked in a loading zone right next to this place.
This is my attempt at an panoramic photo.

Next we just strolled around the town that is considered the least visited of the 5 lands.

This is when we kinda lost each other. But I found some shops – so not a loss for me!

Once we found each other we immediately found a wine bar. We decided the drive was too crazy, challenging and dangerous so we decided on only one bottle of wine!

This was a great spot with a view of the mountains.

Once we got back to the hotel we had to regroup and find a dinner spot. We found the dinner spot but couldn’t find a parking spot! But we did get a cool tour of La Spezia! Which has lots of nice area!

This guy over sees a big roundabout in La Spezia.
This is a rubber vending machine on the side of a building next to a dentist office. Just out there!
And a second one!
Great restaurant where we met a new friend from Bath England!
Our view of the piazza from dinner!
Got more gelato!
Nostra Signora della Neve – translation is Our Lady of the Snow. Built in 1897 it represents a sample of the striped architecture of this region.
Back at the hotel The Poet – in the micro elevator. Nick won’t let me jump inside the elevator.
olivemywhiskey's avatar

By olivemywhiskey

Teri is a retired CFO and Nick is a partner in a private equity firm. We are both very irrelevant in the business worlds. We jumped up to a 52 foot boat because we were in need of more adventure. We are on the Great Loop around the East Coast of North America. It's been a wild ride!

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