May 13 - Third Day in SML - 34 Ferraris

Last night we went for a walk to the harbour to see the time for the boat to Cinque Terre. 0830. Forget it. We're going by train. Every half hour and free because of our Eurail pass. Then we thought, why don't we walk over to the only 5 star hotel hereabouts and check out their lobby. Well, apart from splendid and fabulous, it turns out that a Ferrari owner's touring group is stopping here and staying there. There were 34 of the most beautiful cars on the planet in the parking lot all lined up in a row. That ostentatious display of wealth put Monte Carlo to shame. A sight we'll never experience again. Once I ran out of drool, Carol took me to the next hotel, only a 4 star, with the most amazing view over SML. We took a card so we can call for reservations because we knew we had to go there for dinner before we leave. The best part was the meals seemed reasonably priced for this area. Entrees in the 30 - 35 euro range. We'll report on that when it happens.
I'm a minor Trenitalia employee. I'm straight out of train school and I'm in charge of developing train schedules for local lines. Sort of "training" on the fly. My schedules are wondrously unintelligible and change on a whim. Local employees are told not to tell passengers anything and to only answer direct questions and do so with a sullen glare. Trains are purposely left unidentifiable so that only locals know what has just come in and where it is going next. I'm confident my brilliant ideas will soon get me promoted to COO so I can do this to the inter city lines.
That sort of describes how we got to Vernazza. A trip that should have taken 45 minutes on one train took us two hours on two trains with a one hour layover in god knows where munching on a dried panini.
I feel better now.
Vernazza is beyond amazing. We have never seen anything like it before. the way it is tucked into this tiny fold in the hillside with houses of all colours growing organically and higgledy piggledy out of the rock, leaning against each other and intertwined in all directions, all of it guiding visitors to a magnificent small piazza right at the water's edge. The water thrusts against the breakwater in the harbour and soaks all of the unwary. In the middle of all this we found a great little restaurant and had a Vernazzan specialty, layers of scalloped potatoes, anchovies, tomatoes all cooked together with parsley, basil and rosemary and olive oil of course. Absolutely scrumptious. Profiteroles and espresso finished off a perfect lunch.
The trip home was uneventful because we had learned by this time to ask fellow travellers who gladly put us on the right train. 40 minutes, boom, we were home, completely exhausted but smiling.