"Ha Ha Ha", he chortled. "I've really outdone myself this time. I've managed to confuse even an intelligent young local AND get him to put some loathsome tourists on the wrong train. I'm going to be famous. I'll be promoted to COO in no time. I'd better call my wife and tell her to go shopping for some new dresses for when we go to dinner with the president."
The minor Trenitalia employee had struck again! He managed to make even a local look like a fool. We had asked this nice young man with a delicious Italian accent which train to catch for the next Cinque Terra town (Manarola) and he had said the same one he was getting on. Imagine his shock as Manarola went whizzing by at 100 kilometres per hour. At that point we asked ourselves where is this train going then? As luck would have it, we just went straight back to SML.
Our plan was to go to Riomaggiore, the town farthest away and then to Manarola before returning home. That would have made our Cinque Terre exploration complete but alas, it was not to be. We did however see Riomaggiore today which was as spectacular as Vernazza but in a completely different way. Its' harbour was much smaller. Its' buildings were stacked even more vertically on top of each other, something which seems impossible as you look at them, and it had an "upper town" above the train tracks, which Vernazza did not. According to Rick Steves, we have seen two out of three of the prettiest towns here so not too bad.
After we got home we had our standard 90 minute nap and then out to hunt for sandals for Carol. No luck. No luck either trying to phone the TD bank at a public phone or using my phone BUT when we chose a restaurant for dinner we asked the server if she could help and like all true Italians, she got others involved and soon everyone was trying so hard to get that call through. No luck until an old cell phone was found in the restaurant which finally got me through. It turns out that there are two limits on debit card withdrawals: a daily limit which I knew about and did not exceed AND a weekly limit which I had reached. That's why I could not get any more money out. The bank adjusted both limits so I am now good to go and do not have to go begging on the streets.
In the meantime we had the best meal so far on our trip in that restaurant. Three pieces of ravioli stuffed with cheese for starters, slow cooked salmon and grilled veg, for the mains, a nice wine, and panna cotta with salted caramel for dessert. Espresso and limoncello to finish. Super yummy. Ciao!
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