Cinque Terre

The train from Sestri Levante, covers all 5 villages that make up the Cinque Terre, Monterosso, Vernazza, Manarola, Corniglia and Riomaggiore, as does the ticket. Tickets have to be validated before you board the train so, make sure you do that before you get on!

First stop is Monterosso and it's a lovely place. The station is a bit manic with tourists a-plenty rushing from platform to platform but, that's understandable I suppose. The temptation for us was to try and take in all 5 stops in one day. You may manage it, we didn't and in truth, I would suggest that you need at least two days to do them justice.

There's some legwork to be done, in order to get the best views.

We were going to walk to Vernazza, as a lot of other people were doing but, after just a hundred yards or so, got seduced in to a seafront cafe for a spot of brunch, and that was that!

Two and a half hour hike, or lunch? Hmmmm

We did have a walk around though before we got the train to the next village.

The trains are very efficient and provide a great service up and down the line of villages and, if you are on a tight schedule, this is definitely the way to go.

We visited the next village of Vernazza, and very nice it was too but, by the time you've had a good look around, maybe had a bite to eat, or even just a drink, the realisation that all five won't be achieved on the same day, hits home.

Best views? On high or from the sea.

We decided to get the train to the last stop, Riomaggiore, and see how we were doing on time before deciding which, if any, of the remaining two we would visit on the way back. As it turned out, Riomaggiore didn't float the boat of either of us and it's a lot of work in the heat of the day, climbing the steep roads or trying to get higher to snap some good pics.

A Bit too much hype maybe?

By 4.30 pm we decided to call it a draw and head back. I can see why people like the villages but in truth, they are best seen either from  on high, or from the sea. I would have liked to see them at night, just to see them lit. It wasn't to be and our first day visiting the Cinque Terre, proved to be our last.

I can see the appeal but, not really my thing.

It had been a pleasant enough day out but, in all honesty, I was hoping that Italy was hiding it's best silverware, just awaiting our arrival, elsewhere.

Now, isn't there a leaning tower somewhere in Italy?

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Sestri Levante

This is our first time in Italy. Even as I write this, I can hardly believe it. We've had holidays all over the place and yet, Italy never came up as an option. We've now been here for over a month and I can tell you, we both feel like we've been missing out!

I had a read up on the internet before we left France, and was left dreading the fines that may, or may not arrive, some time after we have left, for parking in the wrong place, or driving in the wrong bit of town. They may yet still arrive but, if they do, I'll take the view that it was worth it.

The Sat' Nav gives me two options for our first leg in Italy from France. Toll road, 3 hours, no toll road, 9.5 hours! OK, it was going to be like that was it? Once you start through the many tunnels in Italy though, you understand the charge and, all things considered, it could have cost a lot more. All the same, I won't complain about my road tax in the UK any more. Well, not for a while anyway.

Barry & Wendy

Our first stop was a site called Fossa Lupara, at Sestri Levante. The pitches were small, and a bit scruffy but, the showers were good and they had a decent bar & restaurant. By now, we're taking the view that the sites are just somewhere safe to sleep and we are not expecting the Garden of Eden.

We got chatting to an Australian couple, Barry & Wendy, from Australia. They had bought a van over in the UK and set off for France. Now they had just returned from the Cinque Terre and filled us in about the trains and validating tickets. They were a fun couple and I liked Barry right away. I think the feeling was mutual, even after I managed to spill a full beer on him in the bar that night! (Sorry Barry!)

I want to see the owner mowing it...

I'm sure that the temptation is to head straight for the Cinque Terre but, don't overlook the town of Sestri Levante. It was right around the corner from the train station and, in my view, a better visit than some of the villages amongst the Cinque Terre, not least because it's flat, and that makes it easy to cycle around.

"Just one Cornetto.....alright, I'll leave it there..

It's a lovely place and, if you go, make sure you don't miss the Bay de Silencio.

Bay de Silencio

It's hidden around a corner and is quite a surprise. The 'Fisherman' in the picture is in the shallows of the bay, that's when you know you've found it.

After our mini tour, we headed to the train station to check if we could cycle there and lock the bikes up, when we got the train to the Cinque Terre the next day. We could, and did, and it saved us a 40 minute walk each way.

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Essaouira

We managed to prise ourselves out of Camping Atlantica, well, we had to leave sometime, and headed for Essaouira, along the West coast. Described as 'Everyone's favourite seaside resort' we had decided that we would just go there and have a 'holiday'

Being popular meant that it was hard to get at for motor homes, and I didn't fancy winging it, and driving into the town, only to be met with narrow streets and one way only roads. I have to say though that, wherever we've been, there always seems to be at least one motorhome on a side street, right in the thick of it. I take my hat off to them, they're braver than we are!

We headed for Camping Le Calme on the outskirts of Essaouira, which was only a bus ride away from the town. Le Calme is primarily a Chambre d'hote, and very nice too, with a lovely swimming pool, and well kept grounds that are nicely lit at night.

The camping side of things could have been better, but it served it's purpose and met with our needs.

We took the bus in to Essaouira and got off right outside the Medina. Sure enough, there was a motorhome on the car park, right opposite. We had a wander over and chatted to him. He told us that it was a couple of euros to park and in the two nights he'd been there, he had not had any bother at all.

I looked around at the collection of wagons on the car park and decided that we had made the right decision. It certainly wasn't quiet!

Sue then dragged me off so that we could get in to the Medina. In fact she charged off as though there was a Gucci handbag, half price sale on!

The Medina was good fun, we even had lunch while we were in there. The goods on sale seem to be evenly split between the usual tatt aimed at tourists, and fresh produce, primarily aimed at the local market. 

Mind you, that didn't stop us buying a jewellery box, with a hidden compartment in which the key could be found. I love things like that and, after some painful haggling in which Sue has a Masters Degree, the box was ours.

'Leave this to me..'

Lunch, maybe a little predictably, was chicken tagine with rice at the '3 doors' restaurant in the Medina. Once we had placed our order, I noticed that the chef had left the restaurant. Five minutes or so and he was back, with what appeared to be chicken in a bag. I guess they were taken by surprise with actual diners showing up then!

We had to wait a while for our meal but, at least we knew that it was going to be cooked fresh, fresh from one of the stalls in the Medina! It was very tasty and it was nice to have saffron rice with a tagine for a change, instead of the usual chunky vegetables. It later proved to have the same effect on me as the rest of the meat I'd consumed in Morocco. It was nice while it lasted though!

After a couple of hours of being promised 'best price' on everything from local art work, to Morocco's herbal answer to Viagra, we headed off to get the bus.

The bus took an age to get us back, and must have had 50 more people on board, than it was permitted to carry. The novelty was starting to wear off.

The next day we packed up and moved to the very edge of Essaouira. This was to be our first 'guardian' parking experience, on a car park with no facilities. It was pretty full and the vans were barely six feet apart but, no one seemed to mind.

We cycled along the front at Essaouira which was nice enough, nothing special but pleasant. It brought us to the fishing port on one side, and the top end of the Medina on the other.

If you go there, visit the fishing port above all else. It really is like stepping back in time. I loved the atmosphere of the place.

After 2 nights, it was time to move on again, we needed to empty the tanks and get some fresh water on board plus, being confined to the van, with no real access to outside space, tends to make you a bit stir crazy after a while.

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Argan Tree Goats

Driving north along the West coast of Morocco, towards Essaouira, brings some amazing sights and views. 

Coffee break

It's nice to see that it has hardly been developed at all. That's a good thing and I for one, hope it stays that way. I would hate to see it end up looking like some of Spain's coastline.

Coastal Village

We stopped on more than once occasion to take in the views. Once we drove down to visit a quiet little village where, fishing was clearly the order of the day.

The beach was littered with fishing boats, probably waiting for the next mornings launch into what looked like some very choppy Atlantic waters.

We also stopped to take pictures of this house on the coast, just because it stood out, and looked lovely in it's coastal setting.

The best though, was saved for last. As we drove, mile after mile through Argan tree country, we kept a watchful eye out for the goats, famed for their climbing exploits, in pursuit of the trees fruit.

It seems that this practice is largely discouraged now, as the goats cause too much damage to the trees but, just as we had almost given up hope, I spotted one in a tree just off to our left.

'Throw a few down for me then!"

I yelled at Sue, almost giving her a heart attack and turned the van around. The goat was one of several and their female herder was in tow. We took a couple of small cakes and a few dinar and greeted her with a friendly 'bonjour'.

Two of the goats were in the tree attempting to strip it of it's treasure, and a third was desperately trying to join them.
We gestured to the lady herder with the camera and asked her if it was OK to take pictures.

'And what are you staring at?'

With that, she leaped on an unsuspecting kid, and before you could say cheese, draped it around Sues' neck! In for a penny, I thought, and snapped away.

That suits you my dear....

A few pictures later, we bade her farewell with a grateful 'merci'. We, with some priceless pictures, the lady herder with 40 dirham and a couple of cakes, by way of thanks for her hospitality.

You would think that I had just spotted the Yeti or the Loch Ness monster, I was absolutely delighted. 

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