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Outing to eastern Liguria
At six o’clock in the morning we set off in the
coach from Apricale to the Liguria Levante towards La Spezia. We
were still all rather sleepy, but looking forward to a day out with
beautiful weather, under blue, cloudless skies.
At ten o’clock we arrived at the ‘Golfo dei Poeti’
(Gulf of the Poets) in Lerici. This place has exerted a powerful
attraction over artists and celebrities of the past, and we also
cannot resist admiring the picturesque little town with its
beautiful sandy beach and its colourful, well-kept houses.
An attractive ‘green strip’
has been laid out along the promenade, tempting the visitor to
linger in the shade of old trees. Numerous restaurants and bars
line the road to the harbour, where little yachts and fishing boats
bob in the water, and young people play a kind of water polo in
canoes. The climb up to the imposing Castello di Lerici, with its
five-cornered tower, built between 1100 and 1500, is attempted by
only a brave few of the visitors from Apricale, but they are
rewarded with a fantastic view over Lerici and the Golfo dei Poeti.
After
a visit of over two hours, we continued on the coach to Tellaro, for
lunch at the restaurant ‘La Caletta’ (Little Bay). Here, for a long
lunch break of two hours, the friendly staff spoiled us with an
outstanding meal of delicious fish dishes, until we were almost
bursting.
To aid
digestion, we followed the meal with a walk through the old part of
Tellaro. This place is officially listed as one of the ‘Borghi più
belli d’Italia’ (the most beautiful villages in Italy)–and rightly
so, it seemed to most of us.
At six
o’clock we boarded our coach for the last time for the homeward
journey, where a sing-along accompanied by guitar helped to pass the
time. Our friendly coach-driver brings us safely back to Apricale,
and as we say goodbye and good night, we are filled with the joy of
a wonderful day.
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