Drunk’n Sailors
Where did I last leave off? Somewhere in Sienna or leaving Sienna I think. So after Sienna I was headed to Cinque Terra. 5 villages on the Northwest coast of Italy. Colorful homes falling over eachother like drunken sailors as Rick Steve’s says. The perfect Italian get-away. Trains can be a bit crazy here so I first had to take a train to Empoli because from there I was catching a train to Pisa for a few quick Leaning Tower photos. I was into a routine where I would always take out my Eurail pass and set it next to me because as soon as the guy came by to check it I could just hand it to him. Well, Italy train tickets are not always checked for some reason. As soon as I get to Empoli I quickly jump off the train because it is a small station and they do not wait long for you to get off. I am waiting for the Pisa train, about 20 minutes, when I realize I left my Eurail pas on the seat next to me! Of course I am in a crazy panic. And seeing as Empoli is a small station in the middle of nowhere nobody speaks English. I try communicating and I am bawling and frustrated but nobody really does anything to help me. The cop makes a copy of my passport and I write down my phone number. But he just gets mad at me because I do not have an international number. They tried calling Lost and Found in Florence as that is where that train was headed but no luck. I hate to say it but some of the Italians here do not seem like the most loyal trustworthy honest people so I imagine someone stole it because they never match an ID to the pass so anyone can use it.
I am angry at myself at this point but realize I cannot do anything about it until I reach a location where people speak some good English. Times like that where I wish I spoke Italian or at least Spanish! So I get my stuff, catch the next train to Pisa, take some pictures, and before I know it I am in Cinque Terra. I was so excited to arrive here because you can do a day hike from village to village. As soon as I arrive the place is gorgeous but I get my first day of rain! And I am told the forecast is for rain all week. Bummer. I arrive in the first small village and spend roughly 2 hours trying to find a dorm type place to stay for 20 Euros. Let me mention this place was a ghost town! People go here in the summer because of the beach so many things were closed. I finally find a place for 20 Euros a night that has a small dorm because at this point I needed to be with people. When I walk into the room, Megan is there! I met Megan in Salzburg and then saw her again in Innsbruck. She is from California and backpacking around alone for a bit! Small world huh. I was so excited to see her and her being there totally made my day because nobody else was in the town. We found a small place that was open that night, shared a bottle of wine, and then went back to the room to watch Superbad on her laptop.
Megan left the next morning and I was going to set off for the hike but was warned it was way to dangerous to do in the rain. Slippery rocks, narrow paths, and no railings. I gave it a shot hiking from town 1 to town 2. It took roughly 2 hours and it was dangerous! There were areas where I could barely stand with 2 feet together. I decided to not hike the rest as the rain was progressing so I just took the train from village to village and walked around. I arrived back to my room to be greeted by nobody. That night I knew I could not sit in my room, I had to get out and be with people! I looked through my Rick Steve’s book and he mentioned a lively bar a few villages over. I arrived at The Blue Marlin bar where I was greeted with a handsome bartender, Hector. And about 2 locals. But good wine, good music, excellent conversation and tasty free snacks were enjoyed. Hector said this place is always a ghost town around this time but come back in summer and it is a completely different place. And I KNOW I will go back to Cinque Terra very soon…in the summer of course.
And talk about the Italians being content. I had met an old man earlier in the day when I was walking through the village. As soon as I walk into the bar he is there. We chat for a while as he can speak broken English. He is in his 60’s, lives at home with his 85 year old mother and younger sister. He does not work. I ask him what he does all day and if he ever gets bored. He proceeds to tell me he sometimes goes out on his boat, he reads, he meets locals like me, he makes his wine, and every night he eats at home with his mother and sister with his wine. He tells me his life is not boring. He tells me “Victoria, your job can be boring, your social life can be boring, your family can be boring. But I am not bored because it is what I make out of my life.” OK, so not so profound but he is right. Life is all about what we make of it. I can meet this interesting old Itlaian who is happy with his life in a small Cinque Terra village. A life to me that sounds boring but to him is exciting. For a while I was thinking my life was boring. Work, school, gym, work, school, gym. BORING! But now look at me. I am backpacking through Europe and meeting the most amazing people.
I decide to leave Cinque Tera a day early because it really was to lonely and the rain made me a bit dreary. So I am off to Venice. And Venice! WOW! My favorite so far. And so many stories to tell but they will have to wait for another post. Let me just say, more amazing people.
Tags: Cinque Terra, train pass
