August 22, 2019
My alarm goes off at 8 am, and I quickly turn it off so as not to wake my roommates. I carefully climb down from the top bunk of my bed, take my bag out from my locker, and pick out a bathing suit, a tank top, and a pair of flowy cotton shorts. After I’m dressed and have brushed my teeth, I put on sandals and pack my waterproof bag with sunscreen, a towel, my water bottle, the GoPro, and my wallet. Today I’m going sailing!
I leave Costello, and head towards the harbor. The streets are quiet this early in the morning, and I pretty much have the town to myself. I keep my eyes out for a cafe on my way to the harbor. Once I spot a cute little patio with a few people sipping on their cappuccinos, I head inside and order “un cappuccino y un croissant natural, por favore”. (I try.) I pay the cashier and take my breakfast out onto the patio, where I sit down at a table next to two moms and their toddlers and enjoy people watching.
Once I’ve eaten, I walk to the harbor. I am an hour early for the Airbnb experience “Sail Beyond Cinque Terre“, a 7 hour sailing adventure which begins at 10:30 am. I cross the Ponte Thaon di Revel, a white bridge with what resembles two masts with cable stays, and admire the boats until it is time to meet the captain, David, in the middle of the bridge.
Once our group has gathered, David guides us to his 52-foot schooner. We get comfortable and set sail out of the bay. There are two couples (one from France and one from Italy), an American mother-daughter duo, myself, and an Australian solo traveler named Lainey. Everyone gets to know each other for a bit before we all find our favorite spots on the boat.
Lainey and I chat in the cockpit, while taking in gorgeous views of the coastline. David points out a little harbor town called Le Grazie, where they supposedly have the most beautiful wooden sailboats and an old monastery that is open to visitors. I make a mental note to visit Le Grazie before I leave.
We sail around the peninsula, passing by Portovenere on the right and Palmaria Island on the left. Portovenere is a beautiful seaside village with colorful buildings lining the coastline.
We round the point, where there is a majestic looking church called Chiesa di San Pietro, and we sail along the beautiful cliffs.
The views are spectacular, and I am in awe of Cinque Terre. You can just make out the 5 villages along this coastline, and I am excited to explore them this week. David tells us that there are hiking trails between each village, so I decide that I will research which trail to hike when I get back to Costello.
We don’t sail too much further when David turns us back towards Portovenere, where we will anchor for lunch and a swim. I make my way up to the bow for a better breeze and view.
Once we’ve anchored, David brings out lunch: wine & beer, focaccia pizza, pasta al pesto, and a few dishes with meat that I skip. After we’ve eaten, we can swim! Everyone strips down to their swimsuits and jumps into the water, cool but refreshing. David throws out a few paddle boards for us to use, but the wind is funneling through the channel between Portovenere and Palmaria Island, so it’s challenging to paddle back to the sailboat.
Once I’m done swimming, I climb back on board, grab my towel, and get comfortable on the bow so that I can suntan. I talk with the mother-daughter duo and learn that the mother is an accountant, so I tell her that I used to be a tax accountant before I started this trip. Eventually everyone is taking naps and soaking up the sun. After a few hours, we finally sail back to the harbor in La Spezia. It’s about 5:30 pm when we return.
I return to Costello to shower and get ready for dinner. Lainey, Allie, Shruti (Allie’s and my friend from Bassetto), and I are going to meet up for dinner. At 7:30 Allie, Lainey, and I meet up at the fountain before eating dinner at Punjabi Dhaba, a Middle Eastern eatery in town. Shruti’s train is delayed, so she will meet us for drinks later.
Next we head out for drinks. We go to Resilience Cafe, an eclectic and cozy vintage cocktail bar with a library and mismatched antique furniture that gives the place a 1920’s vibe. We order drinks, and pretty soon Shruti joins us.
It’s starting to get late, so Lainey heads home. Allie, Shruti and I stay a bit longer before we head out. Then we wander around town for a while, order Boba, and then head back to our hostels. It’s Allie’s last night and we won’t see her again, so we have to say our goodbyes.
Madi's World 