The highlight of our trip to Italy was our time in Cinque Terre. It was fabulous! And what made it so fabulous was the hospitality of our bed and breakfast host and his friend, Edoardo. My husband and I highly recommend that if you stay at 5 Terre Pelagos you take advantage of the boat tour they offer and make reservations to eat at Trattoria Dal Billy.
TRAVEL
Getting to Manarola was a bit intimidating. We took the train from Florence to La Spezia Centrale (passing through Pisa) and from there to Manarola. At La Spezia there was an elevator that could be used to switch platforms. There wasn't an elevator at Manarola - which with our luggage was a bit challenging. But, once we arrived there we followed the crowd around a corner and through a tunnel. On the other end was beautiful Manarola!
THE HOME
To get to 5 Terre Pelagos we went up the main street to the right and then turned on the first sidewalk (alley) on the right. Then we walked up the hill between the houses and on our right was a gate to the entrance of the bed and breakfast. Make arrangements in advance to let Lorenzo (the owner) or Alie (Alicia) know when you expect to arrive so they can unlock the gate and greet you, and if need be help you with your bags. The security here is great! We stayed in the NewPort room which is literally on top of the train tunnel. Other rooms are available both at this location and others. We met a couple who stayed at the Vintage room near the church at the top of the hill. They loved the location and the room, but it is a long walk up a mountainous hill.
The NewPort room was quite nice. We had direct access to the balcony from our room. The balcony is also accessible to other guests, which wasn't a problem because it was infrequently accessed. My husband actually used the clothes line off of the balcony to hang his clothes after doing laundry in the basement. 10 euro for access to do a full load. Alie even offered to move our clothes from washer to dryer and then up to our room, so that we could go about and do the tourist thing.
The room was clean. It included a safe with a key. Upon arrival Lorenzo showed us how to use the key lock to the room, etc. On the desk in the room were pods to use in the basement Keurig machine. This is located next to a sitting area built into the rock wall of the hill, a unique feature of Lorenzo's family home.
The bathroom was
typical Italian with blue tile. The shower was in a triangular shape, a bit small, but we still had room to move about.
Alie came to clean the room late morning. So she asked that we be absent during a pre-arranged time for cleaning. I don't remember any breakfast being served, but I really wasn't paying attention.
THE BOAT TOUR
On the day we arrived we took Lorenzo up on his offer for a boat tour of the Cinque Terre coast. (Cost 50 euro each.) He and his friend Edoardo take turns taking groups of about six to eight people out on their 25 foot yellow motorized boat. To get to the boat, you walk straight down to the coast, then turn left and follow the cement sidewalk. At the point where the cement meets the pile of rock pier you stop and wait for the yellow boat to arrive. There is no need to follow the crowd past the rock pier to the massive boat launch. If you want to go deep sea swimming wear a swimsuit. You may also want to wear appropriate shoes for climbing the rocks for fun while you wait for the boat to arrive.
The boat tour takes you up and down the Cinque Terre coast with key sites both on land and sea pointed out to you. It is offered twice a day - sunset and sunrise. While touring beverages and snacks are offered. Wine, beer, Prosecco (Italian bubbly wine), olives, and pistachios. The tour takes about two hours and it is very relaxing. Edoardo gave my husband the helm of the boat on the way back. This was quite a treat!
DINNNER
While on the boat tour we learned that Edoardo has a restaurant about half-way up the hill (it is a walk well worth it). We decided to stop by the next day for lunch and boy were we in for a treat! We ordered the mixed antipasto di mare. This is a tapas selection of twelve local fish dishes. Neither my husband or I like fish. We are from the Midwest after all! But, we decided we were up to giving the local cuisine a try. It was worth it! We also appreciated how they were attentive to any food sensitivities and at our request alerted us of any items that might be a problem. We enjoyed the meal so much we made reservations for that evening.
When we returned in the evening I ordered a pasta dish and my husband ordered a shrimp dish. While he was busy trying to figure out how to eat the fish (in Italy they do not remove the "veins" or shell), I was being overheated by the spicy seasoning in mine. Both meals were very filling and good.
The fun part of our evening at the restaurant was the communal atmosphere that was created when Edoardo asked his staff to distribute alcohol amongst his restaurant guests. The staff took the liquor off the shelf and placed three or four different options on each table. This was at no cost to us diners! Soon people were visiting with those seated at tables near-by. We really connected with a couple from Spain. It was great fun! I think in all we may have been at the restaurant for four hours that evening!
THE COMPLETE PACKAGE
By staying at 5 Terre Pelagos and taking advantage of the boat tour and dinner at the restaurant, you are really getting a full package. I think it would be great if in the future these three items were offered together as a package. I recommend emailing them directly (info@5terrepelagos.com) to make your room reservation and to schedule your boat tour. Keep in mind that the weather has to be right to go out to sea, so there is a chance it will be cancelled. But this really isn't a problem, because you pay cash when you board the boat - so you aren't out anything financially if they cancel due to weather. (For our room we paid cash - 150 euro/night)
While in Cinque Terre, make sure to take time to watch a sunset, swim in the sea (be careful about jumping off high rocks - it is very dangerous!), and take a hike on their beautiful trails.
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