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The Grotta di Lord Byron in Porto Venere, Italy, is associated with the English poet who in 1822 allegedly swam across the "Gulf of Poets" to Lerici to reach his friend Percy B. Shelley. In fact, the story is a hoax and Byron never visited Porto Venere.

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Leaving Lucca, I took the train to La Spezia on the Gulf of Poets. I made my way the short distance through town to A 4 Passi Dal Mare where I was greeted upon my arrival by Adrianna who was a gracious host. She showed me up the my room inside what appeared to be an empty building except for her few places up on the 4th floor on a tiny antique elevator. She helped me get my barrings and provided me with maps and suggestions for my time in the Cinque Terra. In late afternoon, after settling in and enjoying my complementary mini bottle of champagne, I headed back through town to the train station. I opted to head to the nearest of the five villages on the sea, Riomaggiore. The tiny town is stacked against the cliffs with steep narrow roads leading down to the sea. After a little looking around, I found the water just before sunset. What a beautiful site. I enjoyed sitting there for quite some time, taking in the sites and watching the kids leap from a high cliff into the water below. After finding a quick dinner back toward the top of the hill, I boarded the train and headed back into La Spezia for the night.

The next morning I trekked back to the train station (after scouting out a laundry mat for later in the day), bought a Cinque Terre Pass, and took the train to the northernmost of the five villages, Monterosso al Mare.

After exploring the small village (that included a couple of churches) and grabbing a large water and a pastry, I started the 1.8 mile hike to the village of Vernazza. The 100+ stairs at the start of the journey had me rethinking my decision right from the beginning. The terrain from that point varied with my more inclines over the course of trip. Soaked from head to toe in sweat, I was excited to be misted by a bit of drizzle. The views along the route were amazing. Signs said it would take 2 hours and it felt like a never ending hike, but just over an hour after I had begun, I could see the beautiful harbor of Vernazza. After catching my breath, I spent some time in Vernazza and then continued on to explore each of the remaining towns of Corniglia, Manarola, and back to Riomaggiore.

By late afternoon I had headed back to La Spezia to change out of my sweaty clothes and do a little laundry.

On my final day along the Italian coast, I walked through the town of La Spezia to the port and boarded a boat to Portovenere. It was a scenic trip through the Gulf of Poets. Following a little exploration, I made my way down to a little, rocky beach to relax and enjoy the scenery.

Soaking in the Sights of the Cinque Terra Leaving Lucca, I took the train to La Spezia on the Gulf of Poets. I made my way the short distance through town to A 4 Passi Dal Mare where I was greeted upon my arrival by Adrianna who was a gracious host.