10.2 - Sunday Part II - Sunset in Lerici

WINE AT SUNSET ON THE GULF OF POETS

Between the La Spezia peninsula and Lerici is The Gulf of La Spezia or Golfo di Lerici.  Literary greats,  Lord Byron , Mary & Percy Bysshe Shelley, and others lived here and some of their most prolific works were reportedly inspired by the sunsets over this magnificent vista. Percy Shelley actually drowned in the Golfo di Lerici.  The popularity of Lerici with the Shelley’s and Lord Byron earned the Golfo di Lerici its nickname as the Golfo dei Poeti [Gulf of Poets].  Many hotels now bear the names Hotel Byron, Hotel Shelly e Delle Palma, etc

Passing them all on the way to Il Frantoio  through Piazza Garibaldi 

[DL is gnashing her teeth at the statue] taking pics along the way and finding the fabled seafood specialty Ristorante up the typical “Que Cute” street.  Set back from the street down a kitschy entrance, it wasn’t very big.  In fact, the kitchen [viewed from a window opening into the entrance hallway] looked bigger.  We found it did have another room but the main room held the attraction [and namesake] a 500 year old olive press.  We were ushered to our reserved table – A carafe of Vino Bianco della Casa was ordered as was a tasty Misto da Mare – hot and cold seafood antipasto- brimming with Boiled Calamari, Chilled Head-on Gambere, and Fried sardines.

Our entrée was a heaping platter for 2 of Linguine con Fruti di Mare, with fresh Coze [Mussels], Vongole [Little neck clams] Scungili [octopus] Calamari, Fungi [mushrooms] in a superb, almost creamy Aglio e Olio sauce with a little pepper kick. OUTSTANDING!!!

Our fresh brewed Café was served with a stunning Torte di Ciocolata floating on a bed of freshly made molten Chocolate gnash. Chucky and a wonderful Parfait di Amaretto,  4.5 stars [1/2 star off for flies – doors and windows are open all around the seafood kitchen… no wonder].

 

We waddled out...it was a big meal - and since it was too late to grab a boat to Cinque Terre, we decided to wander about and see Lerici.  A stroll up and down the quaint but typical streets with the usual Tchotchke shops led to the main cathedral which was under serious renovation 

Through the Pizza Garibaldi [more gnashing and raspberries at Giuseppe’s statue from DL] and we walk along the Marina driveway watching the mobile boom lift jockey all manner of sailing vessels, from 25ft sailboats to 10ft runabouts in and out of the water.  Then we spot what looked like a tunnel that appeared to go through the hillside to a street beyond so we headed into a real cave and storage for an endless rack of kayaks and water gear, and in the distance a sign “Ristorante da Ciccillo”à. We were about to turn around when Chucky just had to turn the corner to see where it led and stumbled onto very “Que Cute” secluded cove and beach with sunbathers, beached boats, kids and dogs playin’ in the surf.  We were standing on a walkway jutting out from along the rock wall to Ristorante da Ciccillo a Mare, hanging off the wall like a cliff with a stunning view of the Golfo dei Poeti. Pics of this, that, dogs, Chicas some obviously expensive homes chisled into the cliff across the way. 

As we headed back out, we spotted an elevator that apparently went up to the Castello de Lerici [Add Link] on the rock above, so for €1.80 we get a ride up to the piazza below the Castello.  I guess we could have paid more for access to the Museum in the Castello but wanted to see what was all about first,  LOTS OF STEPS.... thats what.  And some interesting sculpture of a variety of dinosaurs at the base of still more steps, and also down in the belvedere.  This was a strategic fortress at one time with a broad command of the gulf.  Pics from the walkway overlooking the Marina and then down ever MORE steps.  Ironically, the acrophobic Dragon Lady  didn’t have much of a problem with the many flights of stairs which Chucky recorded at each landing.

Once on the ground we wandered into what was billed as a Gastronomical Festival being held across the weekend with cooking demonstrations going on with food and wine vendor stalls scattered around the Piazza Garibaldi.[hiss, gnash, pblitzzzzz] DL has finally asked just who in the hell is this Gibralta, ghirdelli, Whatever... àGiuseppe Garibaldi so we told her.  She was properly impressed.  Not happy, but impressed.

The sun was getting low and we decided to wander back to the hotel and hopefully make it back in time to crack a bottle of wine on the balcony.  Stops for more pics along the way of the various beach clubs and one very sleek and exclusive modern hotel on the gulf side of the street nestled against the seawall next to the beach clubs. 

We got back to the hotel but got distracted and forgot to open the wine till it was too late and missed the sunset, but still enjoyed the after glow with an exceptional 2008 Merlot from Castel Nuovo that we picked up in Desenzano.

Our lunch was so hearty that we decided to skip dinner.  Instead we decided to catch up on Email, Facebook and NOWAT postings, edit, some pics and get some rest since we had an early day to catch the 9:30AM boat to Cinque Terre, that would take 6+ hours.

A note on Hotel Florida, the exterior is deceivingly old school but inside it is quite sleek and modern.  The rooms are adequate... not ‘spacious’ with the bathroom just big enough for 1 with everything within arms reach, Sorta like the one in Beijing where we did the “Dance of the Tiny Bathroom” and here to...all over again. In all Hotel Florida was very clean and quite comfortable. The kind of place we wouldn’t mind returning to.

More on that in the next post.  Are we having fun yet?... we hope you are cause we sure as hell are!!!!

Ciao 4 Now

Uncle Chuck & The anxious to board the Cinque Terre Express Dragon Lady

Enjoying Exceptional Wine, Superior Aged Cheese & Great Crusty Bread