Route description for Italian Riviera

Today we have decided on our first city, Pavia. There is a lot to see here, but we didn't look at everything, as one or the other sight is a bit outside of the city center.

If you come by bike from the campsite, the first stop is the Ponte Coperto, the covered bridge. It is somewhat reminiscent of the Ponte Vecchio in Florence, but unlike it has no shops. But there is a small chapel in the middle. Unfortunately, the medieval bridge was destroyed in the war and rebuilt in 1949. But it is still beautiful.

From here you can quickly get to the Basilica di San Michele Maggiore. In 1155 Emperor Barbarossa was crowned King of Italy in it. The many relief figures on the sandstone facade and the dwarf gallery, which is rather untypical for the area, are special here. What we did not consider is that the churches here close at noon. And so after a short time we were asked non-verbally but clearly to leave. So on to the cathedral from the 15th century. The dome, whose designs also come from the Renaissance, was not added until 1884. The 11th century brick tower next to the cathedral collapsed in 1989 and killed 4 people. Inside, the cathedral is kept rather simple.

On the Piazza della Vittoria you have a beautiful view of old patrician houses, the Borletto from the 12th / 13th. Century, former seat of the city government, and the cathedral dome.

The next destination is the university. It is the second oldest university in Italy after Bologna. In the courtyards of the building complex there are statues of famous professors and students, such as B. by Allesandro Volta, the inventor of the electric battery.

If you leave the university through the rear area, you can see the remaining three of the former 200 family towers of Pavia.

The next morning I first let the drone go up. On the beach in front of the mountain-built town of Cervo.

In the afternoon we explored this medieval place, which always feels like it's uphill. Because the place was built on the rocks by the sea. Narrow, car-free streets, nested houses, small squares where life happens - all the way up to the summit, where the Castello di Cervo (city museum) is located. Another attraction is the Church of San Giovanni Battista. The church (18th century), once donated by the coral fishermen, captivates with its baroque facade and a large flight of stairs in front of the sea. Chamber concerts are held on the Piazza della Chiesa in front of the church in July and August.

We ended the day in the panorama bar Arielle; Cocktails, nibbles and a fantastic view.

We're going to the Cinque Terre. But what is that anyway? Cinque Terre is the name for five centuries-old villages, which with their colorful houses and terraced vineyards and olive groves were built into the steep cliffs of the Italian Riviera. A hiking trail, the Sentiero Azzuro, connects the villages. There is also a train line that stops in every village.

We informed ourselves well and bought the bus tickets for the trip to the train station (round trip) right on the pitch. That is cheaper than with the driver. The bus stop, which is supposed to be "right around the corner", was relocated, so that two buses simply drove past us. In the end it worked and after a 20 minute drive through La Spezia we arrived at the Central Station. There you can buy tickets for the train ride and entry to the national park (needed if you want to hike from village to village). And there are also hints, for example which hiking route is open or closed.

Then off to the platform and wait for the regional train. For the feeling of being at home (the train sends its regards) the track was changed. But luckily on the same platform. Otherwise it could have been tight. We drove all the way to Monterosso. Monterosso is the largest of the 5 villages and has the only sandy beach in the Cinque Terre. A tunnel leads from the beach to the old town with its beautiful, narrow streets and the church of San Giovanni Battista.

We covered the way from Monterosso al Mare to Vernazza again by train. The climb from Monterosso is said to be too strenuous. So we didn't even try. We were also told that the route from Vernazza to Corniglia was the easier one (the other two routes were closed anyway).

But first we took a leisurely look at Vernazza. It is said to be the most beautiful of the 5 villages in the Cinque Terre, with its romantic harbor. First you can see the colorful houses, but they only really come into their own when the sun is shining. Then the narrow streets of the old town and of course the harbor with its colorful fishing boats. Unfortunately, we couldn't see the castle with its angular tower, from which one should have a nice view of the harbor, as it is a restaurant. Or maybe we just didn't find the way to the tower.

And then there is the church of Santa Margherita d'Antiochia, the patron saint of the city. It was first mentioned in 1318 and probably expanded in the 16th century. You can clearly see the two different parts. The altar (14th century) is still original. The extraordinary bell tower with a square base and an octagonal structure was part of the village's defense system.

The most beautiful view of Vernazza comes from Monterosso. Or you take the effort and go up the cliffs to the left of the village. There, according to the photos in the national park brochure, you can see the whole place from above. But first we got something to eat: one bag of fried fish to take away: crab claws, squid rings, anchovies ... delicious.

Then we made our way to Corniglia. After all, we wanted to hike in the Cinque Terre as well. Even the way out of Vernazza was exhausting, because it is only uphill. And that shouldn't change most of the way. And mostly on roughly hewn stone stairs - sometimes flat, sometimes high and crooked and crooked. For the sweaty hike, however, you will be rewarded with fantastic views. And so we were happy to arrive in Corniglia after about 3.5 kilometers and almost 2 hours (with photo breaks). First a break before descending to the train station. We gave each other the other two places because it was late and we were exhausted. So back to La Spezia directly by train.

Actually we wanted to see La Spezia today, to stroll through the city. But something happened yesterday that changed our minds completely. We just wanted to get out of here.

For the first time in all the decades we have traveled, including Kenya and India, we have become a victim of pickpockets. We were standing at the bus stop of the train station yesterday and were about to get in to drive back to the parking space when a guy pushed his way in and dropped his bag. Other passengers and his accomplices pushed in from behind and in the crowd they opened my wife's backpack and fished out the purse in all the things that were in there. Unnoticed. And suddenly they were gone again. Got out of the car in a flash just before the doors were closed.

But - luck in bad luck. It was only 15 euros, the bank card (blocked immediately) and a few shopping cards. The only annoying thing was the driver's license. Replacing it takes time, costs and in the meantime she is not allowed to drive a car.

So we left without further ado. After the parking lot in Piacenza (we actually wanted to go there) hadn't made a trustworthy impression on us, we drove through to Como. On the way, we have come a good 150 kilometers, the police headquarters of La Spezia reported, they had found the wallet with some documents (cards). But we had already driven too far to turn back. And the bank card was already blocked.

If we are in Como for the second time now and also have some time, we want to take a look at the city this time. Especially since there is market today (Tuesdays and Thursdays from 7:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m., Saturdays until 7:00 p.m.).

We quickly found out that a bus was driving near the parking space. But where to get the tickets from? We knew from Florence and La Spezia that the drivers usually don't sell tickets. But where do we get them? After a long search on the Internet, we found a point of sale in the tobacco shop in front of the Bennet supermarket.

As always, you have to be a little careful when taking the bus, because the buses don't stop if nobody gets on or off. So simply counting the stations is not. But Google helps here too ...

We got off right at the market and plunged into the lively hustle and bustle. And we love to stroll through markets. Light summer clothes or local specialties - we always find something.

It is only a few steps from the market in Piazza Vittoria to the old town. The first destination was the Romanesque Basilica San Fedele from the 12th century on the small but very beautiful Piazza S. Fedele. From there we are through the alleys to the cathedral, the Gothic Cattedrale di Santa Maria Assunta, which is really worth a visit. If you now walk from the cathedral directly towards the lake, you almost stumble across the tourist information office (mandatory city map).

We first ate something in the Caffè Monti and took a break before continuing to the marina and the "Life Electric" in Lake Como. The modern sculpture was erected in honor of Alessandro Volta, the inventor of the electric battery. But what is special is the view you have from the platform in the lake.

I used this and the next day to sort and edit the pictures and films for our homepage and our YouTube channel.

Our journey ends here. We hope you enjoyed our little travelogue.

You will soon be able to see our travel report as a video on YouTube at youtube.com/nanuqwomoblog

Further information and reports are available at nanuq-womoblog.de

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