Italy Day Eleven - Volterra and the Cinque Terre

(A multi-part recap of my mid-April to early May Italy trip.)

After a way too short visit of Florence it was time again for our tour to move on.  So on day eleven of my Italy trip, we again packed our bags, loaded onto the bus, and bid a fond "arrivederci" to this amazing city of renaissance art.

Lovely Tuscan countryside

Today's final destination was the seaside Cinque Terre town of Monterosso al Mare (which from now I'll refer to as "Monterosso.")  But first our main guide (MG) told the group we'd be visiting an authentic Italian hill town, the walled mountaintop village of Volterra.

Hillside winery

Our written tour itinerary had us visiting the Leaning Tower of Pisa today before heading to the Cinque Terre.  But at the last minute our MG decided to switch things up and visit a Tuscan hill town first, and the leaning tower on another day.  None of my friends and I were happy about this sudden change of plans that was communicated to the group in a most unclear manner.  Oh well, it was another spectacular blue-sky day, and we were in Italy!  The Tuscan countryside made for beautiful scenery as our bus sped down the narrow, winding roads to Volterra.

Volterra town square - Piazza dei Priori

Tuscany was known for its fortified hill towns.  In medieval times settlements were located atop steep cliffs and high ridges for safety from invaders.  Due to their isolated locations, many of these towns survived modern development with their ancient architecture intact.  Today these Italian hill towns have become tourist attractions, with visitors seeking out these well-preserved bits of history.

 

Little cafe, ready to open for business

Volterra was about a two-hour drive from Florence.  Getting there required our bus driver to navigate some seriously curvy roads, with a few switchbacks so tight, our bus had to stop and wait for the traffic in both directions to clear before driving through.  I was thankful for our driver's skills in guiding a full-size bus in and around such twisty terrain, and his willingness to tackle these gnarly roads into Volterra.

The bakery was already open

The Tuscan countryside was gorgeous.  We sped by rolling green hills, tiny villages perched on ridgetops, fields of crops climbing up steep slopes, and wide, verdant grasslands.  The fabulous scenery had me trying in vain to capture some images from the speeding bus window.

Cute shop selling everything lavender

In no time at all, our bus was climbing the final switchbacks leading into Volterra.  We could see the ancient wall and church tower perched atop a tall hill.  We parked in a small lower parking area, disembarked, and followed our MG up a steep street leading into the town.

You can't help but stop and smell

To reach a hill town, all roads lead uphill!  A short walk up a steep, narrow cobblestone lane took us to the town's main square, or piazza.  On the way, I gaped at the weathered, brick buildings lining the street.  It was like taking a step back in time.  All the structures looked like they'd been in place since the middle ages.  I noticed the ground floors of many of these places had been converted into restaurants or tiny specialty shops.  So much ancient character with a modern flair!  I liked Volterra already.

Cute little sachets

As our group reassembled in the town's main square, called Piazza dei Priori, I took in the towering buildings framing each side.  One, with a clock and tall, square medieval tower was the city hall.  Another huge, brick building looked like it had been standing for centuries, vines growing up its crumbling facade, and diagonal iron rods holding the outer walls together.  A few outdoor cafes with tables and umbrellas sat on the piazzas edge, and appeared ready to host the day's customers.  A bakery and lavender shop took up residence at one end.  Kim, Debbie and I couldn't help but stop by the lavender stores' outdoor display and take a good sniff of its heavenly smells.

Volterra city hall, Palazzo dei Priori

Adjacent medieval building

After a short coffee break, our MG introduced us to our local guide, a Volterra resident named Annie who made a living taking groups on walking tours of the town.  An American citizen, she'd traveled to Italy for school, fell in love with a local man, and never left.

Volterra convenience store

After a quick orientation about the historic buildings on the Piazza dei Priori, Annie led us away from the square and down an adjacent cobblestone lane.  As we walked down this street, she mentioned that the stone used for the pavement, walls, and buildings here was called Pachina limestone, from a local quarry.  If you looked closely at the rock one could see tiny seashells embedded into the stone surfaces.  This Pachina stone was formed from shallow sea sediments laid down 10 million years ago, and the shells were fossilized remains of ancient marine life.  Sure enough, it didn't take much searching before I found one of those shells in the roadway cobblestone.

Tiny seashells embedded into the pavement

We turned a corner, and Annie led us down an extremely steep street.  Restaurants and various shops lined the roadway, many with entrances stair-stepped along the precipitous grade.  She explained this was known as "Artisan Lane" because many local craftspeople had businesses along this street.  Sure enough, we passed by a printmaker, jewelry shop, art gallery, leather shop, and one offering bronze work.  Their storefronts all looked so inviting, but I had to keep up with my tour - so no shopping!

Walking tour with local guide, Annie

Walking down "Artisan Lane"

Annie explained to our group that Volterra was founded in the 8th century BC by the Etruscans.  The Etruscans were an ancient people that inhabited central Italy, forming many city-states, and having a common language and culture.  They lived in Tuscany, Umbria and Lazio from 900 BC to 1 BC, emerging from the Iron Age to reach peak power in 6 BC, before being slowly absorbed by the Roman Empire by 1 BC.

Steep street with stair-stepped dining areas

Lots of greenery around this doorway

Residents hanging their clothes out to dry

And now Annie was going to lead our group to one of the important remains from Etruscan times - a grand arch that marked the entrance into Volterra.  We followed her further down "Artisan Street" passing doorways lined with huge green plants and walking underneath clotheslines locals had strung up from their upper windows.  This wasn't a big touristy Italian town - real people lived here.

Another look at "Artisan Lane"

At the bottom of this steep street stood a huge stone arch.  Judging by its weathered appearance, I could tell it was very, very old.  Annie told us this arch was built in the 4th century BC.  Volterra's original city wall was four miles around, twice the size of the current wall.  It was long enough to encircle the 20,000 people living inside at the time (in comparison, today Volterra's population is a mere 6,000 inside the wall.)  

At the end of this lane was an ancient Etruscan arch

Everyone walked through the arch, regrouping on the other side.  The outer entrance had three badly eroded heads framing the arched entryway.  Annie told us these stone carved heads dated from Etruscan times, and their poor condition showed the effects of being left in the elements for over 2,000 years.

Walking through the arch

Looking back up "Artisan Lane"

Getting a look at the city wall and arch

After everyone had their turn gazing at this magnificent, time-worn arch and taking photos, Annie had us all sit down atop a nearby low wall so she could tell us a story.

Eroded heads, dating from 1 BC

A plaque on a nearby wall commemorated a night in during WW II, where the city almost lost their beloved arch.  On June 30, 1944 city residents got wind of a plot by the Nazis to blow up their beloved landmark.  The entire town worked all night to remove the adjacent roadway paving stones and use them to plug the arch entrance.  When Nazi troops arrived the next morning, they were stymied by this blockade.  While standing around debating what to do, the local people successfully convinced the troops to leave their town alone.

These plaques described how the townspeople thwarted the Nazis

Annie telling the group a story

Story now finished, Annie led everyone along a road atop the town wall.  She stopped at two fantastic viewpoints, allowing us nice photo ops of the beautiful green Tuscan countryside.

Tuscan countryside views

Photo time!

These people with the balconies had nice views

City hall tower

Loved the mailboxes

Another great view of the green valley

Sweeping views from atop the Volterra hill

Homes in the countryside

Then our group headed back into the town, of course uphill again.  Annie led us to the town's Duomo with an octagonal baptistry building right across the piazza.  Just like we'd seen in Florence, the baptistry was a separate building because one first had to be baptized before they were allowed entrance into the church. 

The Baptistry of San Giovanni

Completed in 1120, this church was dedicated to the Virgin Mary.  The Duomo's weather-worn exterior definitely showed its age.  Compared to the churches we'd seen in Florence, Volterra's Duomo had a pretty boring exterior.  It was made of tan brick with a few small marble accents.  The baptistry building, with its black and white marble facade, was much more interesting.

Volterra Duomo

I later read that this Duomo's interior was much more intricate.  It had pink columns, lovely ceiling artwork, and some very interesting paintings that were worth checking out.  But the place charged a fee for entry, and it wasn't part of today's walking tour.  

Baptistry building - front view

Baptistry, Duomo, bell tower

The Duomo also boasted a tall, tan bell tower, one of the prominent landmarks on Volterra's skyline.  This current tower was rebuilt in 1493, after the collapse of the first tower.

Duomo bell tower

After our introduction to the Duomo and associated buildings, Annie led us into Volterra's narrow lanes, past enticing outdoor cafes, and small shops with cute hanging signs.  We walked for a few minutes, before emerging onto a wide cobblestone thoroughfare bordered by two tall, stone walls - one above and one below street level.

Cute streetside restaurant

City scenes

Far below this perched street was a grassy area full of ancient ruins.  Annie identified this as a Roman amphitheater constructed in the first century BC.  Over time this theater became the town dump, which filled in the surrounding area.  In 1950, the ruins were rediscovered and excavated.

Roman ruins visible from the town

Although it was possible to walk through these ruins, it cost money to do so.  However, we had such a great view of the entire area from atop the town wall, why would anyone pay to get closer?

Viewpoint of the ruins

It was very thrilling and interesting to see some real-life ruins from early Roman times.  Little did I know it at the time, but there was much more to come when our tour reached Rome!

This was part of an ancient amphitheater

Cute little nearby bistro

I loved this cute little bistro at the top of the wall, with its catchy name and fabulous wall sign, celebrating the town's Etruscan heritage.

Loved the bistro's sign!

The views atop this high street were also fantastic.  I could see a long ways into the Tuscan countryside.  It helped that our trip was in the spring, when everything was ultra-green and in bloom.

Looking across town

On the move again!

View of normal life through this arch

The uphill wall followed this street, occasionally broken by an arch allowing access to the neighboring apartment buildings.  It was fun to peep inside, and catch glimpses of daily life here in this small Italian hill town.

Wall-lined lane

On our walk, we even passed by an Irish pub!  I just had to take a photo to show Debbie later.  She had a reputation for finding them wherever we traveled.

I found an Irish pub for Debbie!

More Volterra scenes

Lots of stone walls

The group getting ready to pass through a low arch

After wandering down more cobblestone streets, our tour passed through a low, brick arch and emerged onto the Via Matteotti, the town's main shopping district.  It was lined with shops of all kinds, and several large sidewalk cafes had their tables and umbrellas along the sides.

Walking back towards the main retail district

It was here that our tour ended.  We bid Annie a grateful farewell - she had done an amazing job of explaining this charming hill town's history.

So many cute shops!

Now my tour-mates and I had a couple hours to get some lunch and explore Volterra on our own.  Naturally Kim, Debbie, and I were ready for some pasta.  So we first headed down a nearby street to see what kind of food we could find.

Lunch under a large shade tree

At the far end of this lane we found the perfect spot.  A nearby restaurant had placed several tables under the shade of a huge tree.  Aside from a large group of students, the place wasn't busy.  My friends and I quickly claimed a table and put in our orders.

I had to try a caprese salad

One dish I'd wanted to try while in Italy was a caprese salad.  This iconic mix of fresh tomatoes, mozzarella, and basil, finished with olive oil, was an Italian classic.  So in addition to a dish of pasta, I ordered this iconic salad.  The salad and my wine came out quickly.  But my spaghetti Bolognese didn't arrive.  Debbie and Kim got their pasta, but my plate was still empty.  When I finally queried the waiter, it appeared he thought all I wanted to eat was a caprese salad, and for some reason didn't write down my pasta order.  Thankfully, I cleared up this misunderstanding and my pasta arrived quickly after that. 

My pasta was also good

My friends and I sat in the shade of the tree enjoying our pasta with a glass of vino (and beer for Kim.)  It was another beautiful, sunny day.  We ate our pasta, drank our beverages, and amused ourselves watching people come and go.  Such a wonderful setting in this charming, ancient town!  

Wild boars are common here

After filling our bellies it was time to walk off our yummy pasta lunches.  Kim, Debbie, and I retraced our steps back to the Via Matteotti, checking out the quaint local shops as we went.  One shop specialized in wild boar merchandise (apparently wild boar was a delicacy here.)  

The sign under the boar read "Stay away from me, vegan!"

Another restaurant had a battered, taxidermized wild boar head hanging at its doorway.  A sign below the boar read:  "Stay away from me, vegan!"  Obviously not a place for those who didn't eat meat!

Kim models a purse she liked

We passed by a leather shop, full of colorful products.  Leather purses were popular items, and Kim found several she really liked.  But she'd already purchased a purse in Venice, so we left the shop empty-handed.

Adorable local market

One charming little market offered a multitude of local food products.  My favorite, however, were the different varieties of brightly-colored pasta.  I didn't buy any, and now I'm wishing I would have.

Loved all the colorful pasta

Kim and Debbie are havin' fun in Volterra

However I did buy other things - Volterra was well know for its alabaster products.  Quarried nearby, it was a big business here.  One shop sold nothing but alabaster items - small sculptures, wine bottle corks topped with the lovely white stone, nativity scenes (which I was told were a big deal here.)  I ended up buying a few alabaster items as gifts for my kids, but neglected to purchase something for myself.  So busy shopping, I also forgot to take any photos of the wonderful array of alabaster products that were in this store.

Apparently Pinocchio is popular here 

After the alabaster store, my friends and I headed back to the lovely lavender shop that we'd seen in the Piazza dei Priori before the morning's tour, only to find it closed for lunch.  My friends and I had all wanted to purchase the beautiful purple sachets we'd seen on display, and were disappointed to miss out.

It was fun to walk down the narrow alleyways

So we continued to walk around, exploring this wonderful little hill town.  Although there were lots of people on the narrow lanes, Volterra never felt as busy as some of the other Italian cities we'd visited, such as Venice or Florence.  I got the impression this was a place that didn't get a huge amount of tourists.  After the frenzy of Florence, it was nice to visit this peaceful, laid-back village.

Not sure what this restaurant sign was supposed to depict!

After visiting the local gelato shop, and tasting some of the best gelato I had in Italy, it was time to head back to the Piazza dei Priori and meet up with our tour group.  Arriving back at the piazza, we were surprised and delighted to find the lavender shop was now open.  Quickly my friends and I went inside and purchased some sachets and souvenirs before it was time to leave.

Wished we could've stayed longer

Like most of the places on this tour, it was way too short to adequately see everything, but at least I had the opportunity visit this charming little hill town with such interesting history.  Lugging bags full of all the neat things I'd purchased here, I followed the group back downhill to our waiting bus.

Goodbye, Volterra!

Loading back into the bus, our assistant guide (AG) decided to sit in the back of the bus with my friends and I.  We all though it kind of fishy - like our MG planted him to spy on us.  But our AG was a nice, interesting man.  He'd lived all over the world and had many tales to tell.  I really enjoyed having the AG sitting with my friends and I - talking to him made the miles go much faster.

Mountains where Carrara marble comes from

Onward to the Cinque Terre and Monterosso!  As our bus traveled down one of the main highways, we passed a city surrounded by some impressive looking mountains.  Patches of white colored the lower parts of these peaks.  Our AG explained to my friends and I that the white wasn't snow but outcrops of marble.  The marble used to create all the lovely sculptures we'd been seeing had come from quarries in these mountains.

The seaside town of Monterosso

After turning off the main highway, our bus drove down another steep, twisty road heading towards the Ligurian Sea and the town of Levanto.  Because the roads leading directly into Monterosso were much too narrow and winding for our bus to navigate, we unloaded at Levanto's train station.  The plan was to take the train into Monterosso, a very quick 5-minute ride.  So everyone drug their suitcases across the parking lot, through the station and onto the platform.  Luckily we didn't wait long before a train came and whisked us all away.

View from our room

The Cinque Terre is an especially scenic section of the mountainous Italian coastline.  Located on the Ligurian Sea between Genoa and Pisa, five tiny villages are perched in stunningly beautiful spots along the rugged shore.  This breathtaking section of coast was described in medieval times as "five lands," cinque terre in Italian.  Today it's a popular vacation destination for both Italians and visitors from other countries.

The hotel grounds were beautifully landscaped

Our train deposited us onto the platform at Monterosso.  Our MG explained that because the hotels in town were a bit small, our group would be split up between two local inns.  But lucky for us, someone from the hotel was here with two luggage transport wagons so we didn't have to schlep our suitcases.  After depositing our bags into the correct wagon, we followed our MG down the beachside promenade to our respective hotels.

My first impression of Monterosso - OMG what a stunning place!  A gorgeous beach backed up against tall, rocky cliffs.  Colorful buildings stair-stepped up the hillsides.  Greenery and flowers were blooming everywhere.  I felt as if I'd died and landed in paradise.

We did have to climb up a lot of stairs

But this little town limited where autos could drive, meaning you had to walk most everywhere.  We followed our MG and she trudged through a long tunnel that led us into the old part of town.  Near the base of this tunnel was the first hotel, where half of our group was to stay.  My friends and I weren't included in this first group.  I looked on in envy - this hotel was right near the beach, and the first group didn't have to walk very far.

Then the MG motioned for the rest of us to follow.  She led us away from the beach and up a steep street.  It kept going and going.  The weather was hot, and although I wasn't carrying my suitcase (thankfully!) I did have my backpack and large bag full of souvenirs.  Where in the world was MG taking us?  She left the street and started up a long flight of stairs.  At the top of those, MG opened a gate, and we were led up even more stairs.  After huffing and puffing up three more steep flights, we finally arrived at our hotel.  At first I thought, "Oh boy, we got the booby prize, instead of a nice seaside hotel, we're stuck on top of this large hill."  But then I noticed the fabulous view from our high perch and all was okay.

They had the hugest lemons I'd ever seen

Kim and I got a nice room with a balcony overlooking the tiny town of Monterosso, and even better, a view of the ocean waters.  The afternoon sun lit up all the pastel-colored buildings and the greenery surrounding the hotel.  Oh, this place was fantastic!  Now I thought it was worth the steep trudge to get here.

Pesto making demonstration

Kim and I relaxed in our room for awhile until it was time to walk back to the other hotel for tonight's group dinner.  The trek back downhill through the hotel grounds wasn't so bad in the other direction.  And I discovered the area surrounding our hilltop inn was meticolously landscaped with brightly colored flowers and a few lemon trees.  Apparently lemons were a thing in the Cinque Terre - the fruit grew so well it ended up the size of softballs.  Noticing a bunch of enormous lemons hanging on one of the trees I passed, I can verify it's true.  

Showing everyone the ground basil

Returning to the other hotel, I noticed train tracks running directly adjacent to the building.  A passing train went by, making a loud noise and shaking the building.  Seeing this I was now very happy to not be staying here.

Our tour group met up in a private room off the main hotel restaurant.  Tonight we were having a special presentation by an older lady named Felicita who ran the place.  Felicita was going to show us how she made her famous pesto sauce.

Finished product for our tasting pleasure

Tonight Felicita had her handsome young grandson assisting her.  She measured out basil leaves, garlic, pine nuts and parmesan cheese into a small mortar bowl.  Her grandson smashed the entire mixture with a pestle, adding olive oil until it was ground into a thick paste.  He then walked by each table, showing us his handiwork.  Then came the best part - a small amount of this pesto sauce was spread onto pieces of bread for each of us to taste.  It was soooo good!  After finishing my sample, I was wishing for another piece.

Kim approves!

Not to worry, we had another chance to eat pesto.  Tonight's first course was penne pasta with green beans covered by more of Felicita's fantastic pesto sauce.  Oh, it was so delicious!  And to top it off, the restaurant had set the table with numerous bottles of a delicious local white wine.  I think when the evening was over, Debbie and I had each finished off a bottle.  We liked it so much, when the restaurant offered to sell us some, we both immediately jumped at the opportunity.

A delicious dish of pesto pasta

Our second course was a plate of local white fish.  As the fish was served Kim became apprehensive.  Her dietary restrictions included most fruit, and after seeing all the lemon trees around Monterosso, she suspected they'd seasoned the fish with it.  Debbie and I taste tested our fish and confirmed Kim's fears.  So poor Kim had to send back her fish and explain to the wait staff the reason why.  Not only that, since Kim couldn't drink the wine, our MG (once she finally remembered Kim's restrictions - MG had forgot every meal so far) brought her out a beer.  But instead of the local Moretti brand, which wasn't bad at all, Kim got served a Budweiser (Ick!)  The MG really dropped the ball for tonight's dinner, and had Kim not been looking out for herself, she could've become really sick.

Salute!

Once dinner was over, and the obligatory glass of limoncello downed, (salute!) our host Felicita had one more activity planned for us.  It was time for a game of "guess that Italian word."  Felicita said a word in Italian and we all had to guess it's English meaning.  I had absolutely no idea, and can't remember what I scrawled on my piece of paper.  When all the guesses had been handed in, and reviewed by Felicita, we had a winner.  The word was "marvelous" and Debbie had guessed correctly!  All her Duolingo lessons had paid off in a big way.

Debbie won the after dinner game!

Apparently Felicita used this word with many of the groups she hosted and Debbie was the first person to guess it correctly.  For winning the game, Debbie was presented with a hand-painted tea towel, made right here in Monterosso.

Sunset over the Ligurian Sea

Dinner now over, my friends and I sauntered out of the restaurant onto the nearby beach.  The sun was beginning to set over the ocean, coloring a few high clouds with stunning hues of pink and orange.  Darn, I'd left my "big girl" camera back at the hotel!  My cell phone camera would have to do.

Sunset from the promenade

It was the perfect opportunity for a selfie!

This called for a selfie!

Then my friends and I walked back to our lovely hotel high on the bluff.  We made it back just in time for me to catch a few camera photos of the orange sky over the town.  The staff at this hotel were amazing - for 30 euros each they had offered to wash and dry our laundry.  After eleven days on the road, Kim and I were more than ready for some clean clothes, and eagerly filled the bags they provided.  Upon our return, the staff had already washed, dried, and left our folded clothes in our room.  What service!

Good night, Monterosso

But now it was time to get some shut-eye in our wonderful hotel room.  Tomorrow we'd have an entire free day to spend in this breathtakingly scenic slice of heaven.  I couldn't wait!

Make sure to come back for my next post - an amazing day on the Cinque Terre.