An entry in the TFS Travel Journal
We woke up and got to see just how beautiful this place truly is, as we’re situated right on the beach in the Bay of Silence (Baio del Silenzio) in Italy.
Not the greatest night of sleep, as one side of the bed sloped at about a 45-degree angle into the middle. We waited around reading and enjoying the waves and views and the sun until Scott called to say he was getting on the 11:10 train from Milano to Genova. We tried to tell him to get on the train to Chiavari once he gets to Genova, but got cut off in mid-sentence.. Then the hotel sent someone up to put a board under our mattress, which seems to do the trick.
Around 12:40 or so, Scott called from Genova, Italy and we directed him to get on the 12:55 to Chiavari, approx. a 25 minute ride. Since we had not heard from him by 1:10, we assumed he was on the train and we drove the 10 minutes to the station, scraping the side of the Vectra while trying to extricate ourselves from the hotel’s ridiculous garage.. Unfortunately, he was not on that one, nor the next one, but finally showed up on the next one, about an hour after we’d gotten there, though he was none too happy about taking an hour-long, 20mph, local train ride.
We went back to the hotel for Scott to settle into his small room with large patio, then went out for lunch and a walk. Amazingly enough, we found a nearby place that grudgingly agreed to serve us (after 3pm!), though the waitress was quite friendly. We ate lightly: some foccaccia, salad, and veggie tarts. We then walked the town, up the hills, to the seafront, and along the commercial strip. Rather unspectacular city, but with wonderful views of the fishing-boat-laden harbor and the large, wooded hills rising up from the coastline. We ambled back to the hotel to read and relax until dinner.
Dinner was at Polpo Mario, a highly recommended place that happened to be right around the corner. We started with salads, then shared two pastas, which were delicious. Entrees were lamb, veal (simple, but good) and their specialty - two complete octopi, which were very good, though not quite in Periyali’s league. The Ligurian red wine was a ‘96 that went well with the food. Dessert was a good almond parfait with chocolate sauce.
Then back home to share some of the wonderful port Scott had brought us from Portugal, and to be regaled with his travel stories from his most recent trip and his adventures in Guam and Japan.