.: non-plus-final-ligure :.

After visiting beautiful Genoa, La Superba—the Proud One, and having set up camp in a peaceful spot on the outskirts in a village called Bogliasco, high on a terraced cliff face with a short but steep descent into the town and down onto the beach, we planned the logistics for the next few days’ journeys.

We would be traveling to some secluded and protected areas, where Silver Lady would never make it. H had a very good plan to take the train to the protected cove of Porto Fino direct from the village below and stay another night here. Our plans were trounced, however, by a strike on the railways, which everyone else seemed to take in real stride. We were far from stranded, though, and changed plans to take a half-hour’s cruise from the town of Rapallo instead.

No matter, since we made it—only it was not so much fun to take that hike back up to the campsite again so soon and pack up quickly. We strolled the promenade in Rapallo and took the ferry to the protected peninsula of Porto Fino. The cruise had quite a few highlights and we were dazzled by the colors and contrasts of the bay and the historic and stately homes turned store-fronts. There was a crush of other tourists but we had an enjoyable time rounding the edge of the cliff to see the medieval chapel of Saint George, whose relics were apparently plundered during the sack of Jerusalem during the Crusades and stored in the church.
The navies of the sea-going empire of Genoa were docked here, as it is an easily protected harbor, and for centuries earned the area treasure and tribute.
The so-called Castello Brown on the peak of the cliff kept watch over the waters. We had a nice little look around Rapallo after we returned and the next morning.
On our way to the closest camping opportunity to the park of Cinque Terre, the five towns, we admired the coastal route and stopped on the beach of Sestri Levante before arriving in the medieval village of Levanto, a jewel in itself with quite a few architectural wonders, and got some advice from the tourist bureau on how to explore the villages tomorrow.

It is usually best to go there, as they’re usually staffed by people passionate about where they live. We are quite excited for the adventures ahead, through one more part of Liguria and onwards to Toskana.