Portovenere – Not Quite Cinque Terre

As luck would have it Cinque Terre was not approachable by sea because of strong winds.

We were disappointed but the nearby UNESCO World Heritage site of Portovenere, with a more sheltered harbor, provided an unexpected and pleasant alternative.

Sailing from La Spezia to Portovenere, multicoloured homes lined the hillside, giving way to impressive naval facilities. Turning the headland, the village of Portovenere with its castle and churches was a sight to behold.

One only had to imagine medieval times and life in this fortress village under ownership of the state of Genoa, its tall, sloping, colourful buildings - themselves acting as fortifications against regular marauders from lands held by the state of Pisa across the bay.

Its violent history in the past, today the village is considered less commercialized than its sister villages of Cinque Terre. The buildings are mostly occupied by locals whose families have lived there for generations, who are either farmers, fishers or workers in nearby La Spezia.

Stepping ashore we were greeted by fat felines who meandered aimlessly in the village square stopping periodically to roll lazily on the cobblestones that had been warming in the morning sun.

Stores along the main street welcomed us within to sample mouth watering pesto, tastings of olive oil and focaccia. A hole in the wall café along the way provided a fabulous view over the harbour from a small balcony while we enjoyed morning cappuccino.

The olive oil, the focaccia, the pesto and the cappuccino – now that’s Italian!

And we seem to be assimilating rather nicely.