Levanto – Cinque Terre Italy

En gatlampa och stationsskylt i kvällsmörker som det står Levanto på i Cinque Terre Italien
En vacker gatuvy över en trång gränd i Levanto Cinque Terre i skymningen

 

In a Small World

I’ve heard about italian Cinque Terre numerous times, and how people come here to hike. I had no plan coming here, but since my new Milanese friend Davide recommended it, why not. So my first stop amongst this little band of pearls turned out being Levanto.

Booked my Hostel Ospitalia del Mare through hostelworld on the train on my way here. The place had high ratings… I love this kind of travelling when you meet people, take their recommendations, and book as you go. Of course it helped that I was travelling in mid June before the peak season.

The hostal… not high level according to me. But… with a little effort I survived their rickety bunkbeds. On the other hand, I kind of got what I paid for, so no real complaint. A mere reflection, and that’s all.

The reception is open in three time slots, and I arrived in one of the… closed slots. This is a small place, so once I looked the bicycle, I had to LUG my luggage around until they opened. I was tired, and most of the restaurants in the center were pretty full and I was tired from travelling. As I managed finding a spot I hear someone call my name, how is it possible?!
It was one of my very ambitious students from one of the last courses I held this spring. It upped my mood A lot. Love ambitious students!!

Italians seem to come here during the weekends, and therefore it’s a bit of a challenge to get a table at a restaurant on the evenings. It’s qute place, but a bit too touristy for my absolute preference. At least it’s mostly Italian tourists + me and the former student and his family. Me hypocrite..? Oh yes☺️.

 

 

 

A Cooling and Exotic Bicycle Path

Breakfast is always so much more tasty if I’ve taken my ants in the pants for some exercise pre eating. And since it seems like I brought the heat wave from Berlin all the way down to Italy, this very long bicycle path in a former railway tunnel is the perfect cooling place.

It’s very serene and quiet as well. With some beautiful opening facing the saturated blue sea. As well as a small opening towards a trail leading you to some old ruins cith complimentary ocean view. My ants couldn’t resist that tunnel.

 

En jättelång cykeltunnel i Levanto Cinque Terre Italien
En vacker vy ut över havet från Levanto i Cinque Terre i Italien
En grottliknande gång i Levanti Cinque Terre Italien

 

Very pleased 😊

One of my most treasured luxuries at home, is that I do eat breakfast in cafés. A bit more filling than the ones the Italians seem to eat. Their breakfast diet seems to consist of espresso and refined wheat. But finding this… GRAND fig + some… greek yoghurt and italian cheese, and I’m happy as a child. Or…. a dog.

I did managed not feeding her one single crumb.

 

En fruk och gröntbutik i Levanto Cinque Terre Italien
Ett jättestort fikon som täcker hela handflatan.
En hund som tigger min frukost som jag sitter och äter på en parkbänk i Levanto i Cinque Terre i Italien

Hiking Levanto to Monterosso

If you’re into hiking that will challenge your heart rate, the topography of the trail inbetween Levanto and Monterosso is absolutely perfect for you. I had heard that Monterosso had some rewarding great ice cream parlors… I can’t really claim I have a strong preference for hiking coming here. But since the grey beach, and even more… the small strip with public access to… the beach is very not… intresting to me. Hiking it is. And this demanding up and down trail, with the amazing ocean view to the right, I think it might have upped my hiking intrest my by a few centimetres.

The stretch inbetween Levanto to Monterosso will take appx two hours for the somewhat fit (that’s me😊) person. It gives you a most healthy brain & body workout. To me, physically demanding, as well as keeping track of where you put your feet gives the best head cleansing. You’ll sweat a lot, so bring at least 1,5 litres of water. And if your knees are a bit weak, the decline down to Monterosso will be a bit demanding since the steps are quite steep at some part of the decending part of the trail.

Again… I run into my former student and his pleasant family. They took the train to Monterosso and walked the trail back. I think a lot of people do it that way. The trains run all the time, and only takes a couple of minutes. Going by train in Italy is fairly inexpensive, as well as the’re rarely late. No… it’s a common decease to complain about trains being late a bit of everywhere. The wierd thing is that it seems to be the people that doesn’t ride by train that complain.

I ride all the time when I commute inbetween my clients located a bit of every where in Sweden. The main, and state run company SJ runs mostly on time. And on my way down to Italy, I had very few, and very short delays. Is it possible people driving, making this fanatasy of trains always being late so they don’t even have to try to transport themselves responibly sustainable? Mind you, that in Sweden 50% of all “drives” are under 5 kilometres. And in urban areas 80%, yes… 80% of all the stretches transported by car are less that 3-4 kilometres. Can you imagine how much health there drivers and… their kids are loosing?

I had… the talked about ice cream before I took the train back😇. Delicious indeed.

The Beach

Is like in many other places in Italy private, and you’ve got to pay to get some space for your heavenly body. There is only pretty much a walk way available for the ones / us that won’t pay to be on a beach. My ants have a very short attention span for laying in the sun, which makes it super easy to refrain from this one. Niether to I fancy the dark grey sand.

 

En brant vandringsled i Cinque Terre i Italien.
En vacker vy över stranden i Levanto från en vandringsled i Cinque Terre i Italien
En vacker blå och molning himmel i Levanto Cinque Terre Italien

 

Heat wave & Apetite…

Bad combo for me. And that little delicacy… anchovies… isn’t my kind of… fish. On top of that, I dont know if they use trawlers as a fishing method in this region. But since that is the common method in way to many places, I avoid eating fish. Pizzas and pasta in hot weather is way to filling for me. Do I seem like a picky eater? I’m not, it’s just the temperature that kills my… appetite.

Being in the country of the state of the art food it’s kind of a sacrilege.

I’m so very fortunate they also have very impressive and generous aperitivo to complement my coke, aperol sprits and pro secco. Oh, I also have a fiest on thier delicious fruits, cheeses and the Greek yoghurt. Meaning I’m alive and kicking with hikes and bicycling in 35-38° celcius (in da… shade).

I eventually had to turn down all there beautiful aperitivos cause they would disturb my evening apetite for “real food”. These touristy areas doesn’t qiute offer Milans Mama It level pizzas…

 

Ett glas pro secco och aperitivo som snacks heter på italienska
En charkbricka i Levanto i Cinque Terre i Italien
Ett glas aperol spritz och aperitivo som snacks heter på italienska
Min fina sommarklänning och sandal med målade tår på ett övergångsställe i Italien

 

Feet Crave Italian Sandals

Levanto is very cute, and comfortable. But also very small, and on the brink of boring. I’d say two nights here is plenty. I mean, there are some more places in this Cinque Terre “region” to explore.

Sine I’m always a bit frugal in the beginning of my trips, I skipped buying a pair of these beautiful flats. I actually regretted this, cause it took me quite a while until I found some that were equally pretty. Some of the sandals are made on site, and will cost you inbetween 70-100 euro. And I wasn’t quite ready to part with that kind of money quite yet.

The stores name is Sandalia -and they do have a webshop- . If you feel like visiting the actual store, it’s located at Via Jacopo da Levanto 12. At insta… sandalia_levanto

 

Fina platta lädersandaler i en italiens skobutik i Levanto Cinque Terre i Italien.
En skobutik utan namn i Levanto Cinque Terre Italien

 

Heartwarming

Not only cause we have to use our resources better, but the neatness. Can you imagine being the household on this street not recycling? Exactely, you DO wanna be one in the pretty bunch ❤️

 

En gatubild med väl sorterade pantburkar i rosa påsar som väntar på att bli upphämtade, i Levanto Cincue Terre Italien.