La Spezia

June 17, 9:00 am, Hotel Locando Orchidea

Getting packed up and ready to leave for the train station on our way to La Spezia.  Our train departs for Pisa at 11:00 and then we have a connection to La Spezia shortly after 12:00.  We are going to grab breakfast on the way out of Florence.

June 17, 12:30 pm, train to La Spezia

What a train fiasco!  We were at the wrong platform for our train to Pisa because the timetable was incorrect.  We found out about 5 minutes before the train departed and were able to make it (it was the next platform over).  In Pisa, our platform was listed incorrectly on the departures board (but correctly on the timetable) and of course we picked the wrong one, AGAIN!  This time we only found out due to a PSA and we literally ran to the correct platform and made it with maybe a minute to spare before the train pulled out of the station.

June 17, 1:19 pm, La Spezia Centrale
We arrived at the station, and stopped at the tourist information to try and find information about getting to our B&B which is a few kilometers outside of town. Since it is Sunday, though, the bus routes don't go all the way up.  We had to walk the 2.2 km up hill to our B&B.  Fortunately a kind Italian lady stopped and took us the last .5 km or so, when we were totally beat.

June 17, 3:00 pm, Arianna Hill House B&B

When we arrived at the B&B, no one was home.  Alfred found the spare key and let us in to the reception area, which was wonderful because it was SO HOT outside.  The owner came up shortly after (I had used the reception desk phone to call his cell) and led us to our room.  He offered to take us back down to town at 5:00 so we showered and rested until then.

June 17, 6:00 pm, Ponto Venere

After we came down to La Spezia with the owners of the B&B we purchased tickets and rode the bus to Ponto Venere.  This town is lovely, jutting out on a small peninsula into the sea.  There is a lovely church and you can climb to the top on the outside and see the craggy marble cliffs that plunge toward the deep blue-green sea.  Perfectly gorgeous!