Salve Santa Margherita

We left Cinque Terre with its steep hills and multitude of steps, this morning.  I won’t miss the vertical inclines, or the stairs, but I will miss the brightly coloured houses all piled together in  higgledy-piggledy rows leading from the top of the town to the waters edge, balancing on the sides of sheer cliffs and teetering on hilltops. 
We caught the 10:27 train to Levanto, and quickly changed to the 11:24 to Sestri Levante. Ocean views were frequently interrupted by tunnels as the train hurtled through the ranges that reach down to the sea, leaving little room for anything to pass around them. 
Arriving in Santa Margherita, we walked the kilometre or so to our Best Western Hotel - Regina Elena - around a picturesque bay dotted with vessels of all shapes and sizes. Not for the first time, there were some dramas with rooms, and beds that were made up as queen beds when they should have been singles, and another room being far to small for two, so after a bit of room shuffling, we finally headed out to find some lunch. 
An afternoon spent wandering the streets ensued. Described as the Grand Dame of the Italian Riviera, Santa Margherita is an Italian fishing village turned coastal resort and has an air of wealth and the sort of lifestyle pursued by the rich and famous. 
While the buildings are still in the typical, brightly coloured Liguarian fashion the region is known for, here they are grander and more ornate. Many are in the faux style, with what appear to be three dimensional architectural features which are actually just painted on, so it is an impressive city to explore. 
Needing a refresher after all that hard exploration, we all retired to the rooftop pool and jacuzzi where we soaked up the city views from a different angle. Dinner was on a floating pontoon in the harbour and there was much fresh seafood and pesto pizza consumed. And if you didn’t want to eat it all, there were a myriad of different sized fish just off the edge of the pontoon, waiting for the remnants of bread and pizza base to be thrown into the water, causing a feeding frenzy. 
The chill in the air once the sun had set, sent us scurrying back to our rooms as soon as the meal was over. 














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