Today we woke up early and enjoyed the breakfast at the Hotel Joland; Not exactly the Borgo buffet, but it did the job. After breakfast we loaded up the car and said farewell to Santa Magherita.  

The drive from SM to La Spezia was fast and smooth, but it was there that we hit the crowds . Unbeknownst to us, 2 cruise ships had just docked in La Spezia, and everyone was heading for Cinque Terre. We got our tickets and boarded the train. We were packed in like sardines, and anyone who has traveled in Europe knows that Europeans don't always have the best hygiene, so you can image how that smelled. Thankfully it was only about a 15 min ride to Vernazza.  

Before we even got off the train I could see why so many people were coming here, it was gorgeous. More turquoise water up against lush foliage and pastel colored buildings. Vernazza was cool because it has an old church that is right on the water. After having a little snack here and then throwing it up on Nonna, we headed to the next town down the tracks. The train was still crowded, but it was only a couple minutes to Moterosso.  

When we got off the train in Monterosso it was clear that it was going to be hard to avoid the crowds today. We were worried we might not be able to get a table at Restaurante Lampara Ciak. Luckily (or because we basically ran from the train to the restaurant), we were able to get a table. When we got there Ciak was in the back cooking but took a minute to come out to greet us and take a picture. He was quite a character.  

Lunch at Ciak is all about seafood. In fact, there is a sign out front about them trying to break the stereotype about Italian restaurants by not serving pizza . The pizza was not missed as the seafood here is fresh and delicious. It was here that I got my first taste of meat sauce, I'm sure it's not as good as my Nonna's but it was delicious too.  

After lunch we everyone was surprised when Dad suggested we go down to the beach and relax for a bit (Dad usually is trying to get us off the beach to experience stuff). We were more than happy to oblige him, as nobody wanted to continue fighting the crowds. Before getting to the beach, we stopped and got swimsuits for Babbo and Dad. I'm not sure how Dad was able to squeeze into the tiny suit they sold hi, but he did and we spent the next few hours laying out and splashing around in the water. 

After a while I got tired of just laying around and wanted to get moving again, so we walked a little and explored a little more of Monterosso. After grabbing some food and gelato we headed back to grab Babbo (he wanted a little more time on the beach- I'm worried his friends at the club won't recognize him when we get back) and catch the next train . Dad asked if we could stop in Manorolla. Everyone said yes not knowing what was coming. 

When we got off the train Dad took us to a little place that he had found online when researching Cinque Terre. we made it to the place and it looked perfect except for the long line of people waiting to get in. Not wanting to spend the afternoon in line we decided we'd had enough of the crowds and it was time to head back to Florence.  

Dad checked the train times on his phone and the next one was coming in 15 minutes so we hurried back to the train station. When we got there we noticed that the train that was supposed to have come before our train had not yet arrived. It would in fact not show up until after the time that our train was supposed to be there. The delays of course led to an insane amount of people waiting to get on the train. Finally, the train showed up and everyone rushed to the doors, but trying to slam all those people in already full trains, was a lost cause . We decided (or more accurately were forced) to wait for the next one.  

 It wasn't too long before the next train came, but with so many people not making the last train, everyone was more aggressive trying to get on. I think Mom was about to punch someone. We made it on the train, but if we thought we sardines on the way there, this was a million times worse, and the stench of European hygiene from before was only exacerbated by everyone spending the hot day in the sun. Mom had to tell some guy who was holding onto the rail above him to close his arms (she was practically in his armpit, so it wasn't an unwarranted request).  

While on the train there was a couple that were speaking Dutch that were sitting across from Dad and I, they kept trying to entertain me, but I was too tired to really engage with them. I made the mistake of smiling to the woman and she proceeded in her attempts to entertain me, much to the dismay of Dad since every time she made a silly noise with her mouth she spat all over him.  

15 minutes later we were thankfully off the train, we got in the car and headed back to Florence. The cramped backseat oddly felt spacious after the train ride. We dropped off the car and made our way back to our flat. Nonna and Dad went out and got some food from the store for dinner, and we all enjoyed it before heading up to bed.  

What a day! Cinque Terre was beautiful, but I doubt we will be heading back anytime soon... At least not during the summer.