If you are looking for things to and have the time, the way to probably see the area around Grindelwald is with a package, like a three day pass. There are others to choose from and some can save you some serious money, if you plan correctly. Since we were kind of flying by the seat of pants, this being a rather long excursion for us, we decided to go the à la carte, even though we kind of knew what we wanted to see.
Grindwald First
Though included in several packages, you can purchase this tourist package separately. It cost us 62CHF per person with no discounts, which they constantly asked us for but would never tell us how you can obtain one of them (is that not typical Swiss).
Tickets For Two!
The View From The Cable Car
On Our Way Up
Pastoral Views Around Grindelwald
However, we enjoyed ourselves thoroughly. The alpine air, the walks and especially the views. Here is a slideshow on our way up the mountain Schwarzhorn for our amazing views of the Grindelwald Valley and the surrounding moutains.
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Here are also a few video clips of our ascent up the Schwarzhorn and to the Oberjoch ridge and Grindelwald First.
The Bachalpsee
After the Grindelwald First, and yes that actually just covers the walk around the Oberjoch cliff, there is also a nice hike to the Bachalpsee. It is signed as a fifty minute walk, but if you are with children and others, you may want to add ten or twenty minutes to your round trip time, just for talking and other diversions, like picture taking.
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The above slideshow details our lazy day trek to the Bachalpsee, a very nice walk to an alpine lake. A bit rocky along the way, but you can make it with a good pair of tennis shoes or sneakers.
That’s it for now, will be back tomorrow with more travel adventures.
For the curious, and approximately a two kilometer walk from the heart of Moneglia, is the small hamlet or cluster of homes called Lemeglio. This tiny little place provides yet another wonderful, bird’s eye view of the town and coastline below, albeit from the opposite direction as before.
The View Of Moneglia And Its Bay From Lemeglia
Getting There
There are several way to get to Lemeglio from Moneglia, but taking a car or the bus service (which of course is provided because of the locals), would probably not be worth it, since there is so little to see along the way or in Lemeglia. There is very little to no parking and turning around looked like a nightmare to us. We chose to hike, using the well marked trail that the area has provided and made a short morning of it.
Leaving Moneglia
After a quick breakfast, we headed out along the via Vittorio Emanuele going South. Taking a few turns through town here and there and crossing the stream, we left town and quickly found the trailhead.
The Map Of The Trails
The Red Square – Lemeglia
From here the paved path and stairs ascend rapidly, lines on one side with the railroad tracks to start and a fence on the other.
The Start Of Our Climb – A Good View Of The Rail System
The rest of the trip is just a series of the same, stairs interspersed with walking on roadway, until you get up to Lemeglio itself and the overlook it provides.
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Chiesa Santa Maria Assunta
The church sits atop this hill surrounded by a small cluster of houses, some well maintained, others less so. It is a church built in the typical style for Liguria, both in shape and use of stone. There is what appears to be a small, abandoned building just to its left that is decorated with a statue of the Holy Mary. If you are tall enough to look inside, you will notice a very old olive press that is falling apart. Perhaps it is where the locals used to come to press their olives each harvest season?
Santa Maria Assunta
Holy Mary – Building With Olive Press
Pavement With Small Stones
Below is the last photograph you can enjoy for this spot, from here the trail ascends even more, into the trees and then over the ridge. It would be the natural route to take if one were headed South and to Cinque Terre.
The Ligurian Sea
The trip down is somewhat faster and less eventfull, but we were happy we took the time to explore above Moneglia once again. If only just to get out and stretch the legs and breathe in fresh air without a mask!
Ristorante Nenne
This small, innocuous little restaurant can be passed by anyone walking on the via Vittorio Emanuele easily without notice, especially if they are not paying attention. Nenne is without a doubt, an actual hole in the wall. And though it has not been in business long, it has a great seafood menu and very good prices.
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So ends yet another day in the small, coastal town of Moneglia. I hope you enjoyed this entry, tomorrow more and our adventure to Chiavari.
We have a saying in our country, though no longer often heeded by some of our leaders, of taking the high path or road. In the comune of Moneglia you can actually do this, though not figuratively speaking; but by actually lacing up your hiking shoes and climbing the hills that gird this fine town. Not only will you feel better than those that don’t take the high road, you will also have a better view!
XX And -. Our Chosen Paths
Planning And The Initial Ascent
Before any ascent, a quick visit to the local tourist information center should be your first stop. There they can inform you on the best way to enter the maze of paths and hiking trails that criss-cross the hills and country-side above the town; they can also offer you a handy map for your initial planning and your pocket along the way.
Initially Seems Easy Enough
To find the entry point to the Northwest you can more or less follow via Caveri that takes you to the train station, then a short way on via Ammiraglio Bollo. On the left hand side of that road, there will be a concrete staircase that ascends from the sidewalk. A little further walk from there will bring you to the sign shown above. Again, it is best by now to have a very good idea of where you are headed, since not all signs along the way are as clear as the one above. However, the trails are well marked with the indicators assigned to them, so as long as you know where you are headed, you should have no difficulties.
The Dash-Dot And Double-X Routes
Initial Walkways
The initial ascent has some stairs and long, inclined walkways that are fairly easy to navigate. After this, the ascent only gets steeper, though it is all on pavement and semi-improved roadway. It’s not too long before you notice that you are making real progress getting above the town.
A View Of The Bay At The Very Start
Hiking The Cresta Di Comunaglia
After this, you make a quick turn off the pavement and into what looks to most as a gully. It almost looks like something you shouldn’t hike.
Erick On The Steep Roadway
The Streambed Entry
Once the path turns off the roadway it is rather steep and a bit treacherous. Though you could use sneakers, hiking shoes are strongly advised. The path when it starts out is essentially a stream bed that probably gets full rather quickly during heavy thunderstorms and downpours.
Trail Marker
Patti On The Path
After some time, and about two to three hundred meters of elevation, the path levels out somewhat. It is still important to pay close attention, there are many hazards, loose rocks and roots along the path.
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Walking along the Crest of Comunaglia is far less difficult than the climb. There are a few areas where you must mind yourself, falling would prove very problematic. However, the views along the crest path are well worth the time and effort. To get to this point, it took us about one hour of good hiking, while drinking plenty of water every fifteen minutes or so. It was in the high seventies and we brought 75cl of water for each us, which was just about enough. I would recommend, if it is in the eighties or ninties, bring MORE, do not dehydrate, there is nothing around for you to get more!
The entire hike took us a little over two hours, up and back. We had to pace ourselves somewhat, since sitting in Turin for three months has not improved our stamina at all. But if you are into hiking there are tons of trails around, you can even trek from one town to the next. Just plan for the weather and bring plenty of water.
Piccolo Hotel Restaurant
The restaurant of the Piccolo hotel is very nice and due to the current restrictions and low attendance here, we were very well served. Good thing too, after a good day hiking, we were both starving.
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The traditional spaghetti in clam sauce is always a hit with me, served with Piccadilly tomatoes, clams and oil, it is a great starter. I also ordered the Cima alla Genovese, which is made with peas, ceci beans and other vegetables, along with a hard boiled egg, rolled in thinly pounded veal. It must be refrigerated, sliced and served cold. It was not only unusual, but along with slightly vinegared carrots, surprisingly good; a very Genovese dish. Patti had grilled Octopus with a cream made from garbanzo beans (ceci in Italy). I tasted that too and it was amazing. Taking into account the quality of the food and service, a very good restaurant. The end to a great day in Moneglia. Until next time, ciao!
Sitting less than two miles from Nice is Villefranche-sur-Mer, a mere walk away. Since this little port town is also part of the Côte d’Azur SNCF train system, we decided to do just that, one sunny day. We took a walk over the Mont Boron and took the train back.
Walking From Nice
If you are lucky enough to visit this quaint little town on the sea while no cruise ship is in the bay, then you would be as lucky as we were the day we decided to walk there from Nice. A frequent stop of cruise ships Villefranche-sur-Mer is the most used cruise ship docking port in France. Luckily we were spared both the site and the influx of tourists that accompanies such an ocurrence.
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From the old city of Nice, we ascended Mont Boron, which I must say is much higher on the side of Fort du Mont Alban than we experienced on Castle Hill, Mont Boron’s smaller cousin. However, there are very good paths that switchbacks all the way up to help you with the ascent.
Fort du Mont Alban
The fort from the outside appears to be a four-sided bastion fort. Made entirely of stone, it stands impressively on top of the mountain. Unfortunately, entrance cannot be gained and it appears to be closed. There are no indications that it has ever been opened to the public.
Nice – Fort du Mont Alban
Nice – The Front of Fort du Mont Alban
With the exception of walking up the front stairs to the main door, there appear to be no other entrances on the other sides.
Fort du Mont Alban – Main Gate
Fort du Mont Alban – North Side
Fort du Mont Alban – Ericka from Front Gate
Fort du Mont Alban – West Side
After getting our fill of the view from this vantage point, our walk to Villefranche-sur-Mer continued by finding the path to the town about a hundred meters to the left, leaving the fort. On your map, this path may be called the Chemin du Fort du Mont Alban.
Patti Descending the Chemin du Fort du Mont Alban
The path starts off easily without much slope, but it progressively gets steeper and less developed the further down you go, until you finally hit the town itself. So, care should be taken.
The Town On The Sea
The Bay of Villefranche-sur-Mer from Mayssa Beach Restaurant
From the path you will exit via a walkway to the Avenue du Fort. Since we were thirsty and starting to get hungry, we followed our noses down and finally found the Avenue du Marechal Foch. We found a cafe there for a quick drink. Then it was off to find a restaurant. Ericka found one overlooking the water called Mayssa Beach. A good pick, great service, excellent view and good food at a reasonable price.
Mayssa Beach – Ericka and Patti
Mayssa Beach – Heirloom Tomato Caprese
Mayssa Beach – Rigatoni Special
After haven eaten and relaxed a bit, we decided to walk the Quai de l’Amiral Courbet. The town is actually quite small and has very narrow streets. Enjoy the following photographs from this little gem on the coast.
Vernazza is not so much about the town itself as getting there, the old fashion way, by foot! You may also choose the train, ferry or car, but you would be missing out on adventure and some great views.
Leaving Monterosso on foot, overlook
On the second day of our visit in Monterosso, our plans were to attempt the hike, approximated by the Park Service as two hours in length, to Vernazza. I had purchased the customary cheap hat for the occasion and am glad I did, for even the early mid-day sun is unrelenting here.
The trail to start with is somewhat improved on both ends, but quickly deteriorates and is at best modestly kept by the park service. The stairs are long and very steep in some sections and the trail drops off precipitously on one side in many areas. We saw many people in difficulty from time to time, so it’s best to be in at least moderate shape to attempt, as well as enjoy it.
Looking back towards Monterosso
The views once up on the cliffs are amazing.
Patti on the trailEricka on the stone bridge
There are also some surprises, including an arched bridge over a stream which affords one a photo-op.
The trail can be treacherous, but the sights extraordinary – Vernazza in the distance
The trail sign along the way is marked with white/red stripes. Follow these in either direction and you are on the coastal path! After one 1/2 liter bottle each of water, the sight and signs of Vernazza grow clearer.
Just outside VernazzaTrail signs, they are there, pay attention
After descending the requisite number of steps, you finally emerge into Vernazza, trail beaten, but there!
Patti and Erick in VernazzaEricka and Erick, we made it
The town itself is very small but the swimming looks great. The water is crystal clear though the beach somewhat wanting for real sand as in Monterosso.
Vernazza beach and tower
One of the more expansive views you will get in this town, is by the beach.
Another quiet side street
The town itself is an inter-connected series of narrow alleys with one main street; where all the shops and cafes are.
The side streets are quiet; the main street mayhem
An interesting little town, but probably better to visit during the Winter months, since during our time here, it appeared overwhelmed; at least on the main street by tourism.
