Monday, 27 September. Although it was still mostly cloudy when we got up, there were some patches of blue sky. After an 8:30 breakfast, we finished packing and were on our way to Sestri Levante by 10 a.m. Using the tourist office, we found the Albergo Celeste right on the Lungomare along the beach and only two short blocks from the train station. We took a pleasant room with a balcony overlooking the Baia delle Favole. (Actually, Sestri boasts that it has two bays, separated by a peninsula jutting into the sea.) There were clothes lines stretched very cleverly between the railings of the balcony so we could hang out the clothes we washed in such away that they were not visible from the street below.
After quickly unpacking, we set out to explore the town. By now it was a beautiful sunny day. We walked along the beach promenade to the peninsula. Nearly at its base was the expensive old Villa Balbi Hotel where we had originally considered staying for four days. Although on the Lungomare, it was further back from the water and did not have as fine a view as the Celeste. We cut across the neck of the peninsula to the Baia di Silenzo (AKA Baia dei Poeti). It was the smaller bay and had a seedy look that contrasted with the elegance of the Baia delle Favole.
We bought some fruit for later at an alementari, then had pizza and pasta at a waterfront restaurant. It was after 2:00 when we got back to the hotel. After a short rest, we went down to the hotel's private beach. The water was icy and the waves were huge. After getting just a little wet, we decided to take advantage of the beach chairs on the adjacent deck and get a little sun. Just before 5 p.m. we went back to our room to sit on the balcony and enjoy the magnificent view. We could see back to Santa Marguerita very well, though it seemed to be quite misty there compared to the bright sun in Sestri. As evening approached, we changed to warmer clothes and strolled along the shore in the opposite direction, away from the peninsula. We sat on a bench and watched the sun set at about 7:30. Then we walked to the train station as a dry run for the next morning. Since we didn't see any appealing restaurants along the way, we went back to the hotel for very good three course dinner. Afterward we went back to the beach promenade to see the view at night. The full length of the Portofino peninsula was now crystal clear, outlined by the lights along the shore. Sestri's own shoreline and peninsula were also beautifully illuminated. Back in our room, we got everything together for the next morning's trip by train to the Cinqueterre and got to bed around 10:00. It was now cool enough that we had the windows closed, but the sound of the waves crashing on the shore still dominated the otherwise silent night. |
