notes on italy, 2

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. . . . . . . . . . . . .

from the center of camogli, you follow the signs for san rocco, a tiny village on the top of the mountain with a small but beautiful church (and one of the best restaurants in the area, which i’ll tell you about later). while the hike uphill includes numerous steps and a steep incline, it’s worth the effort … the view is stunning. in san rocco, there’s a little old italian lady leaning over her balcony, looking towards camogli.  and along the way you see local family homes, which are modest but well-cared for, and little bits of stonework and shrines to madonna in the stone walls.

from san rocco, you continue downhill via the staircase that descends through olive and holly to the tiny village of san nicolò, in a region that was once populated but is now almost completely abandoned. in san nicolò, you’ll find a very old church built in the 12th century (in the process of being refurbished) and you’ll have to stop and and stare because it’s so remarkable.  down to porto pidocchio for a quick swim in the blue-green water (i’ve never seen water this color before, anywhere!). then past a small restaurant (making a note to visit this restaurant at sunset … next time). finally, on to punta chiappa, where the heat subsides and you’re cooled off by the breeze and another dive into that incredible water. punta chiappa is wild, literally – stones, rocks, wind, sand. it feels rough, yet incredibly beautiful. it’s quiet – only a few other people are there sleeping on the rocks.

there’s a distinct feeling you get when doing this hike – it’s grueling at times, but stunningly beautiful and quiet. everything feels so ancient… you pass only a few houses after san rocco and many of them are abandoned, large trees and weeds and flowers growing out of the windows.  you wonder who once lived in these homes, how many times they walked up all of those hills and steps, and if they ever tired of the view.

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(there’s a map of this hike and more info about the area and history here.)