The journey to Portovenere

So, I fell in love.

And let me tell you, this was no ordinary love.

This is the kind of love that grabs you by the hand and changes the way you see the world. The kind of love that will dance with you on a rustic cobblestone road on a warm summer night. It will get you drunk off Tuscan grapes from the countryside, then proceed to inspire you over coffee and dessert each morning.

It all started in a little town called La Spezia. I went to Italy to work as an Au pair (if one could classify that as work) for four months. Simply put: It. Was. Incredible. After picking up little Claudia (my host family’s youngest daughter) from school on Fridays, I was free to explore the surrounding cities and towns until the following Sunday night. Just the thought of traveling on my own: having no responsibilities or any idea where I was going or where I’d end up (not to mention, “ciao” and “grazie!” was the extent of my personal Italian vocabulary) was liberating.

So, there I was, riding on the city bus with the destination: Portovenere. My host family had recommended I go to this beautifully quaint village on the water; one of the many hidden gems on the Northern Italian coastline. Grazia, the mother, (she was so lovely) had shown me photos of previous summers spent as a family in Portovenere just a few days earlier; needless to say I was practically jumping in and out of my seat with excitement. I had to go.

Just about 40 minutes into the bus ride, I cluelessly shifted my gaze away from the window and glanced around. I was immediately struck with the realization that my eyes had been chasing the endless clusters of Italian towns that were scattered throughout the vast land for the entire duration of the bus ride. I’d been so thoroughly absorbed in the hills and valleys of the countryside that I hadn’t even noticed that I was the only one still left on the bus! So, naturally, my blissful moment of sightseeing transformed into sheer panic. I mean, don’t get me wrong, I was ALL FOR not knowing where I would end up, however, at this point I was pretty darn sure I could be on a bus to Switzerland.

Thankfully, my spiral of thoughts was interrupted by a sign that read: “Le Grazie”.

The bus pulled into an oddly picturesque village right on the sea. A little terrified, although simultaneously filled with a kaleidoscope of butterflies, I hopped off the bus and started walking. Besides myself, and the bus driver who was already making his way around the roundabout and back up the road, there was not one soul around. One foot after the other, I continued to venture my way through the little village. Suddenly, I spotted an elderly lady that looked as though she might be heading in my direction. “Scusi, scusi!”  I ran toward her and pointed to the invisible watch on my wrist. “Do you have the time?”. The lady looked anything but pleased to see me. She threw her hands into the air and muttered something in Italian and then briskly scurried past me. Well… I tried!

I continued on with my endeavour toward the water and came to encounter a narrow, stone walkway. It was a beautiful setting. The sun brought everything in sight to life, painting over every object with a clear, glimmering polish. Serene; like nothing I had ever seen before. I mozied down the walkway which was hugged between the traditional Italian buildings, and the glistening sea which had been flirting with the sun’s sweet kisses. The only sound was the slight echo of birds chirping to one another, and the ripples from the sea as they were colliding with the stone walkway where I stood. The lullaby of the old sailboats rocking back and forth alongside the water’s edge; it was just as I always imagined the floating streets of Venice to look. I had to repeatedly convince myself that I wasn’t in fact dreaming (as an avid daydreamer, it’s always good to check in).

As I reached the end of the stone walkway, I noticed a path on my right. It read: “villa roma”.

Of course, I thought. “All roads lead to Rome”. 

Since I was already more lost than I thought I could be, I decided to follow the path. Once I reached the top, I paused for a moment to think. The path had now forked into 3 other paths. I, admittedly, was a wee bit nervous by this point, I mean, I was in a foreign country, following an unknown path, in a tiny village in the middle of… Who knows where. However, as it usually does, my curiosity got the best of me. After taking a long, hard look at all three paths, I felt my instincts leading me toward the one on my far right. But before I even had the chance to think about it twice, my own two feet seemed to have a mind of their own, I was already on my way up.

Wow.

I found myself walking endlessly through the hills of the lush Ligurian countryside. It was one of the most beautiful sights I’d ever laid my eyes on. Chickens waddling around, cows feeding on long strands of green grass. The way the sun was shining down, illuminating the soft delta waves that were conceived by the hills and the valleys as they came together in perfect harmony. It was a fairytale. I could hear my heart singing with pure love and I could feel the energy radiating out from within me. That feeling of genuine gratitude for the present moment became my meditation. I never wanted that feeling to end.

It was in those moments that I knew: I had fallen in love with Italy.

I roamed up and down and through the vast countryside for what must have been the better part of 3 hours. My exploring continued until I stumbled upon another secret pathway. I listened to the sound of cars racing by and I made the educated assumption that this secret path would lead me toward the highway. (I must admit, I was relieved to hear that there was a sign of civilization nearby) Maybe I could catch a bus from there? I thought to myself. I mean, I was still very lost.

I reached the top of the pathway (slightly out of breath) and took a moment to think about my existing options. Dare I hitch-hike? Contemplating the idea for a few minutes, I decided that would probably (definitely) be pushing my luck. I was, perhaps, getting a little too confident. However, as I stood there, my heart feeling as full as it could ever possibly be, I focused my attention to a sign that was placed on the other side of the road. Across from me, the large sign stood slightly slanted and had an arrow pointing to the left.

” ← Portovenere”

That’s when I knew, the magic had only just begun.

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