Tuscan and Ligurian coast

This post is written as we once again swing around the anchor, this time in the bay at Le Grazie in the large harbour of La Spetzia where we have been for over a week.  It is a wonderful sheltered anchorage and one where we are comfortable leaving the yacht to go exploring.  From Elba we crossed to the Tuscan coast and to Livorno which is the port where cruise ships dock for passenger visits to Florence and Pisa.  So we did the same.  On the day we trained to Florence or Firenze, there were six cruise ships in port and it was standing room only.  Livorno itself was very attractive and interesting, with a Venice-like network of canals surrounding the old town.  From our anchorage here we have visited Cinque Terre, which we walked about seven years ago, Porto Venere and by train up to Genoa which was surprisingly attractive. The seedy old town area of the old port, as reported, has been refurbished and is now a pedestrian friendly mall area with wonderful up-market shops and amazing architecture.  The weather is warming and feeling much more like summer.  Next, on to an anchorage at Santa Margherita, weather permitting.

An observation:  young Italian women have embraced the tattoo and also, judging by the number of ankle-biters underfoot, their partners.  Surely the birth rate is no longer in decline.
Photos below are not in order as I have yet to come to terms with an updated blog editor.

Porto Venere

 

Porto Venere

Colombus statue Genoa

Princess and the lion Genoa University

Medici who vanquished moorish pirates Livorno

Livorno canal - rowing is very popular around here

Sundowners and cruise ships Livorno

Crowd at Firenze cathedral, not yet high season

Care for some ham?

River Arno at Pisa

Old town shopping Pisa

 

Le Grazie

We arrived at the end of a nautical festival

Porto Venere again

Vernazza Cinque Terre

Riomaggiore Cinque Terre

Rio Maggiore

Familiar sight

Colombus again

Looking to the marina Genoa old port

Pirate ship Genoa

Biosphere Genoa

Trompe l`oeil architecture Genoa

Genoa old port

Genoa

 

Fish and chips on the go

Genoa

 

Castello Bruzzo Genoa

Backyard Genoa

Ponte Vecchio Firenze

Lunch Firenze

Elba

After Bonifacio, Porto Vecchio was our last port of call in Corsica. While the west and north coasts are the most scenic, they are also affected by the worst winds and were forecast to be so for a while. So we opted to sail direct to Elba where we found a delightful sheltered anchorage off the harbour at Porto Azzurro where we have swung around the anchor for nearly a week, exploring the island and catching up on some overdue maintenance. Porto Azzurro town is a gem and a great place to relax. We took a bus over the island to Porto Ferraraio where shabby-chic is all the go. A very upmarket town and extremely popular with yachties in the high season. From here we will hop across to the mainland and work our way north toward Portofino over the next couple of weeks, keeping a good eye on the weather as sheltered anchorages are few and far between.

Porto Vecchio high town

Paella ready

Porto Vecchio high town from the marina

Porto Azzurro

orto Ferraraio

Inside the villa used by Napoleon during his exile

The villa`s garden. Can`t imagine why he escaped

Porto Azzurro

Near neighbour