We had an excellent day with Vito! We were on a cruise and he was right there waiting for us when we walked off the ship in Livorno. He asked us what we expected from our day and we let him know that we're getting older and can't do a lot of climbing, so he made some suggestions tailored to our preferences. He let us know that the ferry wasn't running that day due to rough seas, so he made another plan that still allowed us to see some of the villages.
Our first stop was Pisa to see the square with the Leaning Tower, Piazza and Cathedral. It was raining a little but we had no worries because Vito had umbrellas available for us. He took some obligatory tourist pics of us holding up the tower and then went to move the car. As it was before 9 am when we arrived, the square was relatively empty. We noticed the crowds coming in when we were leaving the square.
We then met him in the Po'stò Cafè, where he suggested we order the Caffè Corretto - a shot of espresso with sambuca - which was exactly what we needed to take off the chill of the wet morning.
We then took the scenic route through the mountains to Vernazza. The skies cleared and it was a beautiful drive! Vito provided lots of information about the areas we were passing through on the way and taught us some Italian. At our request, we stopped at another cafe halfway to Vernazza for some refreshments.
After our stop, we proceeded on the narrow, winding mountain roads that provided magnificent views. He patiently pulled over a few times to let us take pictures of the beautiful coast. I don't think I've said "wow" so many times before.
When we arrived in Vernazza, Vito dropped us off right at the top of the village and told us to take our time walking down to the beach. He had suggested this village because it is a relatively mild slope to get to the beach and back. We strolled through the village, taking in the beauty and history of the area and checking out the vendors. We also took a lot of photos.
Vito asked us to send him a text when we got back to our meeting point, and he arrived quickly after we sent it. We then proceeded to our next planned stop, Riomaggiore. Vito suggested this village because, although it's a fairly steep walk down to the water, there are 2 elevators that make the return trip to the car a relatively easy walk.
We took a different coastal route to Riomaggiore that provided more breathtaking views of the coastline and the Sea. We got hungry on the way, so Vito suggested we stop at a mountainside restaurant, Bar Il Sole a 180 Gradi, which provided an amazing birdseye view of Vernazza from the cliffside terrace, along with a panoramic view of the coastline and the Cinque Terre. The staff was very friendly and the pasta was delicious, at a very reasonable price.
Once we arrived in Riomaggiore, Vito parked the van and accompanied us into the Village. We strolled down the steep slope to the water, where Vito recommended the best viewpoint to take photos of the village. He waited patiently while I went up to the observation point and took some great pics! He then led us through the tunnel to the elevator to begin our ascent back up to the van.
Unfortunately, the elevator was out of service, so we had to walk up to the 2nd elevator. Vito was very patient as I had to take several breaks due to the slope and stairs. We continued up to the 2nd elevator, which we were relieved to find working. Once off the elevator, Vito had to hurry to move the van before it got towed. We continued at a slower pace and found him waiting at the end of the road.
We returned to the cruise port via La Spezia. Unfortunately, we had an early boarding time, so we couldn't make any stops in this beautiful city. Instead, we enjoyed the views and the information that Vito provided about the city as we passed by.
We were back at the port in time for boarding and sadly said goodbye to Vito. We had such a good time and learned so much about the area! We plan to return and have Vito show us more of the area the next time we visit. I completely and unreservedly recommend this tour to anyone who is in the area!
Grazie mille, Vito!!! Ci manchi già <3