Florence to La Spezia

We pulled our cases back up to the train station and embarked on the train for La Spezia. The Italian trains have run to time, and have varied in their cleanliness, crowdedness and state of repair. Some have been great, such as the Venice to Florence - which was new and fast and clean but absolutely packed; others have been OK, such as the Florence to La Spezia - there was plenty of room, but the windows were dirty and the toilet filthy.

Arriving in La Spezia about 2pm the place was a ghost town and we dragged our cases for nearly half an hour over uneven footpaths, up and down big gutters on every corner and finally reached Hotel Diana - what a gem! The people running it are a delightful couple in their 60s/70s. They are incredibly friendly and helpful and incredibly vague. The internet is a wonderful mystery to them, and they didn't seem to understand that we only had very limited Italian - they would give us big explanations and information and advise - both talking together. He is a recognised artist and has started covering the walls with surrealistic murals - so every room and hallway and stairwwell is an experience ........

A walk around town was also an experience - it is a beautiful town with fantastic buildings, boulevards, waterfront, pedestrian streeets, steep staired streeets, parks. As we wandered around trying to find something open, the town awoke from its Sunday afternoon siesta and people poured out onto the streeets. I loved the place - it had a mediterranean/riviera feel without being exclusive r touristy - just a busy port/naval town going about its busisness.

To top off the day, our hotel proprierters suggested a restaurant (and took us there - he was so busy with instructions he walked all the way there and took us in and there was lots of hand shaking all around!). It was a fantastic seafood experience. We didn't know to order the antipasta de mare, but he brought it anyway as that is their speciality - plate after plate of delicacies - can I remember?- seafood soup, stuffed mussel, fried thing in batter, marinated octous, marinated anchovie, marinated herring, cooked mussels, cabbage/coleslaw, barley with little prawns - all for the incredible price of $15. We had ordered a piece of meat and vegetables - not knowing he was going to bring us all the antipasta first. To top it off he gave us 2 digestives - one lemon and one cranberry (sort of).