The bus ride was quite interesting...We didn't know where to catch the bus (or which bus was correct) so by the grace of Heavenly Father, we had a bus driver go off his route and drop us off where we needed to be. What a blessing!!
It was winding and on cliffside-highways which was a perfect start to a heavenly spot to lounge.
So we file off the bus into a little port of heaven and immediately we both fell in love with the place. There are sailboats and yachts docked in the port and there is a castle out on a little spit of land and a quaint little waterfront at the base of a beautiful, green mountain. With the wretched luggage in tow, the sweat dried to our bodies getting covered in new sweat, and exhaustion from lack of sleep and protein hitting us, we begin the hunt for our Air BnB.
It was seriously a HUNT. The directions just said to "locate the trailhead and start walking up". There were 3 trail heads! We walked up one, were unsure, went back down, walked up another, hiked a little, then went back down. We were super confused and nobody knew what we were talking about when we asked for help.
So, trailhead #1 it was. We hiked up the steep mountain, through people's mountainside vineyards, were told to get off their property, dodged their goats, crossed their fences, and 2 hours later, were drenched in sweat and exhausted, pausing for a little break on what seemed endless and overhearing an ocean-side concert going on. Mom was about to murder me and all I could do was muster up every positive comment I could. I had no clue where we were going and I was beginning to doubt this hike would ever end. It was freaking HOT too.
Well, 3 hours later, we made it to the top with our luggage in hand....and there's nothing. We keep walking. A picnic table. Keep walking. An abandined military building. Keep walking. A biker on a road (which made mom furious because we got laughed at for asking if there was a road to this "Hiker's Oasis Air BnB"), the bker didn't speak English but only pointed down the mountain on a different path.
We continue on into the foliage and down the mountain, find a jeep on a trail, find a little sign nailed to a tree, follow some sketchy arrows, and *VIOLA*. We found it. A little building nestled on the mountainside above some olive tree orchards, overlooking the most beautiful view of the Meditteranean that I have ever seen, and some tables and chairs outside. The men who showed us to our room with bunk beds were not the most welcoming hosts but we were so exhausted that it was bliss. We did not DARE to go back down the mountain to eat dinner because we were NOT about to climb up that blasted thing again. So, we shared a granola bar and avoided the big dinner party that was going on outside.
http://www.rifugiomuzzerone.it/eng/index.html#home
Prices went up because now people know about this place...dang it!
Well, I woke up at sunrise (thanks, jet lag) only to see the most beautiful sunrise ever. Burning orange, pink, and red sky over the little island in the distance. Then we got up, found out there is a short trail that heads directly down to the square through orchards, go swimming, eat gelato, eat pasta, have our debit card go on the fritz so we can't withdraw cash, we negotiate our way onto a water taxi for 15 euros each so that we can travel to one of the 5 villages of Cinque terre, go swimming again, watch a hilarious water polo coach in a speedo yelling at all the little boys in the water, eat some incredible calamari, walk around town, and seriously enjoy the best boat ride of my life. I thought I died and went to heaven.
I could cry thinking about it right now!
BUT the best part: We decided to eat dinner up on the mountain after we saw them feed a whole group of search and rescue workers at 1 am the night before.
AMAZING. Best meal I have ever eaten. It was like, 8 courses which included a cold seafood salad, a chickpea pancake cut up into small pieces with their homemade pesto, another pasta dish, and just overall heaven on a dish. I regret not taking pictures of each plate and especially having not written them all down! The guys who run that refuggio are magicians in the kitchen.
