We like travelling by trains.
There are pros and cons, like in everything and sometimes in Italy one might be surprised by a sudden strike or some unforeseen events which might reduce considerably the pleasure of a voyage by rails. But this time everything went on smoothly and there was not any reason for getting stressed.


We arrived to La Spezia in the afternoon and we walked to the address where we were supposed to stay for a few days.
We rented a flat and the location seemed to be perfect, quite central and everything could be reached within a walking distance.
The flat owner who welcomed us was a kind of Ligurian Methuselah. Apparently he looked over 90, but he might be even older. He could speak only Italian, but luckily I speak Italian fairly well too.
A very pleasant gentleman, who at his own pace showed us the flat, very clean and spacious, and assured us that we could call him at any time for any need, since he lived next door.
The elderly gentleman must have a deep liking for fried fish, since we constantly smelled it coming back to the flat at every hour of day and night. Nevertheless he had to be a good cook as well, because the smell, even though omnipresent, was delicious (well, maybe not early in the morning, but…)


After unpacking our baggage, we went out to buy some basic food to keep in the fridge for breakfast and then we went for a walk to have an idea about what La Spezia looked like.

It's a military port, so it was not easy to approach the sea shore. But we walked over the walls and we found the fishing port.
It was quite charming, probably because the time of the day, practically sunset and that special light always adds something magic to everything….