I woke a lot but I also slept till 8:45, so I think I prob got at least nine hours.. and I could feel that... I took the usual extra long time packing up tent sleeping bag and everything else that had spread itself out in my tiny tent... it had been a dry night and morning ...even though the sky still was showing grey clouds and had that uncertain rain look..the humidity too, made it feel like I should rain any moment... by the time I came up to the front office.. I found out from the milanese man that the main man was out...maybe I had to wait half hour... I kicked myself for having let him keep my passport..now I had to wait an indefinite time... the kitten too was stressed it still needed a parent and clearly had started attaching to him..because it kept scratching at the door crying for it's parent... luckily for me and the un-sooth-able kitten the man showed up only ten minutes later... I ransomed my passport by paying my bill... it looks like the man had gone out to buy the kitten over a week's supply of food...clearly the love bond was forming on both sides..and this would not be a one day baby-sit... I left the two old men fussing over the little kitten who was now pouncing around in comforted bliss... once I got caffeine in me... I felt quite well and would walk more than i'd had in a while..it did not rain at all, only the faintest drizzle.. Around Bergeggi, there was a little island off shore...along the road I was walking.. I would hit the biggest obstacle to my fear yet.. obviously they had taken care and pride in laying out the coastal walk along the cliff to enhance the view-ability of the ocean and coast bellow..but for me it was like a little hell.. I was petrified.. it was the worst section yet … it just some how seemed steeper...then other sections i'd dealt with. I cant seem to distract myself at all... I need those horse blinders, I think... ha ha.. anyway... I was walking slow hunched over close to the inside as I could without getting hung up on the edges of the rail... I must have looked silly … but I was quite afraid and I really could not imagine doing this much longer.. in fact if the rest of the pilgrimage was like this.. I might have to throw in my hat... ah, phobia! you are so powerful...
I came to a wider section away from the edge and decided cars be damned the road seemed wide enough here and even had somewhat of a curb I decided to climb over the barrier so that I would have two railings between me and certain death... and it worked..suddenly I could walk upright and normal again I was not muttering curses and mantras under my breath...and I was very very relieved... again as the road straightened around the cliff..it lowered and turned into a town with nice wide walkways...this worked till Noli...around the cliff edge here.. no side walk no real rail either just the low car barriers... I decided to walk an the very inside of the cliff along the craggy rock edge.. no place was safe..the road was narrow...cars were driving fast... I clung to the cliff edge... it was maybe only fifteen minutes of these blind turns... the rock here was white and the little flowers growing from it quite pretty but all too unsafe to stop and take photos or really enjoy...near the end before a tunnel two cars were coming at me one trying to pass the other..then another car pulled suddenly in, in front of me, deciding to do a k-turn all in area with nasty blind turns... I nearly lost it... tears welled up and I was completely relieved when after the tunnel both side walk, town, no steepness, and straight stretch appeared. This was the first time were really the road had not even the slightest concession to pedestrians since I hit the coast ...after this the walking experience radically mellowed, towns were popping up faster than I would have expected... I started asking in Varigotti an interesting golden painted town for lodging but the price was high, so I walked to Finale Ligure, a larger town with much greater lodging choices...along the way I did a water stop at a cafe by the water... the woman there was quite chatty and asked me if a if I was a pilgrim, I said yes, she pointed to the man next to her, who spoke no english, he had walked to santiago three times already.. I was impressed, i'd be glad if I could do it once... she told me I was strong because I started in assisi...i did not feel all that strong but thanked her...she, like many italian women i've met, seemed very surprised that I would do such a thing alone...as I left she gave me her business card and wished me the best, shaking my hand...
I found this little hotel with tacky pink lobby..that again had the feel of a senior hotel...it was run by a young couple..the women at the front desk was sweet and nervous and quoted a good price.. I should mention when you get single rooms here the bed is quite narrow by american standards.. but I had my own bath and it seemed fairly quiet... and the rain that had threatened all day poured down..it had just waited for me to find lodging..so kind.. I stopped at a discount supermarket and a pseudo indian take-out place for dinner ingredients because I did not have energy to wait till eight to eat.. I went to bed pretty early...it was a restless night...true deep sleep not till morning..
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