The first few weeks after I arrived in La Spezia last October and was literally talking to the cranes for days, the boat was out of the water and outside the yard is just darkness.
After 6pm it was an eerie silence, when done with work around past 8pm, I would walk towards the sea and make my phone calls… and talk to more cranes!!!
It was a bit pathetic….

I had to find a way to discover the places around the area .I figured out that somewhere along the coast line will surely be pretty places to discover other than ship yards.


I read about Lerici and the Bay of Poets . Shelly and Lord Byron spent time around the area thus known Golfo dei Poeti . Shelly bought a house near the village of San Terenzo and died when his boat sank on his return voyage from the Leghorn. He never learned to swim nor navigate.

According to road sign its only 6 klms away from us. I asked Murat our deckie if he wants to go walking.
We could not all leave the yacht as we take turns doing a watch so poor Reece had to stay.
He asked if I know where we were heading to… opps. Well along the coast line and if we get lost then lets call the captain to pick us up!

san terenzo

So on a wet rainy day on 7th of January, we first walked along the main road and followed the road that says San Terenzo. From the other end of the bay you can see Lerici. Murat was really feeling hungry, it was a damp day we even had our water proofs. I bought him a small slice of focaccia to give him going haha. I also got the crew panetonne. I told him will find our pasta ala mare on the other end of the bay.


We walked around town, I even grabbed Murat to a church …he is a Moslem that time they still have the manger. I asked him if he knows all that. He said no. So I had to explain and I even gave him some coins to light candles, told him to pray for his parents. Opps!

What we did soon after that was to poke our head at different restaurants. I suggested to go towards the end of the quay where the fishing boats are. Just walk around, in front of us was a fish market.

I saw some fresh red mullet, I wanted to buy some and bring back to the boat. Murat said no we will take a bus back and smell like fish!!!

We both looked up and saw a restaurant above the fish market. Il JERI was full we waited. The lady said
OH WE ONLY SERVE SEAFOOD AND ITS FIXED MENU TODAY.

Murat and I could not stop laughing when we heard only seafood. See Murat is from Turkey and I am basically Greek as well we both have a love affair for sea food.

First came 6 plates: 3 dishes are with swordfish.


One was grilled with lemon and olive

Fried with orange cream sauce


Third was like a stew with tomato, caper, olives very Ligurian.

Lobster (lobster right? normally the swiss cheese would come to my rescue when am not sure with things) came cooked in cherry tomato with onions.


Octopus salad thin slices and served with relish.


And shrimps.

More wine por favore….

Comes next a huge plate of risotto ala mare. When I said huge I suppose 4 people can share that serving.
Murat loves rice with sauces, butter… serve him plain jasmine rice he squirms…
Turkish people certainly don’t eat plain steamed rice.
Murat a good cook by the way his wife lucky!!!

He was grinning…
Opps am almost full when he whisphered….

Looks like there are more to come…
What???


Oh my one of my favourite
Fritto Misto di Mare the usual suspects: calamari, shrimps and some red mullet

and… mix grilled sea food.

I kept sending the Swiss Cheese text messages, where I was and was I was up to. I could just imagine him loving every minute of this meal….

We could not finished the food.

I have noticed some people actually brought their left over. I told Murat we will bring them back to the boat for Reece and Mila to try.


Then the meal was finished with home made lemon granita. Just perfect to clean the fishy taste!!!
… and an espresso.

Well Murat and I were guessing how much the bill would be.
I only had over 40euro on me.

He could dash to the cash machine while I linger on my granita.

The bill came: pranzo prefissato – 70 euros.

What? Surely there is some kind of mistake… but it was so clear 70euro!

Now the question how we going to get back to the yard… walk or… before we could contemplate the bus was in front of us.


But I managed to prod on him to get off 2 stops away so we could walk and we could not stop laughing.
The best 35 euro we ever spent.


Ristorante Jeri
Calata Mazzini 20
Lerici (SP)
+39 187 967 605