Bongiorno All , a couple of busy days and fun nights hiking and dining in the 5 Terre , the 5 villages that make up the Cinque Terre Trail ....These are in order from east to west ......Monterosso, Vernazza Corniglia, Manarola, Riomaggiore. So we are staying near Monterosso so took off Thursday for our much awaited and delayed due to inclement weather, hike between the villages. Only 2 of the 4 walks are open , so 5 villages and therefore , 4 walks of inbetween them that around the cliffs mostly of 1 - 1.5 hrs duration each .The middle 3 villages cannot be accessed by car by us ....that means there is a road to each village but once you get there , you cannot park ,......unless you are a resident or delivery etc. So we can drive to and park at Monterosso and Riomaggiore, as they are at the east and west end of the 5 villages ( cost €15 -€18 day ) then see each of the other villages by foot or by train or ferry boat. So yesterday took off in hiking gear about 10 ish , cost €7 each to use the trail each day , but what an amazing track. Tough and hot going , would not have wanted to be here in full summer ......many stone steps up and the down ...and then to go up ...and down again , and again. Arrived at Vernazza about midday. Stunning costal views, along the way , greeted outside the village by an old italian fellow playing the saxaphone ......doing a great job and could hear it for ages before seeing him....was priceless.needed coffee ( + lemon cake ) and then swim to cool off. No beach here ( sorry about 10 metres of coarse sand ) just rocks and more rocks , very big and uncomfortable to sit or lie on for too long. Had the best cool off swim in the Mediterranean Sea, ever..... Surprisingly ( for the number of people there in the village ) only 10 or so swimming at any one time. I wondered about sharks ? Absolutely clear BLUE cool water , no surf , some lovely old boats and some new flash ones , many slippery rocks to negotiate getting in and again getting out . Meet a nice Aussie couple from the Gold Coast , when we were jumping in. Lunched on the rocks ( Nandos homemade ) rice cake, and finished off with gelati. ( needed some energy for round 2 ) forgot to say , did retail therapy .......just a little. Then had a c good wk around the many windy passageways better the higgley-piggley tall skinny pastel coloured houses. Went up to the old castle on top for an even betterer view of everything and to climb another 53 stairs for the privilege. Then about 14 h, took off walking for the next village,Corniglia , it is set high up the cliffs, so we (wrongly ) thought maybe not to much going up and then down ....wrong ! Very hard going , many, many, many stairs and hottest part of the day 15 h -17 h. Made it , but needed a swim ASAP. So after a a uick wander and to admire the view and the many churches ......located the water.. 350 stairs to go down and then back up to the village. No beach as such , just the harbour and rocks, slippery +++ Water was magnificent , then walk back up to the village , even tougher , but .... ( theres always a but ....) The beer was even betterer. So after a couple of beers ( and some retail therapy that I just had to have ) we bolted for the train station that was a long way away from the village on the other side ( from the swimming place with about another 350 stairs going down ...at least we only went down this time ( running ) , made the train....just , got back to Monterosso about 20h , changed and had the best seafood dinner ever.( except the very expensive Gamba rouge we bought and cooked ourselves , that clocked in at $100 A ).... we were starving hungry . Dinner was with the local seafood , swordfish and the calamari , house wine, white and very good ( and cheap ) . Slept well ! Take care , ciao LnG xx
Posted on: Sun, 05 Oct 2014 07:43:15 +0000
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