What a lovely place! We arrived yesterday afternoon by train at Monterosso al Mare, which is at the northern end of Cinque Terre. We are staying in a Manuel's Guest House 154 steps above the street level in the old town. In the distance you can hear the trains whizzing by, the church bell summoning people to prayer, and the pounding of the surf but thankfully not much of the tourists.
Joyce and Tony Jackson from New Westminster told us about this place originally; they had been staying a few days before us. We got together for dinner last night and we'll meet again in Venice (thanks to having the same travel agent).
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| Monterosso from the trail |
It was a perfect day for a hike today - not too warm, cloudy with a breeze off the ocean. We got an early start, as recommended in Rick Steve's book. The hike was reminiscent of the Grouse Grind only longer and much more scenic. There is a small cost but they really want you to experience some of the wonder of terraced farming as olive groves and vineyards hug the mountain on either side.
All different sorts of Europeans trudged by us and most people exchanged encouragements. Monterosso to Vernazza is the steepest and longest section of the hike along the coast trail. We did it in 90 minutes or so. After a cold drink we continued on to Corniglia for another 85 minutes where we had a well-earned Napoli pizza (love those anchovies!), salad, and, of course, beer. The other two towns, Manarola and Riomaggiore are not accessible via the trail since the 2011 flood and landslide. They are a very short distance from the part of the trail that we completed so we felt we had a good exposure to the whole experience. We took the local train back to Monterossa and collapsed in our room for the rest of the afternoon.
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| Vernazza |
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| Feral cat accommodation on trail |
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| Feral cats on trail |
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| trail marker |
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| Corniglia |
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| Scenic platform at Corniglia station |
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| Selfie at lunch |
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