Hike through the Cinque Terre
We slept in until 8:00 sharp when the worker a floor below us started working. We got ready, grabbed an apple and 2 bananas from the market down in town and headed for the train station. The 45 minute trail between Manarola and Corniglia was closed so instead we waited for the unreliable train for 45 minutes. After the 3 minute train ride, we hoped off and an American told us to get on the shuttle bus to the top of the city. Thanks for the tip, fellow American traveler… gratefully we boarded the shuttle and passed crowds of people climbing the 460+ stairs just to get up to town.
CORNIGLIA is the highest of the 5 Cinque Terre towns. It’s also the quietest town, and the only one of the five not on the water. “According to a fanciful local legend, the town was originally settled by a Roman farmer who named it for his mother, Cornelia (how Corniglia is pronounced). The town and it’s ancient residents produced famous wine and wine remains Corniglia’s lifeblood today.” Once in town we walked through the streets to explore a bit.
It was fairly overcast. Pretty gloomy for pictures but wonderful for hiking. After walking through town we started on the 2 hour hike to Vernazza. The low path was closed so we walked the high route which led us up and up a paved road. At the peak we hooked up with the trail and walked down the tiny trails and rock steps. Along the way we chatted with other American hikers. 2 older couples were traveling together. When I told one gal that I was from Vancouver, Canada she told me that she went to the Vancouver Olympics to celebrate her 70th birthday. Seriously? They were in their 70’s and hiking on the same steep 2 hour trail? Amazing. Chris and I decided we wanted to be hiking the Cinque Terre when we were 70 but with the way Chris’ body keeps falling apart, I’d say that’s not going to happen. Another 3 couples were friends who had raised their families together and were now empty nesters enjoying vacations together… that’s totally going to be us.
View of Corniglia as we were leaving the town…
Another view of Corniglia a bit farther up…
The trails were mostly right along the cliffs… Not the best pictures, but it shows where we were.
VERNAZZA …this town was cool. No surprise that I liked it the best -- Rick Steves calls it the jewel of the Cinque Terre. “Proud of their Vernazzan heritage, the town’s 500 residents like to brag: “Vernazza is locally owned. Portofino has sold out.” Fearing the change it would bring, keep-Vernazza-small proponents stopped the construction of a major road into the town and region. Families are tight and go back centuries; several generations stay together. In the winter, the population shrinks, as many people return to their more comfortable big-city apartments to spend the money they reaped during the tourist season. LEISURE TIME is devoted to taking part in the passeggiata – strolling lazily together up and down the main street.”
I can not get over some of these crooked houses on the side of the cliff with balconies hanging above the water… so cool.
Our descent into the city…
We stopped in Vernazza to grab a bite to eat, and found these great tomato and olive pizza’s and Fanta. And then some gelato, of course.
After eating we climbed up to the castle tower for another grand view of the city. It was the town’s lookout back in pirate days.
Then began the next 2 hour hike to the last of the 5 Cinque Terre towns… Monterosso. I kind of wanted to take the boat… but we decided to hike it, and I’m so glad. It ended up being my favorite hike… such cool trails and gorgeous views.
Leaving Vernazza… (notice the castle tower… where we had just come from).
Cool seeing this helicopter fly back and forth bringing cement to pour a foundation for a new structure.
When we were about 15 minutes from arriving in Monterosso (Town #5) we came across this shack on the side of the trail. A lemonade stand. But not just any lemonade stand. This guys was picking lemons from his nearby lemon tree, cutting them, squeezing them adding some water and sugar and handing them out for 2 Euro a cup. And we gladly paid… who wouldn’t after hiking for four hours. We were lucky he was there. He just works when we wants to and uses his lemonade money to travel the rest of the time.
MONTEROSSO is the most resorty of all the towns with more beaches and a thriving late-night scene.
First stop: watch real Italian bocci players. Chris and I wanted to play.
Second stop: the beach. We had brought along our bathing suits and found a WC to change into. The sun was starting to set. It had turned into a beautiful hot afternoon but the water was cold. Lindsey and I stayed put on the sand while we watched Chris, Nikole and Ashlyn tip toe into the cold water just to say they’d swam in the Mediterranean. They had a hard time warming up all evening so I’m glad I didn’t go in. When we were done with the beach and ready for dinner we headed back to the WC only to find it closed. I threw my clothes on overtop of my dry bathing suit but the rest of the girls decided to change huddled in a corner trying to guard each other. It was quite a sight… so funny.
Third stop: Dinner. Lindsey and Ashlyn found us a good ‘Rick Steves’ recommended restaurant for dinner.. Miky’s La Cantina. Our waiter and owner of the restaurant must have seen our Rick Steves book because he immediately went to get his camera and showed us the picture of him with Rick Steves when he had visited earlier in the month. We knew we were in the right place if Rick Steves had eaten there himself just a few weeks earlier… and indeed we were. It turned out being our second favorite meal of our whole Italian trip. We had a green salad with tomatoes, corn and balsamic vinegar, a caprese salad, olive oil roasted potatoes, and fabulous lasagna. So good. We rushed so we could run to the train station but just barely missed the hourly train.
We hadn’t had cell phone service at all in Cinque Terre but happened to hear our phone ringing as we stood in the train station. It was my great friend Megan. “Did you know I have all your kids?” she began. Our 19 year old babysitter had gotten the stomach flu the night before and was barely able to care for herself, let alone our six kids. She had tried to call us but with no cell phone service she called my friend Megan. Megan asked to talk to Ryan and said, “Ry, get 2 days worth of clothes for all 6 kids… I’ll be there in an hour.” She picked everyone up and took care of them for the last 36 hours of our trip. What a lifesaver. I owe her big time! Thanks again, Megan.
Nikole, Ashlyn, and Lindsey had run back to the restaurant to order dessert. We went back and sat with them and then made the next train. Then back through our town to our charming old apartment. Great day.
MANAROLA Saturday morning we woke up early to take one final walk around our town before taking Nikole, Ashlyn and Lindsey to the train station in La Spezia and heading home to the kids. We started our walk along the vineyards and private little gardens along the mountain side. The wooden ‘people’ light up at night and we can see it from our apartment balcony. “They are simple, wooden religious scenes, the work of local resident Mario Andreoli. Before his father died, Mario promised him he’d replace the old cross on the family’s vineyard. Mario has been adding figure ever since. After recovering from a rare illness, he redoubled his efforts. On religious holiday, everything’s lit up: Some of the scenes are left up year-round.”
A look back at the top of the village from the mountain side.
The town’s cemetery sat on the top of the hill overlooking the city. Where Chris and I are sitting on the ledge we can see the cemetery (in the picture below). “Ever since Napoleon – who was king of Italy in the early 1800’s – decreed that cemeteries were health risk, Cinque Terre’ burial spots have been located outside of town. The result: the dearly departed generally get first-class sea views. In cemeteries like these, there’s a hierarchy of four places to park your mortal remains: a graveyard, a spacious death condo, a mini bone-niche, or the communal ossuary. Because of the tight space, a time limit is assigned to the first three options. Bones go into the ossuary in the middle of the chapel floor after about a generation. Traditionally locals make weekly visits to loved ones here, often bringing flowers. The rolling stepladder makes access to top floor death condo’s easy.
We stopped at the market on the way home and ordered the most delicious cream filled croissants. I wish we’d ordered more… but we didn’t even taste them until we were packed and driving away. We took Chris’ sisters to the train station in La Spezia (they were headed to Rome without us) and we drove the 8 hours back home. What a fun trip!!