Cinque Terre

 


Here we are in one of my favourite parts of Italy!  The Cinque Terre means “five lands”, which refers to the five small fishing villages that hug the coastline of the Italian Riviera.  There are no roads to link these villages, only a train track or walking paths.  Our goal today was to hike between two of the villages, Monterosso and Vernazza.

We had to get an early start for this very full day.  We left the hotel at 8:00 am and travelled for an hour to Levanto.  It was a beautiful drive as we travelled parallel to the coast, through the mountains.  It felt like the road was almost continuous tunnels.  The bus dropped us off at Levanto where we took the train to Monterroso, the first of the villages.

Upon arrival we had 30 minutes to check out the shops or grab a drink before setting off on our hike. We regrouped at 10:00 to begin our hike. This hike is a trail that heads UP UP UP from Monterroso and follows the side of the mountains over to Vernazza. It is about 4 km long but feels like 40.  We climbed up hundreds of uneven stone steps.  Just when we thought we had leveled out we would turn a corner to discover more steps up!!! Of course, at the far end, to get to Vernazza, we had to go down just as many rough and uneven steps!  The hike too two hours for some but three hours for others.  It was very challenging but everyone made it and I am so proud of  our group! It was 26 degrees with beautiful sunshine but that felt pretty warm for the hike.  The trail was very busy and it was evident that we weren’t the only ones that found the hike to be difficult.  However, the views were breathtaking, making every arduous step absolutely worth taking!!!

When we arrived in Vernazza we had free time to grab some lunch.  For some of us, the first priority was a cold beer!  Vernazza is the most popular of the Cinque Terre towns and it was evident today, as it was packed with tourists!

At 2:00 we boarded a boat that took us along the shoreline to view the remaining towns from the waterfront.  It was a sunny and calm day and we had incredible views of the villages.  We disembarked at the last village, Riomaggiore.  We again had some free time to treat ourselves to a much deserved beer or gelato!!

At 4:00 we regrouped and rode the rain back to Levanto where our bus and driver, Constantino, we’re waiting for us.  We enjoyed the one hour, air conditioned ride back to Rapallo and our hotel.  When we arrived at the hotel we gathered on the terrace for a drink of Prosecco and a welcome meeting.

We were on our own for the evening so we went in small groups back down to enjoy a lovely seaside dinner at one of the numerous restaurants.  It was an amazing day!!

I am having issues with the wifi, so not sure when this will get posted.  Pictures will have to come later. Ciao! 







































 


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