Day 46 - Tuesday 18 June - Cinque Terre

Tues 18 June

We were just a little slow leaving this morning, and hurried to the station, arriving just in time for our 8:55 train to Cinque Terra = 5 lands = 5 small fishing / viticulture villages that cling to the side of the mountains as if they might fall into the sea.  Tourists over-run the place just about all year round.  The walking path that goes from station to station is closed for all except the last section, and the higher hiking trails are attractive to many.                       

Riomagiorre was the first we visited.  Its terrain is the steepest, and the houses come right down to the little harbour.  We were there for an hour.  This is where the shortest walk is (only 30mins), but it will be closed for another year.

Manarola is next.  Its valley is a bit wider, but it has a similar small harbour sheltered by a breakwater. 

There were posters about their big illuminated nativity which is erected on the hill in a different configuration every Christmas. 

While we were there one of the between-the-towns boats arrived, and disgorged its human cargo, many with stickers and following flags.

Corniglia is the only town that doesn’t have a harbour.  It is on top of a hill, with 382 steps to get there.  A bus was just leaving the station by the time we got off the train, so, figuring we’d missed our chance, we did the climb – not another up!!!  But once at the top, we found that the bus does a continuous loop all day, so we could have waited 10mins, and saved all that stress.  It is a pretty town,  with very narrow laneways, and a big panorama deck at the end.  We got the bus back down again.

At Vernazza we bought and ate lunch, sitting almost under a small tree near the harbour.  There is a little church right on the water’s edge which is in use, and more fishing boats in the harbour.

She and I are taking a photo of a train going past.  I tried a couple of times to take one from the same spot from the  train, but it's gone before you know it's there.

Monterossa is the biggest town at the end.  The station is in the ‘new town’ and its beach is covered in umbrellas and deck chairs.  Cosimo had advised us to walk past this, and around the little headland to the ‘old town’ where swimming was possible.  The beach was very rocky, with big lucky stones and gravel, and we had trouble walking on it.  But we managed a swim in the nice clean water, and then took 45mins to dry and dress. 

We went for a walk through the narrow twisted streets of the old town, until it was time to find somewhere with a view for dinner.  

 The view from dinner.

The view of dinner, from on top of the ped tunnel near the monastery.  The kitchen is the white building in front of the train tunnel, and the tables are under the umbrella across the road.

By the time we got the train home it was 20:30, time for a good shower.