Day 3- Cinque Terre

I did not sleep well. It must have been my disappointment at Genoa’s night spots, but I knew that this day was going to be brilliant. Brett and I missed the 08:30 train and had to wait an hour for the next train. After some great cappuccino’s and Sicilian orange juice we boarded the train to Cinque Terre. This is the most famous sight in Liguria. It was my first venture on public transport in Italy. The trains are very different to England, the folks are much more friendly and chatty. I met two very friendly US exchange students who had come up from Milan for the day. I also got to speak to an Italian boy about sports heroes.

Cinque Terre is a UNESCO World Heritage site. 5 villages are delicately placed along this very steep coastline. Farmers need ingenuity, resilience and a deep love of the land to want to continue farming here. The terraced vineyards seem as if they could fall off the mountain at any time.

We started at Riomaggiore, the village was teeming with tourists and we headed off, I was immediately struck by the sheer beauty of the coastline. The walk from Riomaggiore to the next village Manarola took about twenty minutes, up to now the walk was a Sunday stroll. Manarola is the hub of vinoculture in Cinque Terre, you descend into narrow alleyways and are soon surrounded by buildings dating from the 14th century. The walk from Manarola to Corniglia took about 1 hour. Besides the amazing scenery and views, it was great to catch up properly with Brett and also talk about the days on the farm. Corniglia is the one village which is not on the sea, but it leaves you pondering that it could soon slip into the sea. Having that in mind, Brett and I went for a restaurant as far as possible from the cliff. With the park and the sea behind us, I tucked into two different big servings of Pesto on pasta, I definitely overdid it, however, there was no time to sit and wait around and take a siesta.

The walk from Cornglia to Vernazza was tougher, but also quieter than the paths walked thus far. It was also good to walk with trees and forest on both sides of you. The descent to Vernazza was dramatic, bigger than the previous two villages, Vernazza had a minute harbour, it reminded me a bit of the old harbour in Hermanus, Western Cape. The water was not that clean but that was not going to deter me from swimming in the Mediterranean. There were a lot of Americans on the trail and in the sea, and while many people have a negative perception of Americans and especially their tourists, the walkers were very friendly. Later on we would bump into a delightful couple from Montana who would spend twenty minutes indulging us about their state.

We left the busy harbour and ascended for the final walk to Monterosso. I thought my games of touch had made me into a relatively fit specimen, but this ascent was tough, I huffed and puffed my way up the path, and I wondered how some of the badly dressed hikers and very unfit walkers would handle this. I felt my Pesto splurge repeating on me but I knew I could not turn around. The views and the surroundings were all the motivation I needed, and I did not come to Cinque Terre-“5 lands” to walk 4 of them….

The descent to Monterosso was wonderful, a great way to finish something I would recommend to everyone.

Tired, but immensely satisfied I boarded the train back, I had to concede that maybe my older brother is fitter than me…

Brett’s wife, Carla is a very talented woman, especially when it comes to cooking, and even though I had two massive plates of Pesto I was not disappointed to be faced with Pesto again for dinner.

I walked around the Porto Antico, attended a Senegalese musical gathering. Very good to see the locals and the immigrants mingling so well, I was tired. I mingled well with my pillow.

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The Lonely Planet Guide to Italy helped me refresh my memory of the walk.

Pic 1: Brett and I with the village of Manarola in the background
Pic 2: After lunch in Corniglia- Look out for the terraced vineyards behind us
Pic 3: Vernazza below, look at the delicate carving out of the harbour.