Italy Part Two -- The Cinque Terre

It was a long travel day from Amalfi town to our next destination--Riomaggiore. We were headed to the Cinque Terre, or 5 Lands, a UNESCO World Heritage region comprising of 5 small towns on Italy's north western coast. Both of us were excited to visit the area, a recommended destination by our favourite travel guru (Rick Steves). The five towns that make up the Cinque Terre are easily connected by boat, train or foot path. We planned to explore all five in the three days, mainly by foot, before parting ways for a while! All towns fill a narrow ravine and slope down to the ocean. Because of the region's extreme geography -- sheer cliffs, narrow gorges and rocky coastline--it has experienced a number of natural disasters in recent years. The effects of a major flood in 2011, which destroyed many of the towns (especially Vernazza) are still evident in places. As well, there has been continuous rock slides that have damaged the coastal trails, many of which are deemed unsafe and have been closed for restabilization. The trail that runs along the coast connecting all five villages is why most people come to the Cinque Terre, and unfortunately for us, 3 out of 5 trail segments were closed. That meant the majority of hikes between the towns are "straight up and over and down" ---a physical challenge to be sure. But Len was happy as he needed a warm-up to his Umbria hiking tour coming up in a few days, and as for me, I needed to practice my mantra-- "I think I can…I think I can…!

Looking down onto Riomaggiore in the Cinque Terre

We chose one of the hardest hikes for our first adventure! A 15 minute train ride took us to Levanto, a town just outside the Cinque Terre, from where we would hike back to the most northerly town of Monterosso. Guide books have named this a "wild" hike, with lots of steep ascents and declines, but also spectacular scenic points and very few other hikers. The hike took us about 3 hours and was indeed both a challenge and a joy. We enjoyed a sense of accomplishment and a celebratory beer in the main plaza of Monterosso. Later we wandered through the town, noting the long waterfront promenade lined with souvenir shops, the large sandy beach (the only town in the Cinque Terre to have one) and the row-upon-row of lounge chairs and umbrellas, empty only because the weather had been somewhat stormy and cool for the last few days. Because of its accessible beach, Monterosso is the most touristy of the towns and we were glad not to be staying there.

Very touristy Monterosso--nice beach but too many vacation there!

With substantial daylight remaining, we decided to continue on to the next town of Vernazza, about a two hour hike away. The trail followed the coast, with detours up and over ridges and inland to accommodate the numerous cliff faces, gorges and gullies. There was stunning scenery at every turn! Vernazza, the second most northerly town of the Cinque Terre, was most devastated by the 2011 floods. There are many places remaining in the town that bear witness to the sheer power of the water as it poured down through the narrow streets. At one place we saw half of a house hanging over the edge of a small gully, and a huge hole (big enough for 10 people to walk through) that had been pushed out of a solid wall of rock by the force of the water. The hole, like a tunnel, now offers access to a pebbly swimming beach on the other side of the cliff. It was a great day of hiking, and we felt we deserved the bottle of wine and the large plate of pasta for the hard work we had done in a day.

To make sure Len visited all of the five towns before he left, we took the train the next day to the nearby town of Manarola and did a fabulous 3 hour hike to Corniglia. This trail began with a steep ascent up the side of the gorge and through vineyards on the terraced slopes. After what seemed like an endless Stairmaster workout, we reached a small town perched up on the ridge. From there the trail levelled out and continued along the tops of stone terrace walls which separated the plots of vines.The views were absolutely incredible, straight out of a travel brochure.

 

It was also incredible how every inch of this steep landscape is utilized for growing grapes. Local growers have cleverly devised a one-seat monorail system that provides access for workers up and down the cultivated hillside, and also moves about supplies and harvested grapes. Unfortunately it is not available for tired hikers…. With vineyards surrounding us, the sun shining and sea sparkling below, we walked the narrow path until the vineyards merged with the pine forest.

The Lover's Walk--closed due to erosion

As we descended, we could see the multi-coloured buildings of Corniglia perched on top of a cliff. This town is the only one of the Cinque Terre that has no port, and to reach it from the train station involves climbing 365 steps. It is a small town with many narrow pedestrian streets and a main square. We easily explored the few sights, viewpoints and, of course, enjoyed a beer in the main square. A quick train ride back to Riomaggiore and we were soon enjoying the views from our own deck. Another perfect day!

Hiking above Manarola in the Cinque Terre

Len and I parted ways the next day--he off to Rome to meet up with a hiking tour group and I off to the next town of Manarola, where my friends and I had booked a room for 6 nights. It was tough to let him go, as we had been together 24/7 for over seven weeks. But we all know a little "apart" time is good for a healthy relationship. And I was looking forward to spending time with my dearest longtime friends (or yayas as we call ourselves) as we celebrate our 60th birthday year together in Italy.

After I moved my luggage to our new B&B in Manarola, I met Caroline at the train that day and Debbie two days later. On the night of Deb's arrival, we surprised her (because we missed her actual birthday) with a special dinner and a birthday cake at "Billy's", a highy-rated restaurant close to our accommodation. We raised our glasses to her and each other , truly appreciative of the fact that we were enjoying an excellent meal of local food and wine, in the company of dear friends in a truly beautiful part of the world. How lucky we are!

The beautiful town of Manarola

During the five days we were there, I felt like an expert , revisiting the towns with them, and sharing what I had learned with Len. As well, we had more time to explore each town and there were new things to be discovered in each. One day we decided to take the boat to another area south of the Cinque Terre, to check out the town of Portovenere. The day ticket included the boat ride to all Cinque Terre towns, to Portovenere as well as a one hour sightseeing loop around some islands nearby. It was a beautiful, hot day, and spending it out on the water turned out to be an excellent idea. We saw the coastline from a different perspective, enjoyed the sites of Portovenere and the islands, and kept cool too!

The girls ready for a night out for dinner

Travelling with three women was completely different from travelling as an "old" married couple. The pace was slower, making decisions took more time, and priorities changed. There was more shopping and more laundry (hand washing) time built into our days. We adjusted our plans to accommodate each other's differing needs. And because there were three of us, if one was not up to doing something (or needed some alone time), there was always another person willing to join in. It worked beautifully and I am so fortunate to have such caring and generous friends. We very much enjoyed our time in the Cinque Terre, and looked forward to the second part of our yaya getaway---in the walled town of Lucca.