"Anni e bicchieri di vino non si contano mai."--Age and glasses of wine should never be counted.
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Day 9
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The Cinque Terre |
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With our travel strategy all mapped out we headed for the dock in Levanto ready to catch the morning boat to the furthest south of the Cinque Terre villages, Riomaggiore. We then worked backwards via the train visiting each of the other villages as we went. The day was clear and sunny, and the water was smooth as glass. The unique view of the villages from the sea provided a nice perspective of the entire coastline.
Did you know? During World War II the citizens of the Cinque Terre played an important role in the Italian Resistance movement against Mussolini and Nazi Germany.
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The Boat Ride & Riomaggiore
It wasn't long before we arrived at Riomaggiore, along with the rest of the known world. It was almost "Disneyland" crowded. But we prevailed. We bought some juicy grapes at a fruit stand, found a quiet spot in the shade, took a deep breath, and proceeded onward. Depending on your arrival point for each of these villages you either venture up or down. Every street is oriented in only two directions. We walked up through town stopping to admire a pretty church along the way and turned around occasionally to enjoy the ocean view as we continued to climb higher. The hiking trails and vineyards crisscrossed the hillsides taking the hardy visitor to even higher heights. We continued up and then sharply down to the train station for a very quick ride to Manarola.
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Manarola
If we had to pick just one village to visit, it would be Manarola. I can't quite put my finger on it, but it seemed prettier, a little cleaner, a bit easier to navigate, and had a nicer waterfront. We stopped for a leisurely lunch at a café right along the main drag, enjoying wonderful pesto ravioli and a huge antipasto platter. We strolled down to the waterfront to watch the cliff divers and sunbathers enjoying a perfectly sunny day. We then walked along one of the trails that took us a short distance up the coast and gave us a great view of the clear water of the Mediterranean and a postcard look back at Manarola. Having finally figured out the train schedule we left lovely Manarola behind. Next stop Vernazza.
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Vernazza
If you didn't pay attention to which train station you departed from you almost wouldn't be able to tell one village from the other, until you reached the ocean. Of all the villages, Vernazza had the only real harbor. We sat on the sea wall with a gelato (yes, again) and played with a dog that reminded us of our canine kids back at home. The narrow streets, colorful buildings, crowded shops, and delightful cafes, were quintessential Cinque Terre. The views at every turn were stunning.
We were running short on daylight by the time we left Vernazza. We had been out and about for close to seven hours and decided there just wasn't enough time to visit Corniglia and Monterroso. I'm glad we took the boat down the coast so at least we were able to see them from a distance.
Corniglia |
Monterrosa |
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On our own back in Levanto
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The train took mere minutes to deliver us back to Levanto. On the short walk back to our hotel we ran across a very nice soccer field, with what looked like a game in progress. My soccer crazy husband and I had to go investigate. We found the entrance to the field, climbed up on the bleachers, and watched the action. The action being ten year old boys, but
man could they play! We strolled the streets of |
Levanto passing the town patriarchs no doubt discussing politics and pretty girls like their Volterran counterparts. We visited a few shops and stocked up on our new favorite snack, cantucci, before meeting up with our buddies, Brian and Josie for dinner. Our leisurely meal was the perfect ending to a long day in the warm Italian sunshine.
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In Hindsight: We wish we had more time to visit the other two villages and do a little more hiking. We probably could have managed our time better, but we really wanted to enjoy each village and not rush. And this just gives us another excuse to return.
