Pedaling Across the Agean: Day 13-Hiking Cinque Terre

We had a bit of rain last night, but this morning the sky cleared and it looked like our weather luck would continue to hold. It is hard to believe that we have not had a single bad day of weather!

We finished a leisurely breakfast at 8:15 and stopped at the front desk to ask Luca (I think he must live here) what time the train left for Monterosso a Mare, the closest of the five coastal towns that make up Cinque (five) Terre National Park. The next train left at 8:30, and there wasn’t another until 10:30. The train station was nearby (though we were not exactly sure how close), but we had not gathered our things for the day, ie. cameras and jackets. We all ran upstairs to our rooms, packed up as quick as we could and began a frantic search for the station. Fortunately, all of us (except for me) had long legs and we were all motivated and the station was less that ¼ mile away. We purchased tickets and got to the train with all the doors closed but one. We jumped on as the door was closing. Timing is everything.

The trip took just over an hour. Initially we were afraid we were on the wrong train, but we found a fellow traveller from Australia who looked like a hiker who seemed to know where he was going. As we got closer, more and more people boarded who were clearly here for the same reason as us. The train nearly emptied when we reached Monterosso.

The most popular way to enjoy the Cinque Terre on foot is to follow the Sentiero Azzurro which is made up of four individual paths along the coast that connect the five towns, Monterosso, Vernazza, Corniglia, Manorola, and Riomaggiore.

The most difficult part of the trail is between Monterosso, Vernazza, and Corniglia. Unfortunately, the last two sections of trail Corniglia-Manorola-Riomaggiare)were closed for the past 4 years due to a terrible mudslide in 2011 that left this part of the trail non-negotiable. Prior to heading off up the trail, we had to stop to purchase tickets (to hike). There were several steep and muddy sections that required a fair amount of effort.

Jeri and I realized that we were using very different muscles to hike compared to cycling.

The towns of Cinque Terre are classic hill towns, clinging to the sides of the cliffs extending right down to the sea.

The first of the towns that we visited, Monterosso,

had some very unique buildings. The Church of St. John the Baptist was built between 1244 and 1307 and it is a good example of Ligurian (the sea adjacent to Cinque Terre is called the Ligurian Sea ) Gothic architecture with alternating black and white stripes of marble and serpentine.

Nearby was another interesting building, Mortis et Orationis Oratory (Black Cfraternity).

It dates back to the 17^th Century and ws dedicated to helping widos and orphans. The frescoes inside were truly bizarre.

We pressed onward (and upward)

toward the next town, Vernazza.

We were able to see it for quite a while before we actually came into the village. This is where many classic photos of Cinque Terre are taken. Off season, the town becomes a parking lot for the brightly colored boats that normally lie in the well protected marina.

La Chiesa Santa Margherita di Antiocha dominates one side of the town

while remains of its ancient fort the other.

We found what was billed as the best gelato in town and just had to partake. It was pretty darn good!

With our fuel tanks recharged, we were off to Corniglia.

The trail was very similar with steep sections affording us great coastal views.

We were even able to see both Corniglia and Manorola (the 4^th town) at the same time.

Along the way, we passed through vineyards and olive groves planted along the steep hillsides.

The olives are collected by placing mesh on the ground then whacking the trees allowing the olives to fall.

Getting the grape and olive harvest back to town was quite a feat. These mini-monorails were all over the groves and are used to haul the harvest to town.

We had planned to have lunch at a restaurant James from our cycling trip had recommended, but, alas, it was closed until 6:30 and we weren't going to wait for 4 hours.

We found a small restaurant that was still open and decided to grab a quick pizza and beer.

Turned out to be one of our more expensive meals. They have you over a barrel here. Charged us 10 euros for a service fee.

Since the trail to Manarola was closed, we decide to take the train to have a look see.

To get to the station you have to climb down about 30 flights of stairs in switchback fashion.

Unfortunately, everyone else had the same idea at precisely the same time. The train was jam packed, and we had to actually fight our way into the car.

On the bright side, the trip was only 4 minutes. Couldn’t hold my breath much longer.

Manorola wasn’t much different than the other three towns,

and considering the train situation, we decided to pass on Riomagiore. We walked a small portion of the trail, “Via Dell’Amore” (“Lover’s Lane”) that consisted of a long walking tunnel from the train station to the town.