Cinque Terre - just how I’d remembered it.

The Cinque Terre, 5 little villages, clinging to the cliff side of the Northern Italian riviera. 3 years ago, I brought a group of students on a trip to Europe. We visited this little corner of Italy as our first stop. On that trip we visited 3 of the 5 villages in a half-day. I was excited to spend two full days exploring all five villages.

I arrived in La Spezia, a town just outside the Cinque Terre, with much more affordable hotel rooms, in the afternoon on Friday. After getting lost with my too heavy suitcase, I finally found my hotel. It’s a very nice place, with 3 rooms, and a common area with a couch, and a fully stocked kitchen. The bathroom was is HUGE, it takes 4 steps to get across it! AND there is a place to put my shampoo and stuff in the shower! I don’t have to put it on the floor! It’s a miracle!

Saturday morning I awoke when I wanted to, and took my time getting ready. This is supposed to be the relaxing part of my vacation. I walked the five or so blocks to the train station, and was met with a mob of people waiting to buy tickets, or trying to figure out which way was up. I found my way to the line for the Cinque Terre Card. The Cinque Terre Card lets you ride the train as often as you want for 1 or 2 days. There are 3 ways to get from village to village: train, hike, or boat. Several of the hiking trails had washed out a few years ago during a bad storm, so they were closed, and hiking isn’t my bag anyway. The boat would be more my jam, but there isn’t a ride as much as you want pass, and if there’s too much chop, the boats don’t run. The train costs 4 euro per ride, no matter if you’re going to the next village, or 5 villages away. I didn’t ride enough times to fully pay for my card, but I was also paying for the convenience. I never had to stand in line again for a ticket, or to validate it.

The train ride from village to village is mostly in very dark tunnels. Though occasionally it does break free into the sunlight, and out the west side of the car is the bluest, most picturesque ocean front you’ve ever seen. The Tyrannean Sea, part of the Mediterranean is all turquoise water, and deep brown cliffs, speckled with vibrantly colored flowers and flowering trees. It’s hard NOT to feel at peace here.

I stopped at the first village, Riomaggiore. This was one of the villages the group visited. It was nice to explore at my pace, with no other timeline to consider. I found a place to get something to eat for “breakfast”. I had a piece of focaccia with onions on it. DELICIOUS! I need to learn how to make focaccia. I wandered the streets, and ducked into all the little shops. Because that’s what you do in the Cinque Terre, there aren’t really any “sites” it’s just relaxing and exploring the little villages. I made my way down to the harbor, and watched the sea for a bit.

My second stop was Manarola, which was another of the villages from 3 years ago. I wandered, checking out the shops, and cafes. At the harbor, I took a picture of the rock that the kids were jumping off of last time. Memories. I found a cafe that served something other than fish, and had some lunch. Unsurprisingly, the Cinque Terre specializes in fish and seafood. I’m not a huge fan of fish and seafood. I LOVE a good walleye fry, but I don’t like fishy fish. It made finding restaurants a bit of a search.

My third stop for the day was to be the village of Corniglia. I got off the train, and started on the path into the village. As I was walking I noticed that the village is at the top of a mountain! And the only way to get there is by a set of stairs with switchbacks. It was hot, and I was tired, and I said f-that, I’m not a billy goat. So I went back to the station, and made my way back to La Spezia. I found out in my guidebook (always read the guidebook first!) that there IS a bus from the station to the city. But there’s not a whole lot to see. If I HAD climbed all those stairs and THEN found out about the bus, I would have been PISSED!

Sunday, I slept in, and then made my way to village number 4, Vernazza. Vernazza, had it’s main street flooded and over run with up to 4 feet of mud, just a few years ago. They got something like 22 inches of rain in 4 hours. But you wouldn’t know that today by looking at it. It’s a cute little village, with a natural harbor, great for swimming. I didn’t bring a suit on this trip, so I just waded into the water up to my knees. It was still refreshing.

The fifth village is Monterroso. It’s the most touristy of all the villages. It has a long sand beach, full of umbrellas that you have to pay to sit under. The old town, is a bit of a walk down the road and under a bridge. But the old part of town is where you want to be. Most beach goers never make it to this part of town, and it’s a shame, because it’s beautiful. I found a place fo lunch, and enjoyed some people watching. I wandered the shops, trying to find something for my niece and nephew, but all I found was things for me!

I made my way back to La Spezia, because Spain was playing Russia at 4:00, and I didn’t want to miss that. I had bought a bunch of snacks from the grocery store the night before, specifically for the game. It was a tense match, with overtime and eventually it ended in a shoot-out, in which Russia won. Booooooo.

But for now I’m making my way back to Milan. They’re still predicting strong thunderstorms for tomorrow, so I will NOT be going to Lake Como, so I’ll have to find something to do in Milan. Then Wednesday, while all my friends and family are having barbecues, I will be flying home. I should be home just in time for the fireworks over Silver Lake.

Ciao everyone!