Cinque Terre

Cinque Terre is literally "the Five Lands" on the western Ligurian Coast. Each little town has a unique flavour waiting to be discovered, just like yummy gelatos. This area is also the original home of pesto and foccacia. Of course we gladly ate our share and yours! Enough in fact for the next six months!

 The Cinque Terre is five picturesque, pastel-painted towns clinging to rugged cliffs, as if their lives depended on it. (And they do, based on the high tourist volume). The main attraction is a five hour, connected hike from Riomaggiore to Monterosso via Manarola, Corniglia, and Vernazza. These towns are only accessible to each other via this path and train. The hike begins with the Via D'Amore, a flat, wide, smooth pathway, very similar to Stanley Park's Seawall. From there it gets progressively more rugged and narrower, wrapping along the cliff's edge through terraced vineyards and olive orchards, and undulating through gulleys and over precipices with breathtaking views around each corner. The camera shutters  were on overdrive! Of course my little german boy, Randy, and his brother loved the WWII German pillbox and played a game of "Band of Brothers".

We based ourselves in the fourth town, Vernazza. The main street is no more than 400 meters from  the train platform to the water's edge, lined with classic small town characters in their shops. The street was empty and had closed shop by 9 pm and struggled to be alive the next morning by 8:30am for the anxiously hungry and scheduled tourist. 

Conquering the first three hikes the first day we saved the longest, from Vernazza to Monterosso, for the second day. Randy and I were here in 2001 and loved it. So to be able to experience it again with Al, Des and Hannah was extra special for us. There is a new delight in seeing a known through someone else's lens. It also felt we were on a holiday from our holiday. Breaking from the craziness of looming architecture, throngs of people and noxious smells in Florence, to God's palette of soft verdant foliage, fresh sea breezes complemented by crashing waves and rugged beauty, was a gift. Seeing how man has squeezed and adapted himself onto this canvas was also inspiring. We also took a short train north and hiked to Portofino. It is the antithesis of Vernazza. Portofino is a small luxury port for the rich, famous, posers and us.  

 Hannah and I both affirmed we have the ocean blood in us. It is at the seashore where we feel most at home. Our spirits are calmed by the rhythm of the waves. No matter what is going on around me, the waves wash in and out, giving and taking, as guided by the hand of God. Herein is my comfort and contentment. 

Heading home, of course the train was late and took longer, but with Al along, he is always good for some extra free entertainment. Arriving back home in Florence mid-day, invigorated by nature, we took to going for a bike ride again along the Arno.....