day eighteen; july 11th
Woke up at about 6am, of course the sun was blaring! Made sure I had all my camera gear and plenty of water and waited for Serena to arrive at the front of the building. Walking through the city centre to the train station felt like we were in a ghost town, there was absolutely no one around! Arrived quite early so as to make sure we wouldn’t miss the group, it got to quarter past seven (the meeting time) and still no one was around! Then a whole crowd came out of McDonald’s and came over to our spot eating…cheeseburgers. Europe doesn’t have the whole “burgers after 11am” or whatever the ruling is so they (all Americans) thought it was amazing to be able to get fries and a burger at 7am. Needless to say they weren’t feeling very well later on in the day! Enough of that! Onto the trip. We boarded the train and although we had a ticket the train was overbooked so we were really lucky to get a seat. I was sitting next to a group of girls whom are all completing an english teaching course for the Summer and we had a great chat for the three hour ride. Wasn’t very scenic outside, though we did pass some very famous towns, namely Pisa and La Spezia.
We arrived in Riomaggiore, the first of the five villages and prepped ourselves for the first walk. It was a good thing that I knew what to except ahead after having done most of the walk four years ago so I had my good walking shoes on, a hat and minimal baggage. And boy was it hot! So hot, that the cool there was fog and mist from the coolness of the water mixing with the humid air. Meaning my photos for most of the day look like my lens was dirty! Oh well. Second town, Manarola, to me would be the most picturesque with its intense colours and the way the houses balance on the very edge of the cliff. Great swimming spot too as it’s quite calm and protected. The clearest water you could imagine! Next stop, Corniglia, the highest of the five towns. Because it’s a very steep climb and the walk from this town to the next is very difficult we had the option of getting the train. However, I did not get the chance to walk this part last time so I took the opportunity. First challenge was climbing the 365 steps to get to the village. We stopped for lunch and on the advice of the guide, ordered pesto gnocchi as it is the signature dish and sauce of the region. Unfortunately we all agreed it was the worst dish we’ve had so far! At least I got some energy for the next part of the walk which proved to be more than a challenge. You actually have to walk inland for a significant amount of time due to the fact that there are so many farms on the cliffs. Of course the fog started to clear and the sun gave an unwelcoming greeting, so much that I now have a significant one-sided tan! After what seemed like a whole day of walking up and down hills with paths not much wider than the average person and bordered by nothing more than the rocky cliff below (but so worth it for the spectacular views), we arrived in Vernazza, the fourth town. We had about an hour’s rest here. This is one of the most popular towns as it has it’s own beach and a lot of eateries. We all had a great time watching the many interesting bathing suits and brave but idiotic cliff divers. A few of whom suffered some pretty intense injuries. We then caught the barge to Monterosso, the final town and the most lavish of them all. This is more of a resort village - think beaches with hundreds of immaculately lined umbrellas and gelato shops galore! Had a small amount of time here, we bought some dinner as the train ride home was three hours.
So that was my trip to the Cinque Terre! I am glad I made the effort to see the third town, even though it was nothing like the others. Also have made some new international friends! Managed to get a few photos for my Portrait assignment, still don’t have enough though, tiiiiny bit worried. Just not the sort of person to ask random people for their photo. And it also has to not be a smile snap, it has to have meaning and character. I’ll keep at it.
Absolutely exhausted so off to bed.
