Cinque ("Cheen-kuh") Terra

Cinque Terra is a region along the Northwest coast of Italy that consists of five small towns preserved in time, all hanging in the steep cliffs along the ocean.  Until not so long ago they were only accessible by foot or boat, and it is common for visitors to plan a hike between all five.

In this leg of our journey we took the train from Santa Margherita to Monterosso, the northern-most and largest of the five.  That is where we had our lovely room with a balcony for two nights.  The turquoise beach that greatest us as soon as we stepped off the train was incredibly difficult to pass by.

But off to hiking we were!  The plan for day one was to take the train (which in itself is a fine example of human perseverance - those tunnels through the mountainside were impressive!) down to Manarolo and walk the 'Via dell 'Amore' to Riomaggiore.  This leg of the path was comfy - paved, railing, etc.  Known for lovers, couples had secured locks along the way as a symbol of their unending love.  Jonas and I got engaged.  Joke!!!!

However, we did settle down for quite a nice sit on these old stairs down the side of the mountain for a perfect sunset view (flashbacks of the Portugal trail experience had me a bit nervous).  Certainly a highlight of the trip for me.  Thanks babe!  Riomaggiore is exactly as I imagined ... bright homes, boats, and a wonderful dinner where we had another plate of anchovies and smoked tuna.  Yum.

The agenda for day two was to hike from our town over to Vernazza and then Corniglia.  This was an intense walk, as the first 30 minutes were straight up rocky 'stairs' to the top of this mountain.  The heart was sure pumping!  I was so impressed by the people I saw on this trip.  Average age was probably 60, and these people, with their walking sticks and hiking boots were smoking Jonas and I.  Very inspirational.

The entire walk took us an hour and a half.  This region is also known for its own wines, and the terraces that have been constructed forming ledges on the mountains for growing grapes and olives add to the scenery.  We cruised around town, had a piece of pizza and ultimately decided we didn't have it in us to proceed until the next hour hike to Corniglia, so we just went back to the beach and ended the perfect day with a picnic on our balcony and wine in a little enoteca.

I shall forever say that I only set foot in four of the cinque terra, but man it was awesome.
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