There was one 'must do' on our trip for me and that was the Cinque Terre.
The Cinque Terre is a national park made up of five small towns and natural areas that are under protection from development. It is a UNESCO world heritage site. The hiking trail that links the villages is 18km long and takes aproximately 5 hours for most to complete.
For years I have imagined what it would be like to walk along the coastal path through the five ancient villages clung to the rocky Liguarian coast. Terraced vineyards and Olive trees carved into what would seem to be non existant space, vistas that extend for miles and five villages perched and dotted through this surreal area. The villages all distinct,but all alive with weather worn fresco paint, and the smell of the warm seabreezes intermingling with cafes, bakeries and trattorias. It was a lot to live up to...my imagination had me hoping to be awestruck, and we all know that can easily translate to disapointment when the reality presents itself. I am happy to report that was not the case. Our Cinque Terre hike was everything I had dreamt of and more!
We headed out by local train from La Spezzia to our starting village of Riomaggiore. Water Bottle in hand, my converse high tops masquarading as hiking boots on my feet and off we went.
The first two sections of the hike from Riomaggiore to Manarola to Corniglia are the shortest and quite easy to do with wide paths and very few climbs. The hike starts from the train station at Riomaggiore. The walk here is called the Via dell’Amore or Lovers’ Way, probably because of the beautiful view from the cliffs overlooking the ocean inspire people to declare their love for each other. This part of the hike is short and easy, about 30 minutes until you reach Manarola.
Coming into Manarola there is a beautiful tiered and winding 365 step climb to the village centre that affords you amazing views as you walk up. It's also a good warmup to what lies ahead for you in the form of cardio. (PS there is a bus that will jaunt you to the top if you want to avoid the stairs in this village and the train moves from village to village, as does a ferry style boat for those who want to see the area but not up to the demands of the hiking).
The leg from Corniglia to Vernazza included steep inclines, narrow century old well worn paths carved into a crusty mountainside and amazing spanning views of the sea below and the vineyards, olive and lemon trees all scattered around you. The walking paths and terraces for agriculture were all done by hand through here. The stone walls placed with precision contained no mortar to bind them together, just gravity and ingenuity and painstaking hand labour. The homesteads would appear out of nowhere, you would stumble across them as you made your way. A property tucked into the cliffside, a way of life that is multi generations long, the trellised vineyards and lemon trees producing pungent sweet fruit alongside 300 year old olive trees all set admist steep cliffsides, crumbling dry ground and scrubby bush. Bert and I got to really appreciate what we were seeing, as I took frequent 'catch-my-breath' and 'wipe-my-brow' breaks on this leg of the hike. The flat bottomed canvas hightops were stretching it as appropriate foot wear through here.
We arrived in Vernazza and caught up with guide Gisueppe and our sporty, quicker paced hiking honeymooners at an outdoor trattoria. These 3 already had their cold beer in hand when we collapsed in a chair beside them. Our beer order was not far behind as was a pizza. Hot and fresh from the forno oven, topped with eggpant, peppers, zuchinni and glorious cheese, it was the perfect pick me up to get us ready for the last leg of our hike. The longest and steepest trek of the hikes by the way.
The climbs, the steep declines, the winding paths, the heat, the breathy 'bonjorno'greetings as you sidestepped and narrowly pass other hikers going the opposite direction, the smell of the salty air mixed with the scrubby vegetation around you and your own sweat was all encompassing. And then we saw it. The last village was upon us and the beach area at Monterosso lured in us hikers to dip our toes, relax our legs and linger.
Ahhhhh we did it. 18km hike,
through centuries old seafaring towns
seeing the villagelife, fishing and agricultural sides of these areas up close
and imagining the vikings and pirates who have visited before us.
It was spectacular. Beyond my best hopes. My legs and my lungs held out for the full 18km hike. Having Bert by my side and encouraging me along the route meant everything. We did it together and I can't imagine a better way to cross another item off my bucket list.
