Rabbit, Rabbit! Went downstairs for our complimentary breakfast at the hotel. Woman working made us special hot chocolate "dense". Had a grey day which ended up working out for us because we had some big hikes in store. Bought three-day Cinque Terre tickets for the trails and the trains between towns even though they hardly check them.
Started our first hike from Monterosso to Vernazza not knowing what was in store for us seeing that our guidebook claimed it would be "easy". We took the blue path which is the classic Cinque Terre walk between all the towns - when done in total this is supposed to take about five hours. Seeing that we had more than one day in CT we figured we'd start with our first hike and see how we felt after that. Right away we had a steep incline of stairs (some that were built for giants - most looking like they'd crumble apart at any moment).
Good thing it was a cloudy day because we would've died in the heat. Easy must've been in comparison to some extreme trails higher up because nothing about it was easy (especially when it started to sprinkle and the trail became wicked slippery). At most point there weren't any railings so it was just you and the cliff (we were holding on to stray branches and vines watching out for thorns). Can't say that the scenery wasn't beautiful - gorgeous flowers, vineyards everywhere, grape vines, lemon trees, the water...just perfect.
This particular path was 4K and supposedly takes under two hours, but with photo breaks and some near-death experiences we ended up taking it very slow. We couldn't believe the range of people on the path - anywhere from out-of-shape grandparents to babies to dogs. We were sliding around in our sneakers while some were only wearing flip-flops. There were definitely moments that I pictured myself wearing a cast in Greece. We were relieved to finally make it to Vernazza.
Mom had one fall on the slippery rocks, but other than that we survived. Most of the trail was really only doable single-file, so it became pretty difficult when people were coming from the opposite direction. Vernazza was so adorable - umbrellas of all colors and sizes out of in front of the restaurants in the main piazza. We made reservations at a restaurant called Gianni Franzi for dinner that the waitress from Barabba has recommended to us. We walked around Vernazza stopping in a church and going up to a defense lookout tower part of the castle. Ended up eating lunch at Castello - part of the castle and hanging right over the water. We definitely had the best table in the place. Shared a salad and wine and then had pasta for lunch - yum! Love how in Italy it's okay to have pasta for every meal.
Decided that we couldn't have dessert and felt adventurous enough to take on the hike to town number three, Corniglia. Peeked in at a cute little place called Il Piratta. Just browsing, but then got pulled in by the owners who wanted to show us all their Rick Steves write-ups once they found out we were American. Too funny. They gave us a free and delicious strawberry slushi and then we just had to indulge in cannolis (served with cocktail umbrellas) seeing that they're known as The Cannoli Brothers. They were a riot - we just had to have a picture with them. So much for skipping dessert!
With full bellies we started to walk, but stopped at a cemetery first on a hill that was more like an outdoor morgue decorated with flowers (kind of creepy). The walk to Corniglia was also 4K and just as slippery. Not much to hold onto and I had to look where I was stepping more than I could take in the surroundings. Passed Gurano Beach (nude!) that we'd heard about, but it wasn't a beach day and it was way down the cliff. Not much to see in Corniglia - smallest of the five towns. Walked down 370 steps to train station (better than walking up!) and waited for the train back to Monterosso.
Absolutely wiped, but took quick showers then got back on the train to Vernazza for our dinner reservation at Gianni Franzi (8:30 because they eat much later over here). Perfect location in the main square on the water under incredible umbrellas - I'd never seen some so big! We started with minestrone soup to warm us up a bit as it had gotten a bit cooler outside. I went for ravioli with fish sauce which was incredible and Mom ordered a cheese plate which unfortunately ended up being two pieces of the same bland local cheese. More reason to get dessert! Mom had the chocolate mousse and I had tiramisu. Took the train back to Monterosso and read in the hotel before bed.
Rabbit, Rabbit! Went downstairs for our complimentary breakfast at the hotel. Woman working made us special hot chocolate "dense". Had a grey day which ended up working out for us because we had some big hikes in store. Bought three-day Cinque Terre tickets for the trails and the trains between towns even though they hardly check them.
Mom had one fall on the slippery rocks, but other than that we survived. Most of the trail was really only doable single-file, so it became pretty difficult when people were coming from the opposite direction. Vernazza was so adorable - umbrellas of all colors and sizes out of in front of the restaurants in the main piazza. We made reservations at a restaurant called Gianni Franzi for dinner that the waitress from Barabba has recommended to us. We walked around Vernazza stopping in a church and going up to a defense lookout tower part of the castle. Ended up eating lunch at Castello - part of the castle and hanging right over the water. We definitely had the best table in the place. Shared a salad and wine and then had pasta for lunch - yum! Love how in Italy it's okay to have pasta for every meal.
No comments:
Post a Comment