Today we got up early and hitched a train to Riomaggiore, one of the five towns making up the Cinque Terre. We were going to hike from there to Manarola but the trail was closed due to strong winds. We walked around town for a bit while waiting for the next train to Corniglia and, from there, we hiked to Vernazza.
The hike was unlike any other because the majority was along the coast. It was so cool to look to the left and see nothing but water & look to the right at a bright, coastal town. The other neat thing was the variety plants along the hillsides. There were lemon trees, grapes, basil, and cactus cactus cactus! SO MANY CACTI… & they were massive! I think one of the stems was taller than Will (who would say is 6 feet tall but is actually 5′ 10). The hike took about 2 hours and we were worn out at the end.
Our plan had been to eat at a nice restaurant we found online but we couldn’t find it. We did accidentally find a really cool castle while searching though & decided to tour it since we were already there. It provided a really pretty view of the landscape so we tool the opportunity to selfie. Then it was back to the Main Street where we ordered some focaccia. I crap you not, it was the best thing we had eaten in Italy! Mine had basil-pesto on it & this place (Liguria) is the home of basil pesto because of its humid climate. It was SO good! & only 4 euro! It was so good we went back for another piece to share :)Then we walked up the main strip where they were having their market day. I bought a bushel of strawberries, an apple, & an orange for 4 euro. Will and I sat on a bench and ate the whole bushel!
Next, we took a train to Monterosso where we shopped a little & debated whether or not to lay on the beach. It was pretty windy but when the sun came out it was quite warm. We ended up deciding to come back to the hotel & get cleaned up before going to Manorola for dinner.
Our riposo ended up running a little long (because Will reset his alarm when it went off) so we didn’t get back to Manorola until 6:45. We then went to an outdoor restaurant that was fantastico! We had caprese salad, “steak” (which I believe was actually a pork chop), & basil pesto pasta with potatoes and green beans. For dessert we had strawberries & chocolate biscuits with cream! It was our best meal in Italy yet & we were so full afterward. We finished eating and realized we might be able to catch the sunset so we ran down the boulevard to the pier (on full stomaches). The waves were doin’ the most and the scenery was beautiful. The Cinque Terre cannot be captured in a photo but that didn’t stop me from trying over and over. Hope you enjoy my efforts below.
couchmanandwoman 