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| Breakfast with a view, Vernazza |
The five towns known as the Cinque Terre are linked by challenging hiking trails, an enticement for travels with my daughter, who loves nature as I do. Now, finally, we were arriving in Vernazza. High speed trains link Monterosso al Mare, Vernazza, Corniglia, Manarola and Riomaggiore, each painted in the pastel pinks and salmons, yellows and baby blues and pale greens decreed as the tints of this picturesque piece of Italy. Sunlight shimmered on the Ligurian Sea, eliciting a collective gasp as the sight of sparkling water came into view of our train for the first time.
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| The belvedere, Corniglia |
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| Corniglia kitty |
Our first
"hike" was the 15-minute climb up rough stone stairs to our apartment
high above the coastal town, with the sound of the waves always present. From our private terrace,
we could see the entire town of Vernazza like a watercolor painting of a
dream. Our first dinner was eaten just
down the hill at La Torre, where a sign proclaims:
"But not in many places
you can try the experience of being in a postcard. If you are in a hurry, you're not allowed
here."
We watched a spectacular
sunset over the sea while savoring the regional fare: pasta with pesto and stuffed mussels, paired with the local red wine and Prosecco.
We were not in a hurry.
We loved
Corniglia, on a hillside with its friendly maze of side streets; at the
end of one, we found a belvedere “perched between the sea and sky” (Rick Steves), an apt description that didn’t convey the bliss of having it all to ourselves,
except for the resident cat who befriended us.
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| Antipasto di Mare |
We spent one sunny morning on the beach in Monterosso, which seems to get most of the morning sun in winter. We tried the local specialty, Antipasto di Mare: six small plates of the fresh local catch. Our selection included smoked swordfish, sliced translucently thin; anchovies marinated two different ways; meaty, flavorful octopus; pickled mussels; and the local cod, cooked and served with olive oil, lemon and capers, all regional products.
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| Sunny Monterosso |
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| Monterosso morning |
Prone to landslides
and erosion, I had heard that the Cinque Terre trails are sometimes closed to
hikers, but I was disappointed to learn that all the main trails along the
coastline were off limits during our visit. Nevertheless, a tip from a shop owner in
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| Hiking from Corniglia to Manarola |
Corniglia sent us higher into the hills to a trail that was accessible, though
by no means easy. Sometimes marked with
a red and white stripe, other times leading through someone's (fabulous)
backyard, or threading a narrow path above someone working in the terraced grapevines, the
trail led in and out of forests, offering astonishing views of the cliffs and
the towns and the dazzling sea.
After three hours
of strenuous climbing and descending and climbing again, we found ourselves
confused: we were hiking to Manarola, but the trail forked and led in three different directions. At that
moment, with sunset approaching, a couple came hiking toward us, and
we asked them the way to Manarola. After
trying to explain in Italian, they suddenly said they were going
there, and we should follow.
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| Our stylish Italian guides |
He was dressed
for walking, but she! - Wearing
shiny black boots with chunky heels, tights and a short skirt, a fashionable
shawl draped diagonally across her shoulders, she was carrying a leather purse
in one hand. Her blonde hair was
perfectly coiffed. She seemed to have no
trouble with the rocky, irregular trail.
We followed them
for another half hour. Our new friends
looked back regularly to make sure we were keeping up (we weren't), until we
arrived at their destination - a cliffside osteria with the perfect sunset
view, perched above the postcard town of Manarola. The sun set flaming pink and orange on the watery
horizon as we enjoyed the Italian version of hot wine in the twilight.
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| Manarola at twilight |
This is how the
locals roll on a Sunday evening in the Cinque Terre. How lucky for us that they showed us the way.
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