I did it. I spent a few days alone, and I LOVED IT. I am finally back to feeling like me. I hated the thought that I was tired of being with myself. It’s such a depressing thing to know. But I really was. I was bored of myself. I wasn’t really receptive to my own thoughts. Yet, something about Marseille and spending time with my lovely friend Ellie made all the difference. She helped me appreciate me, and that’s what’s made this trip finally all worth it. I’m starting to see that I’m loving it, I was just too mentally tired to realize it. I’ve been rejuvenated. And Cinque Terre, Italy was not a bad place to embrace that.
Cinque Terre is probably the most beautiful place I’ve been on this trip in Europe. You’ll see from my pics. Cinque Terre means 5 Towns (?) I think…It’s an area of coastal farming where the locals have been working on keeping it preserved for hundreds of years. It’s really unique because the main ways to connect each town for pedestrians is solely through walking paths and by local train. The train is a major aspect to the area, at least that’s how I felt. Maybe because my hostel apartment was over the train tunnel, so I could hear them go by in my sleep….
Riomaggiore, view from a hiking trail above the marina.
Anywho, my hostel was located in Riomaggiore, the first town of the five from the South. It was really cute and quaint, nestled between the hills and really quite small. The marina was my favorite area, because the sunset was best visable from here and the cove around the corner. The first night I arrived, I was walking from the train station up a massive hill into the town. It was only about 100 m that I actually had to walk, but with my excessive baggage, it felt like more. I heard my name, and a woman was sitting on a planter waving at me. She led me into their office, and I paid for my hostel. She knew it was me. Maybe because when I reserved my room, I had to state my name, nationality and time I would be arriving….but still, kind of funny. She led me through a maze of small alleys and to an apartment. She pointed to my bed, which was part of a bunk bed squeezed next to another bunk bed in the dining room. Cool. It was still cute and clean, so whatever. The breeze felt nice from the open windows with the cute green shutters.
The area outside my hostel's door.
Sunset, night 1.
I met two girls right away who were from Hong Kong. One sounded British and the other sounded American. In the end, they worried too much about the stupid things in my opinion (to be specific, they were shallow…), but they had asked if I wanted to do a small hike nearby, so I agreed. I wanted to check out the lay of the land. It was only a 20 minute hike near the cove, but it was an incredible view of the coast to the south, and the sun starting to set over the Mediterranean. Gorgeous.
The next day, I took on the 5 hour hike through the towns. My favorite was the next town over, Manarola. It was a short (and paved) hike over, but it had those terraced hillsides that grew olives, grapes, flowers, oranges and who knows what else. I quickly navigated up it’s hill, then found a path leading it among the terraced hillside below the annual Christmas lightshow display. The display was still set up by the way. I found a bench and sat to myself in the sun, eating corn nuts and getting my tan on as the church clock chimed noon. I had a perfect view of the whole town below me and I could hear every dog bark, every hammer hit it’s nail in the marina, and every Italian who spoke in his normal (but it sounds like he is yelling!!) voice. I moved from town to town, each one looking about the same, but each one embracing all the colors of the rainbow in their house paint color choices. I LOVED the houses. And the green shutters everywhere. And the marinas. There was a 1.5 hour hike from the town, Corniglia, to the 4th town up, Vernazza. It was actually quite challenging, and the worst part was probably waiting in line behind a group of about 10 old German couples who like to poke their hiking poles in every direction possible. The path was very narrow and high on this particular hike, so it was hard to pass them without feeling rude. But I did in the end. Nobody ever knows where I am from country-wise, so let’s just hope it stays that way so I can represent my country well when I need to.
An area where lovers lock locks on the railing to represent their "forever love". A man decided to rest on the bench beside this railing.
The railroad to Manarola.
Your basic description.
Map of the 5 towns. My town was on the far right, below the person in red's hand.
Old water fountain to drink from...says 1868 on it. I love how dog bowls were always next to these fountains in Cinque Terre.
In front of the terraced hillsides in Manarola.
View of Manarola from terraced hillside bench. Great view.
Town of Manarola from a pennisula nearby.
Town of Manarola. Okay, done with this town. But I just loooved it.
In Corneglia.
View of Corneglia from nearby part of hiking path, en route to Vernazza, the next town north.
The path got rough over the next 1.5 hours to Vernazza.
View from top of hiking path to Vernazza. Still in Cinque Terre.
Finally, I get to Vernazza!!
Found this lady trying to get the cat down. She seemed to be bragging to us walking by that she could do it quite easily, then, the cat decided to scratch her and run off. Sad....
When I finally reached Vernazza, I was pooped. I was a little sunburned, but was happy about that. I needed it. I walked to the marina and found everyone laying on rocks and in the sand. It was my favorite marina of the 4 towns. I decided I was not about to attack the rest of the Cinque Terre. The next town over, Monterosso, was a 2 hour hike away, and apparently, it was the hardest hike. It was already 3pm and I had major plans with making pesto pasta in my hostel/apartment kitchen. I laid on a big rock and read while I watched a cute couple play with their two dogs in front of me. And I got to be a sun whore for two more hours. Yay.
Vernazza's marina.
My view from my sunning rock in Vernazza's marina area of Cinque Terre. So blissful....
Man with his dog. The other dog, it was a weenie dog, was swimming nearby...
This guy caught an octopus in the water with his bare hands!! Then, he proceeded to rip off it's head...gulp...then smack the whole thing against the sidewalk to make sure it was dead. Bet it was his dinner that night....
After returning back to my place, I met some new people in my hostel and after cooking a delicious meal, shared some chocolate and wine at our kitchen table. I went out for my first real Italian gelato. I have no idea what flavors I got, but I know it wasn’t Nutella, because the place had run out. It was still delish. I love the texture. But I need to work on finding some good flavors….that will be a new goal of mine for the next 10 days I’m here….yum.
Just got on my train to Rome to meet Mom and Dad. I had stopped through Pisa on my way out of Cinque Terre because it was on the way. I had a 2 hour stop-over. I hustled on over to the Leaning Tower and took several pics. Just glad I got to see it. The town itself was way too touristy. Yet, the tower was worth it. Quite small compared to how I imagined it, but very very phenomenal to see. Built beginning in 1173, it has always leaned sideways a little since they began on the third story (there’s eight total) of the medieval bell tower, due to “subsidence” (says my guidebook). For 180 years, architects from around the world tried to fix it, but then, everyone just finally accepted it. Seems like it’s fine—there were plenty of people milling around the top of the tower when I was there. I took some pics in the Campo dei Miracoli, the manicured grass next to the Leaning Tower, the Duomo, and Baptisery. Then, I slid on the shades, ignored the sidewalk hawkers and headed straight for some lunch. By the way, is froccacia bread supposed to be hard??? I somehow doubt it…..
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