Jeff and Serena Italy & Spain 2017: Cinque Terre

Travel and Arrival - Saturday, May 27th

Barolo is challenging to get to without a car and there's not much to do in the actual village but we are very glad we ended up here (we chose Barolo for convenience related to the balloon ride). If you did have a car it would be a great home-base for local wine tasting. Today we catch a train in Asti to get to the coast of Liguria and Cinque Terre. First we had to take a taxi from Barolo to Alba (25 euros and about a half hour). From Alba we caught a bus to Asti (11 euros and about an hour). The bus in particular was interesting for seeing different villages and the cities of Alba and Asti. Everything was very smooth (thank you to our host Daniella for figuring it all out and arranging the taxi).

We transferred trains in Genoa and had time for a quick bite at the station. Our arrival around 3pm in Monterosso was a bit hectic. The train station was absolutely packed. People going every which way and many simply stopped. There was more than one large tour following someone with a tall stick in their hand. The sidewalks outside weren't much better. Apparently this is normal for the weekend. We were following directions okay and had just determined the proper uphill stairs to take when Jeff made contact with Lorenzo from Manuel's Guesthouse. He came down to assist carrying luggage up the 130 (+/- 2) stairs. They ask for arrival information specifically so they can help this way and thank goodness they do.

Manuel's Guesthouse is a small family-run hotel (only six rooms) and it is really fantastic. Some rooms have balconies but all have a view over town and out to the Ligurian sea. There is a large patio that all guests have access to. They serve breakfast there and in the afternoon you can get drinks and snacks. They also offer laundry service which we will take advantage of.

After relaxing for a bit we wandered downhill into town and had dinner at a restaurant recommended by our host. This area is known for pesto and lemons (we're not fans of Limoncello but we could buy it here from any shop on the street). Also being on the coast there is seafood offered everywhere.

Sunday, May 28th

Breakfast on the patio includes everything we've become accustomed to plus freshly made fruit smoothies. After breakfast we went directly to the train station to buy our trail/train tickets and started on the trail from Monterosso to Vernazza at 10:15 a.m.

It took us 2 hours to reach Vernazza which is exactly what the sign at the trail head said. The first 45 minutes were stairs uphill. There were more stairs after that but not so many in one stretch. There were two enterprising people along the way. One man had a house very close to the trail. He had run an extension cord down from his house and had a citrus juicer - 2 euros/glass for fresh orange juice. Only a little further on there was a man selling jewelry of the same kind we could buy in town. I'm guessing the juice man was doing better business than the jewelry guy.

In Vernazza we wandered a little and had lunch. Vernazza is smaller than Monterosso and possibly more picturesque - maybe a little more crowded for both those reasons. But overall it's not much different so there's not a lot of reason for us to hang out here. We caught a train (split second decision to jump on) to the 5th Cinque Terre village - Riomaggiore. This is also a small village. Our plan was to catch a train back but Serena had been expressing interest in a boat ride so we decided to go back on the water. The boat was leaving immediately so the timing was great.

The boat ride was pleasant and refreshing and it was fun to see all the villages and the coast from the water. The boat did cost us 12 euros each since boat rides are not included in our 3-day park/treno card. What is included in that card is unlimited train rides in the area, access to all the trails, free toilet access in the train stations (1 euro otherwise) and free wifi in the train stations. There are also some guided tours but we forgot they were a thing and never did one.

Back in Monterosso Jeff took a dip in the sea before showering and we spent the afternoon relaxing and reviewing all the new maps we bought today so we can figure out where we hike tomorrow. Picked up take away at the bottom of our stairs and brought dinner up to the patio. It was an enjoyable evening reading and relaxing al fresco with a bottle of Barolo red wine that we brought with us.

Monday, May 29th

The "coastal" trails between each of the five villages are most famous around here and one of those is what we did yesterday. At present due to a landslide the easiest trails that are right on the water are closed. There are also a lot of trails up above the villages and we did one of those today. First we caught a train to Manarola and then we used the benefits of our park card to catch a bus uphill and avoided a very long climb. The beginning of the hike was among these amazing terraced vineyards and gardens. Eventually we entered some forest which was shady and pleasant. Then the long downhill into Corniglia which was rocky and reminded us of hiking on the Napali coast on Kauai. We wandered and looked around but couldn't find anyplace with shaded seating for lunch so we caught a train back to Monterosso. We have managed now to visit all five of the villages that comprise Cinque Terre.

After lunch and showering and recovery Serena went to town to shop. We've had and will continue to have very warm weather. A new tank top and some very lightweight colorful pants are just the thing to improve her wardrobe.

Dinner tonight included slices of steak cooked on a hot stone that came sizzling to our table. We were sitting next to a couple from Australia and commented that Jeff's favorite Kangaroo preparation was this same style. They commented that they've never eaten roo and it is kind of a country thing. We don't know how they get the stone so hot but it is really neat and maybe we need to buy one or two. The steak was our second course. The first course for Serena was gnocchi with pesto and for Jeff pesto over the local pasta (trofie). After dinner we walked along the sidewalk above the beach observing the night life. It's pretty mild and mostly just people out at cafes.

Tuesday, May 30th

After two hikes in two days we could take a break but we didn't. We hiked up to a view point just outside of town. We told ourselves that if we got tired we might not go all the way, but being us, we kept going to the top. It's only 2/3 of a mile but most of it is uphill stairs. The online description said 30 minutes of stairs but we stopped a lot and it took us 45 minutes. It's not quite as warm today and some of the trail is shaded but still dripping sweat. The ancient chapel that was turned into an old military lookout at the top is totally vandalized but was comfortable for a rest while looking at the water before we headed back down.

Lunch afterwards at Emy's Way. Serena considered doing a video to help convey the experience but even video wouldn't do it justice. The food was wonderful and despite a tiny interior they have a pretty robust menu. Seating outside for 14 people (in an area about 9'x14') and busy for takeaway pizza and paper cones of fried things (mixed seafood, calamari, french fries, etc.). Best service we've had anywhere in Italy - fast, attentive and he checked-in as we were eating. Great soundtrack and pretty loud. The waiter (owner? Emy?) was moving fast to take care of all of the tables but still dancing to the beat when he was standing still. He was singing and laughing and joking. Jeff had seafood ravioli with three massive prawns and Serena a pesto pizza.

This afternoon is about resting, packing and doing photo/blogging/computer stuff. Very good bruschetta for a lite dinner.

We spent very little time really in the other four villages but even so we would recommend Monterosso and Manuel's Guesthouse.

All the rooms at Manuel's Guesthouse have this view.

Monterosso is the Cinque Terre village with the biggest beach. On the weekends every single one of these umbrella & lounger combos is rented. Weekdays not so much. We arrived on a Saturday afternoon which is probably why the train station (right across from the beach) was a zoo.

The train tracks are exceptionally close to the coast in most places.
But it's not a picturesque ride between villages because the train is in tunnels most of the time.

Photo of the train passing through Monterosso.
Pedestrian access to town is through the arches under the tracks.

View of Monterosso from our day 3 hike. The tongue of land sticking out is the parking lot for the village.
In town the only vehicles are: taxis, emergency services, and very small delivery trucks (though many deliveries seem to be done using a dolly).


View of Vernazza from along the trail. This is our destination for the hike on our first day.

A view of Corniglia which was our destination on day 2. This gives you some idea about how far we have to walk downhill. The village of Corniglia is on the rocky outcrop and the train station is below. There are many many stairs in between the village and the station.