Cinque Terre refers to the region of the Ligurian coastline where five fishing villages are nestled into the cliffs that drop straight into the ocean. Traditionally only linked by a walking trail the villages seem to be almost carved out of the mountains. The mountain slopes that they are perched on are terraced with many types of vegetables, grapes and other fruits. It is a truly picturesque coastline and was made a world heritage site in 1997. You can access the towns either by train, bus or ferry these days. We took the train from Rapallo. Arriving at the southern most town Riomaggiore, we walked for 20mins to get to the little village Manarola and then another 1hr and 10mins to get to a tiny village perched high up on the cliffs called Corniglia. This little town had great character and from its narrow little streets you could catch breath taking views of the ocean and the coastline. From there we we took the train to the next town known as Vernazza.
The sweltering 40 degree heat was upon us and the clear blue water of the little port beckoned. It was time for a swim! The pictures speak for themselves. This is a place that one should come to spend a week reading or painting or writing! You could imagine relaxing here and wandering down the narrow little streets to get freshly caught sea food at a little trattoria. Remote, and yet within a train trip of Milano or Genoa! Once soley fishing villages, I suspect that their biggest trade is tourism now. After a good swim till 5pm it was back on the train to Rapallo and a relaxing evening meal at a nice seafood restaurant on the water.
Early 5am start in the morning. Catching the Ferry from Genoa to Bastia in Corsica!
Fred
Fred
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