revwaltp: November 1, 2022 - Cinque Terre, Italy

Cinque Terre, which means Five Lands, is part of the Italian Riviera in Liguria. The coastline, the five villages of Monterossa, Vernazza, Corniglia, Manarola, and Riomaggiore, and all the surrounding hillsides make up the Cinque Terre National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Each village began with a leading noble family that settled in the area in the 11th and 12th Centuries. Over the centuries, each village has grown and the people who settled there built terraces on the rugged, steep hillsides right up to the cliffs. Paths, trains, and boats connect the villages together as few cars can access this terrain. The predominant crops in the area have been grapes and olives, as well as citrus and some vegetables. Here is a map of the area:

There are multiple paths that lead from one village to the next. The main path called, Lover’s Walk, goes mainly along the coast and into each village. It is a serious hike, but mostly doable by amateur hikers. The full path has been closed since 2019, but will reopen in 2024, although parts of it are open. There are many other paths that lead up into the hillside and are listed as moderately difficult, difficult, and very difficult. There are signs everywhere warning people about the dangers and difficulties of these paths and to not over estimate your ability to hike them. You’ll have a better understanding of what I’m talking about when you see the pictures. I’m staying in Manarola. Here are some pictures from the town:

Last night from my balcony.

In this rock wall you’ll see a balcony at the top right corner. That’s mine!

Today I journeyed into Monterossa and Vernazza. Here are some pictures from these villages:

Monterossa is the most northern of the villages and is the largest. It was settled first and is closest to Genoa, another important town in Italy settled by a noble family.

This is someone’s house!

This is a bed and breakfast, but they are closed during the winter months.

A closeup of the statue built on the cliff side of that house. Each village has a tiny beach, but it is made up of small stones rather than sand.

I headed out early for Monterossa and grabbed breakfast here. I was rather rudely shewed away from one restaurant that was for “hotel guests only”, so wandered a bit further down the walkway and came across a “neighborhood” bar/restaurant - much better, anyway! Men in the town walked up to the kiosk and ordered their espresso/cappuccino and drank it right there at the counter while they chatted with one another. I was however, preoccupied with an elderly woman who decided I was her target for the morning. She began a conversation with me in Italian and I tried to explain to her that I was an American and didn’t know any Italian - she didn’t break stride for a second and continued to tell me her story of ….who knows what. When she laughed, I laughed; when she looked serious, I’d look serious. It wasn’t until her dog suddenly took off after another dog that I got relief from her storytelling. As soon as she’d gone the men at the counter turned to me and one of them said in English, “You have no idea what she was talking about do you?” I responded, “not a clue.” And another took his finger to his ear and circled it several times - the universal sign for “she’s crazy.” And they all laughed.

Here’s a photo I got of some of them (their third shot of caffeine?)

I then headed to Vernazza

Back in Manarola I decided to go for a hike just to see how bad the trails could be. I figured I’d head back when it became too difficult. I’m hoping that the following pictures give you some idea of the scope of the sheer terraces that were built into the landscape; how high up they are, and the unbelievable tenacity it must have taken for those that settled along this coastline to believe you could make a life here.

It was finally at this stretch of more uneven stone steps that I decided I better head back down.

Although the hills and vistas were calling me, I turned around and went back. Going up is actually a lot easier for me than going down and I was already beginning to feel uneasy about how well I’d do. I could certainly be in better shape for this kind of thing and I’m painfully slow, but I’m pretty proud of myself for doing it at all. But, the views were worth it!

To perhaps give you some perspective. In this photo, I’m above the town of Manarola, but not even a quarter of the way up the hillside for where the terraces are. And it is here where the townspeople made their living; building stone terraces, planting vineyards, and olive groves; where they toiled up and down on those pathways with their buckets of grapes and olives. It is truly humbling.