Geriatric Hikers Take on Cinque Terre - Part 2Jul 15, 2011
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What a spread!
Breakfast at La Serra
On our terrace
| Thursday, July 15th - Cinque Terre Today was the day we would tackle the Cinque Terre trail. We needed a good breakfast and we that's what we got. On a lovely set table strewn with roses and overlooking the sea, we enjoyed delicious omelettes, fruit crepes, apricot brioche,fresh fruit and foccacia, proschiutto and melon and to top it all off a heavenly made on site tiramisu dusted with cocoa. After that feast, we were more ready for a nap than a two hour trek in the hills, but we persevered and laced up our runners. We began at the B&B, which gave us a head start and a pass on the seemingly endless steps from the village up through the terraced vineyards. The trail is part of a national park system and it perilously skirts the coast along the five towns which make up the Cinque Terre. Many keen hikers from around the globe come to walk the trails and visit all five picturesque towns. Realistically we may go to 3 but we have not committed to a number yet preferring to see where the day and the fatigue would lead us. As we followed along the trail we met a variety of hikers, some in upscale hiking boots with walking sticks or ski poles and others sliding around in dressy sandals and flip flops. Most were friendly and ready to offer a hello or a word of encouragement. The trail was quite challenging in spots with very narrow stone ledges to inch along and precipitous drops on the opposite side. We had no calamitous falls except the odd embarrassing trip over an exposed root or a loose rock. Of course the views all along were spectacular and very photo worthy. So as we stopped to catch our breath we would snap away at the amazing vistas before us. One particularly interesting spot was a clearing with a picnic table and a note on a canister asking passerbys to feed the homeless cats. In the canister were dry and wet cat food and a fork to dish it out on some platters on the table. A mangy old tom crawled out when Lorraine filled the plate and proceeded to gingerly munch on the welcome food. Poor fella didn't seem to have many teeth left. Anyway we had done our good deed for the day. Another unique sight was a miniature monorail all rusted over and used for snaking through the vineyards to gather the ripened fruit. The work in the vineyards is back breaking and the plots have been divided some much amongst the farmers' children that they are no longer profitable so they are being abandoned and returning to wild forests. Our first and possibly last destination was the unparalleled village of Vernazza, unmatched in its exquisite location and loaded with charm and whimsy. Our first glimpse of the town from the hill high above it was memorable. This little jewel had everything going for it: a historic church, a lovely swimming beach just a few steps from the town's main square, an arching break water with the turquoise surf wildly crashing against it, and a medieval castle with a watchtower guarding the bay and perfect for extensive views of the region. The village consisted of little more than the tiny harbour, a church square and a single street filled with shops and eateries snaking up from the harbour and under the railroad track that connected all five villages. We wandered through the village, enjoying the many views, gelati and wine. We chatted with a young fellow from Australia and then hiked up to the castle and further up to its watchtower, where we were rewarded with even further vistas. As in Monterosso, there were no large hotels, only small B & B's and rooms for rent. As it was by now late afternoon, we passed up on taking the train or boat (it may have been too choppy for boats as we did not see any) to some of the other villages, and instead chose to take the train back to Monterosso. The trains were packed with day trippers and hikers, so we were glad to have passed up trying to blitz the entire region. Back in Monterosso, we strolled along the promenade in the new town, which bordered the numerous pebbled beaches along the coast. Monterosso is the only one of the five towns that has any beach resort feel to it. Then we took a cab up to La Serra (no more walking uphill for this day), where we both enjoyed long showers for our aching joints and sore muscles. We enjoyed tea and coffee, cookies and fruit on our terrace as we watched the last of the hikers from Vernazza make their way down the hill through the rows of vines before the sun set. Friday, July 15th - Florence After another sumptuous breakfast, we said farewell to the mother and daughter who ran La Serra (not unlike that in the movie, Mama Mia), took a cab to the train station and journeyed to Florence, changing trains in Pisa. As luck would have it, at the station in Pisa we bumped into the threesome from Seattle that we had shared a compartment with on the trip from Milan, and chatted again for a few minutes. They were on the way back to Rome for the end of their trip. Florence was hot and humid, and we hauled our suitcases to our hotel on a trendy shopping street in the centre of old Florence, across the street from the Palazzo Strozzi and a few blocks from the Arno River, the Ponte Vecchio and Piazzo Republica. Our room was very large by European standards, and located on a corner overlooking the streets below. After a short break, we strolled across the Ponte Vecchio, paid too much for gelati, and walked to the Pitti Palace on the opposite bank. We had had our fill of palaces, and the gardens were closing shortly for the day, so we just picked up a small piece of art and enjoyed some excellent wine at a bar facing the Palace. Later in the evening, when it was a bit cooler, we went out for a stroll, some photos and a bite to eat with wine at a bar facing the Santa Croce Church, before retiring and leaving the streets on a Friday night to the young people of Florence. |
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