Sep 24, 2012 - The Cinque Terre Villages

Monday, September 24, 2012 We bought a round trip train ticket so we could do an overview of the 5 villages. We started with the northernmost, Monterosso. It was insane. Hundreds of German, French and English-speaking tourists thronged the streets. It looked like an "Occupy" movement. Because there is more flat land there and in Vernazza than in the 3 other villages, the tour groups flock to those two.. When we re-boarded the train to come back south, it was standing room only. We agreed that if the crowds got off at the next stop,...

Sep 23, 2012 - Arma di Taggia to the Cinque Terre

Sunday, September 23, 2012. Arma di Taggia to Riomaggiore in the Cinque Terre We dawdled along the coast road passing town after town of tall, shabby apartment blocks crowded together with little character. In short stretches between the towns, where the cliffs were too unfriendly to build on, the turquoise Mediterranean bays made the distant town look charming. We arbitrarily chose the town of Noli for a bite to eat before switching to the high speed toll roads in order to make our 5 PM rendezvous with our landlady in the Cinque...

Jun 10, 2012 - The Cinque Terre

Today we explore the other villages and tackle the only walk that is still open between the villages. That’s on the blue route anyway. There are some serious walks that venture further inland in the park. We walk to Manarola again and catch the train from there to the next village, Corniglia. A brief wander around the village (after we climb the 380 steps from the station) before we catch the train again to Vernazza. Sometime spent investigating again and a late lunch. Unfortunately the walks between Manarola and Coniglia and then to...

Jun 9, 2012 - Manarola

A quiet day around the village. Relaxing and catching up with Pegs. In the late afternoon we walk to the next village, Manarola – this is a level paved path that follows along the coast and only takes about half an hour. We spend the rest of the evening there, including dinner before walking back home again. As we climb to our hotel we come across a small local concert. Young kids all dressed in white with their instruments. Takes a while for them to get organised but finally the concert begins. Quite funny really, the kids (mostly with...

Jun 8, 2012 - We return to Italy and meet up with Pegs

An early walk down the hill to the ferry terminal and we board a ‘Moby Line’ ferry to Genoa. After arrival we are contemplating how to get to the railway station when we spy a bus with ‘Station Principle’ – just what the doctor ordered, sometimes you can be lucky. We eventually meet up with Megan and board a train to Riomaggiore, the most southern of the five villages that make up the Cinque Terre. Baggage in hand we begin the climb to our hotel – we go up, and we go up more, and we go up yet even more. There is not a flat square inch in...

Apr 29, 2012 - Visiting the cities of the Cinque Terre

We have no agenda today, so we slept in. When we finally got up and got out, we caught a boat to Riomaggiore, the farthest south of the Cinque Terre. This gave us the opportunity to look at all the towns from the w In Riomaggiore we ate lunch, which was not a good experience. We picked the restaurant becasue we saw our guide Donald there. We were served appetizers promptly, but then we waited 30 minutes for our main course and when it came, Susan was very disapointed with her dish. It was shrimp scampi, and it looked pretty on the plate,...

Sep 24, 2011 - Riomaggiore

Yesterday we arrived in Riomaggiore which is the southern most village and smaller than Monterosso.we are staying in a B & B on the third floor so plenty of steps and hills in this part. We have a small balcony to sit out on and watch all the locals.We have visited Cornilga and this morning walked around to Manarola which is a really nice walk. We then caught the ferry to Potovenere which is half an hr away a very picturesque town but a bit more upmarket. We are off to Lake Como tomorrow.

Apr 28, 2011 - Cinque Terre- like the French Rivera, only in the mountains

After Florence we started our trips on Italy's regional trains. Much cheaper and slower than the fast train we took from Rome to Florence, these trains would stop in the little towns that we needed. So we saw Piza from a distance, and no, I could not find the tower. Next trip I suppose. We were headed for Riomaggorie, the first of the five villages that make up Cinque Terre, an area I had never heard of. But these little villages cling to the sides of mountains that lead down to the same beautiful Mediterranian that drives prices sky-high...

Feb 13, 2011 - Riomaggiore, Italy

The train ride to Cinque Terre was very short from Pisa, and when we got off the train we were looking out into the ocean. I'm sure Kelly and I both looked riduculous because of how excited we were to be looking down at the rocky coast and crash of the waves of the ocean, but oh well. We had booked a hostel ahead of time, and the owners gave me specific instuctions of where we would meet them so they could bring us to our room. Kelly and I walked through a small tunnel that was decorated with tiles to get to the little town we were staying...

Oct 23, 2010 - Home again, home again...

The Cinque Terra is a truly unique and wonderful place. The villages really do cling tenatiously to the mountains, the various pastel shades of the buildings are easy on the eye, and the steep, cobblestoned streets and even steeper stairs lead ever upward to the buildings above the harbor. As for hiking the five villages, I'm sure that all the photos I've seen were taken between Riomaggiore and Manarola, a real cakewalk -- an airy sidewalk clinging to the side of the mountain overlooking the Bay of Genoa. It's called the Via d'Amore...

Sep 8, 2009 - Arrival in Chinque Terre

It took most of the day to travel from Varenna to Riomaggiore by train. We arrived in time to reaquaint ourselves with the last town we were in two years ago. Our hotel room was up 57 steps (had to carry our luggage - reminder to self: pack lighter). Our room was great and we were off to the restaurant we ate dinner at last time we were there. We ordered the marinated anchioves and they were as good as we remembered them. Ah the stress of deciding what wine, gelato, and dolce to have each day. Somehow we manage. Best wishes to all back in the...

Jul 28, 2009 - Assisi to Riomaggiore via Florence

A long train trip today as we changed our itinerary, having two nights in Assisi and none in Florence. We are now out of Umbria and into Tuscany. A little drier, but still beautiful country. Lots of sunflowers, corn crops, olive trees, hay bales and lakes. After Pisa, it was more mountainous but closely settled near the railway line. Finally arrived at the coast and gorgeous Riomaggiore, where we are staying two nights. Cinque Terre is five ancient, colourful coastal villages set apart by cliff walks. You can swim anywhere you can get down...