Cinque Terre detailed post!

Mar 24-26 – Cinque Terre!

Ok, so here goes the blog about the best weekend I have had so far in Italy! I was traveling with Margee, Carly, and Aashley for Cinque Terre and we left Thursday afternoon right after lunch.

Funny/Scary story about on the way there…We had three train exchanges and when we finally got to our destination in Levanto station I go to reach for my backpack under my seat and suddenly realize that I left it in the McDonalds in the last train station 20 minutes back. I had my camera in there and I my heart dropped. I can’t remember the last time I have been that mad at myself. So the couple that was at the station to pick us up helped me quickly buy a ticket to catch the train back to the last station and I waved bye as they took the three girls to where we were staying for the night and I waited for the next train to come. That wait for the train and the twenty-minute train ride was torture. I was just praying, wishing, freaking out, beating myself up, etc the whole way there. At one point I told God that I would be content whatever the outcome would be, but I was so hopeful that it would be there.

It was there praise God! My Zaino (backpack) had been found and given to the lady behind the counter who had kept it for me an hour later in a very busy train station. I told my story to a random Italian dude I sat with on the train back to Levanto where we were staying and he was so shocked to hear that it hadn’t been stolen. Thank you Jesus! The guy I talked to was actually a language tutor in several European languages including English so he spoke very good English and was also able to help me practice my Italian. ☺

Carly had lent me her cell phone when I went away separately so I was able to contact the people we were staying with an tell them when to meet me at the airport to pick me up and Claudio was there waiting for me and was happy to see that I had my Ziano on!

That night we stayed in Levanto on a farm with Claudio and Grazia a very nice couple who rents out a few rooms to travelers. It was a great experience. The rooms were clean, and don’t even get me started on the free breakfast. We had a leisurely two hour breakfast and gorged ourselves on the most amazing, fresh, homemade everything. Homemade jams, honeys, pastries, granola, fruits, cheeses, yogurts. Yeah, be jealous. Ha. I had kiwi jam, orange honey, wild berry pastries, cappuccinos, juice, and I definitely took part in the sin of gluttony. :)

We were then off on the train to Monterosso, the biggest of the five towns/villages that make up Cinque Terre. Cinque Terre for those of you who don’t know is composed of these 5 villages that lie in the mountains right along the coast of Italy and it was probably the most beautiful place I have ever been in my life. We had planned on doing the coastal hike which was supposed to be a 5 hour hike that went right along the mountain edge along the coast and would take us through Vernazza, Corniglia, Manorola, and eventually end in Riomaggiore. Sadly, there had been some recent landslides and all of the coastal hikes were closed except for the stretch from Riomaggiore to Manorola. Although the hikes that went up into the mountains and then back down to the coast of each town was open and so we decided to do the long hike from Monterosso to Vernazza.

I am so glad there was a landslide though because the five-hour hike was gorgeous. It was a pretty strenuous hike, but the landscape was breathtaking. We were often able to look out and see the ocean and the small villages down at the water’s edge all the while looking out over the beautiful green mountains. We made a couple minor errors along the way and ended up taking the long way, but we made memories and made it to Vernazza. What an incredible hike. The town of Vernazza was so quaint. The houses were all built right into the mountainside on the outskirts with rocks probably taken from the area with green moss growing all over them. It almost reminded me of like a hobbit scene. Then after a little while in Vernazza and trying some famous focaccia bread that was delicious we hopped on a train for Riomaggiore. We found out that the bus to Biassa (where our hostel was that night) only ran at 1230pm and so we had to take a bus, which left in 15 minutes to take us to a nearby town about a mile and a half walk from Biassa.

The bus ride to this little town as we were leaving Riomaggiore was awe-inspiring. The sun was setting and the sky was purple, orange, deep blue, and red. One of my favorite sunset skies ever even though we didn’t see the actual sun set because it was on the other side of the mountains I think. Anyway, so the sky was beautiful and we could look down and see the town of Riomaggiore nestled on the coastline with the breathtaking mountains spread all around and even see a few of the other villages of Cinque Terre dotted farther down along the coastline. Wow.

After some more walking we got to Biassa as it was starting to get dark and checked into our hostel. For dinner we found the only restaurant in the tiny town of Biassa. Ha. It was delicious though. Did you know that Cinque Terre is the birthplace of pesto? Yeah, so I had the local pasta called Trofie (funny looking thing but delicious…a little chewy than I’m used to, but very good) al Pesto. Amazing.

The next morning we had the two Euro breakfast provided for us at the hostel in Biassa, which was definitely lacking compared to our amazing breakfast the morning before at the farm. When we got to Riomaggiore later that morning we went down to the marina, which is where all the boats are pulled in, and it was gorgeous.

We took the coastal walk that was open from Riomaggiore to Manorola. It was once again breathtaking. We walked right along the cliff’s edge and the waves crashing into the cliffs below us with the view of the ocean and sometimes the coast with the other villages of Cinque Terre in view was amazing.

After spending some time in Manorola at the marina we took the train to Corniglia and got to walk through town and also walk down to the cove and see the waves crashing into this little cove. So pretty. We ate lunch out on the patio at this little restaurant overlooking the town, mountains covered in vineyards and wildflowers, and the ocean. I enjoyed some more pesto from the place where it originated. So fresh, herby, and flavorful….waaay better than any other pesto I have ever eaten before.

We hurried down the mountain to the train station in Corniglia and barely caught the next train to Monterosso where we began our little adventure. Grabbed some gelato and headed out to the beach to soak up the sun, enjoy the view, and recuperate. It was glorious. We took the train back that evening and got into Orvieto Scallo (lower part in the valley) around 1130 and took the last bus up the mountain and made it back just in time for our midnight curfew. Overall, it was the best weekend I have had so far in Italy. Wonderful!