Manarola is the second town and probably the smallest. Also built into the hills, this town has a walkway down to the port where people were jumping into and swimming in the water. Being such an insanely hot day, we were regretting not bringing swimsuits with us too!
I had originally planned to walk the 14km between each town to reach the final one but the path between Manarola and Corneglia was closed. Luckily, there is a train quite frequently between all the towns so we were still able to get over there. Corneglia is the only town without a natural port, being up high on a cliff. It's amazing to see the structures and designs of these towns that stand precariously along the coast, build hundreds of years ago.
Bryan was having nothing to do with walking the path between towns, so we decided I would walk to Vernazza and he'd take the train and we'd meet up somehow when we got there. However, he started walking the path with me and ended up doing the whole thing! Four kilometers doesn't seem like much but it was uphill most of the way, with uneven steps and washed out areas, in heat that had to be about 45 with the humidity. He was a great sport! And I think we must have broken a record because we made the trek in less than an hour (our tour book said to expect at least 1 1/2 hours).
Vernazza is my favorite of the towns because it's a bit larger with a beautiful port to swim in and set sail. I love how colorful the buildings are and how they use ancient existing structures for modern purposes, as seen in the picture of the old tower - you can see umbrellas where they have a restaurant set up, overlooking the port.
After the hike and crazy heat, we decided just to come back here to shower, change and find dinner. La Spezia is a port town and has a nice boardwalk along the water. It's another very pretty town with loads of gorgeous vegetation. However, it was really difficult to find an open restaurant at 8:00 PM! Everything was closed when we went out, and after about an hour of checking things out, taking pictures and enjoying the water, we finally found two restaurants with customers at them. It was a good meal, no doubt, but once we were finished and walking back to the b&b, we saw many different places open and quite busy! It's a strange town....
Today we visited Monterosso al Mare, the largest and most touristy town of Cinque Terre. The town also has the two best beaches of the area, so we brought our swimsuits, rented some chairs, and jumped into the sea! It has the most extraordinary blue hue and it just sparkles. I think it's even prettier than the Carribbean. And it was so very warm and refreshing! I loved being in that water, just hanging out and swimming around.
I have been researching any possible regional foods or specialties for each area we visit and then try to get a taste for one or two of the items as we visit the cities. La Spezia and Cinque Terre have some of the best seafood and olive oil in all of Italy, but three of their specialty dishes are their focaccia, pesto, and stuffed mussels. Yesterday, we were given focaccia with drinks, and it was light, very tasty. Pesto we ate with pasta earlier today, and tonight we shared some stuffed mussels with tuna bruschetta. Yum! The mussels were superb, the best I have ever had!
We have a 5:45 AM train tomorrow so it's an early night for us. Tomorrow is by far our longest travel day, from La Spezia to Sorrento, for a total of 7 1/2 hours on trains. But...I think it will be worth it once we arrive!
I have to admit, also, that I'm really quite liking that we booked these Bed and Breakfast places rather than hotels. We get our own set of keys and basically stay inside an apartment building in a regular residential area. I like experiencing life as it may be if I were to live here. It's fun and our hosts have all been amazing in each city, offering advice and suggesting places to see and at which to eat. As long as the room comes with an ensuite, this is a great way to experience the areas at a much lower cost!
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