The Cinque Terre means 5 lands (Pronounced Ching-qua tear-re)
Today was an outing to these cute little villages that hug tightly to the Italian coast and are largely only accessed by train or boat or hiking the famous track in between them – about 5 hours with varying degrees of difficulty. There are no cars except for little delivery carts – 3 wheels. We took the train from Santa Margherita to the easternmost village Riomaggiore with its brightly coloured houses piled up the steep slopes (no two houses on the same level) and then walked to the next village – Manarola via Via dell’Amore (Lover’s Path) an easy 20 minute stroll. Houses here are all pastel coloured and again crowded up the hill.
We then took a boat past the next village, Corniglia, the smallest and remotest of the villages (no harbour) set high on a cliff., and hopped off at Vernazza – again brightly coloured and crowded up a hillside valley but with a cute harbour and a sandy beach!! Then took the train to last village, Monterosso, largest and most developed and then train back to our base at Santa Margherita Ligure. Staying in an oldish castle here with a nice view over the bay and across to Portofino way.
We are now up to date with photos – see “Umbria and Tuscany” and “Cinque Terre”…
