YCGL - Sunday, September 10, 2023 - Cinque Terre! - Final

 Bonjorno! (Probably terribly misspelled, deal with it).  

I’m on a bus right now, on our way towards Pisa and Cinque Terre. This a hike, with options. I want to do the hike, but if it doesn’t work out, I can take a train between the towns.  But, I Will walk!  

(November 23, 2023)
Parco Nazionale delle Cinque Terre is a national park in Italy protecting five old towns along the coast between Genoa and Pisa. It is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.  

We took a bus from Florence to La Spezia where we got on a train.  The train goes to Riomaggiore and then follows the coastline.  I think it is more tunnel than open track as it hangs along the cliffs.  We passed through Riomaggiore and got off in Manarola.  We then stopped in Corniglia, Vernazza and Monterosso al Mare.  From there, we took a boat from Monterosso to Riomaggiore.  Finally, we took the train from Riomaggiore to La Spezia to the bus and back to Florence.  

Manarola

We walked up to a nice vista point and took some pictures.  When we walked to the point of land off of Erik's elbow, we got a much better view of the town.

However, when we came back on the boat, we could see much more of the community.

Corniglia

The village of Corniglia is not on the water but up on the side of the hill.  The train is just above sea level so to get to the town, you climb a staircase up 250 feet on 315 steps.  I had been walking in Laramie to get ready for this walk.  However, it was right at noon and our guide, who climbed up much more slowly with some other people, said that it was one of the hottest days in late summer at 92 degrees F.  Anyway, by the time I got to the top, I was worn out.  After we sat down to lunch in town, I checked my watch (which I don't always trust 100%) and my heart rate read between 160 and 170. It took 15 to 20 minutes for my heart rate to return to reasonable levels and for my body to cool off.    After talking to my dear guide, I had three choices.  I could continue on walking the path down to the next town, I could walk back down the steps to the train station with the rest of the group, or I could take a bus back down to the railroad station and wait for the other people to come down the steps.  The bus was very crowded but the right choice.  On the other hand, Erik took another path that went higher up the mountain to a small community and then headed down to Vernazza, where we eventually met.  

You can see the steps in the
upper middle of the picture

Almost to the top look down on the rail station.

The view from the restaurant.

Corniglia from the boat

The stairs (in the shadow).

Vernazza

The town of Vernazza was maybe the prettiest and most active of the towns.  The main street from the train station to the harbor was full of restaurants and clothing, art and gelato shops.  But I was still a little too buzzed to take pictures until I got to the harbor.  

The castle and watch tower facing the sea.

The economy that created the towns was fishing, olives and grapes.  The hillsides are terraced throughout the region and there are a number of small wineries.  

Monterosso al Mare

This is the largest of the communities and the most accessible (and the flattest).  It is the only one with a sand beach, and there are umbrellas and lounge chairs to rent.  And lots of shops.  Cinque Terre gets 2.5 million tourists a year and I am thankful that I was there in a shoulder season.  I can't imagine what July and August would be like.  It is also the largest port in the region.  

There are two churches around the main square.  The Parrocchia di San Giovanni Battista is the parish church from the 14th century.  

The bell tower is toward the rear of the church.

But what really catches the eye is the building just to the left of it.  The tympanum over the door is your first clue.

   

The skull and crossbones is not what you normally think of as you enter a church.

While the first thought is of morbidity, the Brotherhood of Death and Prayer was organized in the late 16th century to care for widows, orphans and sailors and to provide burial and prayers for the dead who would not be able to afford it.  

They wear the black robe and hood to show penitence.  But it is quite a shock to walk in.  

As there was a time to stop here and relax a little, Erik and I stopped and had a limoncello, a local liqueur made from lemons.  It was pretty good.  Erik bought me a little bottle and I would have a little sip of it in the evenings.  

We caught the boat here to go back to Riomaggiore.  As we pulled out, you could see the bell tower and the beach.  

As we got further out and I saw more of the mountainsides, I noticed the tree line.  It looked to me like they had planted a single row of trees at the mountain tops.  Wierd.

Riomaggiore

The picture on the right is an almost iconic picture of Cinque Terre.  That red building stands out on every brochure and webpage, so it has to be there.  And the engineer has to have a picture of one of the many incredible bridges over the distance.  

It was a long, hard day for me.  I did not accomplish everything that I wanted to.  I physically couldn't.  I tried hard, maybe too hard, but I did what I could.  I figure I accomplished 90% of what I wanted to do.  Which is a heck of a lot better than not doing it at all.  I was certainly pleased with Cinque Terre.  I would be happy to go back again, knowing what I know now.  I think I would still try to climb the wall to Corniglia, but much slower, with more stops and more water and protein bars.  Or I'd ride the bus up so I could explore more while I was up there.  And it was a good day with Erik.  God has blessed me with two wonderful children.  How lucky I am.  

But to me, the most important pictures in Riomaggiore are these two, of my wonderful guide.

She stayed close to me pretty much the entire trip.  She was a good guide in a complex tour that had people with widely differing skills and capabilities.  She was funny, fun, careful, and a true joy.  She had a double name that I worked hard to remember, which she appreciated.  And damn if I can't remember it now.  I've gone back to the tour's webpage and read every review, checked every picture and I just can't find it.  All I can say is I hope you know how much I appreciated you and valued you and wish you many good and happy days as you lead your groups.  Thank you!!!  And I'll look for that green notebook waving in the air, leading us onward!!!

YCGL - Monday, September 11, 2023 - Florence and Duomo

YCGL - Saturday, September 9, 2023 - Florence - The Tour and After - Final