Loose Leaf Notes

The whole reason for putting the Cinque Terre on my bucket list was that years ago I read Shirley Maclaine’s book about hiking the Camino and entertained the idea of making that month-long pilgrimage someday. The reality is, I don’t have the stamina to pull something like that off.  The idea of taking shorter hikes in-between the colorful villages of The Cinque Terre sounded so doable, and I liked the idea of swimming in the Mediterranean Sea and eating Italian food in between hikes.  The Cinque Terre is considered the Italian Riviera but unlike the French Riviera, the businesses in the villages are local and family owned.

Due to landslides on the steep mountain terrain, only two of the four Cinque Terre hiking trails are open. The trail between Corniglio and Vernazza was recommended. We thought it wouldn’t happen due to rain, but on the last afternoon of our stay in the area, the sun came out, so we took the short train ride to Cornigilo and walked to Vernazza.

That’s me at the start of the hike passing an olive grove on the left and some of the amazing stonework the Italians are known for on the right.

About half way. Not too discouraged. Camera in hand.

It wasn’t an easy hike. There were steep inclines and declines.

But the trail was beautiful and the views stunning.

We arrived in Vernazza after 1 ½ hours.

And promptly went for a dunk in the sea.

I thought of the village as a party town after being in the beach town of Monterosso for two days, and then the small nearby town of Bonasolla.

We got drinks with supper, watched a rowdy children’s birthday party, strolled the streets and alleyways, and checked out some shops before taking the train back to our AirBnB in Bonasolla.

The good news is that my knees held up! – Read more about our time in Italy HERE, HERE, and HERE.