5 May 2022
The Cinque Terre has a way of distracting you from reality. Emphasized in the brochures about the area are the 377 steps that one must climb from the train station to reach Corniglia. However, once trekking the higher trails of the park, these 377 steps look like child’s play. The uneven stone steps, twists and turns, ups and downs, and narrow pathways found along the higher trails are the reality.
(more…)4-6 May 2022
My second stop along Italy’s Cinque Terre is small Manarola, a collection of pastel buildings tumbling down a ravine to the sea. Trains depart Riomaggiore three times an hour and the ride takes 2 minutes. For a flat rate of 5€, that’s a hefty fee when I have energy to spare – a real bargain after hiking one of the mountain trails along this coastline.
Manarola may be one of the prettiest villages on the Cinque Terre. My entry yesterday came from above where I could look out over the expanse of vineyards and hills all the way to Volastra and Corniglia. Today, coming up from the train station, Manarola seems to be perched on a steep promontory with its small port to the left and rows of colorful houses above and to the right.
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