Cinque Terre

previous page

pages 1 2 3 4 5 6 ALL

next page

Sept. 18 -- The Due Mari Hotel in Sestri Levante -- the view from one window.	The view from the other window.	Pierre looking out over the locals' beach. Later in the week, we would watch fireworks from that window.	Our small room.
Our tiny bathroom.	After torrential downpours the night before, a beautiful morning from the hotel's rooftop terrace.	The church was right next door. The bells would wake us at 7:00 a.m.	The beach for the 4 and 5-star hotels.
Beautiful clouds.		We head to Monterosso, the northernmost of the Cinque Terre towns.	We were looking for an anchovy and olive oil festival, but it turned out to be no big deal.
So we started exploring up through town.	We walked into the hills above town, along this lane,	until we came to this switchback.
We were invited to look around a vineyard/winery/agribusiness, which had terraced plantings all around.	Then we headed back down, through town,	along the beach, and back to the train station.	From Monterosso, we took the train to the southernmost town, Riomaggiore.
We explored a bit, then had lunch at a restaurant just down this street.	After lunch, we walked the easiest section of the Cinque Terre trail, the Via dell'Amore.	The Via dell'Amore is a wide, paved path between Riomaggiore and the next town north, Manarola.	More padlocks, left by lovers in romantic spots. We wondered about the occasional combination lock.
Arriving in Manarola, after only 20-25 minutes walking.	The vineyards above Manarola. Notice the wooden figures at the top of the hill. They are lighted for Christmas.	Walking down through Manarola to the harbor. Notice the boats stored on the street.	The crane at the harbor for lifting/launching boats. Also, the deep-water swimming hole.
Young men were leaping off the rocks into the water.	Manarola means "water wheel," in the local dialect. There used to be a large river running through the center of town.	The locals use a little tractor/train to work vineyards on the steep hills.
Kathleen and Pierre wait for the train back to Sestri Levante.	Monday, Sept. 20, we start off in Monterosso again, this time heading south on the Cinque Terre trail to Vernazza.	We climb.	The trail had been closed the day before, because of rain damage, but the sun is out today.
Kathleen on the trail. Even though it was open, the trail was wet and slippery.	More hillside vineyards.	A closeup of the vineyard tractor/train, loaded with grapes.	Locals harvesting grapes.
Water tanks for irrigation. Monterosso is receding in the distance.	Stone walls line the trail, constructed by local stone masons using no mortar or cement.	Pierre points the way.	The trail wound through the hills, occasionally passing a remote farm.
But, how remote were we, really? Isn't that the main road just above the farm?	Monterosso is really far away now.	We start to see Vernazza in the distance.	Vernazza gets closer,
and closer,	until we're rounding the back side of the town.	Be careful, kitty!	A memorial to local men killed in the wars.
A river runs through town.	Old millstones by the playground. We'd like to rest, but there's still one more town to see.	The view up to Corniglia from the train station. We have to climb all those steps (almost 400!) to get into town.	The views from the top are fantastic.
And the town itself is quaint,	with colorful piazzas and an old church.	Pierre peaks around a corner.	The view south. The train station is down there, in the lower left corner.
We have to climb down the steps to get there.	Then "home" to Sestri Levante! The town is very quiet in the middle of the afternoon.	We manage to drag ourselves out to dinner and are rewarded by the final night of Santo Cristo festival lighting.

previous page

pages 1 2 3 4 5 6 ALL

next page