On our first full day in Cinque Terre we were up early to hike the coastal path to Monterosso al Mare. The 11 km/7 mile coastal trail links the five towns of Cinque Terre and is nominally part of Cinque Terre National Park (essentially a way to charge a fee). Parts of the trails were damaged in the floods in October 2011 and have not yet been repaired. Luckily the 3 km/2 mile trail from Vernazza to Monterosso is intact. It’s considered the most rugged and difficult section, but also very scenic and rewarding. We didn’t find it that difficult and it took us about 1.5 hours to reach Monterosso. We were early enough that we had the trail to ourselves until we got close to Monterosso. It was a beautiful morning, cool and peaceful, and we stopped periodically to appreciate the views and for Norah to look at the cats along the way.

Monterosso is the only Cinque Terre town built on flat land and as a result is a larger town with a lot of beach and is a happening place. Most of the beaches you have to pay and they are packed with umbrellas and chairs you rent. We opted for the small free beach near the end of the trail in Old Town (Centro Storico). It was empty early in the morning and we claimed our space. Steve went off on a run/hike and Norah and I played on the beach for a good part of the day. It was a beautiful spot, but a little painful on the beach since it was all pebbles. It wasn’t the best place if you wanted to build sand castles or bury your toes in the sand, but it was great for looking for interesting rocks and sea glass. We decided sea glass would make a great souvenir and we kept an eye out for good pieces the rest of our time in Cinque Terre.

We finally tore Norah away from the beach after six hours and walked through the pedestrian tunnel over to New Town (Fegina). An interesting fact in our Rick Steve’s guide about Monterosso is it has a Nazi bunker used by gunners during World War II. Monterosso was bombed while the Germans were there during the war. We had some delicious focaccia with pesto (another local specialty - both the focaccia and the pesto), enjoyed some gelato, and stopped at a playground. We found a restaurant that served an earlier dinner and got a table by the water at Il Casello. We had an excellent plate of mixed, grilled fish (blade fish, swordfish, sea bass, and shrimp). It was fresh and tasty. We planned to hike back to Vernazza and Norah and I got a head start while Steve settled the bill. We stopped on the trail to take some night pictures of Vernazza - beautiful! We finished the night with gelato and music in Piazza Marconi. Norah had a grand time dancing and made quite the impression on our fellow travelers. She was pretty cute busting out her dance moves!

We returned to Monterosso the next day after Steve retired to the room to rest (he didn't feel well) and Norah wanted some more beach time. Steve still didn't feel well the following day and we took it easy for the day. We rode the train to Monterosso and I made the command decision that we were going to spend the day at the “rich folk” beach. I figured if we were spending all day at the beach I wanted shade. It was about 20 euro for two deck chairs and an umbrella. Considering we were from 10 am to 6 pm, I think it was money well spent! Steve left at one point to try a hike and I left later to browse in the shops. Norah was happy to have some real sand and she played all day digging holes, collecting rocks, and opening a “rock shop”and I read my books. It was a very nice relaxing day in Monterosso.