Thur 7/11 – Mon 11/11/19

October/November in Europe is typically rainy with temperatures reducing and shorter days so you need to be prepared for it.

Rob and I check the weather a lot and we have been reasonably lucky as we can pick and choose where we go and move away from bad weather to some degree. We have been dodging a bad weather front for two weeks now!

There are varying weather reports for today Friday 8/11, one indicates rain from 12pm the other indicates rain from the evening.

Unfortunately the Cinque Terre hiking path is closed! This area is a UNESCO listed national park and they close for maintenance in November so we have missed this hike due to the delay with my hand injury (sad face)! Our other options are to catch the train along the coast and visit each of the five towns or drive so we chose the train.

The train is mostly tunnels with glimpses of coastline usually before/after each station.

Monterosso

We travel to Monterosso the fifth town and furthest from La Spezia and arrive with a rain shower. Over the next hour we have sunshine and another shower.

The coastline is lovely, the beach sand is black.

There is a small market near the Chiesa but the town is otherwise quiet. I can well imagine what it would be like in summer but it’s nice to enjoy the town in the quieter season.

Levanto

Not part of the five towns but due to train schedules we travel further on to have a look at Levanto, a bigger beachside town popular with surfers. We stop for a break in a spot of sunshine and next thing you know I’m chatting to friends in Australia. Happy birthday’s to both Leigh and Gordon over the next two weeks!!!

Afterwards we keep exploring and spy another old Chiesa and enjoy exploring the town on the way back to the train.

Venazza

Next stop is Venazza the fourth town. It has a busy market place and there is a hole in the rock wall through which we can see the sea surging!

Further on is the seafront with rocks and a wall where many people are getting wet and even putting themselves at risk!

Then we climbed up to a castle that had amazing 360 views that clearly show the famous terraces that the area is listed for.

It is for this reason, this human intervention of the landscape, painstakingly carved out over the last century, that UNESCO have listed it as a World Heritage site.

There are stairs everywhere, up and down. Rob and I have walked about 12kms today so far. Three towns to go!

Corniglia

The station is about a kilometre from town number three so to save my legs we wait for the bus. We miss the first two as people push and shove forward and I’m too polite unfortunately. Our time here is short but Corniglia is small and a quick go round is enough.

Manarola

Town number two and very special. The beautifully coloured houses are all clustered together atop the cliff, sandwiched between the turbulent grey skies and the throthing aqua marine sea. It feels like a storm is imminent but it holds off as we do a circuit along Via Birolli.

Riomaggiore

Town number 1 and quite large, it sprawls from the coastline back up into the valley.

We walk a steep circuit up the hill passing L’oratorio di S. Maria Assunta o dei disciplinanti. This is the most charming little church, lit by chandeliers it holds two very old important statues of Mary, one in chains from the fourteenth century and one in wood of the virgin and child from the sixteenth century. It also has beautiful stained glass windows on the sides of the church.

After a quiet moment in the Chiesa we continue around and up the hill past the parish church of S. Giovanni Battista and towards the Fortress.

The day fades and the lights start to come on and we agree it’s been a wonderful day on the Cinque Terre.

As we walk back along the tunnel to the train we admire the ceramics that decorate the tunnel then enjoy a silly race to the train. Tired out after 18+km’s, we look forward to the train journey back to La Spezia and some dinner.