2018 Italy Vacation, Day 13: Hiking from Vernazza to Corniglia

Sadly, today, we would be saying goodbye to Cinque Terre.  But before we left I had one more task to accomplish - hiking the last, unexplored segment of the trails connecting Cinque Terre - from Vernazza to Corniglia! 

We had a full day planned to the north in San Marco D'urri, so as not to detract from that quest, I arose around 6 am with a Clif bar in hand and bolted out of the door, down the alleyway, and met the trail heading southbound - of course, back up the steps leading away from town.

The map below is actually in Corniglia, but it shows the route so I'm providing it here.  

I arrived at the official national park entrance at around 6:30 and normally there would be someone in there checking to make sure all hikers had their Cinque Terre cards, but it was so early, the shack was unmanned.   

Signs on the shack listed the distance of the hike...

... and other important rules and information.  Respect the farmers, yo! 

Shortly after passing the entrance hut, you arrive at the quintessential vantage point for the myriad of photos of Vernazza.  Here is my myriad +1 

If you locate the big orange house in the middle of the photo, there's a white addition, barely visible, sticking out of the left hand side near the roofline. That's where we stayed.

The fun was over and now it was time to climb!  Up we go.  Again, I was thankful for those stair climbing sessions in the gym!

With the elevation, more and more of the coast came into view, and the rising sun cast a beautiful hue across the horizon. 

Looking past the castle on the point in Vernazza you can see the shoreline of Monterroso al Mare.

I was constantly enchanted by the makeshift and personalized devotionals throughout Italy and the Cinque Terre.

The tunneling that went into providing train service between the towns is impressive.

 Sometimes the trail goes shoddily up...

... sometimes it dips a little...

Sometimes it's smooth and mercifully level...

But mostly its up and more up!

After about 45 minutes, I arrived in this little settlement.  The trail runs right through this cluster of buildings.

 A sign and the white over red trail maker show the way.  This is not a trap!

As you enter the narrow alleyway, you are confronted with this delightful little waystation.

The sign exclaims "Congratulations, you are 1/2 way there!  And then invites you in for a meal and/or a drink with a seaview.  

I sorely regretted that it was too early for them to even be open for breakfast.  I will just have to come back!

More interesting devotionals to Mary.

And on one of the back walls, this cool little sign giving the story of the Cinque Terre hiking trails in pictorial form.  Don't even think about taking this sign - you're being watched!

Right before leaving this enclave was another sign advertising the terrace bar at Il Gabbiano.

Looking forward, my destination came into view - Corniglia!

Manarola peaks out in the background.

Continuing on, and then looking back, you can spot Bar Gabbiano mid-way up the mountain with the San Bernardino community above.  Once the sun was up at around 7 am, it got hot already.  Like the guidebooks say, it's best to hike early or late in the day in the summer.

This was the only spot where I remember there was space to get off the trail and camp - don't know if this is legal, allowed, or frowned upon. The picnic table makes me think it's legal.  For the nomads out there, it's worth finding out about.  No one was up or about when I cruised through.

Getting close to Corniglia now, the trail was level and the town in view.

The trail begins its descent...

At this point, the trail was perilously close to the edge of the bluff.  I slowly crept close enough to get this shot looking back towards Vernazza but it and Monterosso are both hidden in the folds of the mountainous coastline.  Oh, the color of the Ligurian Sea!

The first cove in the lower left of the photo above is the fabled Guvano Beach - the "hidden" nudist beach of Cinque Terre.  For you seekers out there, it's not safe to try the long trial access because of landslides, so it's best reached by boat.

The trail starts to descend in earnest.

The monorails used to carry motorized "trains" up the slopes to harvest olives and grapes are a testament to these steep, but working landscapes.

Flanked by beautifully-crafted stone walls, the trail makes its approach to Corniglia.

Good morning Corniglia...

Public art surrounds the trail marker right where the trail crosses the road - Via Stazione.

Another example of the fine stone craftsmanship in the walls leading into town.

The vineyards on the approach into town...

This marker shows that the trail is part of the Ligurian Coast Trail.  Translate the page to find out more here:  http://www.sentieroliguria.com/home/index.html

Along the trail wall I found this decorative spigot which you can use to fill up your water bottle.

About 1.5 hours after leaving the harbor in Vernazza, I was cruising into Corniglia.

That's about 2 mph which is not bad considering the first 45 minutes or so was all uphill plus all the stops for photos.

The palm trees in Corniglia were cool.

 An old grape press found decorating the alleyway into town.

The trail dumps you out right in front of the (Church) Chiesa Di San Pietro

More palm trees!

Here's the backside of the Church of San Pietro.  Looks like there used to be a big window and some other entryways that has since been walled up.

The trail dumps you out right at the top of the stairs that lead to the train station.  Nice to be going down instead of climbing up the 385 steps!

I hustled down to the station, and caught the next train back to Vernazza.  I clearly had been up and down from the harbor to the train station more than twice, so according to Christian, I was a local.  Accordingly, I easily and swiftly navigated the maze of alleyways to our room to rendevous with my beloved Kathi.  I quickly showered, donned fresh clothes, and we departed La Marina Rooms for the last time (this trip!).  

On the way to the train station we stopped to check out this display showing the ravages of the flood and resulting mudslide in 2011.  It really did a number on Vernazza!  

The recovery has been amazing!  

We met Christian at the train station and paid him for our stay (cash only), hopped on the train, and settled in for the short ride to Levanto to retrieve our car, an head out for one of the most exciting excursions of our trip - on to San Marco D'urri - the tiny village where Kathi's great grandmother was born!

2018 Italy Vacation, Day 11: Vernazza & Hiking to Monterosso al Mare

We bought Cinque Terre cards at the Oasi Hotel that would give us unlimited train service and access to the hiking trails (part of the Italian national park network).  We checked out and lugged our single suitcase up the hill to the train station.  After a short wait, we boarded for the approximate 25 minute ride from Levanto to Vernazza in Cinque Terre. 

Cinque Terre is a mountainous, sea-side region lying between Genoa and La Spezia on the Ligurian Sea, a.k.a. the Italian Rivera.

Car access to the five villages is limited and most tourists reach Cinque Terre by train.  Travel between the villages is either by train, ferry, or by foot through the Cinque Terre National Marine Park (and World UNESCO site) along a network of trails.

After a short delay, we arrived in Vernazza and met Christian, our host from La Marina Rooms where we would be staying for the next three nights.  Christian was very gregarious and affable, and gave us a short tour of the little town on our way to the room.  He told us if we climbed up and down the hill between the harbor and the train station more than once, we would become honorary locals (day-trippers and tourists only make that trek once!).

Each of the villages in Cinque Terre is built around a ravine and so just above the train station, we saw where the water traverses down from the surrounding mountains and courses to the Ligurian Sea.

Almost all the way to the harbor, Christian steadied our suitcase on his shoulder and started humping it up through a labyrinth of narrow alleyways ...

past makeshift devotionals...

until we finally reached the green door and the entrance to La Marina Rooms. Our room wasn't quite ready yet, so we were escorted onto the veranda where we were forced to stare at the sea and listen to the waves crashing outside our window. 

It was so relaxing, I think we both fell asleep in the warm sun and sea breeze.  

 Once the room was ready, we dumped our stuff and went to explore Vernazza.  It's a charming little village with a humble piazza (Marconi) surrounded by restaurants and bars near the harbor.

Near the Castle Belforte, there is a tunnel that leads to a beach.  It's where the village stream used to hit the sea.  A 2011 flood deposited landslide material and debris from damage in the town here destroying the beach.  Some ambitious sunbathers still stretch out on the rocks to remember their past youth.  The color of the water is amazing!

After our short spin around town, Kathi and I made our way to the Castle Belforte for a lunch reservation at the "Lover's Table".

It sits on a perch over the water with an unobstructed view of the sea.  Heavenly!

Our waiter promised to take our picture, but photo-bombed us instead.

Then he took one for real.

We enjoyed the fuss and the champagne while we waited for the food to arrive.  Being in pesto country, Kathi ordered trofie pasta with pesto, and I got the "taste of the sea"

Kathi's pasta was amazing, and my dish, well, it had just about every local sea creature you could think of and all fried - whole fish, shrimp, crabs, octopus, etc.

In the end, nothin' left but a pile of bones and tails....

After lunch, we went to check out the Santa Margherita church at the far end of the harbor.  It was beautiful inside and a cool escape from the hot sun.  The church contains three portable crosses that are replicas of historic crosses that the locals like to believe were carried by Vernazzan ships during the crusades in the Holy Land.

We returned to the room for a short siesta and to plan our next moves.  I was keen to hike from Vernazza to Monterosso al Mare and Kathi wanted to head back to Levanto by train to rescue a lonely bottle of wine from our car at the Oasi Hotel and see if she could pick up a mortar and pestle she had her eye on (at Il Laboratorio del Pesto alla Genovese) and then we'd both meet up in Monterosso for dinner. 

We gathered our things, and headed out.

I explored the area north of the train station and located the "Pirate" cafe where Christian told use we could get a nice breakfast. Around 5 pm, trying to avoid the heat and beating sun, I returned to the middle of town, hung a right, and hopped on the trial.  I climbed as I wound my way through the city alleyways until I eventually popped out above the city.

After about another 10 minutes, I got this view looking back at Vernazza...

Compared to the ferry, you get a real sense of how small the town is.  Climbing still higher, the view widens and you can get a glimpse of Corniglia, peeking out from the hillside.  It's the next village south along the coast.

This photo shows the nature of the "trail" - stair stepping ever upwards!  All those days preparing on the stair master were worth it!

A gate decoration bordering the trail...

Following the white and red marker, the trail continues upward.

All along the trail, these markers were posted to gauge your progress and to provide your position in case of emergency.  Check out the International Aerial Aid Signal instructions in the lower right :)

Vernazza's getting further and further away.  The water and the rocky coastline is stunning.

The trail passed through this olive grove.  I'm assuming the netting is stretched out to capture olives that drop from the trees when ripe.  Send me a message if you can confirm or correct this assumption.

Along the route, you pass this "cat colony".  There were a handful of cat houses so the kitties could get out of the hot sun and there was a sign about helping out with donations for the care and feeding of the cats.

This cathouse was occupied.  I can't recall if the project was to rescue orphan cats or just a quirky Cinque Terre thing.  

I did see one rat in the trees but I didn't know if the cats were here to keep the rats out of the olive groves, or if the rats were drawn to the cat food left out in the open.  On my hike, I only saw the one rat in this vicinity - hmm...

Repeatedly passing over ridge and through vale, I eventually got my first glimpses of Monterosso al Mare.  As I approached, the slopes were terraced with vineyards.

To climb the steep slopes, tend to vineyards, and harvest the grapes, the vignerons install these monorail tracks up the side of the mountain and use gas-powered engines to carry them and their train of bucket cars up and down.  I would have liked to see this in operation; it all looks pretty precarious! 

Close to Monterosso al Mare, you pass this vineyard that offers a tour of the vines and wine tasting.  You have to hike to get there, but it would be pretty easy from the MaM side.  Next time, for sure!

All downhill now.  Monterosso al Mare (MaM), here I come!

Arriving from Vernazza, I first encountered the "Old Town" section of MaM with the train tracks bisecting the Piazza Giribaldi honoring the revolutionary who, in the 1860s, helped unite the people of Italy into the modern nation.

Colorful umbrellas designate the fee beaches.  I hustled through the Old Town to meet up with Kathi who was undoubtedly waiting for me.  

Under the trestle that holds up the elevated train tracks there were several photographs that showed a historic, bygone MaM.

Continuing on past the rock outcropping that separates Old Town from the "New Town" harbors, I searched the wide boardwalk until I found Kathi.

Sweaty and a little gross, we snuck into the fee beach area among the hoy paloy and Kathi held my clothes as I stripped down to my Patagonia shorts (designed to double as swim trunks!) and took a dip in the Ligurian Sea - so refreshing!

I toweled off and donned a fresh shirt and we went in search of a restaurant to have dinner. We found a boardwalk cafe that would give us a view of the sea as we ate.  We had to wait for a good seat, but it was worth it.  After dinner we enjoyed our sunset passeggiata as we slowly made our way towards the Old Town and the train station.

With our Cinque Terre card, the train ride was free and within a short 15 minutes, we were back in Vernazza.  We walked around the harbor to enjoy the lights and pleasant ambiance.

We climbed up the alley steps to our room at La Marina Rooms.  We were both tired, but I was determined to get a night shot of Vernazza from the heights.  I grabbed my headlamp and tripod and stepped out into the evening sea breeze.  My leg muscles complained as I climbed the town's stone steps one more time, to reach the proper vantage point.    

I fumbled around the the tripod, connected the camera, and messed around with unfamiliar  settings, taking a number of test shots.  Like a blind squirrel, I did get lucky and captured this image.

I hazily made my way down the train into town, trying not to trip or fall.  I climbed the steps to our room, dumped the gear and crawled into bed for an overdue sleep.