Saturday, September 20
The air conditioner stopped working at 4:30 am and it was hard to breathe. Eventually we got up and headed out to the Cinque Terre. (There are 72 stairs up from the street to the train station.) The train ride took a little over an hour, and we chatted with some people from Southern California. We rode to the last town, Riomaggiore, and started our trek to Manarola. This is an easy, scenic walk once finishing the upward climb, of which there must be over one hundred stairs. We made a brief stop in Manarola to purchase postcards.
Someone on the internet did a report of his/her travels in these five villages from which we got a tip about taking "the high road" from Manarola to Corniglia. This is supposed to be the easier route. Right! If this is easier, I shutter to think what the other route is like. We're heading up, and up, and up. My heart is pounding -- my legs aching. Thank goodness we got our workouts in Venice. The walk is scenic, the path narrow. In the States there'd be a railing, but here if you trip you're gone -- and if you fall, it could be fatal! At one point we almost turn back as we reach a narrow turn. We ponder. People walk around me as I hug the wall. I decide to give it a try -- it's easier than it looks. With a little coaxing Maritza follows; it's my hesitancy that gives her the jitters. We continue, the difficult part behind us, but still dangerous. Towards the end we pass people sunbathing on rocks, swimmers out, the water beautiful. We pass tiny cabins that probably serve as summer rentals. Another one hundred or so steep steps up and we are in Corniglia. The walk between Corniglia and Vernazza is supposed to be more difficult. Is that a train I hear? Yes, we abandoned the trails and took the train. In Vernazza we meet a young Canadian woman who walked it and told us she was shaking at the end. We congratulate ourselves for walking the portions we did, and for having the sense to stop. For those of you who think we're wimps, well, I suppose we are to some extent (lol), but we are both very short and those steps for our short legs made the climbing extra challenging.
Vernazza is the prettiest village we see. It's Saturday, and that probably adds to the festivities. The harbor is filled with boats, people are out in abundance, cafes are filled, umbrellas added color. We grab a snack and train home. We're exhausted, but as we head to our hotel, we pass a flea market. No rest for the weary. I wander the town again checking out the shops where the locals frequent. I watch a man making pasta; he's friendly and lets me take his picture. In the evening we train (72 steps again) to Camogli, that was recommended for seafood. It's another pretty little harbor town, but we cannot find a restaurant that interests us. We head back to the station (84 stairs). It's Saturday night in SML without a reservation -- so much for an early dinner. La Cambusa near our hotel has room for us. I order Zuppa something-or-other; I guess it's their version of bouillabaisse. Interesting, but I would not order it again. Our waiter flirted with Maritza.
Until I started planning this trip I'd not heard of Santa Margherita. I'm amazed at how many people we hear speaking English, and how many people are here from California. I think Rick Steves has put the Cinque Terre on the map. I'm glad I've seen it before they get a McDonald's.
Camogli
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