Five Villages and the Italian Riviera
The bus let us off in Levanto so we could get the train to Monterosso for an introduction to the Cinque Terre. Cecilia gave us an orientation on the area, the trains, the CT park and trails and then let us loose for a while to explore before catching the train to our hotel in Sestri Levante. Monterosso is larger than I expected and bustling with activity: swimming, sunbathing, fishing, boating, beer drinking, tourists galore. It would have been fun to stay longer but dinner and pesto-making awaited at the hotel.
We enjoyed the pesto demonstration. Everyone got a printed copy of instructions to bring home. Dinner featured lots of pesto - of course - along with fresh grouper and a birthday cake for one of the members of the tour. The next day was all free time so everyone scattered after breakfast. Our plan was to train hop from town to town, starting in Vernazza, a beautiful little harbor town and worthy of much more time than we were able to spend. It's funny how a lunchtime beer can bring a subtle change in plan. We headed up the trail towards Corniglia for a picture of the harbor from above, then lunch (and beer) at Bar la Torre, perched on the side of the mountain with a view that kept John busy with the camera. After that beer, we continued up - and up and up - the trail and just kept going until we got to Corniglia. It was very strenuous and hot but I'm happy that I was able to do it. We headed straight for the train, down the 15 bazillions of steps - okay, I exaggerate but it just seemed like they wouldn't end. At least we were going down. We got off the train in Riomaggiore, another lovely harbor town. Fortified by gelato, we opted to head back to the hotel and happy hour arranged by Cecilia. Highlights:
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