Yesterday, taking full advantage of the weather, we ventured to Cinque Terre. Long an undiscovered paradise, Cinque Terre today is relatively crowded with Americans and Germans- yet it's far from the tourist traps of downtown Florence and Rome. Rick Steeves, the infallible travel master, is responsible for this transformation- because of him, everybody who lives and works in Cinque Terre is now wealthier than they ever imagined they would be.
Arriving in La Spezia, a port city just north of Pisa, we hopped on a ferry for the national park area. The two hour boat ride took us by several coastal villages, each one crowded with tall, vibrantly colored, overcrowded buildings and bustling ports filled with row boats and shrimp fishermen.
The train stopped first in Riomaggiore, the southernmost town in the pack. We however headed all the way to Verranza, the area's largest town, also the furthest to the north. Though the sandy beaches of Veranzza were tempting, we bought our trail passes and headed for the hiking paths.
The first two trails are very strenuous, and take about an hour and a half to complete. Often we were walking on trails no wider than the length of my shoes, over rugged terrain above a rocky edifice or cliff. Gives a new meaning to living on the edge. Though the first two walks were the most crowded, they were also the most beautiful- reaching higher altitudes than all the other towns- and the most tranquil. It was however a bit surprising to see several six year olds hiking the trails with their parents- either the parents are crazy or those kids will be far tougher than I will ever be.
The latter two hikes were relatively flat, running parallel to the shore most of the time. This created impressive views of the Mediterranean and various shrimp boats on the horizon. As we approached Riomaggiore, concluding our five hour hike, I had a sudden attack of HUNGER! Luckily, Cinque Terre is a region well known for its food- specifically its fish. In Riomaggiore, we found a restaurant (of course reccomended by Rick Steeves) that served fresh daily catches with seasonal vegetables. I ordered swordfish with grilled eggplant. Together, we enjoyed a bottle of Cinque Terre's famous regional white wine- a terrific compliment to any fish meal. I don't often describe wine as refreshing- but after a difficult hike, a glass of this was like a red gatorade after 18 holes of golf back home. Just that good.
Heading back to the train station, we were informed of a train derailment that had delayed our train for 100 minutes. A long time to wait for a seven minute train ride- but necessary, since the ride goes through the center of a mountain. Rather than wait by the tracks, we walked 100 yards to the top of a cliff and sat on the rocks, watching more of the boats on the water finishing their days as the sun set beyond the cliff, over the Mediterranean waters. This truly is what Margaritaville must look like.
Today, with sore legs, I woke up and ran for five miles, before enjoying breakfast at a local bakery (some kind or freshly baked raisin bread). Later, I went to the Sesto market and ate a rotisserie chicken for lunch. As fun as yesterday was, and as sharply as those places will linger in my memory- the fun has to come to an end sometime- time to write a seven page art history paper!
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