We woke after a great night's sleep and were excited that the forecast had been changed. They had been predicting rain for today followed by two days of sun, but as has been the way this entire trip, we were now in for three days of sun. We decided that after breakfast we would hit the trail that runs between the five towns which make up the Cinque Terre. It turned out to be a fabulous day....we took well over 300 pics, and most of them are keepers. We can only show some highlights here, but there will be plenty more on Facebook when we get home.
While waiting for breakfast we wandered around the lovely B & B that we are staying at. It is situated in the middle of an olive and lemon grove with a view down to the ocean. Here are a few pics
Garden
Sun deck
Where we eat breakfast, with the new pool in the background
Breakfast
After filling our bellies, and overloading on the best cappuccinos ever, we changed into our hiking clothes and prepared to hit the trail. Today we were going in search of the limoncello man.....and old guy who sells wine and limoncello on the side of the trail. First stop was the train station where you can get a pass that allows you to use the trail as well as ride the train unlimited times.
We decided to hike from north to south, starting in Monterosso where we are staying. It only took us about 15 minutes to get the the limoncello man stand.....alas, he wasn't awake yet, so we shed a little tear and vowed to come back again. Onward and upward, and upward and upward we went. There is a lot of climbing between Monterosso and Vernazza, but the views are stunning
Just leaving Monterosso
Stairs
Where the limoncello guy should be.....sigh!
The trail gains elevation and cuts through lemon groves, olive groves and terraced vineyards. It is steep in spots, flat in spots and you even come across some nice stone bridges
Gaining elevation and looking back to where we started
After you crest the high point you come around a bend and are treated to the first view of Vernazza....it's a view that is known around the world
Getting closer
We wandered around a bit and picked up some cold drinks......somehow I had volunteered to bring my pack and be the mule. But we would be glad we had over 5 litres of water and assorted drinks later in the day. Besides, it was time to hit the trail again to get to the next town, Corniglia
Continued in part 2
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