Waking up Cinque Terre Italy

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Posted by Linda Hanney September 29, 2009 at 4:16 p.m.

The bell tower rings seven chimes. I am awake. The rooster in the distance told me it is morning. The geese residing in the slow moving mountain stream nearby are on first call.

The little porch outside my room in Vernazza, Italy, is a perfect place to take in the morning. I can sleep at home.

Below a man is watering his patio garden. His porch is much bigger than mine and is filled with green plants in colorful pots. The Morning Glory is climbing a trellis nearly up to my level and is happily bouncing in the cool morning breeze.

The little café below the building is open. I hear the familiar voice of the owner. It is obvious he is well liked as he banters with customers. He knows enough English to be charming and brings his American customers back. We eat breakfast there each morning. http://media.lawrence.com/img/blogs/e... Off in the distance I see the church tower. It is a simple church but sitting at the top of this hillside town. The apartment buildings are built up the side of the hill leading to the church. Behind them are vineyards on narrow ridges. Each ridge is reached by narrow steps. Outside of town entire hillsides are covered by these terraced grape vines and tended by a machine that crawls up and down the hill.

A group passes with their hiking poles, ready to begin an early morning hike along the ancient narrow paths that connect the five Cinque Terre (five towns) villages Monterosso, Vernazza, Corniglia, Manarola, Riomaggiore. For hundreds of years these villages were only accessible by sea or the paths, now connected by modern electric trains. Built as a defense against Ligroin Sea pirates, the trails are so beautiful that Italy has made them a National Park and charges a small fee for the privilege to hike them.

We hiked the trail connecting three of the towns yesterday. As the 360 steps lift us up the mountainside the panoramic view of the villages and rugged coast opens before us. It is hard to look down for sure footing on the steep drop off side of the trail. The sun is setting. We must hurry to finish before dark. Finally, my daughter admonishes me to, “Put the camera away, Mom.” We finished before dark. http://media.lawrence.com/img/blogs/e... The local residents are moving about now. A elder lady passes with her shopping bag, most likely having visited the fresh produce market down near the dock. The shop keeper below greets her warmly. As I glance down the narrow street, I notice wash hanging out windows and off apartment porches. They are as colorful flags fluttering in the breeze. There are no clotheslines as there are no yards. Everything goes straight up.

Morning is in full swing. It is time to start our day. This is beach day. A day to watch, listen, and learn.

.Ciou

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liggyon (David Lignell) says…

What a wonderful experience you're sharing with us, Linda. I get a sense of the scenery as well as the characters in this setting. Hiking on the seaside trails only adds to the beauty. Beautiful shots.
September 29, 2009 at 9:43 p.m.
TXHAWX (anonymous) says…

I love cinque terre, one of my favorite spots in Italia!
September 29, 2009 at 11:04 p.m.
Logan72 (Alia Ahmed) says…

Linda,

It sounds like you are having a wonderful time and absorbing every experience and every sense fully. Your photos are beautiful and your writing is so descriptive about the area and the people who live there. I look forward to future installments.
September 30, 2009 at 6:57 a.m.
justbegintowrite (Ronda Miller) says…

Linda,

What an exciting trip for you! You are very keen in your observations about all around you - people, animals, weather. My surroundings fell away as I transcended distance and experienced life through your eyes for the few seconds it took to read this. Please make your posts longer - I need out of Kansas for a longer time!

I agree with Alia that I can hardly wait for the next installment.
September 30, 2009 at 8:36 a.m.
webmocker (anonymous) says…

For the author, I highly recommend two restaurants in Manarola (visited 15 months ago):

il Porticciolo
To get there, turn left out of the tunnel from the train station; it'll be on your right a few buildings from the water. In addition to wonderful food, their red house wine is fantastic.

And a few steps down from there: Marina Piccola, right next to the tiny marina. Stunning home made sea bass ravioli, among other tasty options.

Enjoy!
September 30, 2009 at 9:15 a.m.
JackRipper (anonymous) says…

That is quite lovely but I don't see massive roads so it must be a real problem getting around. They need more roads and bigger vehicles otherwise it is only a lovely country that people find close to being paradise.
September 30, 2009 at 9:25 a.m.
jaywalker (anonymous) says…

Jealous, Linda, very jealous.

Ciao!
September 30, 2009 at 9:54 a.m.
zzgoeb (anonymous) says…

I spent two wonderful days in Vernazza...paradise! We stayed in a villa hanging above the harbor. Take the boat to Monterossa and eat the lemon gelatto!!!
September 30, 2009 at 9:58 a.m.
RalphGage (Ralph Gage) says…

Fantastic!
Now I'm waiting for a Ronda challenge about songs with Italy in the title or lyrics...
:)
Thanks for sharing this experience.
September 30, 2009 at 1:20 p.m.