Cinque Terre

We left Genoa in the morning and arrived in Manarola at about 12:30pm. Manarola is one of the five towns within the Cinque Terre area. Cinque Terre, litterally translated as five lands, is an area along the coastline, south of Genova. It was recently designated as a UNESCO World Heritage site and for good reason. The towns are connected by walking trails and vehicles are mostly void. The views are spectacular and the hiking great. We walked from Manarola to Corniglia in about two hours. We continued from Corniglia to Vernazza. We did not hike the Vernazza-Monterosso leg, as it was getting dark. Possibly tommorow.

The string of towns start in the south with Riomaggiore. Then, progressing to the north are: Manarola, Corniglia, Vernazza, and Monterosso al Mare. Each town developed around a castle, which was used as protection against invading Turks. The towns supposedly have their own dialect; however, I can't understand Italian no matter what dialect in which it's spoken! The towns are dramatically set on cliffs over looking the Ligurian Sea. While we were hiking, we were overwhelmed by the beauty of the area. It really is amazing.

There is not much to see in the towns themselves. We have enjoyed just wandering around, looking at architecture and interacting with the people. Kim has become a constant source of entertainment for the locals with her Italian. Or her efforts to speak Italian. It's fun, and they seem to appreciate it.

Tomorrow, we will hike some more, walk around Monterosso, and eat, eat, eat. This is the birthplace of pesto! We have had pesto lasagna, pesto spaghetti, and lots of good (strong) coffee. It is a culinary delight!