Cinque Terre

Well I've got to say that initially I didn't think the Cinque Terre lived up to the hype. I'm not even sure what I expected! But having now spent a day and a half here, it has warmed to me.

There are 5 little villages perched precariously on the cliffs overlooking the Mediterranean. Out of the five we visited four.

They are predominately fishing villages with vineyards covering the hillsides. Boats are parked outside homes just like we do cars!

Vernazza

There are trains which run through the towns delivering hoards of keen hikers and tourists to each of their destinations. There is also a boat but it was unfortunately cancelled today due to choppy seas. Apparently off-loading passengers can be a bit scary.

We enjoyed lots of coffee and pastries, wine and cheese. We really did attempt to also do a few walks but each time we seemed to head off on a track our plans were thwarted. Several of the shorter ones were closed for repair. So we'd go and have another coffee, or wine! Supporting the local economy we are! This was a gorgeous cafe/wine bar right up on the cliff at the start (or end) of the Via dell'Amore path. I think its designed to offer sustenance to those who have earned it after a long hike. We just partook anyway!

The weather has been forecast for rain for the last 2 days but it has really only been cloudy with a few sprinkles. This afternoon while we out on one of the cliffs, the sun did peek through the clouds and lit up a beautiful view of the town of Manarola.

Manarola

This is the amazing formation of the rocks at the cafe - such amazing texture and colours.

Tomorrow we are heading off to Florence for a few days, then Rome and home. We have clocked over 8,000km in our car so far.This trip has been a wonderful experience for us for which we are very thankful!