We slept at little late this morning...did not set the clock and it was almost 9:00 before we woke up! Actually, we went to bed later than usual because we were on Skype talking to and getting to see all of the grandchildren, who were together to celebrate "Grandmother Mom's" birthday on Sunday afternoon. (It was Sunday afternoon there, but late Sunday night here.) We snacked a little in the room for breakfast and then started our sightseeing for the day. We are staying in a first-floor room in the building shown in the photo, right beside a brook that makes that wonderful "babbling-brooky" sound all day and all night. No wonder we slept so well and so late!
We hiked up to a local cemetery for a view back down on the village of Vernazza. Vernazza has a large castle (or what is left of it) right beside the harbor downtown. This castle/fort protected the village during the days of pirates.
On the way back to town from the cemetery-view, we watched the grape-harvesting. They have an interesting system. The grapes are grown in terraced vineyards, since the area is so mountainous, and some of the vineyards are very high on the mountain tops. The workers pick the grapes, and the vineyards are connected by small one-track trains that carry the driver and several boxes of the harvested grapes back down the mountain. The driver makes trip after trip with loads of harvested grapes. Very interesting.
We walked down the "main street" (no vehicles) of Vernazza and climbed to the top of the castle/fort for a view. There was a nice view back into town. Note the terraced vineyards.
We had lunch at Il Pirata delle Cinque Terre, which is located just down the street from where we are staying. It is run by two Sicilian men (twins, actually) who offer quite an assortment of Sicilian pasteries and other items. We had the Sicilian lasgana for lunch...yummy. We topped it off with a couple of their pasteries.
By the time we finished lunch it had started to rain. We can't complain. This is the first rain...or even clouds...we have seen since our trip began. We used the time to download photos and do a little pre-planning for the couple of days we have left before the dream comes crashing down on us and we have to exit this fairy tale we have been living in for two weeks and return to "real life".
The rain did not last long, so it was not long before we were off again. We took the train from Vernazza to Riomaggiore, about a 15-minute train ride. We got off there and hiked from Riomaggiore to the next little village, Manarola.
This was a flat, short hike on a paved surface, and only a mile. This section is called "Via dell'Amore", or the "way of love". The custom is for a couple to bring a lock to this walk (Any kind will do...combination...key, etc.), and attach it to something permanent along the trail to show their permanent dedication to each other. We didn't have a lock, but we were able to make the best use of the "kissing spot" on the walk. Notice all of the locks attached to the railing behind us!
Once we arrived in the little town of Manarola, we took another hike from there to Corniglia. That was about a mile and a half along the mountainside above the Mediterranean.
(If you remember, yesterday we hiked (2 1/2-miles) from Vernazza to Corniglia, so we have hiked three of the four main hikes in Cinque Terre. I guess we will have to come back someday to do the other one!
In Corniglia we caught the train back to Vernazza and decided to hike up one more mountain for a sunset view of Vernazza, since we have to leave in the morning. This is such a beautiful place...any time of the day.
We hope you had a wonderful day with lovely sights and special times to enjoy the beauties in the world God has given us. We are all so very, very blessed. Look around you. There is beauty everywhere.
We hiked up to a local cemetery for a view back down on the village of Vernazza. Vernazza has a large castle (or what is left of it) right beside the harbor downtown. This castle/fort protected the village during the days of pirates.
On the way back to town from the cemetery-view, we watched the grape-harvesting. They have an interesting system. The grapes are grown in terraced vineyards, since the area is so mountainous, and some of the vineyards are very high on the mountain tops. The workers pick the grapes, and the vineyards are connected by small one-track trains that carry the driver and several boxes of the harvested grapes back down the mountain. The driver makes trip after trip with loads of harvested grapes. Very interesting.We walked down the "main street" (no vehicles) of Vernazza and climbed to the top of the castle/fort for a view. There was a nice view back into town. Note the terraced vineyards.
We had lunch at Il Pirata delle Cinque Terre, which is located just down the street from where we are staying. It is run by two Sicilian men (twins, actually) who offer quite an assortment of Sicilian pasteries and other items. We had the Sicilian lasgana for lunch...yummy. We topped it off with a couple of their pasteries.
By the time we finished lunch it had started to rain. We can't complain. This is the first rain...or even clouds...we have seen since our trip began. We used the time to download photos and do a little pre-planning for the couple of days we have left before the dream comes crashing down on us and we have to exit this fairy tale we have been living in for two weeks and return to "real life".The rain did not last long, so it was not long before we were off again. We took the train from Vernazza to Riomaggiore, about a 15-minute train ride. We got off there and hiked from Riomaggiore to the next little village, Manarola.
This was a flat, short hike on a paved surface, and only a mile. This section is called "Via dell'Amore", or the "way of love". The custom is for a couple to bring a lock to this walk (Any kind will do...combination...key, etc.), and attach it to something permanent along the trail to show their permanent dedication to each other. We didn't have a lock, but we were able to make the best use of the "kissing spot" on the walk. Notice all of the locks attached to the railing behind us!Once we arrived in the little town of Manarola, we took another hike from there to Corniglia. That was about a mile and a half along the mountainside above the Mediterranean.
(If you remember, yesterday we hiked (2 1/2-miles) from Vernazza to Corniglia, so we have hiked three of the four main hikes in Cinque Terre. I guess we will have to come back someday to do the other one!In Corniglia we caught the train back to Vernazza and decided to hike up one more mountain for a sunset view of Vernazza, since we have to leave in the morning. This is such a beautiful place...any time of the day.
We hope you had a wonderful day with lovely sights and special times to enjoy the beauties in the world God has given us. We are all so very, very blessed. Look around you. There is beauty everywhere.
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