Cinque Terre

For the next 3 nights our bed would be in La Spezia
A port town nestled on the craggy coast of Liguria.
Convenient to visit the infamous Cinque Terre trail
Plus the cliff clinging towns that are not for the frail.

Our check in was disrupted by an inconvenient delay
Navigated the centre with confusing road signs display.
Inadvertently turned into a ZTL, a limited traffic zone
A €100 fine result at which we did remorsefully moan.

Took an early morning train which adhered to the scenic coast
Alighted at Corniglia’s 285 stepped stairway that it does boast.
Negligible, compared to the next 4 kilometres of stairs we took
But the wonderful views were worth it from the highest outlook.

The route was challenging and I struggled to breathe
Awestruck by others who strode past with relative ease.
It’s an uneven, steep, narrow and loose rock trek
Determination empowered me, yet felt a wreck.

Thighs began to shake on the winding descent
Relief at stage completion although utterly spent.
As restaurants opened thankfully collapsed in a chair
Ordering a much anticipated Fettuccine frutti di Mare.

The waterfront of Vernazza is protected by a harbour wall
Heavily pedestrianised, exploration done only at a crawl.
As passengers on-mass clamber from cruise ship tenders
The shops and souvenir sellers try to capture the spenders.

The jumble of colourful homes are famous in this district
With a myriad of steep alleyways to discover the precinct.
Chris eager to continue the trail but it was hot
So went our separate ways as I would rather not.

Met up in Monterosso al Mare for a refreshing swim
It’s beach lined with umbrellas looking rather grim.
A sugar hit required so searched for gelato
Chris chose tiramisu whilst I had pistachio.Read more