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    • Gusto d‘Italia
      Day 2

      #03 Cinque Terre - Malerisch und Touris

      March 25 in Italy ⋅ ☁️ 15 °C

      Nach einem erholsamen Morgen in Bogliasco setzten wir unsere Reise fort und machten uns auf den Weg nach Cinque Terre, mit dem Ziel Vernazza. Ehrlich gesagt hatten wir die Strecke etwas unterschätzt, insbesondere die herausfordernden Serpentinen, die v.a. Lenas Puls auf Daueranschlag hielten. Und die Minutenangabe bei Google Maps wurde nur in 5-Minuten-Schritten weniger 😅
      Trotzdem waren wir voller Vorfreude auf die malerischen Dörfer, die uns erwarteten. Lena hatte einen Parkplatz oberhalb von Cinque Terre ausfindig gemacht, von dem aus wir in das Dorf wandern konnten. Unsere Fahrräder ließen wir vorerst stehen, um die Gegend zu Fuß zu erkunden. Während wir uns auf den Weg machten, beeindruckten uns die zahlreichen Fahrradfahrer, die sich durch die bergige Landschaft kämpften, und die vielen Menschen, die der Zug aus Levanto stündlich ausspuckte.

      Vernazza empfing uns mit malerischer Schönheit, obwohl wir überrascht waren, wie viele Menschen bereits vor Ostern die Gassen bevölkerten. Dennoch war schnell klar, warum die Cinque Terre weltberühmt sind – die einzigartige Atmosphäre, die charmanten Häuser an den Klippen und der malerische Hafen machen Vernazza und die vier anderen Orte in den Hügeln total sehenswert.
      Wir schlenderten durch die engen Gassen bis zum Hafen und erklommen dann die Burg, um von dort aus einen atemberaubenden Blick auf Vernazza und das Meer zu genießen.

      Zum Abschluss gönnten wir uns traditionelle Fischgerichte, wie gemischte frittierte Fische, bevor wir uns entschieden, dem touristischen Trubel zu entfliehen und weiter nach Vernaggio zu fahren. Dort verbrachten wir die Nacht an einem ruhigen Ort in einem Wohngebiet und freuten uns auf die kommenden Tage, die wir weniger fahrend, sondern mehr in der entspannten Atmosphäre der Toskana verbringen würden.      Read more

      See translation
    • TravelerEuro Quest
      11
      Day 23

      Day Twenty-Three: Cinque Terre

      April 7 in Italy ⋅ ⛅ 19 °C

      Today, we were off to one of the places I was most excited about, Cinque Terre! But even the drive down was pretty nice. We got to drive along the coast and see some water, towns, and fields. It was also weird how many tunnels we went through and how they were often houses and towns right above the tunnel, too. I wonder if your house would shake if a semi drove through. When we were finally in Italy, we had a 45-minute check stop, and it is completely different how you order food. Here, you pay for the pizza and coffee, and they give you a receipt, which u have to talk to different people, which give you the item you bought. So could I use the same receipt twice? But the pizza I got was a salami pizza (pepperoni), and it was some of the best pizza I ever had. The sauce was just fantastic with the crust. I was also very hungry, so that probably helped. Then, we trucked the rest of the way over to Cinque Terre. For this part, we were kind of left on our own. Bec gave us a train pass to jump between towns and sent us off with a meet-up point at 8:10 pm. Three other guys decided to join us, Kevin, Nathan, and Nick. We ended up sitting at the beach, drinking wine and cocktails for a while. And we went for a swim. It's weird because I feel the ocean doesn't smell salty here, but man, it tastes salty for sure. Luckily, why watch is water resistant because I totally forgot to take it off. It was nice to sit in the sun and relax with wine, but it did take up too much of our limited time here. So we went back to the train station to try and figure out how it worked so we could get to the next town. We finally figured it out to realize that at the end, we accidentally took an express train past all the islands. So, of course, we had to wait and take the next train back. There goes more precious time... but when we finally started walking around and it was such a cool place, super narrow alleyways, lots of stairs, and a beautiful ocean. We even walked up and found this mini castle ruins, which cost 2 euros to see. It was worth the cheap price. It had a fantastic view of the town and the surrounding area. Then, we skipped a town to jump to the one I was most excited about. And it was so beautiful just looking at this town on a cliff above the water. We all decided to get dinner somewhere, so we walked around trying to find a place to eat, and holy everywhere was so expensive. One place was selling the catch of the day for 70€... we managed to find one place that wasn't quite as expensive and walked in to find the whole travel group already eating there. What are the odds of that? But we all ordered some wine and some pesto pasta, which apparently was crested here! And it was delicious, I got ravioli. But it was still 15€ or something, and we got to protein, and the portion was a little small. But since we were so slow with the towns we did, we only got to see 3/5 towns... but that's OK, I had such a great experience in the ones I did go to, and it seems they are all quite similar. We arrived at the meet-up location early, and it seemed most people did too, but I went and bought water and went to the bathroom. I finished and came out before the time we were supposed to leave, but everyone was gone... I called Ethan, and he wasn't picking up. One of the other guys on the trip did text me and said he would send me his location ping. When I got it and looked, it was a 20-minute walk away. I was so confused about how they got so far away so fast, but I just started running. It was the most stressful run of my life because the ping he gave me was a couch parking lot. Our guide has been clear about leaving people behind if they take too long. So as I am running and getting close, I see our bus driving on the road, so I start waving freaking out about not being picked up. Luckily, he stopped, and I walked in to see a completely empty bus... I was early, and like 5 minutes early, too, as I saw the crowd walking over. Turns out he sent the end location and not where they were. So I freaked out for no reason. But me and Ethan did have a little heated talk afterward because we were both so stressed, but it was just in the moment. Turns out he forgot to activate his new esim so he didn't have internet and that's why he didn't pick up. But it is what it is. Everything worked out. It was a long bus ride back to the hotel, an extra hour, 40 minutes. And it was a tough ride because it's when our sickness really hit us out of nowhere. Ethan was having it a lot harder than me for sure. But I was miserable. So we finally get there, and I am so ready just to lay down and sleep it off to find out we went to the wrong location... and the one we need to go to is another hour, 40 minutes drive away... so you can say we had a shitty ass night being sick ass fuck in a couch that we shouldn't be in. But that's OK, we made it to the hostel and I crashed hard.Read more

    • DB Family Europe Grand Tour 22
      111121211
      Day 29

      Corniglia

      May 24, 2022 in Italy ⋅ ⛅ 68 °F

      This is the smallest of the 5 towns, and the only one with no access to the sea.

      I could spend a few days in each town just exploring every nook and cranny!

      Unlike its coastal neighbors, Corniglia is not directly accessible by the sea but can be reached by climbing a series of steps or taking a shuttle bus. This seclusion adds to its quaint allure, as it remains the quietest and least crowded of the Cinque Terre villages. The village's narrow streets, lined with colorful buildings, lead to breathtaking viewpoints that showcase the beauty of the Ligurian coastline. With its relaxed atmosphere, Corniglia is an ideal place to savor authentic Italian cuisine in local trattorias, sample regional wines, and immerse oneself in the traditional way of life.Read more

    • TravelerPlatinum Jubilee Trip

      Corniglia 🇮🇹 🍷

      June 11, 2022 in Italy ⋅ ☀️ 22 °C

      Got up bright & early this morning at 6am and became adventurous! Walked from Vernazza to the spectacularly cute 🥰 town of Corniglia. Coniglia is the only town of the five that is perched high on a cliff with no sea 🌊 access. This makes it extremely unique and different to all of the other towns!

      It was not as challenging as the walk yesterday but just as stunning & spectacular with the views and the beautiful little alleyways that meandered throughout the town! It was also wonderful because I was the only person on the track for the entire hour walk. It was as if I was the only person in the world! A truly unique experience in this UNESCO protected National Park region.

      Enjoy 😊      Read more

    • patatatour
      2
      Day 21

      Cinque Terre

      March 2, 2023 in Italy ⋅ ⛅ 14 °C

      Endlich wieder am Meer :-)
      Cinque Terre sind 5 kleine Dörfer an der Küste, die durch Wanderwege oder eine Zugstrecke miteinander verbunden sind. Wir sind von Vernazza nach Corniglia gewandert. Eine super schöne Strecke an der Felsküste entlang. Unser letzter Stop in Italien.Read more

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    • DB Family Europe Grand Tour 22
      1
      112112131
      Day 29

      Azure Trail to Corniglia

      May 24, 2022 in Italy ⋅ ☁️ 68 °F

      My watch totaled 83 stories on this hike.

      The accordion player on the way in to Corniglia was a nice touch, as was the juice bar part way through.

      As usual, Éowyn found a stick.

      The Azure Trail, also known as Sentiero Azzurro, is a renowned hiking trail that winds along the stunning coastline of the Cinque Terre region in Italy. This picturesque trail connects the five colorful villages of Monterosso al Mare, Vernazza, Corniglia, Manarola, and Riomaggiore, offering breathtaking views of the azure waters of the Ligurian Sea. The trail takes hikers through terraced vineyards, olive groves, and charming coastal villages, showcasing the natural beauty and cultural heritage of the region. Along the way, visitors can explore hidden coves, take in panoramic vistas, and immerse themselves in the unique atmosphere of each village. The Azure Trail is not only a feast for the eyes but also a journey that allows travelers to appreciate the rugged coastline and experience the charm of the Cinque Terre in all its glory.Read more

    • TravelerEuro trip
      2
      Day 17

      Cinque Terre

      April 7 in Italy ⋅ ⛅ 20 °C

      Today, we hopped on the coach leaving the French coast and into Italy! We stopped at a checkpoint on the highway and had my first pizza in Italy. The way you order here is unorganized chaos. It's kinda like a bar. If you force your way up, the bartender has no clue you just showed up, so they take your order. I ordered a slice of pizza and an Americano. After I paid, they gave me 2 different receipts, one for the coffee and one for the pizza. You then have to force your way to the till and hand the guy warming pizzas your pizza receipt. Once you get that, you go to the other side of the restaurant and give the guy making coffee your coffee receipt. I'm not a huge fan of this system. It's so hectic when it doesn't have to be. Apparently, it was just a small one for us to practice at as well, so we're gonna have a more hectic one soon. We had 45 minutes here, and then we got back on the coach for another 3.5 hours. At least it's a beautiful drive, but stressful. I don't know how our driver, Paulo, does it. We were driving down a mountain with one-way traffic in this giant bus. He obviously has to honk around blind corners, but some people do not care. He honks to let people know, and all of a sudden, a dude on a motorcycle rips around the corner. He's like less than a foot from our bus and a foot from the gaurd rail on the side of a mountain. Doesn't seem like the brightest idea I don't know. Paulo is so calm when everyone else on the bus is stressing. Ice in his veins. We finally got to cinque Terre after 5 hours of driving. We were told we have 6.5 hours to explore all 5 towns. It's kind of a shitty ratio, but oh well. Our tour guide told us the trains in between the 5 towns are very easy to use. She told us you just use the same train everytime, same side of the tracks every time. Gave us our all day train passes and told us to explore. In the first town we went to, we sat on the beach in our trunks, sharing a liter of wine with 3 other guys. That wasn't enough, so we ordered 2 cocktail "buckets." They actually tasted really good. One of the guys we were chilling with is a fire fighter from New York, and every new years he does a polar plunge, so he had no problem with the cold ass water Pearse and Nick jumped in too. Again, I'm a baby and just went out to mid thigh. Once the fellas got out, Nick tackled me into the water, and we went for a quick swim. I couldn't let Pearse go back without me tackling him too lol. The drinks and the sun were feeling really good for everyone. Then we looked at the time and realized we spent a little too much time at the first town and we should hop on the train to the next one. Pearse and I were going to hike between a set of the towns, but we didn't leave ourselves enough time, unfortunately. We were joking around about how Becks was telling us the trains are the easiest trains ever, and the only thing to remember is to not hop on the express train. The express train only goes from town 1 to 5. You alreasy know what we did. The first train we hop on is the express and end up at our final town. We finally figured out the train and got on the proper train, but now we had to do 3/5 of the stops to get to the second town. Long story short, we wasted a lot of time lol. The second town had a small castle and lookout point at the top. It was absolutely beautiful. Overlooking the ocean and the hills behind us, but we had to get a move on because it was already almost 5. We still had to eat and visit 3 more towns. The group made a business decision to skip on the next town because we didn't have time to do everything now. So we got back on the proper train and skipped a stop then got off at the 4th town. This one was probably my favorite. The buildings were so colorful and vibrant sitting on the edge of the hills. I think it's beautiful but I have no idea why anyone would live here. Only tourists and so many stairs everywhere. I feel like if you're living here, you're probably retired. Maybe I'm wrong, but I don't know too many retired people excited about stairs. Anyways, we were told we have to eat before leaving Cinque Terre because everything around our hotel will be closed. That's not a typo. We're sleeping in a hotel tonight! So we climbed all the stairs to the top of the hill to sit at the restaurant way at the top. Once we got there, we saw there was a huge line to get a seat, and we weren't about to waste more time. We finally found a restaurant that wasn't insanely expensive. We walked in, and almost pur whole contiki group was dinning together. That's okay. I don't want to eat with most of them anyways lol. The 5 of us went to the second floor of the restaurant and began looking. The prices for a liter of wine were too good not to get 2 lol. The area of Italy that were in is known for pesto! So I had to order some speggahti pesto. Don't get me wrong, it was delicious, but I prefer my mom's homemade pesto. Maybe that's because I had it lots back in the day, but it just wasn't the same. After dinner, we got back on the train to the last town, also the meetup spot for everyone. We had to be back on the bus at 8. After yesterday, we got to know Becks and Paulo dont care if you're late, they will leave you anywhere. We were told everything was closed around our hotel so the five of us were going to bring some wine and beers back with us to our rooms. As the first of us entered the store, Becks yelled from behind us "no boose at the hotel boys" how the fuck did she know lol. Pearse went in to go to the bathroom before we got back on the coach. I waited and waited for him to come back. Then Becks said we have to go, so can you please text him. The problem is I did, and called him and sent him my live location on what's app. I hadn't had reception since we entered Italy, though. So I ran up to one of the guys we were with all day and frantically told him to text Pearse. we are leaving and to hurry up. He texted called and sent Pearse his live location as well. It was about a 10 minute walk from the meet up spot to where the coach was at. I walked as slow as I could, constantly staring down the street, hoping to see his dumb ass come flying around the corner in a full sprint. He wasn't there though when I got to the bus. I love the guy, but I'm not getting left in some town. I walk on the bus, and Becks says to me "some how he was the first person on the bus." I look at our seats, and sure as shit he's there dripping in sweat. There was a bit of confusion between us. He was pissed off that I didn't text him or call him. What he didn't know is I was trying so hard, but I had no reception. Whatever we both made the bus, that's what matters. We found out we had almost a 3 hour bus ride to the hotel, which really sucks because Pearse and I got so sick at the same time. He was leaking like a faucet with a cough, and I had a fever with the shakes. After the second worst drive of my life, we finally got to the hotel. So tired and ready for bed everybody's grabbing their things. Becks stood up at the front of the bus and said, "Um guys, we've never had this problem before. We are at the wrong hotel." Origanlly we were supposed to stay at a hotel not far from where cinque Terre is, but they moved us to this hotel halfway across Italy, WITHOUT TELLING THE OTHER HOTEL. I'm not being dramatic about halfway across Italy. You can see it on the map of my trip. We had time to empty our bladders on the side of the road and get back on the coach to go back the exact way we came from. This was the worst drive of my life. My backpack is in the storage underneath the bus, so I couldn't grab my hoodie or anything, and my fever made me so cold. I couldn't stop shaking and sweating at the same time. My skin and muscles hurt, too. Towards the end of the drive, my guts started turning on me. I was gassing the bus with the worst farts of all time. I felt bad for Pearse cause he also had to sleep in the same room as me lol. Today was a good day, but I'm glad it's over.Read more

    • DB Family Europe Grand Tour 22
      1
      111
      Day 26

      Vernazza Dinner

      May 21, 2022 in Italy ⋅ 🌙 66 °F

      Vernazza in the Cinque Terre is everything you want Italy to be!

      Vernazza is a small, charming village located in the Italian region of Liguria, along the coast of the Mediterranean Sea. Known for its picturesque harbor, colorful houses, and narrow streets, Vernazza is one of the most popular tourist destinations in the area. The village has a rich history, dating back to the Roman era, and has survived many natural disasters, including floods and landslides. Visitors can explore the town's medieval castle, historic churches, and quaint shops, and enjoy traditional Italian cuisine in one of the many local restaurants. One of the main attractions of Vernazza is its stunning coastline, where visitors can swim, sunbathe, or take a boat tour to discover the hidden coves and beaches nearby.Read more

    • TravelerPlatinum Jubilee Trip

      Oh Fuck! 🥺😢😩🤬

      June 9, 2022 in Italy ⋅ ☀️ 24 °C

      So, I’m sitting here at 10pm looking out to sea 🌊 at what should be Paradise and blissful but this afternoon has been the first challenge of negativity of my trip!

      Let’s get the obvious out of the way first… Vernazza is, as you can see from the photos, truly beautiful. The proprietors and business owners; not so much!

      So, we arrive at picturesque and postcard pretty Vernazza… Everything should be perfect, just like the brochures say it should…

      Here is my experience…

      Off the train and I am so hot 🥵 that I could almost blow smoke rings out of my arse!

      Look carefully they said, there is only one street they said, you will find your accommodation, they said… it’s so easy, they said. So, off we schlepp but we just couldn’t find our accommodation. And there are tourists spatially unaware everywhere!

      Already having more than wonderful experiences with beautiful, honest, caring and considerate Italians in Rapallo (and most other Italian cities and towns) I thought the best thing we could do would be to simply ask if I could tap into the Wi-Fi at a bar or shop so that I could phone 📞 my accommodation provider.

      The first bar I went into point blank rudely turned me away, being told there is no way I would be able to use their Wi-Fi… I informed Richard and said we probably need to go back to the station to ask tourist information ℹ️, after all, that’s what they are there for. To GIVE tourist information!? So off we went… Through the hordes of tourists! Rudely walking past & through you as you attempt to navigate your way up the main road/pass with heavy bags. 😫

      Finally get up to the station to speak to the man in charge of tourism information ℹ️ … Clearly not a position he should be holding down. It seemed to be putting him out and to be the most inconvenient & biggest effort for him and he couldn’t possibly afford to even give us a shred of politeness and care considering our dilemma. ‘Informing’ us, there is only one street, it shouldn’t be hard to find…!?!?🤪😡

      Eventuality, after reluctance, he decided that he would call my accommodation provider. ‘Informing’ me (as he is paid to do) that my accommodation provider would meet me at the pharmacy on the main street. Sounded like a reasonable plan to me… So off we went…

      On arriving at said Pharmacy I walked in and politely asked the pharmacist if he was aware I was to meet my supplier in his shop. He threw his hands in the air without skipping a beat and said he knew nothing about that & he was “…just the pharmacist!” And walked off! Rude! Arrogant man! Plain. Simple. Rude! 😤

      Finally my host did show up and took me up 40 extremely narrow & dangerously steep steps to my room. (I dare not even photograph those steps because, not only would my own Mother pass out with fright for the safety of her only son, but these shiny/slippery steps break all kinds of OH&S protocols & rules.) Remember also, I was already as hot 🥵 as a lobster 🦞 in a boiling pot, had to lug a 17kg bag up said 40 narrow steps and had been treated like shit already by a handful of “tourism providers” (…I use the term loosely!)

      Open the door, relief 😮‍💨…it looked good. She said she was in a hurry and quickly showed me the basics. I asked for the wifi password and she informed me it is not working at the moment! I politely (again) explained to her it’s a shame & inconvenient because it is my only access to the outside world. She shrugged her shoulders and left…☹️😠😣

      It took me 20 minutes to try and work out how to lock and unlock the door. Richard may have a different story here, but regardless, it was an extremely anxiety producing for me and I was at breaking point by now! After much twisting and turning of the key I finally worked out how intricate force and ‘safe-like’ precision must be applied at a certain angle carefully for it to be opened 😩

      By this stage both Richard and I were in dire need of some water. This should’ve been an extremely simple task but we were greeted by a very gruff & unreasonable convenience store owner who refused to take card payment and insisted on cash 💷 only. In this post Covid world it is completely unreasonable to insist on such a thing. I tried to keep cool but, as you can imagine I was hurting inside. What an arrogant bitch she was. As you may imagine I was at the stage that I felt like telling her to stick her water where the sun don’t shine but I needed it more than I needed air at that point! 🤦‍♂️🤦‍♂️🤦‍♂️ This entire ‘shit show’ reminds me of my experiences in Paris. This sheer arrogance, self entitlement and dismissive nature of the residents who rely on us to exist simply turns me off! 👎🏻

      I composed myself the best I could and reminded myself where I was, how lucky I am and decided to go for a swim. I felt instantly better as I frolicked in the water. Yes! I did use the word frolicking because I need to have some sense of positivity within this blog…😉💪🏻

      Richard and I met at seven, as arranged, and looked for a suitable place for dinner… Every single restaurant was discovered to be way overpriced, knowing the captive audience they have. Regardless, we chose one that looked nice; up on a platform overlooking the main street. We ordered the shared seafood platter… It consisted of 5 SMALL PLATES: rubbery octopus, two different kinds of anchovies: one fried and one boiled 🤮🤮 some paste that resembled fish roe dip mixed with grated carrot and some morsels of boiled fish which was passable. Oh! Hang on, I forgot to mention the bag of stale bread that was thrown…yes…THROWN upon our table as we sat down… I’m not exaggerating, it was stale and it was tasteless! Robyn, do you recall the gorgeous bread bag I shared with you and Mike in Lucca?We experienced how wonderful real ‘bread 🥖 in the bag’ should be! 👎🏻 Second course of AVERAGE pasta with what tasted like store bought jar pesto mixed through it 👎🏻 Not a patch on the last couple of nights. Not even fucking close! 🙄😡

      Just when I thought it couldn’t get any worse there was a huge thunder clap & lightning ⛈ very, very frightening…🫤 and some rain began to fall. Everyone ran for cover, even though it was really just a passing summer shower. Once again Robyn, you will recall our rain experience in Florence? Where we were able to put up our umbrella and enjoy the moment… We weren’t even given that option in this case. I would’ve happily put up the umbrella and waited the 10 minutes until it passed. ☔️We were ushered into their less than adequate indoor seating space resembling a spare room at grandmas which was also as hot as hell! I kindly asked if the air conditioning could be put on & the owner only saw fit to open the door slightly. 😭 Tight ass! 🤯

      By this stage I had an absolute gut full of the whole afternoon and night. The service was crap 💩😩particularly when compared with last night. To try & compose we went and got a gelati which was also average compared to what we had in Rapallo. 🥺

      Everything was closed by 9 pm! Richard decided to go up to his room but I sat on a bench by the beautiful waters edge to compose myself and practise some mindfulness to alleviate the burning disappointment that had been generated deep within me… 😢

      I suppose, essentially I am just sad and disappointed more than anything else because I had built-up the Cinque Terre so much in my mind & from watching you tube, research & reading that it just wasn’t living up to any of the hype and well below expectations 😥 I have a feeling that the shop owners and proprietors in Vernazza think the immense beauty of the location & landscape will overshadow their arrogance & self entitlement. Newsflash: it doesn’t! 😖 😥

      Anyway, I feel better for getting it off my chest but you probably won’t even get to read this in real time until I am (hopefully) feeling better… because it seems we won’t have phone 📱 access until we leave! 🫤

      Think it’s important to demonstrate that not every day can be good, even in ‘paradise’. And, may I say this afternoon was about as fucked up as it can get! 😢😠😡

      I remain positive and hopeful that things will turn around tomorrow… but once again, you may not know until this leg of trip is over because Richard and I both don’t have wifi in our apartment and none of the restaurants will let us use it…🤨🤯🙄

      I don’t quite understand why these places that rely solely on tourism need to be such cunts to the tourists! 🙄🤷🏻‍♂️🤷🏻‍♂️🤷🏻‍♂️Especially after the Pandemic 😷 You’d think they’d be bending over backwards to offer exceptional customer service rather than treat us like nuisances!

      As I said, let us hope that tomorrow is another day and a better day… Fingers crossed that this is one bad afternoon and that is all it is…🙏
      Also, I hope Richard forgives me for my grumpy and irritable attitude…🥺🥺🥺

      PS: this is an update to the above… I have woken up early at 5 am because the ‘double’ bed that was advertised is two beds; shabbily pushed together that have moved apart in the night… The bed is as hard as the floor and the air-conditioner sounds like an aeroplane ✈️ taking off! Oh! And the bracelet I purchased at the market yesterday had broken and fallen off in the bed. 🙁🤦‍♂️💩

      I am going to have to practice calling on my inner strength & summoning my positivity and resilience deep deep deep from within today. Mindfulness will hopefully save me as it often does. I can’t let this experience sour the rest of my trip because there are so many more wonderful things still ahead of me! As the little red caboose said, I think I can, I think I can!🤞🤞🤞🙏

      PS: Enjoy the pictures… As you can see it is a beautiful location. But as the old saying goes: not all that glitters is gold. 🙅🏻‍♂️😢😢      Read more

    • TravelerPlatinum Jubilee Trip
      1

      Monterosso: We ❤️ You!

      June 10, 2022 in Italy ⋅ ☀️ 25 °C

      Let me start off by being extremely positive today! Richard and I woke up, had breakfast and headed off to Monterosso! What an absolutely amazing, enthralling, challenging and beautiful walk it was! We both found it challenging and I was proud that Richard kept pushing on and he was equally proud he did because the end result was everything I had heard about the Cinque Terre and more! More beautiful in scenery, landscape and spaciousness but more importantly, the people were everything I remember Italians to be: friendly, welcoming, kind, generous and innately humorous… What an absolutely beautiful town it was. And how different the inhabitants were! You could feel a difference in the air. Hard to describe but it reminded me of Mykonos with its beautiful alleyways, sloped spaces, hundreds of cute little restaurants and WELCOMING smiles! Thank you Monterosso you have restored my heart and soul and love of Italy! 💚🤍❤️

      On returning to Vernazza I had dread in my heart… All I am going to say is this: I actually think even the locals don’t want to be here (obviously not, but seems like it!) I concede that I made a mistake in booking into this town for our specific requirements in a holiday destination. Had I chosen Monterosso things may have started off differently. Who knows? 🤷🏻‍♂️🤷🏻‍♂️🤷🏻‍♂️ We live & learn. It is what it is!

      My morning started off by heading up to the information counter at the station where I was greeted with the same nonchalant attitude as yesterday. Thankfully a wonderfully beautiful couple from Canada heard my questions and spent 20 minutes telling me all about the walks, the best way to proceed, tips, hints and everything any other tourism bureau would and should offer. It was wonderful and informative and said results for the success to follow. I’m not speaking without experience; I also worked in tourism and if I’d have been as wet & unhelpful as the staff in V I wouldn’t have lasted a week!
      💚🤍❤️

      It took about 2 1/2 hours on very steep cliff tops and steps. But, I loved every single minute of it! I feel exhilarated and accomplished. Was just such a magical and beautiful day! Restoration of my faith in humanity! 💪🏻💪🏻💪🏻

      I desperately tried to convince Richard to stay in Monterosso for dinner but understandably he was plum ‘tuckered out’ and wanted to head back to that place which I shall not speak of in name, just as “V”!

      So, please enjoy the wonderful images of the spectacular walk along the path from the place we’re staying at to Monterosso! I’m sure you’ll agree they are out of this world!

      As soon as we arrived at the end of the walk there was an instant opportunity to dive straight into the crystal blue sparkling water. I could not resist or get in there quick enough. I just took everything off except my jocks and went straight in. It was like nothing you can imagine after a 2 1/2 hour hike! I felt instantly refreshed. We had lunch atop a magnificent cliff top and then spent the afternoon wandering around looking at the most picturesque of towns. Just so Stunning 🤩😍✊🏻🥰

      A friendly local business owner informed us of a bar where we would be able to get reception and Wi-Fi which was also a relief because I could inform my parents that everything was okay. I love them very much and it was distressing to know they were worried. It was such a relief to be offered the use of connection by this bar in town. I thanked them from the bottom of my heart! Incidentally, I had actually started to embrace the fact that I was completely void of technology. I hope to transfer some of this behaviour in my life when I return home 🏡 and asked Richard to keep me in check if I stray! We are FAR too invested in technology these days and I feel I need to start living in the moment more back in Australia 🇦🇺

      On arriving back to V I headed straight for the water for another swim. Interestingly the swimming harbour was full of seaweed and rocks which was symbolic of my experience here. Enough of that! I think you get the idea now! 👍🏻😉🙃😂

      Richard and I had the most delicious pizza for dinner back in V and was served by the most gorgeous of Italian men who actually made the pizza 🍕 lovingly in his oven. He was as sexy as they come! No photo unfortunately lol 😂 Sorry Mummy! 🤣 Both Richard & I were equally disappointed for us (but happy 😊 for him) when he showed us photos of his cute daughter 🫤🤩😉😉😉

      Richard has headed to bed… It is 11 pm and I have taken the Cinque Terre express back to Monterroso for one last lemon spritz in this beautiful little village! It is magnificent! I love it love Love Love love! 🍋🍋🍋❤️❤️❤️Everything I know and love about Italy 🇮🇹 is contained herewith 🥰🥰🥰👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻

      As I enjoy my Lemoncello Spritz please enjoy magnificent wonderments of our day of hiking 🥾 and delighting. Viva Italiano! 💚🤍❤️      Read more

    You might also know this place by the following names:

    Vernazza

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