A day in Cinque Terre
Freddy packed the car while I finished up a final day of post-event work, and the three of us were off for a long drive through the mountain pass that connects Switzerland and Italy. From there, we drove the now-familiar route down to the Italian coast, passing by Genoa and ultimately landing in Spezia, a port town just outside our destination of Cinque Terre.
Our Spezia Airbnb
Woken early by the chirping birds and sunlight streaming through the bedroom window (not to mention the already growing heat), we headed to Riomaggiore, where Freddy had found some free parking up in the hillsides above the famous seaside villages. A short hike down through the olive trees and overgrowth, and we found ourselves amidst still quiet tourist streets, grabbed some pastries for breakfast, and made our way to the shore. Unfortunately, the lower paths between the villages were closed for construction during our visit, so we hopped on the incredibly packed train to Manarola to hit our second site.
Riomaggiore + Manarola
From Manarola, Freddy convinced Obi and I that taking the high path hike to Corniglia through Volastra would be a lovely meander… lucky for him, there was a beautiful spot to grab a glass of wine at the top and Obi and I only tried to mutiny twice on the way down. Needless to say, it was a bit far, a bit steep, a bit hot, but eventually we’ll be able to look back on it with laughter and fond memories (and some photos of beautiful vistas!). Thank goodness for public drinking fountain puddles which Obi wouldn’t move from for a good 5 minutes while trying to cool down after the descent.
hiking from Manarola to Corniglia through Volastra
Finally, we made it to Cornigilia, and could barely do more than find a spot to grab a bite to eat and claim a people-watching porch step from which to regain some semblance of energy and joie de vivre.
Corniglia
By then, we were feeling tired of the crowds and decided to head back towards the car to try and find a swimming nook for Obi since most of the Cinque Terre swimming holes are people-only. Luckily, we followed some uncertain internet instructions to a town that we found even more breathtaking that much of Cinque Terre, to our surprise! Porto Venere, on the peninsula between Cinque Terre and La Spezia, is a real gem featuring the most breathtaking castle ruins, stunning harbor and an incredible rocky cove. Plus, this town is only accessible by car, so it lacked much of the heavy tourism crowds that populated the towns we visited in Cinque Terre.
Porto Venere
We wrapped up the day with takeout eggplant parmesan and genovese pesto lasagna from the beautiful airbnb balcony, and packed back up to head to catch our ferry the next day.
Love from Leysin,
sbmc
