When leaving the train station, the first impression of La Spezia is not very flattering.
It’s harbour is mainly a working port, with a small area to stroll and sit and
watch fishers on the shore, often with three fishing rods going at a time.
However, there is an interesting old town that comes alive in the evening with
many children playing in the plaza and young adults (HS and University) in the
cafes, and adults strolling the shopping district. La Spezia turned out to be a
good spot to stay and still visit the Cinque Terre group of towns. By train it
is minutes away from Riomaggiore, the first of the Cinque Terre villages, the
accommodations in La Spezia are more plentiful and less expensive, and there are more restaurants
and activities during the evening. I highly recommend staying in La Spezia for
anyone wishing to explore Cinque Terre.
Check
out Picasa Week 5 photos La Spezia (CTRL+Link to open in a new tab)
We arrived
to Riomaggiore by train, along with many other tourists. It’s a very popular
stop for bus tours and the harbour was swarmed by a wave of tourists.
Riomaggiore is set in a tiny harbour with apartment buildings covering the hillside.
It’s a great place to visit for a few hours. There are walking trails linking
all five villages along Cinque Terre, unfortunately the shoreline route was
closed due to a rock slide and damage from the 2011 flood. Therefore to reach
other villages an upper trail can be used.
Check
out Picasa Week 5 photos Riomaggiore (CTRL+Link to open in a new tab)
From
Riomaggiore we walked to Manarola and passed many vineyards along the hillside.
This area prides itself of its local wines. Along the way we met up with a
mother cat that looked like was ready to deliver her babies. Manarola has a larger
harbour and this time of year all boats have been pulled from the water,
covered and stored on the shore. We found a spot on the rocks and enjoyed our
lunch of bread, cheese and wine. What a delightful day!
Check
out Picasa Week 5 photos Manarola (CTRL+Link to open in a new tab)
I didn’t
find Monterosso as picturesque as other Cinque Terre villages. It’s attraction
is mainly the beachfront, but we’ve seen better in our trek. Since the
shoreline trail was closed we decided to try hiking a mountain trail, but the
one we chose was not well maintained. It was a steep climb and many of the step
stones were gone. After an hour of climbing we stopped and decided to return to
the village. Unfortunately, with many of the steps missing, the hike down was
even more difficult. Once we reached the village we found a beautiful spot on
the beach and enjoyed our lunch. Fortunately that day there was someone close
by playing beautiful music on his electric keyboard, which made lunch that more
enjoyable.
Check
out Picasa Week 6 photos Monterosso (CTRL+Link to open in a new tab)
No comments:
Post a Comment