CINQUE TERRA Aug 2022 (FIVE PLANKS!)

This was hilarious and brilliant in equal measure and it started with an absolute downpour at the station in Livorno. Again we were independent  and made our own way to Cinque Terre, 5 beautiful little villages built into the hillside, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

We caught the train from Livorno to La Spezia.

Then a hop on hop off train to Monterosso, the furthest village with the intention of walking back along the coast to the first (Riomaggiore)

 

"Let's walk to all the villages"???

HOW HILARIOUS WERE WE?!

First village, MONTEROSSO

We set off.

First plank in MONTEROSSO

And then along the path...to the second village CORNIGLIA

not realising it was up and over a mountain.

Looking back to where we'd come from.

People coming the other way said it was about 2.5 hours walk.

GULP.

After dicing with death with slippy steps (due to that torrential rain this morning) and tree roots and passing other people on narrow ledges....

we made it to VERNAZZA.

We could have hop on hop offed the train!

VERNAZZA PLANK

Where's next?

THERE!

But time was against us as we had a boat to get back to...so we hop on hop offed the train to CORNIGLIA

but wait.......

the train dropped us at the wrong side of the hill!

We had to zigzag up and over the hill to get to the town.

CORNIGLIA PLANK

We hopped on and off the train to village number four MANOROLA...

...where there was no beach but lots of swimming.

MANOROLA PLANK

And then time ran out.

We literally jumped off the train at RIOMAGGIORE and just planked in the street as we couldn't risk missing the ship.

RIOMAGGIORE PLANK

In summary..

MONTEROSSO..all sunbeds

VERNAZZA..we hiked there, therefore the BEST!

CORNIGLIA ...zigzag steps (groan!)

MANOROLA...Swimming looked brilliant

RIOMAGGIORE...no time haha

FAB FAB FAB!