Mikes Blog

The Cinque Terre Walk
16th April

The Cinque Terre has been designated a Unesco Worl Heritage Site since 2000. It is made up of 5 villages - Monterosso, Vernazza, Corniglia, Monarola, Riomaggiore and are described as amoung the most charming in Italy. They are set in a landscape of steep coastal cliffsrising dramatically from the sea to ridge tops of about 800 metres. These mountainous hillsides are covered by terraced vineyards and over 7000 kms of dry stone walls droping precipitously into the Meditereaean.

Our plan was to walk from Por Venere to the beginning of the Cinque Terere route (about 5 hours) complete the Cinque Terre route and then return to Porto Venere by boat in the evening, back down the coast we had walked during the day. This was going to involve enegetic walking - but it ten avoided other logistical problems.

Unfortunately our included breakfast at our little hotel didn't start until 8 am, so it wasn't until 8.30 that wegot away. An earlier start would have been better. But we made the most of the included breakfast.

The weather was a little threatening in the east and a brisk cool wind was blowing as we left town. With a simple map and a route guide copied from a 'Walking in Italy' book borrowed from Mary, we moved on. The route guide described sections of the track as 'Owing to the precipitous nature of the terrain, even the easiest route is hairy and somewhat strenuous in parts'. This guide was 15 years old but I wondered what we were getting into. Terra Incognito. My mind easily imagines narrow unsecurred rough tracks over big drops. This habit is sometimes a source of anxiety for me but at others an excitement denied the less imaginative.

We immediately climbed up very steeply beside the old town castle, with great views opening out of the vilage of Porto Venere, and across the bay to the mountains of ???.

Higher we climbed, now on a track through small pine and scrub, which reached a high point at about 400 metres before joining a mountain road for a few minutes.

The next hour of walking took a rising diagonal line across a steep scrubby hillside with some bluffs and rocky outcrops to negoiate. This section was marked 'Difficultoso'. An easier alternative would have taken an hour longer. It was just like a normal rough mountain track but no scrambling. However there were points where there were drop off's of 100 mettres or so to the side of the track. Often throughout the day there was the sund of sabbling in the dry leaves: This was lizards, lizards everywhere. The track ends up on a small road and we walk up to a little ridge top village - Campilia. This village would have been a community hub for all the small settlements that clung to the steep hillsides above the sea.We go into the church here, Chiesa di Santa Caterina. I light a candle and say a few prayers. This is my first prayer candle in 4 years I don't find them in NZ.

We leave the village via a sweet little path winding between simple vegetable plots, basically walkingthrough peoples back yards, and then climb steeply further up the ridge and into the forest again. We are now at about 500 metres and the coastal views are beautiful.

The next strectch of track about 40 minutes is called 'Gymnasium in the forest', and as you walk you keep coming across different pieces of equipment for fitness activity like a giant and varied fitness circuit. At one of these a lone figure was standing strangely doing nothing. This unnerved us both somewhat. . Zita said 'Keep going'. and we walked on briskly. . After a couple of minutes we broke into a run and ran for another few minutes. ´- lookingove our shoulders to check we ween't being followed. A freaky feeling of being in an isolated area around someone who might mean you harm.

We evenually reacheda small forest road and a refeshment hut with people around.. We felt safe. 15 minutes later we arrive at Colle del Telegrapho (516 metres) where there are a group of about 10 Germans walkers taking a break. at the Cafe. The next section of track (3c) will now take us down hill to Riamagiore and the star of the Sentiero Azzurro (Te normal Cinque Terre walk). Theweather is now sunny and warm, blue skiesa blue ocean. From now on we start to meet walkers coming from the other dirrection We now have 500 metres of desent down a track that although most likely many centuries old, is rough and steep in places. From the track we have great vies of ocean and cliffs cliffs and slopes, but also of the built up terraced vineyards, scourred into the steep coastal faces.. It is so pretty, as our track takes us down through intermit little forest tracks,through vineyards and around and about the small stone housesf the locals. There are ingenious light guage monorails that transport locals and the grape harvest (vendemmia) up and down the hill sides to and from the coastal villages. We arrive at SAntuaria della Madonna - a church on a fine prow f land about 200 metres above sea level wit outstanding panoramas. We are now under some time pressure if we are to reach our bat by 1700 hrs, so we time the next section of our walk. Signposted times of 40 minuts takes us 30 minutes of fast descent into Rio Maggiore - meaning magor river) so we use this a a benchmark for the rest of the day. There won't be much time for taking it easy - a habit of mine.

We are now on the Cinque Terr proper. You can not drive cars into any of these villagesbut they are all serviced by a coasal train service and busses. We are now on track number 2. Our route is marked for the rest of the day by mrkers of red and whie lines painted at strategic pointrs along the way, and a white 2 against a red background .

As we laeve Riomaggiore, we pay our E10 each for track access. Abou 10 minutes alonng this first section called 'Via del Amore' we sit and have our lunch. At the moment this is such a good path that someone is pushing a child ina pram. The steep cliffs above are pretty flly clothed in wire netting to prevent rockfall and massive concrete structures build up the track from below. All a bit overdone in this area to my taste.After another 20 minutes we reah Manorola with it's tiny harbour protecte by a manmade breakwater of large bolders. Te next village is Corgniliaperched amazingly on a narrow lat shearsided ridge jutting out to sea. The track by now has returned to something more naural as we leae Cornilia and head towards Vernazza. Between each village we have to climb up about 200 metres from sea level to avoid the vertical cliffs, traverse for a while before descending to the next village. W soon arrive at Vanazza, wondering if we have time to do the final section to Monterosso. Venezza is remarkable in that the main street is ar free, but is full of pretty Meditereanean boats of the locals parked in front of houseson the cobble stone road.

Time seems OK. It is hot and we are thirsty as. An expensive bottle of Fanta each($10 for 2) gives us a new spark. We push on for Monterosso - another steep 200 metre climb up.

We are zooming along and Zita is going like a train. Our final descent to the beach at Monterosso is welcome and we arrive at 4.15, purchase our tickets (E12 eah)andthen go and stand in the sea (first time ever in the Meditereanean for either of us, and then sit on the beah and eat a couple of 'blood' oranges - the colour of a mix or orange and red inside.

We embark just before 5 and enjoy a relaxing cruise back down the coast visiting each seaside village in turn to pick up and drop off passengers. There is a little sweel running and the skipper drives the boat nose up to the concrete jetty and uses the engines to maintain position as passengeres embark?disembark on a light alloy gagway that is projected from the bow onto the jetty.

On arrival at Porto Venere I buy an icecream and go back to the hotel to play guitar while Zita goes shopping for an hour. Pizza for dinner with a beer for me. A good day.