3 of 5

Cinque Terre, direct translation: Five Lands

The 5 Lands (towns): Riomaggiore, Manarola, Corniglia, Vernazza, Monterosso

This place, or rather, these places are so beautiful. So unique. Five coastal towns within a couple miles of each other with hiking trails linking them. The towns themselves are colorful, old, and full of their individual character and the trails between them provide breathe-taking views of the towns and the sea.

Joe and I got to Corniglia, the only town of the five that is situated up on a cliff, and hiked up the 368 stairs to our hostel. There we met up with Matt Woods, the sweet doug we met while staying at Downhill hostel in Northern Ireland. It was great to see him again. We got settled in and then took off for the Mediterranean. We didn't know how to get down to the water, but we found a trail that looked like it went down the hill so we went for it. We were walking on overgrown paths through gardens and over streams and through bushes all while being eaten by mosquitos. Then the trail ended. Sweet. We actually got pretty close but it wasn't going to be worth it to force our way. We back tracked a bit and found another way out of the gardens and ultimately the stairs to the sea. The water was refreshing and the surroundings incredible. I keep thinking to myself, "I'm really swimming here? Look at this place." After a quick swim, we sat on a huge rock to watch the sunset, it doesn't get much better than that.

368 stairs (with the packs)

Corniglia

Sunset after a swim

The next day we bought the trail pass and hiked north to Vernazza. It was a good hike -- sweating in the sun, getting a bit of a workout, and looking out at God's incredible creation. In Vernazza, we got lunch and found a more sucluded place to swim and rock to jump off. It wasn't that high, but there was another rock that you had to clear in order to hit the water safely... but what is life without risk. It was a rush for sure.

Vernazza

We dried off and set out for the northern most town of Monterosso. Another great hike and more spectacular views. At this point in the day we wanted something cold to eat or drink to help with the heat. So while looking for a place to swim, we got some gelato and started our search for cheap beer. It took some time but we found our good friend Moretti and then we found our swimming hole. Before we got in the water, we sat on the rocks enjoying our adult beverages in the sun. The place we had found was surounded by rocks, but there was an area that was large enough and deep enough to have some fun. We started smaller and worked our way up as high as we could go, as Joe and I usually do when we are with each other. Matt didn't push us further, but he didn't hinder us either, and, in fact, he joined in and jumped from the top. It was amazing... the setting, the rocks, the height, the water, the feeling that you should have hit the water already but you keep falling. the splash. I wish Brock was there. Here are some pictures to help you visualize:



See the sand inside the cave... that's were we landed... yeah, just before those rocks at the surface. And we jumped from about the top of the picture, like this....