Days: 11-12 (30th July – 1st August 2018)

Total distance travelled: 18,498.93 kilometres (11,494.70 miles)

Even on an Italian holiday, one needs a break.

That’s why our final diversion before the wedding saw us hit the coast!

A typically hot (at least for this trip) morning saw us at the station early for our journey to Vernazza, the small town clinging to the rocky shore that would be home for a couple of nights.

Our train left a few minutes shy of 9am, and we were on our way, a mountainous backdrop on one side, and eventually lovely coastal views on the other.

The tinted train windows weren’t ideal given the stunning views passing us below, but almost 3 hours later (including a transit via La Spezia), and we were dropped at the station in Vernazza, it, like the town below us, clinging for dear life to a very steep hillside!

Our accommodation was up high (conveniently near the station, but in fact a little higher), however, this meant that to get anywhere in town, we needed to go down!

It was a cute place, and as one can imagine (in the height of Summer on a hot day), down by the water it was busy indeed.

A narrow breakwater extended into the Ligurian Sea creating the sheltered harbour itself, whilst on the small strip of sand that formed its beach, a mix of beautiful young folk sunned themselves, or took a dip in the cooling waters.

That sounds like it’d have been a great plan!

Only, it wasn’t our plan…

Instead, for us it was hiking shoes on (in this case, the flip flops we were already wearing), as it was time to hit the trails.

Th five historic villages that dot this stretch of coast, Monterosso, Vernazza (where we were), Corniglia, Manarola, and Riomaggiore, all form part of a UNESCO World Heritage listing, and have since 1997.

Linked by a series of narrow trails, we were following one of these on a walk to the nearby Corniglia.

The actually walk promised to be short in terms of distance, but the nature of the terrain was such, that we were usually going up or down, with the odd stretch of flat thrown in to maintain our sanity.

Then there was the Sun!

Beating down on our bare skin, it made for a hot 3.5 kilometres!

For all the challenges the heat presented, it was a glorious coastal walk, and not for one moment did we regret our decision (puffing and panting doesn’t always mean regret).

As you’d expect, when we finally reached the narrow streets of Corniglia, the shade was most welcome.

Even more welcome, was a treat from Alberto Gelateria!

We’d never sampled a Lemon & Basil gelato before, but this was deliciously refreshing (and a much better choice than the dark chocolate we paired it with)!

After a bit more exploring, we started the roughly hour journey back.

The scenery didn’t get any worse!

It was mid to late afternoon by the time we were nearing Vernazza, our sweat stained and dusty bodies, ready for a bit of a rest and further refreshment!

We dined at a small trattoria on the slopes back down to the water, a Spaghetti Vongole proving the highlight of their fare.

Back down by the water, things remained hot, and the water heavily populated, but again, we didn’t swim ourselves, although we did at least dip our weary feet in the sea.

There was a smaller, rockier beach we could explore (it was also popular, it wasn’t like we’d found a hidden gem) which required us to enter through a small, natural tunnel in the rock, and situated as it was, it was a lovely shaded escape from the Summer sun.

We rose reasonably early the next morning, as we had more walking in our future (and it seemed prudent to try and get much of it done before the real heat of the day)!

This morning we were headed west towards Monterosso, a slightly longer journey than yesterday’s adventure.

The day was again gorgeous, and we made our way upward and westward along well worn trails, weaving along the slopes, between the odd farm and rows of terraced grape vines.

It really was lovely.

At one point, I was complimented by an American on my San Francisco Giants hat, which is always nice (back home in Australia, most people that wear baseball team caps, do so for fashion, not with any idea about the sport)!

The closer we got to Monterosso, the less rustic the trail became, with sections regularly now wide, and some lined in brick or even concrete.

It was also quite busy.

The beaches, as we neared the town with its curved shores, were full of umbrellas.

Not randomly placed, like those brought to the beaches back home. These were all uniform, like those we’d seen on TV and potentially meaning the beaches were private?

We weren’t sure.

The beaches were already busy, and today, we were better prepared, wearing attire more suited to a swim.

Compared to the small beach in Vernazza, here it was much longer and wider, the sand however, a lot rougher, far more coarse.

We took a cooling dip, which felt lovely, but we’re not really the sort to then lounge in the sun.

Our return walk was in the heat of the day, and one certain moment took us by surprise.

As we trudged our way around a tight corner on the path, there was a sudden cry of excitement.

“It’s the flip flop guy!” says a random, unfamiliar stranger!

Turns out, they’d run into the same American who was impressed with my Giants baseball cap.

Why me being in flip flops was such a cause for acclaim is unclear (especially given Sarah had also walked the same journey in the same footwear)…

The evenings were without doubt, the most beautiful time of the day in Vernazza (think delicious pastel skies and a nice cool breeze), and after spying several people dining on pizzas down by the water the day before, we thought it the perfect way to end this day, and pretty much our time here.

Delicious, wood-fired pizza sitting on the breakwater.

Simply perfect.

* NOTE: Since 2019, wearing Flip Flops or Sandals on the trails of the Cinque Terre has been banned! Read more about it HERE For the record, we never required rescue!

* Our open jaw (into Rome, out of Amsterdam), flights cost us $930.05AUD each, which I found and purchased through work at STA Travel

* For accommodation in Vernazza, we booked two nights at Pensione Sorriso via Booking.com for €180.00

* I purchased Eurail Italy 5 days within a month travel passes through work (which provided an industry discount) for $72.00AUD per person

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