Mood:
happyIf Australia has the Great Ocean Highway, then Italy certainly has the Great Mediterranean Trail. There is a place in Northwestern Italy called Cinque Terre (the five lands).
Basically, there are five little villages, separated by walking trails and train stops that are built right along the cliffs and coast line of Italy. The walk is estimated to be around 10km (6 miles), up and down some pretty steep natural stairways (both rock and root) and long, winding paths.
The plan was for us to take the train into the first village, since there are no cars allowed in any of them. Once there, we would walk, shop, and site-see through to the last village, and then take the train back to our start point, and ride the ODR (Outdoor Rec) bus home. We had roughly five hours to do it, and when it was all over, we cut it close, but comfortably.
What a great day! We heard in the forecast that we should expect more cold wind and rain. Thinking Lugano, we bundled up appropriately and headed for the villages, but the weather just didn’t happen. It was sunny, clear, warm, dry, beautify! Of course, we were a bit overdressed, but I’d rather be warm than cold, any day!
I can’t say enough about Cinque Terre. I think it will be one of my favorite places in Italy, much like Rothenburg was in Germany. You simply can’t come all of this way and not see it.
I hope you enjoy the pictures, but really, they can not do it justice.
