UPDATE 6/21: Follow the link for ALL the photos from the Italian Riviera and Tuscany:
First night of the trip spent in a hotel! We’re at the Renaissance Tuscany Il Ciocco Resort & Spa, near the tiny town of Barga, Italy. We just had lunch and I’m writing this blog poolside overlooking the rolling hills of Tuscany. It’s wonderful having reliable power and internet for a change.
Yesterday was a big day exploring the villages of Cinque Terre, which is composed of five small villages on the northern-western coast of Italy linked by hiking trails and a train line.
Yesterday was a big day exploring the villages of Cinque Terre, which is composed of five small villages on the northern-western coast of Italy linked by hiking trails and a train line.
We got an early start at 7am and after a quick 20 minutes later on the train, we were in the last village of Riomaggiore. The plan was to hike backwards towards our campsite. I was pretty disappointed to learn that the first two sections of the hike, from Riomaggiore to Corniglia, were closed (they’ve been closed for a year with no scheduled reopening date!). Instead, we took a mountain pass to Manarola and then a train to Corniglia.
From Corniglia, we hiked the park trail to Vernazza, which was more difficult than we had expected - it went over mountains that lined the ocean, instead of around them in a flatter terrain along the coast. However, the views were spectacular along the entire hike! I loved looking at the villages as you leave and approach them. The trail is also lined with wildflowers and offers stunning views of the Mediterranean. By the time we got to Vernazza, we were too exhausted to hike any further, so we hopped on the train to Monterosso, the village closest to our campsite, where we had a relaxing sit down meal.
The villages themselves are all very photogenic, even on a cloudy day. They are no more than half a square mile in size and have colorful houses lining narrow cobbled streets. My favorite was Vernazza, with its quaint harbor filled with cafes and gelaterias. I’m so happy we finally made it here! I’ve been wanting to visit Cinque Terre for years.
We’re taking it easy today. There’s no plan other than to relax and catch up on pictures and planning. I’ll probably take a short afternoon hike to the nearby town of Barga.
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| View of Corniglia |
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| Along the hike to Vernazza |
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| Overlooking the town of Vernazza, after a 2 hour hike |
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| From our hotel room in Tuscany, with a view of Barga, Italy |
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