1. Looking onto Vernazza.
2. Looking down from the coastal walk.
3. The most beautiful place to swim.
4. Looking back.
5. Playing with our shadows on a cliff before Monterosso al Mare.
6. Sunset from Via dell'Amore coming back from Riomaggiore.
By the time we'd gotten up
past Manarola (where we were staying and where we started the walk), I was
soaked to the bone, with sweat. And that's me putting it nicely. Vernazza was
our gelato break where I inhaled a cone of ricotta and caramelised fig and
crema vernazza; white chocolate and mixed berries. And may I add that I LOVE
that it is standard to get two flavours of gelato in Italy, it means that I get
to taste twice, even thrice, the number of flavours!
The limited number of
photos from Monterosso and Riomaggiore is just an indicator of my dwindling
patience for a swim in the perfect waters that we'd been gazing at longingly
all day. Vernazza was my favourite town (aside from Manarola); it's got a more vibrant youthful atmosphere than the others and I'd recommend staying here (or Manarola), I know I'd try stay here next time.
Finally reaching
Monterosso, stripping off and racing into the pristine Ligurian waters at the
end of the day was the most gratifying thing, as well as walking god knows how
many kilometres through Cinque Terre and surviving. The landscape is
breathtaking and is definitely worth the screaming calf muscles.
