Monterosso - Gateway to Cinque Terre

  Monterosso, Italian Riviera, Italy
Saturday, September 13, 2008

Monterosso

After our experience in Milan, Monterosso is like a breath of fresh air.  It is one of the five villages that make up Cinque Terre, which is located in the Italian Riviera on the West coast of Italy.  Monterosso is the village furthest to the north with Vernazza, Corniglia, Manorola, and Riomaggiore (the southern-most village) making up the rest of Cinque Terre.  What draws travelers to this area (besides the great food and breathtaking scenery) are the hiking trails between Monterosso and Riomaggiore.  

We arrived in Monterosso in the early evening.  From the train station, it was a short walk through a tunnel and across the town square to get to our hotel, the Albergo Marina.  

Our Room at Hotel Marina Albergo

We had worked up an appetite, so we set off for dinner.  Although Monterosso is a small town, there was no shortage of restaurants.  We decided to dine at Ristorante Al Pozzo.  I don't remember what I ate, but Jay's dish was unbelievably delicious.  It was (yet another) variation of frutti di mare.  After dinner, we visited a wine shop that was located directly across from Al Pozzo.  The wine shop is owned by Kenalyn, a Filipina, who has lived in Italy for 22 years.  We chatted with her for a bit and sampled some wine, liquor, and pesto.

At Kenalyn's Wine Shop

 

We woke up early the next morning as it was the day of our big hike through Cinque Terre.  The hotel provides a wonderful breakfast feast every morning.  We fueled up on eggs, croissants, orange juice, and cappuccinos.  

Map of Cinque Terre and Surrounding Area

And then we were off to the train station to purchase our Cinque Terre cards, which are required to gain access to the trails.  The sun was out and the weather was gorgeous.  The trail, from Monterosso to Vernazza, would be the longest and most difficult, as much of it is uphill.  

On the Trails

We planned to take the train back to Monterosso once we arrived at the last village, Riomaggiore.

The trails are well maintained with plenty of signs leading you in the right direction.  Throughout the day, we shared the trails with fellow Americans, Australians, Germans (easily identifiable with their hiking poles), Spaniards, and other citizens of the world.  

Out for a Stroll

As we made our way to Vernazza, every so often we would turn to see Monterosso getting smaller in the distance.  

Waving Hi!

 

Two hours after we started our journey, we arrived at Vernazza, which is regarded by many as the most beautiful town in Cinque Terre.  

Overlooking Vernazza

In Vernazza, we snapped photos of a little pizzeria and found the aroma too tantalizing to resist.

The "Pizzeria" in Vernazza

Our Lunch

  We found a bench near the piazza and just watched the world unfold before us as we ate.  The piazza was buzzing with locals and tourists alike.  

The View from our Bench

One Last Look at Vernazza

After we polished off our pizza, we continued on our journey.  

Our next stop was Corniglia.

Next Stop - Corniglia

  This leg would take an hour and a half.  The trails weren't as arduous as before, but we still worked up a sweat so that by the time we got to Corniglia, it was time for a hearty lunch.  

Corniglia

We found an outdoor restaurant that looked promising.  We ordered a salad, calamari (of course), and a seafood risotto.  A few minutes into our salad, the sky opened up and the rain came down on us.  While the other diners decided to tough it out under the cafe umbrellas, Jay and I (with the help of our waiter) picked up our glasses of wine and ran indoors.  Shortly after, another couple followed suit.  We enjoyed the rest of our meal.  

The Best Seafood Risotto

The seafood risotto was divine.  Thankfully, the rain stopped as abruptly as it had started.  Before we set out for Manarola, I made a stop for gelato.  

Gelato Stop

We ran into an Australian we had had seen on the trails.  "Taking a break?"  I asked. Rolling his eyes, he shrugged his shoulders and replied, "She's doing some shopping," referring to his significant other.  

Then we were off to Manarola.  The road to Manarola was a breeze compared to the last two legs.  Some parts of the trail were muddy due to the recent rainfall and we had to hop over a few puddles. 

The Suspension Bridge

There was a suspension bridge we had to cross, which was fun.  As we got closer to Manarola, we (and several other fellow travelers) spied a couple several feet below us sunbathing nude (well, almost nude).  

Close-Up

It turns out that the beach below is very popular for those favoring birthday suits over bathing suits.  The main thoroughfare in Manarola is a wide and open walkway with restaurants and shops lining both sides.  

Entry to Manarola

While Jay played around with his camera, I popped in and out of a few shops for souvenirs.  At the piazza, I saw a poster entirely in Italian that had a photograph of young American woman.  From what I could tell, it was advertising some sort of memorial for the woman.  When I got home, I googled her and found out that she had visited Cinque Terre on her honeymoon.  She and her husband had gone down to the beach and she was swept away by a massive wave as she was posing for a photograph while standing on a huge rock.  

The Poster

The photograph that is featured on the poster is the actual photograph that was taken seconds before her death.  May she rest in peace.

The last leg of our Cinque Terre hike was a short 15 minute walk to Riomaggiore.  This trail is called Via Dell'Amore (Lover's Walk). 

Romantic?

 Throughout this trail, you'll find lots of graffiti, initials etched in benches, and padlocks fastened to fences.  Apparently, it's the in thing for young lovers to fix a padlock to a fence or bench as an expression of their love for each other.  We arrived at Riomaggiore shortly after 5:00 pm.  While I was perfectly happy to rest my feet at the train station, Jay insisted on dragging me to the summit, which made me angry for a few minutes.  At the top, we found a small church, where I lit a candle for my grandfather.  I realized that it was 8:00 in the morning back in California, so I phoned home to check in with the parental units since they'd arrived home the day before.  My mom reported that all was well and that Squirt and Lala had been very happy to see them. 

Pooped!

We walked back down into town and caught a train back to Monterosso.  We noticed several lunch-size paper bags weighed down with rice with a candle in the center lining both ends of the streets.   One of the shopkeepers explained that there would be a procession in honor of Madonna (Mary, Mother of Jesus, not the pop star).  

Yummy!

Jay and I decided to revisit Ristorante Al Pozzo for the delicious seafood pasta for our last dinner in Monterosso.  We sat outside so that we could watch the procession.  

Last Dinner in Monterosso

A few minutes past nine, the procession began with the villagers leading the way.  They were followed by a small band and then the clergy and finally a representation of the Madonna.  

The Procession

 

After dinner, Jay and I visited Kenalyn's wine shop.  She had noticed the wine we were drinking during dinner, but unfortunately she was out of stock of that particular bottle.  We picked up several bottles of wine and jars of pesto for pasalubong.  I unabashedly asked whether there was a Filipino discount.  She told me to pick out anything I wanted from the store and it would be free.  I settled on a big jar of pesto.  We said our good-byes and promised to return someday.

The next morning, we packed our bags and set out early to catch a boat.  We wanted to see the towns from a different perspective, by sea.  We picked out seats on the top deck and within a few minutes at sea, the rain started falling again.  

Hmmm, which town is this?

Instead of descending downstairs to the covered seating area, we ducked under our umbrella and enjoyed the scenery.