5 Lands

What can I say about the Cinque Terre.   Words can't describe it really but I will try.  It is magical and spectacular, quaint and amazing, rugged and beautiful all at the same time. We arrived early by train on Oct 3rd. We didn't have a place to stay but I knew from all the books we had read which town I wanted to stay in.  We headed right for Manarola which is the second town after Riomaggiore. It isn't the biggest town in the Cinque terre but in my mind the most beautiful of the bunch.  We found a small room right on the main road of the town.  What you have to know is this entire area is very mountainous so everything (and I mean everything) is up at least 50 stairs, including our room. Thank God my suitcase converts to a back pack because between running to catch trains and getting into your room, I don't know if I could have done it.  Bahhh, who needs a stair master anyway! 
We wandered around the town had some lunch then decided to take the train to Riomaggiore then walk back.  This is the easiest of the walks between the towns, only about 20 minutes, so we thought it would be a good way to start.  As we found out, the path between Manarola and Corniglia is closed so we will have to do another route instead.  On our venture through Riomaggiore we met a fantastic newlywed couple from Kelowna on their honeymoon.  We hit it off right away and because they were new to travelling we ended up helping them find a room and thus began a great friendship.  We ened up spending the rest of the day and evening with them having dinner together and making plans for the next day.  Her name is Marlo and she is a pharmasist and he is a brew master named Sebastian.  How can you not want friends like them...booze and drugs haha. 
We arranged to meet the next morning for coffee at 9:30 in order to get an early start to Monterosso.  Our plan was to take the train then walk the path back to Vernazza.  This is the most difficult part of the trail, a mere 3kms but a strenuous 2 hour hike. 
We were paid off in views that would blow your mind the entire time, sometimes a bit scary but probably one of the most memorable things I have done in my life and I am really glad Joe nudged, no, shoved, me out of my comfort zone and made me do it.  Our new friends were absolutely fantastic companions and we just had to dine with them later that night after our hike.  We went to Trattatori Billy (the real name) high on the cliff looking over Manarola, (and yes we walked though our legs were screaming by this point in the day)  Joe wanted fish which is the village specialty so in walks Luigi with a tray of fresh fish.  "Which one is yours?" he asks.  We have no idea what kind of fish it was but it was amazing.   I had freshly made  green spaghetti with mussels which I shared with Sebastian and Marlo had pommadoro.  Vino of course added to the dinner then dessert was panna cotta (OMG) and tiramisu.  I know none of you want to know what we ate but the amazing part of dinner was after we were all finished the waiter came by with a free bottle of port and a free bottle of grappa aka lighter fluid.  We all had a sip of grappa then drank the bottle of port to forget that we tried the grappa.  I will now begin to build up my tolerance for grappa because apparently it is not optional at the olive farm and we arrive there in 11 days. Oh boy!
To say we were singing like Italian on a passeggiata is an understatement.  Oh how we are loving Italy!!!

We are off to Venice tomorrow so stayed tuned...