Cinque Terre part 1

Monterosso, Vernazza and Corniglia Another magical entry in the List of Places to Visit must be the five villages clinging to the steep Ligurian hills along the Mediterranean shores of northwest Italy: Cinque Terre, a Journey to Remember. Almost inaccessible and sheltered from the outside world for centuries, they flourish as time-capsules of old-fashioned life in a perfect setting: along azure shores, surrounded by lush hills covered with grape vines, olives, cactus, citrus groves and wild greenery. You can travel from one of these towns to the next on foot, by train, or by boat, but not by car -- there are no direct roads connecting Cinque Terre along the steep coastline, helping to preserve them as such unique places on this southern fringe of the Italian Riviera 40 miles below Genoa. These villages can provide us with “all the pleasures of merely circulating” as poet, Wallace Stevens would put it. Hiking through the hills past vineyards with enchanting views all around is one of the great attractions, but even more enjoyable for most visitors is simply strolling and relaxing in each village, soaking up the peaceful, old-world ambience where cars and trucks are not allowed. You really don’t have to do any hiking at all to enjoy the towns, since frequent train and boat services are available, but walking is such a part of the complete experience that you should try at least a couple of the connecting routes. More intrepid hikers interested in larger adventures can continue for days along the many trails that continue much further up the hills, detailed in maps available for purchase there and sketched out on the official web site (www.cinqueterre.it). Although isolated, Cinque Terre has been discovered by the enlightened horde and gets quite busy in season. There is a slight admission fee to what is now a national park. Visit between October and March to avoid the crowds and enjoy this special place at its best, or brace yourself to share it with the summer bunch. Off-season travel is especially rewarding in a destination like this which derives so much charm from its small size and quiet atmosphere. Only five miles from one end to the other, you could sweep through in one day, but better, stay a few nights in one of the little hotels and have an affair that will linger in your heart for a lifetime. From north to south, the “Five Lands” are Monterosso, Vernazza, Corniglia, Manarola and Riomaggiore, each about a mile apart with a total population of nearly 6,000. The hiking trail connecting them passes through terraced vineyards that offer wonderful views for much of the way and is not overly strenuous for the typical traveler. Total trail length is 7 miles, with each section between the towns covered in a comfortable walk averaging 2 hours. The entire trail system could be done in one, long tiring day, but it is best enjoyed in sections over several days. The easiest path is found on the south end, connecting Riomaggiore to Manarola with a level, paved path that takes only 20 minutes. Called the “Via dell’ Amore” this lovers’ path is the only section where you can walk side-by-side holding hands. MONTEROSSO Monterosso on the north end of the chain is largest of the five hamlets and makes a good home base because it has 20 hotels, the only sandy beach, excellent restaurants, and the start of the hiking trail. It is also the only one in which long-distance trains stop, so it is easy to reach by rail service from throughout Europe. You arrive by train at Monterosso in the newer section built in the 1970s, then walk through a short tunnel into the Old Town. Monterosso has a handful of historic sites, including a Cappucine convent and church, a medieval tower, castle ruins, and WWII bunker, but you are here primarily here to wander the little lanes for a few hours, admire the cluster of picturesque buildings, eat well, and use the town as a springboard for visiting the region. Of course, for the shoppers, there’s always that chance to find the special souvenir or elusive outfit in little, out-of-the-way boutiques that you would never find at home or on the main shopping circuits, so there’s something for everybody here in the Cinque Terre. Their written history goes back 1,000 years, with legends extending to the Roman times and beyond into prehistory. Fishing and farming were always the basic economic activities, with tourism now providing the primary income. The main crop is grapes for the local white wines, which are really quite good and can only be purchased in the area. Locally-produced food is served in the restaurants, especially the fresh seafood, olives, fruits and pasta served with pesto, ‘pesto besto’ they say, flavored by basil grown upslope. There are two special hotels to consider for your stay, Hotel Pasquale and Villa Steno (www.pasini.com). One of the owners, Matteo Pasini, explained why visitors enjoy their experience here. “These towns are not so touristy like a standard touristy area because you can’t drive easily through them. Driving from Monterosso to Vernazza would take one hour (requiring a long detour up and down the mountain), but just a few minutes by train, or one hour and a half by walking. So, difficult, but this difficulty is good for tourists that they can find a more relaxing place. It is very scenic. Monterosso is a small town, a fishing town, now thanks to you Americans, very famous.” VERNAZZA The next destination down the coast is Vernazza, which you could reach in 5 minutes by train, 10 minutes by boat, or best of all, 90 minutes walking -- so take a hike. This is one of the nicer trails of the region and has a truly spectacular approach to Vernazza, so it would be a shame to come all the way here and not experience this walk. Pamper yourself later with train and boat rides, but for now, put on those comfortable shoes and get moving. The trail from Monterosso is easy to find, rising up behind the beach. Follow the path, climb the hill past the sign for Hotel Porto Roca, and keep on going around the bend. Once on the trail there are no confusing forks or side detours to confuse you, nor are there any refreshment stands along the way, so be prepared. There will be frequent glimpses of Vernazza in the distance, jutting out on its small peninsula, and then as you get closer there will be one special viewpoint that makes the entire journey worthwhile, as you stand on a ledge looking straight down into the pastel-colored village wrapped around its tiny harbor. It’s all downhill from there so you can soon be sitting at a table by the sea and enjoying your reward, a fabulous meal that tastes at least twice as good as it should, enhanced by your accomplishment and the picture-book setting with a spectacular view all around. In earlier conversation with Marco Pasini back at his Hotel Pasquale, he explained that “Vernazza is a good place because it has remained like it was during the old, old period -- the ancient period. These villages all had a good past during the Republic of Genoa because they are situated in a strategic zone, like a guarded area. So Genoa protected the villages, keeping the pirates away.” Vernazza may be the most beautiful of all, set perfectly in a tiny valley on the edge of the sea, with colorful homes built one on top of the next and framed by a couple of churches and towers. It’s a little bigger than Corniglia and Manarola, and yet it is still very, very small – so small that you could walk from one end to the other in about 10 minutes, but you’ll want to slow down and get into the local pace. There’s no rush here. Locals are just hanging out. They are enjoying life as much as the visitors do. The buildings have been standing for many centuries and they’re not going anywhere, so take your time, explore the little side alleys, and yes, there are going to be staircases. After all, these are hill-towns, so there are hardly any flat, level surfaces here, but it’s easy enough. In ancient days there were frequent invaders and pirates who would come in from the sea. Now it’s all fun and games and very peaceful. There is so little level land that the kids use the beach as their soccer field, and sometimes they use the main pedestrian lane for an extension of the game, so watch out for flying soccer balls as you walk through the streets. At Vernazza there is one very distinctive landmark: a stone tower that was part of the medieval wall that went around the village to protect it from invaders. Climb those many steps up to the tower for a wonderful, panoramic view. You will be snapping away with your digital machine no doubt, capturing nice memories to remind you years hence about what a joy this was, but no picture can equal the visceral thrill of being in such a stimulating place, so don’t let that camera get in the way or divert you from fully experiencing the moment. Spend a few minutes just looking, and nothing else. A stone jetty here forms a bit of a mini-harbor. There were no natural ports in the area, so the residents had to make do and build their own, with the resulting shelter very small. Boats pull in to the dock briefly, just long enough to tie up and let people walk on and off the bouncy gangplank. Still, Vernazza is a nautical place, like all of Cinque Terre. You are within a stone’s throw of the water no matter where you stand. Depending on your schedule, it might be time to return to Monterosso for the evening and resume the rest of this trip tomorrow, or to carry on directly to Corniglia now. Since the towns are so close together it is very easy to get back and forth by the fast train service and resume each day’s activities where you left off the day before. CORNIGLIA The next town south, Corniglia, is unique among the five because it’s up on the hill with no direct access to the water, so there is no boat service here. The hiking trail takes about 90 minutes, or you can arrive by train in 5 minutes. Either way this little speck of a town is worth seeing because it is the smallest and most isolated, and perhaps the oldest. Yes, there are going to be more stairs -- but just a little bit of climbing will get you around. Earlier in their history all the villages were up on the hillside and not directly connected to the water for defensive reasons. That way they were better protected from the seafaring pirate raids. Corniglia, being so old, is just oozing with more historic charm. The main “street” is only a few feet wide. And it seems there are more locals than tourists out and about. You will soon come to the tiny main square of Corniglia, which is about 10 yards by 20 yards in dimension but big enough to hold some tables and host picnic lunches for intrepid hikers. From this lofty perch you can see down the coast to the next destination, Manarola. Once again, you could hike to it along a nice trail, or take a short walk back to the Corniglia train station and get on the local, which is basically a shuttle that stops in each one of the five settlements. Corniglia to Manarola only takes seven minutes once you’re rolling. These train tracks also have some freight trains rolling through, as well as some intercity trains that don’t stop here.

Blip | August 13, 2008

Tags:. .adventures. .past. .five. .couple. .remember