(Back to Pictures)

Cinque Terra Day 3 ...to Monterosso

I did not get up as early as I had the day before, but the town was still asleep as I hit the trail. The trail "office" was closed, so I was not able to buy the required pass... I sat there for a minute with a Dutch couple who were in the same situation. We decided to walk on, they made a joke about "Double Dutching" on the ticket... not kidding... weird?

Click on the pictures for a larger version.

On the way up and out...
And what should appear, but the old local Georgia fav and childhood dietary supplement. Didn't taste like I remember...
This section of trail, and the one between Corniglia and Vernazza were really well maintained and well marked. Can't say enough about the condition of the trails.
Notice the stairs cantilevered into the hillside...
Approaching Monterosso
The first beach at Monterosso. Normally this might have more activity, but if you look on the left hand side of the picture, just beyond the break, you can see a couple parts of the dredging barge that sank that morning. This is part of the reason for all the churned up junk in the water and it was all of the reason for the lingering smell of gasoline in the air. Pretty much ruined their day.
A view from the hotel window. The hotel was located a couple streets off the second "beach" and closer to the train station. The two beaches (and parts of the town) were connected via tunnel, or a "panoramic" walk.
So, like a moron, I decided to a trip up the "hill" and make a kind of loop back around behind the town on trail #1. It was a lot more work than I had anticipated. Whenever I thought I couldn't go up any further, I was wrong.
But there it was... the reverse angle from a couple days earlier. I don't know if the picture has the detail, but you could clearly see the church where I had stood above Riomaggiore...cool.
Church ruins at the top. I'll get some more info...each map seemed to have a different name.
Just happy to be here, but unaware there was more "up" on the way...
Headed off on the "loop" part, it was a ridge trail through some actual trees, very easy starting off.
And then it started going up...
This is what trail markers looked like... anything to stop and take a breath.
A view of Levanto to the northwest...
	To make a long story short... I got as far "up" as I could stand, and cut down a highway back to town.
The Ligurian style church in Monterosso (more details later), next to Pizzaria Ely... and being part Minnesota boy, I couldn't overlook that sign... where I had some delicious Pansotti (Ravioli) al Pesto (see a theme here). I would make a very fat Italian. I am not sure why I don't remember to take pictures of my food?
	...and so ended my day, but not before watching the Italians beat up on Real Madrid.