The past few days have been a whirlwind. Phil was visiting,
and we decided to head out of town on a quest to hike the Cinque Terre. We
really only wanted to hike the shorter, less daunting part of it and use the
train for the rest. On Wednesday, we set off early for La Spezia. It is a
decent sized port city just south of the Cinque Terre, and where a lot of
people stay or start their Cinque Terre journeys. Our hotel listed self parking
for 13.25 Euros a day, which would’ve been fine. After a 7-hour ride, we got
their to find the hotel has only four parking spots, the train station lots
were full, and we drove for more than 30 minutes before finding a street spot.
The next morning I got up early and moved the car to the train station lot. In
all, it cost us slightly more than the cost would’ve been at the hotel.
The first Cinque Terre town we visited was Riomaggiore. This
was a great place to start. It’s small, prices were the best of the five towns,
and we found a place to grab a drink and a snack with an incredible view of the
coastline. Riomaggiore was so nice, we went back the second day as well, making
it the last Cinque Terre town we visited as well. The town set the tone as to
what to expect; big crowds, lots of walking, anchovies, and scenic beauty.
After a couple of hours in Riomaggiore, we set off for town
number 2 – Manarola. The scenic beauty of Manarola was incredible. Some people
swimming, some people kayaking, people like Phil and I eating and drinking.
Again we found a nice place with a view. Manarola seemed very small. There was
not as much of a street to stroll and shop as there was in Riomaggiore.
However, they did have more specialized artwork for sale. 
Wanting to see at least three of the towns on the first day,
we next went to Corniglia. Whereas the other four Cinque Terre towns are on the
coast, Corniglia is at the top of a cliff overlooking the water. We never did
see a beach there, just rocky coastline. We did, however, decide to take the
long, windy road to the town. About half way up, we noticed a giant staircase
leading to the same place we were heading. We trudged on, visiting most of
Corniglia, before finding a place for a snack and a drink with at least a
little view. It was sunset when we decided to head back to La Spezia. To get
back to the train we took the staircase. The whole time going down I was glad
not to have climbed them. We spent the rest of the night in La Spezia.
The next day, we decided against the 4-hour walk between the
last two towns. Neither of us felt like making that trek, especially
considering that it would be 4-hours for an experienced hiker, in 96 degree
weather. We instead took the train to Vernazza. We loved it there. It’s a great
place for swimming and kayaking or just renting a boat for the day. Fishermen
in the harbor were busy working, and the church bells were ringing right at the
water’s edge. It was truly breathtaking and a very close second to Riomaggiore.
There wasn’t as much shopping or things to see, and stuff was more expensive
than Riomaggiore. We found a little pizzeria, and split a bottle of local
prosecco right at the port. 
We then went to town number five, Monterosso al Mare. This
was easily the biggest of the towns, and had the most developed beaches. There
was a lungomare that stretched more than a kilometer. And it had the most
access for a car of any of the four towns near the sea. Only Corniglia, the
hill town, had more access for cars. Again we looked for a restaurant with a
view, and enjoyed the sites of Monterosso. Wanting to get our souvenirs late,
we made our way back toward La Spezia, stopping first in Manarola, then in
Riomaggiore. After a last breathtaking view, we hopped back on the train and
spent the rest of the night dining and drinking in La Spezia.
Having to get the rental car back in Rome before noon on
Friday, we hurried out of La Spezia in the morning. We managed to get the car
there at 12:06, but they were fine with it. Roma awaited us. We had a car
service take us into the city for less money than a taxi. We passed the Arch of
Constantine, the forum, the Coliseum, and Roman baths on our eventual way to
Ice Club Roma. It’s a great bar where you meet people from all over the world…while
drinking in a freezer…in a room built out of ice. It was a great end to the
trip for Phil, who flew back to America today. My day was spent traveling by
bus, train, and feet.
