Cinque Terre # 2

This stop along our journey was one of the most anticipated stops for Jeni and I. As
I mentioned several posts back, Cinque Terre is an Italian national park where five
villages (Riomaggiore, Manorola, Corniglia, Vernazza and Monterosso) are located
right along the Mediterranean, perched on top of high, jagged cliffs. There are
hiking trails connecting all the villages and people are able to hike along the
cliffs, right next to the sea. Incredible. We have heard nothing but amazing stories
from other travelers about their experiences in Cinque Terre.

We did not arrive at Riomaggiore until almost midnight and the village was deserted.
Luckily, the hostel owners live on site and we were able to check-in that late at
night. Jeni and I had become aware that something major had happened in Vernazza on
October 25th that lead to the major hiking trails being shut down. We were crossing
our fingers that, in the morning, some trails may be open so we could do a little
bit of exploring...

The morning came and the day was calm and turned out to be sunny. We first walked
down to the tourist info office (every village has one that is very interesting and
informative) and poked around to see what areas we could hike and what the exactly
the situation was. It turned out that absolutely no trails were open to the public
for an indefinite amount of time. The lady working at the tourist office tried to
explain to us the situation as best she could and actually began to cry. Huge
amounts of rain came this fall in the area and Vernazza and Monterosso were
devastated by mud slides that took the lives of several people. The villages were
evacuated around October 25 and, currently, there are crews working in the areas and
trying to restore it to a livable condition. The mood in Cinque Terre was quite
quiet and somber while we were there. This is the greatest devastation Cinque Terre
has ever experienced and it was, obviously, very traumatic for the locals of the
villages.

Jeni and I, because we have been on the road for a while now (exactly a month, in
fact), and because we have limited Internet access and limited access to English
news, we had no idea of what had happened in Cinque Terre before we got there. We
have both agreed we would not have changed our experience, though we did not get to
hike Cinque Terre. We were able to take the train between all five villages and we
were able to stop and explore Riomaggiore, Manorola and Corniglia. The train ride
between each village was only 10 minutes and cheap...so we explored Riomaggiore and
Corniglia the first day, and the second day we explored Manorola. We took the train
through Vernazza and Manorola, even though we could not get off, and we were briefly
able to see the destruction from the mud slides. There was mud piled a few meters
high in some places. Backhoes were literally digging dirt out of people's homes via
the front entrance way. We could see mud and grass stuck in window shutters on the
second floors of people's homes. There were many cleanup crews visible from the
train as we passed through.

It it hard to explain the sights of Cinque Terre. I feel like I have said that about
quite a few things on our journey, but, many of these places people must experience
for themselves...

The villages are so unique, unlike anything I have seen before. Green terraces
surround the towns and is where agricultural production takes place. There are
vineyards, lemon and orange trees and vegetables that are grown along the terraces.
Cinque Terre makes its own wine and limoncello! The villages are nestled between the
rocky, terraced cliffs and hills that are located right by the Mediterranean. As we
walked through the villages that we had access to, there were several lookout points
where you could observe the incredible landscape on one side, and the great ocean on
the other. In Corniglia, the middle village, there actually is one lookout point
where you can view all five villages...two to the north and two to the south. The
waves were amazing as well...mighty, blue swells crashing against the rocky
coastline. It was also apparent the sense of community that connected the villages
of Cinque Terre. Locals were very friendly to us, considering the recent set of
events, and while wandering the streets of each town, locals were always out talking
and laughing with each other and enjoying the company of others.

Jeni and I went through gelato withdrawals in Cinque Terre. All the gelaterias had
been shut down for the off season. So, we just decided to enjoy some drinks along
the side of the railways tracks while waiting for our trains  from village to
village. The tracks wind along cliffs right above the ocean, so there are also great
views at the train stations, too. The Riomaggiore station had a small bar that made
to-go drinks...genius idea! I discovered a new drink that I love while on my
travels. It's an Italian drink called Aperol Spritz and it made with Aperol (a
bitter, red liquor), Prosecco and orange slices...all chilled and mixed together in a wine
glass. Delicious! Especially when enjoying it by the railway tracks on a sunny day
by the Mediterranean. 

It was a nice break from the large, European centers that we had been touring. At
this point on our trip, I am starting to feel like I need more and more rest but we
still have some major cities to see like Rome, Lisbon and Barcelona. My time spent
in Cinque Terre was pretty much tourist free, quiet and slow...I definitely
appreciated and enjoyed those couple of days. Jeni was antsy to get on to
Rome...after a couple of quiet days wandering around Cinque Terre, I think she was
happy to move along. I could've easily stayed there for another day or two.

Because we stayed an extra night in Cinque Terre, hoping for some trails to possibly
open up, we pushed Rome back a day and gave ourselves two and a half days to see one
of the greatest European cities. A mighty feet and I was mentally preparing. We had
a five hour train ride from La Spezia to Roma...we were off to see epicenter of
where western civilization began!