I was totally exhausted my evening in Genoa, so I stayed close to my B&B for dinner I rounded the corner and ate salad and pesto pasta, getting the "for your own good, we will not serve you tap water" look (there was even a tap in the square I was sitting in where two people filled water bottles for the house). I opted for the B&B over the hostel, though it cost more, because the hostel was really far outside of the city centre and I wad there on a Sunday, when busses run less frequently. Fortunately, my B&B was right in the city centre. Unfortunately, my B&B was right in the city centre. In the alleys of the town, prostitutes were common, but it certainly wasn't an issue. I never felt "in danger" necessarily, in Genoa, though the tight streets can be a little uncomfortable.
In the morning, I ate my way though the huge breakfast left for me by the owner of the B&B, before exploring the city for a bit longer. I bought a pin, more focaccia, and pesto before taking the metro to the station.
Unfortunately I missed the train I originally wanted to take and had to wait a half an hour for the next one. I'm not too bummed about it though, on the platform I met a couple from New Zealand doing a European tour. And so I met some train buddies. And here I thought it would be difficult to find people to chat with on my trip!
I got to the town I'd be staying in in the Cinque Terre, Manarola, the second one, and hauled my luggage up to the hostel. After check in, I headed to the water. Though there isn't a beach, I had a great time swimming among the rocks. It's pretty sweet to be able to swim in this really clear, blue water, and have tiny fish swim around you. Afterwards, I explored the town, grabbing breakfast and lunch food. I had pesto pizza for dinner (what can I say, I'm in Liguria - I have to get a lifetime's worth of focaccia and pesto in), then chatted with three of my roommates, a set of sisters from Australia. They had finished a month of study in Florence and were planning a European tour. An early night for all of us, though, as we all wanted an early start on the trails the next day.
I had originally wanted to be on the trail for 7:30, but that didn't work out, and I started 15 minutes late. I had been planning to do the blue trail, which links all five towns, but a part was closed, so I started on the red trail. The red trail is a bit longer and goes into the mountains a ways, but really nice. The first two hours were the best for me. It was still cool (ish), and I didn't meet anyone on the trail. I walked though olive trees and grape vines, past rosemary and basil plants the size of small trees. I saw many local farmers picking fruit or working the land before it got extremely hot. The path was narrow, on the side of a steep hill. The villagers had built terraces and rock walls into the earth, creating the pathways. A more modern addition are the lines of a type of track for a cable car that would climb up and down, carrying a person and their fruit. (Ok that was a terrible description, I have a photo).
After about two hours I reached the third village, Corniglia (I started on the second). I briefly explored the town, had a snack, and continued onto the blue trail. It was starting to get warm by that point, and I considered not reapplying my sunscreen, but I'd seen enough very sunburnt tourists to decide otherwise. In the fourth village, Vernazza, I enjoyed some of the focaccia I'd packed for lunch, and wandered around the town. Then the last leg of the trail on that end. The trail was getting more crowded by that point (I felt bad for those who were just starting), and even hotter. I arrived at the final village, Monterosso al Mare, where I enjoyed the other half of my lunch, and had a quick swim.
Despite reapplying sunscreen frequently, doing my best to avoid the sun, and drinking lots of water, I was not feeling 100% - a cold granite really helped, and I took it easy for the afternoon.
I took the train to the first village, Riomaggiore, where I walked around, before taking the Via dell'Amore (way of love) back to Manarola. The Via dell'Amore was certainly the easiest part of the trail, it was smooth and paved while the others were certainly more... Rugged. Many people have left locks along the path, symbolising their love.
Back at Manarola, I went for one last swim before I went back to the hostel for a shower.
I was in bed early, hoping for an early start on my last day. If you are ever in the Cinque Terre, start early. You can wander the village and be nearly alone - except for the locals. You'll smell bread baking, see neighbours greet each other - it's really nice.
I confused the train schedule, so I hung around Manarola a little longer, before taking the train to the middle village. I climbed the four hundred steps to the town, explored the city, then took off for the fourth village. I walked around there for a little while, eating a focaccia con pesto, before going back to Manarola and getting my bags from the hostel. Then on the train again to Monterosso to do a little souvenir shopping, then the train again to Riomaggiore for a quick break before catching the train to La Spezia, where I'd connect to Pisa.
My host mom once told me that flying out of Pisa to Palermo is usually pretty funny - you can tell the flight is going south, the people on it are usually from there. I was quickly conversing with a pair of women going to Sicily for some sun.
These last days I've been looking forward to going home, to Palermo. I can't wait to sleep in my own bed, use a non-communal shower, to eat simple, homemade food. But it's strange - Palermo is only "home" for about a week - then I'll be heading back to Canada. I'm having a bit of a difficult time picturing it.
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