This morning we got up around 8:00 and packed our bags. We ate our breakfast and cleaned the apartment so it looked as it did when we arrived. Our host was kind enough to allow us to store our luggage in the apartment while we set out to explore the Cinque Terre. We left the apartment at 8:45 and caught a bus to the train station. Our bus was 5 minutes late and we thought we had missed our connecting train but luckily it was also running late and the timing was perfect.
Based on our reading, our original plan was to hike from Manorola to Corniglia. Many people said this was their favourite hike between cities. However, a fellow passenger overheard us and politely informed us that the trail we were planning to take was closed. We had a slight change in plans since the only hike left for us to do was between Corniglia and Vernazza. We decided to do the hike from Corniglia.
Hike from Corniglia to Vernazza
When we arrived at the train station we hiked all the way up the mountain to reach the town of Corniglia. We drnk our water and refilled our water bottles at the potable water station before continuing on our way. We started on the 1.3 mile trail at 10:15 and it was already very hot. This time we had the sun to our backs though so it wasn’t as bad. The trail was not as flat as Google let on. When we weren’t climbing steep stairs we were declining at the same rate. About 30 minutes into the hike Ayva began having trouble breathing. This time we clued in and figured she must be having allergies to something in the mountains. There was really nothing we could do though so we told her to suck it up and keep on going. The view as we hiked along the water was spectacular. The water is a beautiful aqua marine and the sea looks like it goes on forever. The towns on the hills also had a picturesque look that the camera just couldn’t capture.
When we got about half way we came across a house with a café that had freshly squeezed lemonade. A few people we passed said it was the best lemonade they ever tasted… but their cups were quite small. No prices were posted and we still had a decent supply of water so we decided to continue on and reward ourselves with gelato later.
As we rounded the corner to Vernazza, the view of the town was stunning. A couple offered to take our photo so we actually got a family portrait near the end of the trail. We then followed it down the hill to the backside of the train station and saw a train was due to arrive any minute. It was about 11:30 so we decided to go to the next town and eat there.
Manarola (Village 2 of 5)
This turned out to be my favourite town in Cinque Terre. When we arrived in Manarola there wasn’t much to be seen and I was a little disappointed. I didn’t hink we would be here long but we followed the crowd through a dark tunnel that came out in the middle of a cute town. We walked along the street that led up the hill to see if we could find any food that interested us. There were a few options but nothing really stood out. We turned around and walked toward the beach. We found a cute little gelato shop that had decent prices and free seating so we decided to skip lunch and go straight to ice cream! As usual, it was amazing. We are so spoiled and ice cream at home will never be the same again!
After we finished our ice cream we were all refreshed and we walked down toward the marina. We were all in awe of how beautiful it was with the large rocks and deep clear water. There were many people swimming in the water and we all wished we had our bathing suits. We continued to walk around the back of the mountain when we thought it couldn’t get more beautiful… it did! The view of the town was spectacular. It was just like the photos show! The water was an even brighter shade of aqua and there were lots of people sun bathing and diving off rocks around the bend. This was definitely our kind of beach! I would love to come back to this town!
We tried to do a geocache here but unfortunately it was beyond the closed trail and we did not feel like climbing the fence and going beyond the safe zone we opted out of this one. After seeing the entire city and enjoying the view for a few minutes we went back to the train station.
Riomaggiore (Village 1 of 5)
We arrived in Riomaggiore around 1:!5. This is the first of the Cinque Terre and much like Manarola we had to walk through a long dark tunnel to get to the actual town. Across from the train station was a huge stone wall that seemed to reach the sky. Later we discovered why! As we walked through the tunnel I was intrigued by the stone artwork along the entire length. There was stone art along the sides that was quite detailed.
When we came out of the tunnel the main street led straight up hill. It was lined with stores and restaurants along both sides. We began hiking up street and realized that there is no way a resident of this town could possibly be overweight! About 5 minutes up we found a little shop that sold sea food. The kids shared a cup of fish and chips. We then hiked all the way to the top where the road ended. When we walked back down we saw a path that seemed to go up some stairs. We followed that path the top of a mountain that overlooked the other towns of the Cinque Terre. It was a gorgeous view and we were all hot and tired so we sat down for a few minutes to relax. We also refilled our water bottles at a fountain and began making our way back to the train station.
We followed a sign that pointed a different direction from where we came. We climbed endless stairs down narrow alleys that twisted between buildings. We came to a few dead ended and eventually had to backtrack up the hill before we were able to find the right path that led to the main road. It was better than the glass maze at Playland! By 2:00 we were back at the train station and ready to go back to La Spezia.
When we got to La Spezia we walked the main strip. Apparently 2:30 on a Sunday afternoon is a quiet time in the city. The shops were closed and the streets were practically empty. We found a little grocery store where we bought some fruit, hotdogs, and buns. We then hopped on a bus at went to the apartment to cook our hotdogs and retrieve our bags.
The cleaners had already finished getting the apartment ready for the next guests so we were very careful not to mess anything up. We carefully used the microwave to heat the hotdogs and ate outside. We all used the bathroom before leaving and I gave the bathroom and kitchen a quick clean before we left. The bus only runs every 30 minutes and I was paranoid about the kids messing up the place so we left at 3:45 even though our train wasn’t scheduled to depart until 6:15!
The bus got quite crowded and a we believe we were informed that we were taking up seats designated for the elderly. People didn’t look to happy about us sitting in seats with our bags. We moved closer to the back of the bus holding our suitcases as best we could. Poor Addison stood and had to move every time someone wanted on or off. We also missed our stop and had to walk a few blocks back to the train station. By 4:30 we had arrived and I felt much better knowing we were where we needed to be. We found a bench and everyone pulled out their devices and guarded the bags. It wasn’t too busy though. I was amused by a train that had “tema Bert” on it. Dad, you have fans here!
At 6:00 we went over to our platform and waited for our train (which of course was about 5 minutes delayed. The kids were pleasantly surprised when our seat reservations were in first class. Actually, we completely forgot about that but when we booked it wasn’t too much more to upgrade. Apparently we paid less for the 5 of us in first class as it would have cost to buy a single ticket in 2nd class the day of. Yes, booking all your trains in advance does pay off!
On the train, we had a table of 4 and the 2 seats across. The seats were huge and comfortable. The restroom was huge too! There were only 3 or 4 people in the same car as us so it was a very relaxing trip. We had a two hour game of rocket before we decided to take out our devices and relax the rest of the time.
Rome
When we arrived in Rome it was 10:15pm and not much was open. As we got off the train the people trickled away and it felt like we were the only ones there. Then after walking what seemed like miles we arrived at exit gates and it people were buzzing around on the other side. This was definitely the biggest station I have ever seen! We all stayed in a line and followed Tavis to the taxi line up which had about 50 people in front of us. When we got to the front of the line it took a few minutes for the attendant o find a taxi big enough for all of us but eventually we were on our way.
As we pulled up to the hotel I must admit that all of our jaws were on the floor. The name of the hotel is Rome Cavalieri and it looked like a palace from the front. We went to get our bags but the door men wouldn’t let us. They took our bags and gave us a tag. We walked in to an enormous lobby of gold and chandeliers and paintings everywhere. I captured Ari’s first impression and it really speaks volumes to how we all felt… Talk about feeling under dressed! Ari’s first words were, “I wish I brought my tux”. We found the reception desk, a personalized room with chairs by a desk. They spoke English well and welcomed us, informing us that we had been upgraded to two joining king suites. OMG!!!! They have 2 pools, hot tubs, sauna, kids club, and breakfast buffet all included. I don’t think the kids are going to want to leave the hotel! They offered to bring up a cot to the kids room.
By the time we got to our room, our luggage had already been delivered and the kids extra bed was already being made. We checked out the rooms and they are amazing. I don’t think I’ve ever seen a room like this. It took some time but we finally got the kids to calm down and get into bed before midnight. Tomorrow will be a sleep in day!