Monterosso - Vernazza - Corniglia

At 9am today we set off, at last, to walk the Cinque Terre.  It was a 2 hour hike up hill and down dale to Vernazza, but the vistas were incomparable, every one better than the last.  Our training at the Moorooduc quarry certainly paid off.  There were many people walking the trail - old, young, Yankees,   Spanish, Germans, Danes, French and Italians etc.  In places the track was narrow and at times there was no rail to help you navigate the uneven steps but it was so well worth it.  Vernazza is a picturesque little town with a small beach and an excellent gelateria, which we felt obliged to patronise.  (Sorry Owen no pictures of the gelato are available).  We stayed for an hour before setting off for Corniglia.  Again the views were breathtaking and so were we as we climbed.  The steepest climb was leaving the village to get up to the actual track.
Arriving at  Corniglia was a real achievement and we celebrated with a fruit salad!  Paul did really well on his new hip, but we were both grateful to see the village ahead.  We had planned to walk both ways but reality won the day.  We caught the train back to Monterosso and got into our togs and down to the free beach for a refreshing swim.  The perfect end to our day.









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