Italy (Turin, Genoa, Cinque Terre) 23rd – 27th August

The weather in London was pretty miserable last week and it was starting to feel like summer was over already. Escaping for the long weekend to the Italian coast with a forecast of mid –thirties and clear skies was a great chance to revel in some end of summer sun.

A and I flew into Turin on Thursday night and then spent the morning wandering around the city – the Lonely Planet had said not to bother but it turned out to be a really pretty city with a great vibe. I had what my possibly be the best pastry of my life. I’m not normally a big fan of Nutella (I don’t like hazelnuts) but when it’s in a pastry still warm from an Italian bakery it’s superb.

Hanging out in Turin

Live snails - 6 Euro / Kg

It was then onto Genoa which turned out to be a dirty port city with not much to look at. Back on the train to Vernazza where we were basing ourselves for our stay at the Cinque Terre.

The view from our room in Vernazza

Our first day in the Cinque Terre and we were off walking from Vernazza to Corneglia. It was an overcast day but still very warm, especially when we started climbing up and down the hills. We couldn't wait to get to Corneglia and go for a swim. We ended up following the signs down a very dodgy, abandoned train tunnel that promised a beach at the end. There definitely was a beach at the end, one full of very nude Italians. We decided to keep walking to the next town, mainly because to get back up to Corneglia there are 285 steps.

Looking back to Vernazza

Looking forward to Corneglia

The abandoned train tunnel

We had been walking for a few hours by this stage and were past due for lunch. I had been taking it fairly slow and steady on the walk until A mentioned the 'P' word and I think I may have broken the record for the shortest time walked between Corneglia and Manarola. The P word being pasta...

The lunch at Manarola is a meal with no buts. This may be because I was starving but the ciabatta was the best bread I ate the whole trip and the pasta with a local crayfish that I can't remember the name of but it was absolutely delicious!

Carb-ed up and tired it was back to Vernazza for a nap and then dinner.

I learned a valuable lesson at dinner. When you order antipasto what looks like cheese may actually be salted prosciutto fat...I have never tasted anything quite like it nor have I ever had anything that disgusting.

The next day (A's birthday) we were up early to do the walk between Vernazza and Monterroso (T and family - oh the irony). It was the most beautiful day and we saw hardly anyone else on the trail arriving in Monterroso about 9am for a fantastic swim in the most perfect water. We hung around Monterosso for most of the day and then it was back to Vernazza for another nap. Then it was out to dinner for A's birthday watching a spectacular sunset.

Looking back at Vernazza


Monterosso



The view from the restaurant at A's birthday dinner


Our last day in the Cinque Terre and we just had the easy 20 minute walk between Manarola and Riomaggiore to have completed the entire walk between the town. The best laid plans failed us spectacularly. We left early so we could do the walk early and then swim the morning away before getting on the train to go to Pisa to catch our plane home. Only snag was when we got to Riomaggiore there is nowhere to store your luggage, so it was back on the train to La Spezia to store our bags and then a 45 minute wait to get the train back to Riomaggiore. Our morning was quickly being wasted. We then end up on a train that doesn't take us back to Riomaggiore but all the way back to Monterroso the first of the Cinquerre Terre towns. We eventually get back to Manarolla and do the walk to Riomaggiore in record time and then went for our last swim in at another beautiful beach. Then back to London and time to start my new job.

The compass in Italy