Day 7: Cinque Terre

I am so glad I journaled each day while we were traveling. This is the only way I am able to remember the important details 3+ months later. 

I wanted to quickly explain our route using this map. You are able to hike to each city. There were groups that flew in to do just that. They would backpack to a different city each day. Unfortunately because of the amount of rain that had just happened the day before, some of the trails were closed. We started the morning in Riomaggiore and then took a train up to Monterosso. We did a gorgeous, yet exhausting 2.5 hour hike to Vernazza. We then took a train to Manarola where we ended the day.


It was raining in Riomaggiore so it was a quick stop. I can't find any pictures, but the city can be seen in the first few seconds of our video where we light a candle.
Onto our hike from Monterosso to Vernazza:

The trail was beautiful. Steep and beautiful. There was a part where we winded back and forth through some vineyards on the side of the mountain (below).

And just as you are about to die, you get a peek of the city of Vernazza. 

It definitely gave us our second wind.

As you make your descent through the mosquito infested greens, you start hearing accordion music! It was the perfect welcome into this beautiful Italian city. This picture is blurry but I love it because it shows the narrow run-down walkways and the busy small cafe where we ate lunch. It may have been because I was so famished, but it was the best pizza I had ever put inside my mouth.

It doesn't look appetizing, but oh it was. Pizza & Sprite. Basically my meal everyday in Italy.

Back to the train headed to Manarola!
This city got our vote for best gelato in Italy.

Manarola

just being a PDA fest

Blessings to the man in the University of Utah shirt who took a picture of us.
Our first picture without the selfie stick in days.

Then we took a train back to our hotel near Portofino. I don't remember this but in my journal I wrote "..got back to the hotel and went to bed EARLY. Hit my pillow and was out. I got a full nine hours of sleep. Party in the USA! Well, Italy." We struggled getting full nights of sleep on this trip, but SO worth it.