It's overcast with a nip in the air and we catch the train to walk from Corniglia to Manarola. None of the Cinque Terre walks are a doddle. You need good knees, sticks and no fear of heights. We only have one of the three.
We arrive at the train station in Corniglia and climb 365 stairs up from the train station to get to the village...
There are over 300 miles of walls all built without mortar on the Cinque Terre
We begin the walk up from the village. The wild flowers are a sight to behold..
Leaving Corniglia behind...Corniglia is 100 Metres above the sea, the only one of the five hamlets without a natural harbour.
An easy part of the path...
More wild flowers. Fairies could dance here... The orange netting is to catch the olives which are then transported down the hills on a small rail system.
Up we go...you can see some cars parked on the road. No cars are allowed into the villages. Only small delivery vans.
And the path splits...
Napoleon planted hundreds of pine trees to prevent soil erosion, but because of all the rain in the last few years the trees are diseased and dying ...
The paths have the red and white stripes to guide, but this has a touch of artistry too...
Spectacular views...
Down we go...the sea sparkles. One could almost be tempted to take a running dive from up here...
Most of the river that runs into the towns is covered now, but here is how it is still in some parts. Little bridges join one side to the other.
The hamlet of Manarola. Fishing boats line the Main Street..
It's always washing day in Italy.
In this little village, a church filled with rich paintings, murals, frescoes and ornaments. Even though the fishing villages were poor, the Catholic Churches fell under the rich rule of Genoa.
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