24th Sept, Monterosso to Vernazza Hiking

One of the many gates off the regular trail. Keeps the tourists and the grapes separate.

This is the view looking back towards Monterosso

Vernazza.

Steps, steps and then more steps.

The days are long and we usually go to bed earlish for us 10 wake up at 7 and try and make a deal that we'll sleep in the next day . It's a good thing we are waking up each day excited about what we are going today . Today it's a hike from Monterosso to Vernazza , I ask James to google the prettiest section of the 5 T hike ( the hike along the Cinque Terre villages )  we find out it's this part , we also find out its the hardest steepest and most grooling section and direction to hike . We some how put this to the back of our minds and get ready for the hike and talk about the views and what it might be like and if the reviews of the hike are true or a bit over hyped.

Mean while beneath us is a food market that I have watched set up from our balcony since 4 am and am itching go get some lunch for the hike from and practice my Italian that some how works ok , we are both baffled by this.

We decide to get breakfast at a free wifi area before the market (although i want get going I also wants to relax and enjoy down time ). James orders by pointing I laugh but likes that it works . Then James packs for the day and I'm off to the market .

The market is a success with a whole bunch of fruit salami tomato and breads purchased for 4 euro which will come in handy later.

We catch the over crowded train (everyone has the same idea as us ) and pre purchase our tickets to get into the national park ,  I comment a million times how lucky we are to be here ...it's true very very true.

The hike is everything we read and worse, it's hot and very steep we take it slowish, most people finish the section in 2 hours- 2:30 we think we do it in 1:45. The views are out of this world and the landscape is hard to imagine , there are vineyards that scale the steepest mountains and houses of cliff edges . The water is the bluest either of us have ever seen at one point my eyes well up from its beauty James must have had something his eye too . The path is very narrow and we have to stand side of to let other pass through , there aren't many going the opposite "easy " way but they all look at us in awe , trying to encourage us . I ask how much further , one says it's be cruel to tell you , but your up is so so so very hard , this only makes me more determined to finish it.

The final stretch is down with a few ups and the post card view is totally worth it ..
We are exhausted and sit and eat our lunch over the view rather than in town . We agree we've earned both a nap and a lie on the beach . Beach is first we find the free beach, and comment how lucky we are in Aus to have beaches with out rocks and are free . We lay, I try the water it's too cold and catch the train home for a nap and dream of dinner.

Before dinner we head down to the pier and discover a free wifi area and do more admin , changing accom etc , traveling is admin sometimes ( this time admin with good views ).

The restaurant is called inferno ( hell ) is underground and everyone goes there.
Like in Aus the wait staff / owners at hip places are rude and look like this is the last place they want to be . The owner looks at me like he hates me at least 4 times and James and I are in fits of laughter every time this happens . We manage to order , the food comes out seperated by 10 minutes ( there is only 2 on the table ) they don't give us wine glasses , and the menu was / is hand written .. The food it's brilliant at least and we eat everything after our huge walk. Paying is another funny scenario when we show him we have a discount ( the restaurant participates in putting them selves on the discount list , they are not force ) he rolls his eyes and presses a sad face button on the screen and types in the discount ... We laugh we pay and leave.

We walk off the food and go to bed early - tomorrow we go to Tuscany after a morning in town , we'll be up early again even though we make a deal to sleep in , travelling is fun we can sleep on the train.