Day 6
We leave Parma bright and early, slightly rushed. We are
lucky to find our appropriate train as tickets and reader boards are not as
easily translated as one may expect. Breathing sighs of relief, our train
departs – just as we realize we’ve both forgotten our only jackets back in the
hotel, ugh! Oh, the glory of technology. We boot up our 3G and shoot an email
to the hotel, begging for return of the clothing.
The train ride is breathtaking and the cities of the Cinque
Terre even more so. The Cinque Terre is a series of five small towns embedded in
the northwest coast of the Mediterranean. These five cities (along with a few
others) are connected by ancient, and rather treacherous, hiking paths.
Our next stay is in the most northern city of the Cinque
Terre, Monterosso. Here we are blessed to stay in a beautiful B&B (Il Parco)
- not really a typical B&B but many family owned accommodations in this
area carry this title.
Marta, the owner and host of Il Parco, simply gets it. The
grounds are immaculately maintained. Beautiful flowers flourish in the garden,
comfortable sunbeds frame the brand new pool, the breakfast nook overlooks the
sea and rolling hills and our room is comfortable, clean and conservatively luxurious.
Marta takes care of our needs, leaving us with dinner, hiking and sightseeing
recommendations.
Day 7
The beach in Monterosso is beautiful, but we fore-go
sunbathing for an intense hike to Vernazza. The path is steep, narrow and
includes hundreds of stairs. One would think these hikes are for the young,
able-bodied; however, we are surprised and impressed by the number of elderly
making the trek.
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