Cinque Terre #2of3

We bought train tickets (that cost a dollar or two to see all five towns), then rode the train for 15 minutes to Riomaggiore, the southern most of the Cinque Terre. This town is in two parts, with a steep, high hill dividing the town.

An English speaking gentleman, Giovanni, was tending his garden, and told us he was born in Riomaggiore and rides the train to get to his job in La Spezia. He parks his car in a parking lot across the next hill and high above the town, but doesn’t use the car very often. His uncle, who owns this house, lives in New York City and is expected to move back here when he retires in a few years.

Rather than take the train, a 15 minute walk along a picturesque, curious narrow path, a niche hewn out of the rocky cliff and overhanging the Sea, brought us to Manorola, the next town north. This trodden path is called the Via dell’Amore, or “Road of Love.” (I had high hopes, but we just walked.) What an incredible promenade — the rocky cliff, the Road of Love, the view of the sea were all marvelous, and were still fabulous when we returned a few years later.

Manarola is notably different from Riomaggiore, but it still extends from the Sea up the hill to a parking lot. We visited the 14th Century church, filled to overflowing for the morning Mass, then “talked” to a man who runs a very nice hotel — room with bath for two, 60,000L, $50. Past the RR tracks toward the Sea, the street curved here and there, and boats by the dozens were docked on Manarola’s streets as if they were parked cars. From the train station we could see a cliff, carved by nature to look like the face, including the snout, of a dog.

Two or three minutes later the train arrived in Corniglia, the next town north. Corniglia is significantly different, we had to walk a few blocks, then climb 400 steps to reach the town of Corniglia. The very nice little church, with a beautiful rose window, was reconstructed in 1334 AD.

We talked to a young couple, man and wife, who were both doctors. They had studied and interned in New York City for three years, three more years in London, and they now live in Milano. Of the three cities, they prefer New York City. It was hard for us to imagine anyone would prefer New York City over any other place. A little California prejudice, perhaps.