Hiking "Five Lands" Cinque Terre

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As we headed north from Rome to the Cinque Terre region we decided to stop for a picnic lunch along the beach. It wasn't the nicest beach I've seen but it would do. The interesting/humorous sights were the fisherman in his striped underwear and naked yoga. I never realized underwear was for fishing but hey why not get a tan? The naked yoga (later a photo showed that she had a thong on) was being done by a woman you do want to see exercise let alone while naked. The fisherman was a little shocked also.
We arrived in Brassia, which is a town on the hill above La Spezia, well into the evening. We checked into our hostel and headed to the local pizzeria. We were joined for dinner by a lovely woman traveling alone from Brazil. The pizza was yummy and the staff was so happy with Buz's tip that they served us a complimentary drink of Amore, similar to Jagermeister.
They next morning we hit the road running and headed to Monterosso al Mare, the northern most town of Cinque Terre. The road to get there is not far but very curvy. Mom was not doing well in the back of the car especially on an empty stomach. Scott commiserated with her as I had made him ill on the Twelve Apostle's road in Australia. Once we arrived and parked we sat down to a late breakfast. We bought a guide book and headed out.
The Cinque Terre route that we hiked consisted of the four hikes that connect the five cliff side towns. The four hikes combined are approximately 12 kilometers. Many people do the hikes in separate days and stop to enjoy the towns, but due to our schedule we did all in one day. We elected to hike north to south as it was recommended to do the tough hike first.
The first hike from Monterosso al Mare to Vernazza is the toughest as you climb to a height of 165 meters before you descend. I could tell my mom was not entirely happy on the ascent. This hike took us about 1 hour 45 minutes, which we were happy was about the average time. This hike took us through vineyards and olive groves. We actually passed a local selling home bottled olive oil and wine. The views looking back at Monterosso al Mare and down to Vernazza are spectacular. We stopped in the square in Vernazza for a rest and a snack before moving on.
The second hike is from Vernazza to Corniglia and is only slightly easier. The hike actually reaches a higher elevation around 220 meters but the ascent is more gradual. Once again when we reached Corniglia we took a short break before continuing on.
The third hike is from Corniglia to Manarola. We love that the hikes are getting easier. This section starts off with walking down multiple flights of stairs, 365 stairs to be exact, to the train station and beach. We stop near the train station on a couple of benches and have our sack lunch. Not fantastic as the bread was stale but the beer/soda helped wash it down.
The fourth section from Manarola to Riomaggiore is like strolling in a park. The trail is manicured and relatively flat.
It was a great day walking between the towns. They are truly magnificent. I would recommend anyone traveling to Italy to make their way to Cinque Terre.
I was also very happy to be able to share the experience with my mom and Buz. Scott and I really enjoy their company.

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