Kilometres Walked : Saturday – 12 km, Sunday – 10 km.

Sunday 7th May, 2023.

Yes please I’ll take one of those. The city of opulence. Arriving in Genoa and wandering around with our jaws literally hitting the floor. How many huge over the top and ornate buildings can you have one would ask? Well just streets and streets of them. Oh and of course don’t forget the marble. Whilst yes the city itself is a little dirty and run down you can’t escape the wealth and the beautiful architecture. And the football, arriving yesterday to a very excited city that won their match. Streets were closed off and everyone was out celebrating with their colours on and flags out. Wow, you don’t see this in Australia. The excitement was quite infectious.

And then we get to the Marina. Wandering around on a beautiful sunny Sunday we encountered more jaw dropping scenes. This time though it was on the water. With millions of dollars worth of Super Yachts, Sailing Boats and some rather lovely smaller vessels as well we couldn’t quite decide which one we would like to take home or rather sail home in!

Being one of Italy’s most important and busiest ports it easy to see why everyone is drawn to it on a lovely sunny day to enjoy gelato whilst dreaming about owning a yacht.

Kilometres walked : Wednesday – 3km, Thursday – 20 km.

Floors Climbed : 188

Thursday 4th May, 2023.

With the alarm sounding at 4am we were up and at it super early. Determined to beat the crowds today we caught the 5.20am train to Corniglia so we could complete the rest of the trail from Corniglia, passing through Vernazza and finishing up at Monterosso all before 9am. And what bliss it was. Passing only 6 other people on the way to our first stop Vernazza we thoroughly enjoyed not having to stop and let people pass every 5 metres. We knew this place could get busy but gee we still weren’t really prepared for how many would be here all doing the same thing as us. And I’ll say it again, who can blame them. It truly is an experience to walk the trails of the Cinque Terre. And we are quite proud of ourselves form completing the trail all the while getting over head colds.

Watching the pinks start to colour the sky we soaked up the natural splendour and hiked our way to Vernazza. Whilst it didn’t stand out in the distance as the others have it was still lovely to see and to pass through before everyone was awake. Testing the thigh muscles once again we pushed on through to Monterosso before the track become to busy. Thankfully we only passed 26 people on the second leg of the hike. And how excited and grateful we were that we set off early. It was pure bliss to watch the sunrise and enjoy the track void of crowds and before it became to hot as well.

Talk about saving the best for last. Arriving at our final destination we immediately fell in love with Montorosso. The crystal clear azure blue water was beckoning us. Having not been in the ocean for a couple of months now we were itching to jump in regardless of how cool it may be. Wandering in to town we were also excited to see a local market setting up and at how pretty the old buildings were with their frescos. Whilst Montorosso isn’t high on the hill with amazing views like Manarola it oozed typical Italian style with all the fabulous colours, pretty flowers cascading everywhere, pots of herbs and a few cheeky cats prowling around.

Exploring all the narrow streets and gazing in wonder at the beautifully painted houses everywhere we finally had our swim in the Ligurian Sea. And yes it wash fresh but exciting and liberating. The pebble beach whilst very different did actually feel quite nice underfoot and the water was crystal clear allowing us to see all the fish.

And after a very long and tiring but fabulous day we opted to catch the boat back to Manarola which gave us a fantastic view of the coastline and of the track that we had just hiked on. Feeling quite proud of ourselves once more we kicked back with a couple of cold beers on the terrace and watched the sun go down.

The Cinque Terre and especially Manarola has been a fantastic experience. To see how these villages were built into the cliffs hundreds of years ago and the gardens terraced up the hillside is just incredible. It’s been a privilege to walk the trails and stay in this beautiful place.

Kilometres walked : 11.5

Flights Climbed : 132

Tuesday 2nd May, 2023.

With a lovely slow start for my birthday and some Aussie catch up phone calls we decided to walk to Corniglia today which is the next village heading north. Again not really that far away but yet again through mountain goat terrain to reach it. But what lovely terrain it was. Getting our steps up immediately we climbed and climbed and climbed some more.

After passing many beautiful olive groves and grapevines set into the terraces we arrived at Volastra. The cutest village you ever did see. Perched upon the mountain top about an hours walk from Manarola. With views to die for and the prettiest coloured little houses it was just like a postcard. All the gardens were beautifully attended to and lovely old olive trees surrounded the place. We wandered around taking a million photographs and grabbed a very good coffee before setting off on the next section of the trail. God I love Italian coffee. I’ve never drunk so much espresso in my life!

Winding our way through thousands of grapevines covering the hills and with the Ligurian Sea glistening to our left we blissfully walked another two hours to Corniglia. The middle of the five villages along the Cinque Terre. Corniglia is the only one of the five villages that doesn’t have direct sea access. It sits perched upon the top of the cliffs above the Ligurian Sea with majestic views up and down the coast line. Again we encountered a very cute and pretty village with lots of colour, flowers, grapevines, olives, gelato, trattorias, views, lemons, alleyways, steep staircases, the obligatory church and thousands of tourists. Oh my god, where do they all come from? I know we are travellers as well but I can’t say I’ve ever encountered so many other tourists on our travels previously. But who can blame them, the world is their oyster and it should always be rediscovered and adventured.

Admitting defeat instead of walking back the way we came we caught the train back to Manarola so we could save our energy for tomorrow’s hike. Had a lovely home cooked pasta dish on the terrace and a limoncello for dessert while the sun set. It’s the simple things in life that matter! Happy Birthday to me……

Kilometres walked : 8

Flights climbed : 116

Monday 1st May, 2023.

Still recovering from head colds and with the weather being slightly inclement we opted for the shortest walk today between the villages. Manarola to Riomaggiore and back. Just a few klms’s but holy moly, if you aren’t a mountain goat already you will be by the end of it. Heading straight out of our front door directly onto the extremely steep path off we went. Stone steps carved into the hillside give your thighs the best work out they have ever had. And let me tell you these steps are different sizes and different heights just to mess with your head. Taking it nice and slow with regular breaks to enjoy the absolutely amazing views we eventually reached the summit. Then it was straight down the opposite side of the hill to Riomaggiore. Sometimes I think its actually harder to go downhill rather up with the old knees these days. But as they say slow and steady wins the race.

Passing grapevines and fruit trees planted in every available space on the ascent and descent we just marvelled at how they have achieved it all and still use it all today. No wonder they are all so fit and live to such a ripe old age. On the decent into the village I have to admit it didn’t stand out as much to me as Manarola did when we arrived. Don’t get me wrong, the village is still very cute and has all those different coloured houses it’s famous for and the harbour where all the little boats are is very picturesque. And would be even more I imagine so on a sunny day. But it just didn’t have the same feeling about the place. We did the touristy thing and wandered around, had lunch on the pebbly beach and took some photos. Once we had achieved all this and grabbed a very good coffee we high tailed it out of there and headed for home. One great thing about the weather is that the trail wasn’t overly busy.

Not the best weather for taking photos but we still enjoyed our walk and gave our legs a great workout. Got to work off that pasta somehow!

Kilometres Walked : Saturday – 7.3km, Sunday – 4.8 km.

Sunday 30th April, 2023.

Aah yes I can smell the ocean. And what a sweet smell it is. I can also smell lemons which are everywhere here. Big fat juicy ripe fruit just beckons to be picked straight from the trees dotted all up and down the terraces and of course turned into Limoncello.

Yesterday we said arrivederci to lovely Lucca and hopped on the train to our next destination. Buon pomeriggio to Manarola in The Cinque Terre. Tucked away on the Italian Riviera. The Cinque Terre comprises of five (cinque) rugged, remote and romantic coastal villages interconnected by kilometres of old mule tracks and footpaths up and down all the terraced hills, which is of course why we are here.

After three train changes with one million other tourists we finally made it to our destination. Not without a little stress trying to understand exactly which platform to go to and how delayed things may be, but hey its all part of the adventure. Meeting some fellow Aussies who are temporarily living in the Uk definitely eased our stress as we all worked together to figure out the crazy Italian train system. But as I said, its all part of the fun of travel. Now we thought Florence had been busy. Holy Moly, when we departed the train at Manarola it was with a sea of other tourists. Mmm nobody mentioned the Italian long weekend or the English long weekend. Obviously everyone decided to spend it at The Cinque Terre!

And who could blame them. We had arrived in paradise. Bright candy coloured houses weave their way up the hill. Lemon trees are dotted throughout the terraces that head high up on the hill and surround the village. As are grapevines, olive trees, fruit trees and veggie gardens. It’s quite fascinating to see how they have built this amazing place and filled every available space with produce.

Arriving at our apartment up othe top of the hill away from the busyness we were delighted by the views from our balconies and roof top terrace. And even more delighted at our kitsch Italian style apartment complete with terrazzo tiles and shutters.

Still recovering from head colds we decided to take it easy today and just wander about the village and admire the views. The ocean looked very inviting. We didn’t brave it today but will see what tomorrow brings!

Kilometres walked : 15

Goodbye Beautiful!

Friday 28th April, 2023.

Thick medieval walls surround this beautiful city creating a sense of stepping back in time. Lush green vegetation covering its entirety invites you to lay out a picnic rug and bask in the sunshine. Wide flat paths encircling the top encourage couples and families to enjoy their passeggiata serale. Wandering the thick cobblestone streets the aroma of Italian cooking makes your mouth water. Regularly stopping for an espresso at corner cafes and possibly a cornetto gives you that much needed energy boost to keep on exploring all of the magical corners of Lucca.

Gazing longingly at the beautifully patinated buildings with those lovely large entrances that I love so much, I could definitely imagine living here. Yes Jason you can come to! Oh how romantic it would be. Sipping a glass of Chianti whilst watching the world go by from my wisteria covered terrace. Perched on the wild flower covered walls entranced by the sunset. Deciding between fresh purple artichokes or thick green asparagus at the frutteria. Going for a stroll with my low rider. Knocking back an Un Caffe at a local bar. Inhaling the intense fragrance from the flowers spilling out of the window boxes. Oh yes how romantic it would be!

The reality is I have a head cold and the smell of coffee isn’t really doing anything for me at the moment. Thanks for sharing Jason. It will probably take me two hours to try and cram everything back into my one small bag in readiness for the next leg our adventure tomorrow and yes my feet are bloody sore. But there’s nothing wrong with dreaming and mentally trying to work out when we can come back to this beautiful place.

Arrivederci Lucca

Goodbye until we meet again!

Kilometres walked : 22

Thursday 27th April, 2023.

Buona Giornata! Have a good day! Learning a new phrase this morning at the Bakery, we are getting a little better at our Italian. And what a good day we had.

Packing some sandwiches and apples for lunch we set out for a walk along The Nottolini Aquaduct. Completed in 1851 the aquaduct is approximately 3.2kms long with more than 400 arches and 2 impressive dome water tanks. The structure was built to supply drinking water into the city of Lucca but unfortunately after a section was removed for the motorway many years ago it is no longer used for its original purpose. What a fantastic find it was.

Passing a shepherd and his flock of sheep, fields full of wildflowers, Italian villa’s, hills lined with olive groves, old stone houses and a couple of small villages we made it to the observatory up on Mount Pisano. Finding a nice table and chairs we marveled at the views back over Lucca and the aqueduct whilst enjoying our lunch.

15kms later we made it back to the apartment for a much needed siesta. The Italian’s have the right idea there. And of course after dinner we did our daily stroll around the wall and a meander through the town.

Kilometres walked : 13

Wednesday 26th April, 2023.

Starting off slowly again today we finally discovered the bakery just around the corner. What a treat that was, beautiful fresh bread for lunch😋 Then of course once we explored a few more different streets we found the fresh fruit & vegetable shops and the butcher. It always seems to take a couple of days to find out where the locals shop & enjoy an espresso ☕️

Noticing that for the first time there wasn’t anyone lining up to access the Tower Guinigi, which happens to be just outside our apartment we took the opportunity to head on up whilst it was quiet. Perfect timing I must say, with only a few other people on top of the tower we enjoyed the panorama from above the city. With a sea of terracotta tiles and lovely little terraces and courtyards dotted everywhere. Mountains rising out from the surrounding countryside and with a big blue sky above us it was quite magical. The tower itself is 44.25 metres high and on top is a garden with seven beautiful old oak trees. A rewarding piece of paradise after climbing 230 stairs to reach it.

We then set off to find the canals coming in through the wall on one side of the city which runs right through to the wall on the opposite side of the city.

Lunch was thoroughly enjoyed back at the apartment with our beautiful fresh bread. After relaxing for a little while we headed for The Botanic Gardens for a lovely meander and enjoying the turtles sunbathing on the edge of the pond, and then of course we went for our afternoon stroll along the wall😊

25th April 2023

LEST WE FORGET

Kilometres walked : 13

Oh Lucca, you are beautiful. Wandering around in amazement at the spellbinding architecture, grand entrances, cobblestone alleyways and mouth watering cuisine 🧀🫒

Discovering Palazzo Pfanner we went exploring. The Palazzo is still owned by the Pfanner’s and they still reside there. With just a small but fabulous section open to the public and a beautiful Italian Baroque Style garden you won’t be disappointed. The grand entrance through luscious lemon trees in aged terracotta pots and marble statues representing the seasons draws you in to a fabulous water feature. Then you can just casually relax in the sun and enjoy your surroundings.

After heading back to the apartment for lunch we went for our passeggiata pomeridiana around the wall. And of course on the way found so many more things to photograph.

Ciao

Kilometres walked : 10.4km

Afternoon stroll!

Monday 24th April, 2023.

Hello Lucca. Just a short train ride from Florence we have found paradise. Arriving into Lucca today was like taking breath of fresh air. This is Italy. Situated on the Serchio river it is best known for its well preserved Renaissance walls encircling its historic city centre. Wide tree lined paths along the top of these walls are the perfect place for a passeggiata serale.

After battling the crowds in Florence it’s a lovely change to have some space and fresh air. I think a stroll around the walls will be a daily occurrence this week. Treating ourselves to a mouthwatering panini for lunch we then wandered around to get our bearings. Mr horse stopped us in our tracks as he made straight for a particular shop doorway for his obvious daily snack. And of course my door obsession continues. What a beautiful city.

We already wish we had booked a longer stay here. Oh well we may just have to come back.