Day 7: Vernazza & Monterosso
Cinque Terre is closer to the classic Italy that we Americans tend to imagine that Italy is like….before the modern world corrupted it.  There are very few cars or vehicles and the primary links between the towns are either the hiking trail or the train line.  Each town has its own personality.  We stayed in Vernazza and rented a room from a local for two nights.  Our first day there, we hiked to Monterosso, which is a rather strenuous hike over the mountainous coast, but has some fantastic views.  We enjoyed the beach in Monterosso and the sea water was surprisingly a good temperature.  We chilled on the beach for a while before walking further into town.  Fortunately we hadn’t gone too far when I realized that I had lost our room key.  We hurried back to the beach and managed to find it.  We hiked back to Vernazza as sunset was approaching and the vistas were amazing.  We stopped at an overlook of Vernazza to try to replicate the most well-known photo of Cinque Terre.  It was here that got me wanting to upgrade my camera, as my best shots were only half-decent and could have been much better with the right equipment.
           

 
Day 8: Riomaggiore, Manarola, Corniglia, Vernazza
We took our time getting going this morning.  By the time we got to the train station, the train we planned on taking was also 20 minutes late.  We eventually did make it to Riomaggiore and started a very enjoyable day.  Each town had its own personality and I was continually marveling at the terrace gardens.  In Manarola, I found it ironic that the school and playground was just 30 yards from the cemetery…you start almost right where you end.  The trail between Manarola and Corniglia was closed, so we had to wait for a train.  The trail from the train station at Corniglia to Vernazza was rather strenuous but had some great views.  We polished off the day with a swim in the sea.  I was surprisingly a decent temperature.  Jessica was so hungry that she ordered a 12” pizza for herself and I had one as well.  She took home a box with a few slices and I polished mine off.  Our time in Cinque Terre was very enjoyable and definitely memorable.