Arrived early in the port of Livorno where we have a ships tour to the Cinque Terre for the day. This 10 hour tour is listed as “strenuous” with lots of uphill walking, steps, busses, trains and ferries. We decided on the ships tour because it was extremely complicated to get there on our own when we are staying in Florence after the cruise. The tour left at the crack of dawn. This was the first time I’ve seen the sun rise on a cruise. :)
The “Clinque Terre” – The five villages are located on the west coast of the Italian Riviera: the villages of Monterosso, Vernazza, Corniglia, Manarola and Riomaggiore either cling to the cliff face or are concealed in miniature inlets perfectly blending in to this unique and unspoiled landscape. The area has been turned into a National Park and proclaimed heritage of mankind by UNESCO. Monterosso is renowned for its architecture of the medieval center, now a thriving cultural center with pleasant beaches. The topography of Vernazza is outstanding: tower like buildings flank the narrow alleyways leading down to the anchorage which is set in a fairy tale bay. Manarola and Riomaggiore are linked by a footpath cut out of the sheer rock just a stone throw away from the sea: this romantic pathway is called Via dell’Amore is dedicated to lovers.
We began our tour with a 2 hour bus trip from the port to Manarola where we walked “The Street of Love”.
The walk along the path took about a half an hour before we reached Riomaggiore, where we were to board a ferry to take us to Monterosso where we would have some free time for lunch and shopping. Initially our guide told us that we would not be able to take the ferry due to rough seas, but later we were told that the ferries were running so we would be treated to breathtaking views of the Cinque Terre from the sea. We were delighted to hear the good news, until the guide mentioned that there is no dock for the ferry to pick us up. They simply get close to the rocks, put out a plank and we “jump” onboard. When I saw the ferry approaching, I started to say my Hail Mary’s. :) LOL
We arrived in Monterosso, safe and sound and happy to be on terra firma. The ride was rough and there were some sick tourists on the boat, but thankfully, we made it just fine. We had some free time to enjoy lunch in a restaurant overlooking the ocean. Pasta and mussels with local wine. Awesome.
We then met with our guide and our group boarded a train to Vernazza, our last village of the day. Vernazza was heavily damaged in November, 2011 by a very heavy rain storm that caused mud slides that destroyed the town. Our guide told us that they only opened the town up to tourists 2 weeks prior and he had not been there since the storm. There was not many shops or cafe’s open and you could see how heavily damaged the little village was.
It was an exhausting day but we’re so glad that we were able to do it. This was the last day of the cruise and we will be in Civitavecchia tomorrow morning.
