Che Bellezza la Natura - Walking the Cinque Terre

Today we took advantage of the forecast good weather to do another walk in the Cinque Terre. This time we chose the path from Manarola to Corniglia via Volastra....Sam our Norfolk terrier couldnt wait to be off.

Manarola from the path

To avoid the crowds and the heat of the day(inspite of the fresh breeze) we left the house at 7.30 and drove to La Spezia train station and parked in the new underground carpark. We got the 8.30 train and got off in Manarola. It was still quite chilly when we set out and we were dressed in walking shoes, shorts,t shirt, sweat shirts and a scarf each.. We also had water proof tops( in case of rain very English) and water in our rucksack.

We headed up the hill towards the church in Manarola  and then took the Panoramic path toward Volastra and Corniglia After a steep initial climb which had us panting (not that fit) we were down to our t - shirts and perspiring. The fantastic views and wild flowers gave us many reasons to stop and take pictures ...just as well.

Sam who had stormed off in front soon began to slow down as well.

The path is beautiful rewarding you with stunning views of the terraces and vines and wild flowers not to forget the cliffs plunging down to the sea. Some concentration is needed when walking due to the nature of the path but I cannot reccommend it enough.

 I would also do the route we did Manarola toCorniglia rather than the other way round as the climb up is longer from Corniglia.

The walk took us a little over 2 hours .... but allow between 2 and 3 depending on your pace.

Corniglia our destination

                                                                                                                                                                                   
 Finally taking a pause during our walk the intrepid explorers!

Carmelo

 

Simon and Sam

The Cinque Terre or 5 Lands

The Cinque Terre are situated in the province of La Spezia, Liguria, the area is a Unesco world heritage site and not to be missed if visiting Liguria.

The Five Lands consisting  of Riomaggiore, Manarola, Corniglia, Vernazza and Monterosso apart from being naurally beautiful are the product of centuries of cultivation by the local population who carved a unique way of life in the small fishing villages and vertiginous olive groves and vinyards which cling to the cliffs.

Riomaggiore

Today the paths along the cliffs are used by hikers and tourists visiting the area. You need to consult one of the various websites before coming to see which of the paths are open as they tend to suffer in the winter months from land slips.

The area can arrived at either by train boat or car.

If not staying in the Cinque Terre itself daytrips are easy.  The trains depart from La Spezia Central station and the ferries from the port. If a calm sunny day it is nice to go by boat and visit Portovenere on the way. This way you can see the little ports from the sea and you can get a ticket which allows you to get on and off and then maybe return by train as they are more frequent.

The other day we visited by car driving to Monterosso (about and hour from Casa Colleverde) and parked in the harbour carpark.We then walked to Vernazza - a relatively easy 2 hour walk (not for those who suffer from vertigo) and a little steep at times, but beauttiful. A bottle of water is advisable.You arrive at your destination and are rewarded with a picture postcard view of Vernazza.

Vernazza

We lunched in the port at the Taverna del Captinodelicious fresh seafood pasta and a local Vermentino from the region- Lunae.

We then got the train back to Monterosso.

Later in the month May18th and 19th is the fesitval of lemons at Monterosso

Monterosso

When walking the paths please be considerate of the environment and other walkers and dont leave your rubbish.

A good source of information is www.parconazionale5terre.it

The Lunigiana - an undiscovered Tuscany.

The Lunigiana is an historic territory which falls within both Liguria(province of La Spezia) and Tuscany (Massa Cararra).

Image courtesy of Terre di Lunigiana

Casa Colleverde is in the province of La Spezia not far from the ancient Roman City of Luni in the Val di Magra from which the Lunigiana takes its name.The historical confines of the Lunigiana derive from the Roman City Luni and the medieval diocese of the Bishops of Luni. The major part of the Lunigiana can be found in Tuscany.

The amphitheatre at Luni

The Lunigiana was a territory fought over by the Genovese,Milanese and Florentines as it  was a strategic route from Tuscany to the north and hence it is an area with many hill top towns and castles.

The Lunigiana for me is an area little explored by the majority of tourists visiting Italy and Tuscany who are drawn to the busier and more well known areas of Lucca ,Chianti around Siena and the Val d'orcia.. The Lunigiana is a little more rugged but like other areas in Tuscany has its traditions and its own authentic country cuisine.

Those who would like to know more about the area the following are good sources .

Ciao Lunigiana - www.ciaolunigiana.com
Terre di Lunigiana - www.terredilunigiana.com 

Fillateria picture courtesy of Terre di Lunigiana